A Strange and Sublime Address

by Amit Chaudhuri, Colm Tóibín (Introduction)

Writer and musician Amit Chaudhuri’s elegant debut novel, in which an Indian ten-year-old experiences the entirely distinct experiences of life in Bombay, where his family lives, and Calcutta, where he visits relatives during his summer vacation.

Ten-year-old Sandeep lives in a high-rise in Bombay, where his father has an important job that keeps him busy all the time. Come summer, Sandeep and his mother travel to Calcutta to spend time with his aunt, his self-absorbed and improvident uncle, and Abhi, his favorite cousin. His relatives’ house is shadowy and rambling; the vast city around it ramshackle and alluring. They fascinate curious, observant Sandeep. Days pass; the heat grows; the rains come; the visit ends. In the winter, Sandeep and his family return to Calcutta—and encounter an unexpected turn of events. But Sandeep has arrived at a new sense of things, an understanding of how the marvelous inheres in the mundane, that will be his, we feel, for good. 

At once delicate and incisive, A Strange and Sublime Address succeeds in both immersing us in a boy’s inner world and depicting that boy and his world from outside. It was Amit Chaudhuri’s first book, the work of a novelist whose striking originality of conception would subsequently become ever more clear. The three decades since the publication of A Strange and Sublime Address have only confirmed its appeal and poetry.

Genres: Fiction, India, Indian Literature, Literature, Contemporary, Novels, Asia

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Amit Chaudhuri was born in Calcutta in 1962, and grew up in Bombay. He read English at University College, London, where he took his BA with First Class Honours, and completed his doctorate on critical theory and the poetry of D.H. Lawrence at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was a Dervorguilla Scholar. He was Creative Arts Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford, from 1992-95, and Leverhulme Special Research Fellow at the Faculty of English, Cambridge University, until April 1999, where he taught the Commonwealth and International Literatures paper of the English Tripos. He was on the faculty of the School of the Arts, Columbia University, for the Fall semester, 2002. He was appointed Samuel Fischer Guest Professor of Literature at Free University, Berlin, for the winter term 2005.

He is now Professor in Contemporary Literature at the University of East Anglia. He was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2009.

Reviews

[Kevin Ansbro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost my entire life, I have been magnetically drawn to Indian literature, from Riki-Tikki-Tavi through to Midnight’s Children; so this one leapt from a shelf and into my hands without me having any say in the matter.
And it soon became abundantly clear that Chaudhuri has writerly magic at his fingertips; his prose is wonderfully poetic and each incidental detail is lovingly observed. Yet the story itself is languorous and moves without any discernible purpose. On top of that, even I, the Sultan of Similes, thinks he should have kept his trigger-happy simile gun holstered for longer periods.

In summary, the book was beautifully written, but it dragged indolently like a Calcutta heatwave. D’oh! Someone please take my simile gun from me before I shoot myself in the foot!

3.5 out of 5

[Atri · Rating 5 out of 5]

So they went out for a walk. They went through narrow lightless lanes, where houses that were silent but gave out smells of fish and boiled rice stood on either side of the road. There was not a single tree in sight; no breeze and no sound but the vaguely musical humming of mosquitoes. Once, an ancient taxi wheezed past, taking a short-cut through the lane into the main road, like a comic vintage car passing through a film-set showing the Twenties into the film-set of the present, passing from black-and-white into colour. But why did these houses - for instance, that one with the tall, ornate iron gates and a watchman dozing on a stool, which give the impression that the family had valuables locked away inside, or that other one with the small porch and the painted door, which give the impression that whenever there was a feast or a wedding all the relatives would be invited, and there would be so many relatives that some of them, probably the young men and women, would be sitting bunched together on the cramped porch because there would be no more space inside, talking eloquently about something that didn't really require eloquence, laughing uproariously at a joke that wasn't really very funny, or this next house with an old man relaxing in his easy-chair on the verandah, fanning himself with a local Sunday newspaper, or this small shabby house with the girl Sandeep glimpsed through a window, sitting in a bare, ill-furnished room, memorizing a text by candlelight, repeating suffixes and prefixes from a Bengali grammar over and over to herself - why did these houses seem to suggest that an infinitely interesting story might be woven around them? The story would never be a satisfying one, because the writer, like Sandeep, would be too caught up in jotting down the irrelevances and digressions that make up lives, and the life of a city, rather than a good story - till the reader would shout 'Come to the point!' - and there would be no point, except the girl memorizing the rules of grammar, the old man in the easy-chair fanning himself, and the house with the small, empty porch that was crowded, paradoxically, with many memories and possibilities. The 'real' story with its beginning, middle, and conclusion, would never be told, because it did not exist.

