The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
A Review and Recommendation.
By Srianee Dias
The indication that you have just finished reading an exceptional book is the melancholy feeling that you get when a good experience is over, such as after a relaxing vacation or a special concert. You are sad to say goodbye to the characters who have been your companions for the last few days or weeks.
‘The
Covenant of Water’ is such a book. I
decided to read it in spite of its intimidating 700+pages, because Abraham
Verghese is one of my favourite authors.
He is a physician and writer who is presently a Provostial Professor and
Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at Stanford University.
The story, which spans about 80 years and covers 3 generations, begins in Travancore,
South India, which later becomes part of the State of Kerala. The author depicts the characters and their
surroundings with tender detail and great affection, and one can develop strong
connections; because those of us who grew up in that part of the world probably
knew people like that. The descriptions
of some of the characters will make you chuckle.
I have not visited Kerala, but people who have
travelled there remark on the similarities to Sri Lanka. There are descriptions
of hill country tea estates, beaches and villages, which are all familiar to us.
The story
is chronological and feels like short stories featuring the various characters
woven together in the narrative. There are many references to the history of
the times, the British occupation of India, World War II, the struggle for
independence, the activities of the Communist Party in Kerala and so on. It is a family saga with joyful celebrations
and heartbreaking tragedies, all described in exquisite detail with great sensitivity.
While reading this book there were times when
I felt that I was re-living my past. In
the early part of the story, in 1933, a young Scotsman recently graduated from
Medical College joins the Indian Medical Service in order to develop his skills
as a surgeon. Coming from a working-class background, he felt he didn’t have the right connections to get ahead in
his field in England. The description of
his first appointment in Madras in Longmere Hospital (a fictitious hospital)
took me back to my first appointment after my internship in Karawanella! Two crowded wards were assigned to him filled
with Indian patients, while his boss, a
Senior Civil Surgeon, looked after the almost empty ward reserved for British
and Anglo-Indian patients.
In
Karawanella, the set up was rather similar, where the DMO only allowed his
‘private’ patients to be admitted to his ward, by underlings like us. These patients had paid him a fee privately
(Illegal for a government medical officer).
We were given strict instructions not to admit any ‘floor’ patients to
his spotless ward. We didn’t always
follow the instructions, but that is another story!
Similarly,
when Verghese describes the experiences of a medical student, I was transported
in time to the formalin reeking anatomy block, and the pathology lab with
shelves stacked with specimens in glass containers.
There are
many medical details throughout the book,
because I think Dr. Verghese cannot completely shed his role of a
teacher of medicine. Perhaps it is a bit too much detail for the average
reader, but I enjoyed those sections immensely.
One does not have to be a physician to relish this book.
There
were many passages and sentences which I
read over and over again because the language and the imagery were so beautiful. (That is why I don’t enjoy listening to
audiobooks.) An example: writing about a
matriarch who relates family stories, he writes “…such memories are woven from
gossamer threads; time eats holes in the fabric, and these she must darn with
myth and fable.”
From my reading this book, I learned about the St. Thomas Christians of that
region. Their ancestors converted to
Christianity following the visit of St. Thomas, one of Jesus Christ’s
disciples, in AD 52. They are some of
the earliest Christians. There are many biblical and literary quotations in the
book, faithfully acknowledged in the notes.
I hope
some of the readers of this blog will pick up this hefty book sometime soon and start reading. It will be difficult to put it down.
Dear Srianee
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful book review so beautifully written. You have indeed painted several pictures of events and people of an era now long gone. It is just as if I have read the book, which I haven’t. There is some nostalgia too from our faculty days.
As an only child not having any playmates books and reading have brought me great joy. Then it became a mountain of medical text books reading late into the night. Although I have the time, I now lack the energy and the concentration to sit down with a book. The preference is to go out into the sunshine enjoy Regent’s Park with its lakes and the Rose garden setting my mind free to wander.
But that may change. You have enticed me to read again, a book by a writer from our part of the world and with a similar past. Thank you.
Srianee
ReplyDeleteThe story of the early Christians in India too is interesting. I remember reading about the Apostle Thomas travelling to the East to spread the gospel. He was killed with a spear in Chennai. I didn't realise there are still St Thomas Christians in South India. Despite losing his life he has achieved his goal.
NIhal,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your observations and encouraging comments about my review. I know you will love this book. After reading it I felt I had to share the experience with my friends, because there are so many potential connections embedded in the story.
I have been an admirer of Dr. Verghese for many years, both for his fiction writing as well as for his work as an educator, who is trying valiantly to preserve humanity in the practice of medicine here in the US. It is not unusual to walk into a doctor's office these days expecting a physical examination, only to be greeted by a cursory "hello!" The doctors hardly make eye contact with the patients these days, but instead stare at the computer screen and obsess over the information that needs to be filled out. (I could go on and on ranting, but I will stop now!)
About finding time to read these days, I know it isn't easy because there are so many distracting obligations that prey on our time. It was easy when we were kids. I would flop on my bed after school and read until it was time for dinner. Homework took second place!
