Heat and Dust - Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Published by John Murray (Publishers): London, 2003 (1975).

I'm trying to be a bit more picky with my Booker books these days, while still aiming to get through the ones that aren't too explicit. 

Heat and Dust tells two stories: the first is of Olivia, the young wife of Douglas Rivers, an English civil servant living in Satipur, India in the 1920s. Although the couple are very loving towards one another, Olivia feels isolated, unable to relate to the other (older) local British women and unable to mix much with the local English men who, because of her gender, choose not to explain the politics of the area to her. She befriends Harry, another Englishman, who is living in the palace of the local Nawab (a prince), and whom the novel implies he is in a very controlling homosexual relationship with. As time goes by Olivia is drawn more and more to the Nawab, and eventually she begins her own relationship with him, resulting eventually in her decision to elope with him. This is not a spoiler as the book tells us this from the outset. However, the journey towards this happening is very tragic; we see each decision that Olivia makes and, while acknowledging that she should choose differently, we also can see how someone in her situation could make the decisions she has made.

Meanwhile, the second story is that of Olivia's step-granddaughter, who comes to India trying to understand what caused Olivia to act the way she did. The granddaughter - whom the book never names - enters into her own romantic affairs, making decisions that echo Olivia's while also at times choosing different outcomes. This part of the story is not as interesting as that of Olivia's, but still provides a slightly more modern variation on the earlier theme.

The book is well written, although like many of the Booker books I don't see myself returning to read it again. It is a realistic portrayal of how infidelity could occur in even the happiest of marriages if communication is absent and wrong decisions are made. It makes me very happy to be married to Elise.

Completed 8 April 2023.



(Bookerworm)

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