There are authors that wish to impress the audience with the verbosity and there are authors who make the reader connect intimately with the characters they portray in their novels in a lucid manner. Shashi Warrier definitely belongs to the second category in the likes of R K Narayan. Homecoming by warrier is wonderful treat to read. TO state briefly, the main protagonist Javed Sharif who visits his home every year in Kashmir gives a surprise visit on his fathers 84th birthday (setting is in the year 2002) The novel captures the moods prevalent in Kashmir and Javed feels like a second class citizen in his own city due to the rights to question anybody with Police and armed forces. Things turn for the worst when his son is arrested as a suspected terrorist on the day of the B’day. The book explores Javed relationship with his parents, two sons, daughter and his politician brother apart from his relationship with a woman in Bangalore.
As the story progresses, Javeds relationship with every other character changes while he is running around to get his son freed from prison. The author beautifully expresses the emotions that the protagonist goes through as these relationships change - The woman who will not marry unless javed converts his religion, the brother who is no separate from his role, the son in Bangalore who feels he should get more share of business than he gets etc leave Javed utterly isolated at a time when men retire from active life. The strength of a relationship definitely gets tested when times are tough and by the end you wonder whether he feels more of a second class citizen in his state or in his family. Perhaps it’s difficult to make other see a viewpoint when the mind is already made.
As the story progresses, Javeds relationship with every other character changes while he is running around to get his son freed from prison. The author beautifully expresses the emotions that the protagonist goes through as these relationships change - The woman who will not marry unless javed converts his religion, the brother who is no separate from his role, the son in Bangalore who feels he should get more share of business than he gets etc leave Javed utterly isolated at a time when men retire from active life. The strength of a relationship definitely gets tested when times are tough and by the end you wonder whether he feels more of a second class citizen in his state or in his family. Perhaps it’s difficult to make other see a viewpoint when the mind is already made.