Here's a suggestion: the next time you go to the park carry this book with you. You may get a workout as well from carrying the book!
https://youtu.be/9JESD6vnvcs
ReplyDeleteThose of you who are interested may want to watch this series on You Tube of Dr. Verghese being interviewed by Oprah. In the first part (which I watched) she asks him about his life and what inspired him to be a doctor? He mentioned 'The Citadel' by AJ Cronin and 'Of Human Bondage' by Somerset Maugham as two books that influenced him, and I was pleased that he and I shared something in common!!
He also talked about the difference between "Cure" and "Healing." In addition to us (batch 62) I think, at least this segment, may be beneficial to young physicians who are still practicing.
Srianee, I am back home after some local travel. I am now posting a longoverdue comment.
ReplyDeleteThe success of a book review is when the reader is enticed and succumbs by getting a copy of the book! By this standard, your review is a roaring success; as far as I am concerned. I have placed an order although I haven’t had the delivery yet.
I am a keen book reader and for me, books have a plethora of attractions. Books take you away into a different world/s and as all experiences, whether real or imagined are ultimately perceived “inside” your head, books are a simple and effective way into “virtual reality”, of which we are going to hear more and more with the emergence of AI. I was fascinated by a recent logo publicising AI- “I think, therefore AI” (after Descartes’ famous “ I think therefore I am “)
But I am digressing….
I love books also because I am fond of language and the role it plays in human knowledge and understanding. I love play with words, metaphors, similes, puns, symbolism verbal confusion etc etc. I love how some emotions and feelings are expressed via the symbolism of language very differently in different languages.On how there are no real English equivalents for example, some German words (e.g., Erbsenzähler which I am told is Someone who is obsessed with details and a bit of a control freak.” (you will know more Srianee!). There is no substitute for Sinhala “Aiyo” and that is why it is now in the official English dictionary. Also consider the difficulty in conveying the meaning of some religions written originally in Pali or Sanskrit or even an earlier language such as Prakrit. If you like that sort of thing, I like to recommend books written by Steven Pinker such as “The language Instinct”, “Words and Rules”. He is a Professor of Psychology and has an interest in Cognitive Neuroscience.
Back to why I like reading books in preference to movies. When I read, I construct my own images, helped by the language used by the Author. I interpret what I read in ways that can differ from what the Author tried to convey (this is even more with Poetry). I like to transport myself into different eras in history; in short, it gives me enormous pleasure by constructing worlds in my own head, in my own time and at no huge cost!
Your experience of relating some of the happenings in this book to your own similar experiences is such a lovely way of reliving the past and reminiscing.
I have left out other more obvious things like gaining knowledge, learning new skills, learning how to appreciate areas of interest which one is not familiar with . One could go on…
I am an unashamed book lover and the reason I like physical books as opposed to e-books and audiobooks is mainly because I Ilke the feel and smell of books, as well as the fact that I can turnover pages and quickly refer to sections with ease. I also enjoy the sight of books stacked on my book shelves.
I am also tempted to write a review and I do hope that my colleagues will follow and even if they don’t write a review, come up with some suggestions for reading.
Thanks, Srianee for yet another noteworthy contribution to our Blog
Mahen, I have been meaning to respond to your interesting comment for quite a few days, but I kept getting interrupted! Thank you for sharing your reading experiences. I know what you mean when you say that books take you away to a different world. This was especially true when we were growing up without access to television, and we were immersing ourselves in good books creating our own 'virtual reality' as you described.
DeleteI also happen to be a movie buff and can get carried away when watching a really good movie. I started streaming Netflix and Apple TV etc. during the Covid lockdowns and got a little addicted to the easy, lazy way of enjoying a good story without having to make the effort to read. I realize now that I was overdoing it. (I've got to kick that habit and get back to reading more!)
About the German language, there are so many compound words! Sometimes I think that writers invent them to express themselves.
Erbsenzähler means beancounter or nit-picker. (Erbsen means peas, and Zähler means counter.) Language is dynamic and words flow from one language to another through usage. Two German words that are now part of the English language and frequently used by writers of English are 'schadenfreude' and 'zeitgeist'. They express complex ideas in a single word.
And of course, there is simply no translation for "Aiyo!" BTW, In 'The Covenant of Water' the characters use "Ayo" all the time (That's how they spell it in English). I could go on and on, but I will stop now!
Thanks for your comment Srianee. I am always fascinated by how little thought we give to our interpretation of langyage. We take it for granted that the writer communcated to the reader the thoughts that he or she means to convey. This is flawed in so many ways./ The preception fomed by the reader is coloured and influenced by his/her own memories and opinions and on how she/he intereprets the meaning of words/sentences. This can lead to much misunderstandings. The "between the lines interpratation" which we all indulge in , can be so wrong and misleading. This very fact however, makes books interesting to read!
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ReplyDeleteHi Bunter I read your review of Abraham Verghese' book with delight. Made me want to get a copy for myself... The 700 pages doesn't put me off. He writes so well. Have you read his book titled "Cutting for Stone" ? I couldn't put it down .... In fact I read it for the second time after a 1 year gap. Thank you for drawing my attention to this book. If not available in Sri Lanka will demand it for a Christmas present from my family.!!
Hi Suri, If you liked 'Cutting for Stone' you will like this even better! I do hope you get your hands on it somehow. I wonder if they will publish it in India. His first two books were 'My Own Country' and 'The Tennis Partner' and were non fiction based on his own experiences. They were also beautifully written and very poignant. I might read them again! He has such skill with language and imagery.
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