Nine lives by William Dalrymple

fsg · Oct 4th, 2009, 20:42

Sounds a fascinating read, by a very accomplished, and authoritative author with a deep love of India.

Synopsis

Three brothers from a remote village in the Himalayas are driven by poverty to become monks. One becomes a famous masked dancer; the second an accomplished player of the Tibetan temple trumpet; and the third a great Buddhist scholar. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. A woman leaves her middle class family in Calcutta and her job in a jute factory, only to find unexpected love and fulfillment living as a tantric in a skull-filled hut in remote a cremation ground. A prison warder from Kerala becomes for two months of the year a temple dancer and is worshipped as an incarnate deity; then, at the end of February each year, he returns to prison. An idol maker, the thirty-fifth of a long line of sculptors going back to the legendary Chola bronze makers, regards creating Gods as one of the holiest callings in India, but has to reconcile himself to his son who only wants to study computer engineering. An illiterate goat herd from Rajasthan keeps alive an ancient 200,000-stanza sacred epic that he, virtually alone, still knows by heart. A devadasi - or temple prostitute - initially resists her own initiation into sex work, yet pushes both her daughters into a trade she regards as a sacred calling. Nine people, nine lives. Each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story.Exquisite and mesmerizing, and told with an almost biblical simplicity, William Dalrymple's first travel book in a decade explores how traditional forms of religious life in South Asia have been transformed in the vortex of the region's rapid change. Nine Lives is a distillation of twenty-five years of exploring India and writing about its religious traditions, taking you deep into worlds that you would never have imagined even existed.

capt_mahajan · Oct 4th, 2009, 20:50

Thanks. Didn't know about this one. On my list now.

Nine lives, eh? From Salinger's 'Nine Stories', perhaps?

fsg · Oct 4th, 2009, 21:17

I heard him on the radio this morning

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnbd.

Interesting that a Dalit well digger, prison warder from Kerala can be revered by a Bramin.

India never ceases to amaze.

PeakXV · Oct 5th, 2009, 00:58

At least a portion of the devadasi 'life' was published in The New Yorker about a year ago. A good & instant sampler for those awaiting their own copy to arrive.

Aishah · Oct 5th, 2009, 09:18

There was an article not so long ago in The Times of India about the book - looks good.

fsg - is the synopsis your own words or taken from the book itself? If not your own words could you please acknowledge who wrote it or where it originated? There are legal implications for IM re copyright if quoting from another's writing, but a reference or acknowledgement should cover this for us.

crvlvr · Oct 6th, 2009, 04:06

Is this book fiction?

crvlvr · Oct 6th, 2009, 04:23

some reviews:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/67a01364-a...44feabdc0.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...lrymple-review

bigjed · Oct 6th, 2009, 05:07

here's a chapter which the New Yorker published last year.

Serving the Goddess
The dangerous life of a sacred sex worker.
by William Dalrymple

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...fact_dalrymple

Quote:

The devadasi system is centuries old, and the women once enjoyed lives of great privilege. Photograph by Ima Garmendia.

Sex Workers;
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) “Of course, there are times when there is pleasure,” Rani Bai said. “Who does not like to make love? A handsome young man, one who is gentle . . .”

She paused for a moment, looking out over the lake, smiling to herself. Then her face clouded over. “But mostly it is horrible. The farmers here, they are not like the boys of Bombay.”

“And eight of them every day,” her friend Kaveri said. “Sometimes ten. Unknown people. What kind of life is that?”

“We have a song,” Rani said. “ ‘Everyone sleeps with us, but no one marries us. Many embrace us, but no one protects.’ ”

“Every day, my children ask, ‘Who is my father?’ They do not like having a mother who is in this business.”

...

Moderator reminder: the source specifies: "The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast Digital."

bigjed · Oct 6th, 2009, 05:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by crvlvr

Is this book fiction?

I'm sure Mr Dalrymple has a novel in him, I hope he never goes there though, the history and stories he tells through his travel writings are stories enough for me. White Mughals reads like a historical novel and the characters are real and the stories were sitting there waiting to be told. He found them and shared them - that's what the best history writing does.

crvlvr · Oct 6th, 2009, 05:19

Amazon USA states: "This title will be released on June 15, 2010." Amazon UK has it in stock. Has the book been published in India?

bigjed · Oct 6th, 2009, 05:21

I think the publishing date in the UK is October 19. It may well be in stock in some stores.

Goran · Oct 6th, 2009, 14:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by crvlvr

Is this book fiction?

don't know but considering who is the author even if it is it is probably well informed and with a realistic "message"

Oct 4th, 2009, 20:42	#1
fsg Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: U.K Posts: 478	Nine lives by William Dalrymple Sounds a fascinating read, by a very accomplished, and authoritative author with a deep love of India. Synopsis Three brothers from a remote village in the Himalayas are driven by poverty to become monks. One becomes a famous masked dancer; the second an accomplished player of the Tibetan temple trumpet; and the third a great Buddhist scholar. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. A woman leaves her middle class family in Calcutta and her job in a jute factory, only to find unexpected love and fulfillment living as a tantric in a skull-filled hut in remote a cremation ground. A prison warder from Kerala becomes for two months of the year a temple dancer and is worshipped as an incarnate deity; then, at the end of February each year, he returns to prison. An idol maker, the thirty-fifth of a long line of sculptors going back to the legendary Chola bronze makers, regards creating Gods as one of the holiest callings in India, but has to reconcile himself to his son who only wants to study computer engineering. An illiterate goat herd from Rajasthan keeps alive an ancient 200,000-stanza sacred epic that he, virtually alone, still knows by heart. A devadasi - or temple prostitute - initially resists her own initiation into sex work, yet pushes both her daughters into a trade she regards as a sacred calling. Nine people, nine lives. Each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story.Exquisite and mesmerizing, and told with an almost biblical simplicity, William Dalrymple's first travel book in a decade explores how traditional forms of religious life in South Asia have been transformed in the vortex of the region's rapid change. Nine Lives is a distillation of twenty-five years of exploring India and writing about its religious traditions, taking you deep into worlds that you would never have imagined even existed. __________________ The British gave India bureaucracy..... India perfected it [Lord Desai]

Oct 4th, 2009, 20:50	#2
capt_mahajan Infidel Sufi Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: styx Posts: 13,605	Thanks. Didn't know about this one. On my list now. Nine lives, eh? From Salinger's 'Nine Stories', perhaps? __________________ . Outside the machine

Oct 5th, 2009, 00:58	#4
PeakXV Naan.tering Nabob Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Abode of Glooscap Posts: 5,878	At least a portion of the devadasi 'life' was published in The New Yorker about a year ago. A good & instant sampler for those awaiting their own copy to arrive. __________________ What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Oct 5th, 2009, 09:18	#5
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 7,616	There was an article not so long ago in The Times of India about the book - looks good. fsg - is the synopsis your own words or taken from the book itself? If not your own words could you please acknowledge who wrote it or where it originated? There are legal implications for IM re copyright if quoting from another's writing, but a reference or acknowledgement should cover this for us. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Oct 6th, 2009, 04:06	#6
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,667	Is this book fiction? Last edited by crvlvr : Oct 6th, 2009 at 05:20. Reason: Looks like it is not.

Oct 4th, 2009, 21:17	#3
fsg Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: U.K Posts: 478	I heard him on the radio this morning http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnbd. Interesting that a Dalit well digger, prison warder from Kerala can be revered by a Bramin. India never ceases to amaze.

Oct 6th, 2009, 04:23	#7
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,667	some reviews: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/67a01364-a...44feabdc0.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009...lrymple-review

Oct 6th, 2009, 05:19	#10
crvlvr Guru Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 4,667	Amazon USA states: "This title will be released on June 15, 2010." Amazon UK has it in stock. Has the book been published in India?

Oct 6th, 2009, 05:21	#11
bigjed Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Burkina Faso Posts: 134	I think the publishing date in the UK is October 19. It may well be in stock in some stores.

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