[Sagnik Bose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Kolkata (no I don't mean rosogolla ,mishti doi or Durga pujo) but all those small insignificant things which makes one a bengali, from rooting for Netaji over Gandhi or dada over dhoni.

If you want to take a trip down the memory lane to your childhood days you used to spend in your 'mama'r bari' (uncle's house) on the long summer vacation, playing with your cousins endlessly or waiting for 'batasha' at the end of your grandmother's pujo ,go for this book.
This will be specially relatable to the children (now adults) of 80s and 90s or more specifically when the world was not plagued by mobile phones or social media ,when by games we meant 'luko churi' or 'kumir danga' and not temple run or subway surfers . When the power cuts every evening became an excuse for study leave or the times when we used to visit our relatives on special occasions instead of wishing them online.
This is a book with no beginning, middle or end but you still read it because of the tender memories it brings back to you of your own childhood when the world was like a big strange place to you with lots of things to discover like the hands of that tall clock you can't reach .
Chaudhury has done a fine job and struck all the right chords to rekindle your long lost memories .

PS : It was odd to see that cockroaches also take over kitchens at night in others' house. I thought it was unique to mine.

[Jayaram Vengayil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Amit Chaudhuri's 'A Strange and Sublime Address' is like sipping vintage wine on a transcontinental flight. You're in the same seat seemingly not having gone anywhere but mysteriously transported without your own knowledge to another place, another time. All this with the smoothness of velvety turns of phrase and clever manipulations of language. If you're looking for a story or a purpose then there is none. But then is there any purpose in sipping a glass of vintage wine on a long flight but the joy of sheer indulgence in the simple pleasures of life?

[Rakhi Dalal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Strange and Sublime Address is an unhurried observation of the daily happenings in a household whose pulse resonates with that of the city it lives in.

An account as observed by a young boy living in Bombay on a vacation at his relative’s home in Calcutta.

An account which celebrates the mundane by carefully examining and vividly portraying the everyday rituals, by invoking the many aromas in which a household is seeped from mornings to evenings.

At the centre of the writing are the relationships, held together by not only familial bonds but also by ties with the city.

The writing reverberates with the cadence of SD Burman like music, deeply soulful and sonorous hum of the prosaic domesticity.

There is no plot, no story, only the passing of days and nights, in a rhythm well established and attuned to the city breathing outside and to the invisible yet conscious awareness of a family collective.

To me as a reader it brought many identifiable images. The kind where you are simply wowed by the author for the exact wordings of feelings/ thoughts you have had for many years. I did love the experience.

This collection I read have a couple of stories too where the author particularly focuses on the lives of house-helps who are otherwise remain unseen in the accounts of a household.

It’s a kind of a book you would like if you enjoy sipping your tea leisurely.

[Devika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chaudhari the mood magician. He cant tell a good story if you put a gun to his head but that's okay because that's not his job. His job is to shape with deft fingers beautiful images of everyday life where nothing happens...where the whole day is composed of a series of dot dot dots ... ... .. where languid days of summer stretch into the horizon punctuated only by pigeon flutterings and afternoon siestas. What is the book about then? Nothing, really - simply the patchwork display of everyday sound, smell, touch and thoughts of restless school boys.

[Moushumi Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mood piece of a slice of life in Kolkata (Calcutta) at a particular time in the 80s and 90s. I recognise this life because I too have similar memories of hot, sulty summer afternoons, many relatives floating about, an ambassador car or two, narrow lanes, fish curry and rice and the languid pace of life. Amit Chaudhuri treats an incident in a story like a gem, holds it up to the light and describes its happenings in great detail, facet by shiny facet.

This is a book for those who don't mind the absence of plot. I relaxed into this gentle world like I have known it forever.

[Tilottama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm tempted to give it 4 stars instead of 3 simple because of its first half. He beautifully strings together the everyday nothings in a Bengali household till a point, after which there was something amiss. Hence the 3 stars.

[Samir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had almost abandoned 'A strange and Sublime Address' but then decided not to. Soon I realized that the slow paced narrative is actually what the story being told demands to create the idle atmosphere of Calcutta's summer. Everyone who has spent their share of summer holidays at their maternal uncle's place will understand where the book is coming from. Almost nothing happens as pages flow and yet a sense of nostalgia is instilled. Amit Chaudhuri brings the little joys and disappointments in a subtle way, never fully exploiting the drama that boils below the surface. The book observes the way a child looks at his elders around him and the way the lifestyle and culture of a place create their impressions on little minds.

The plot or the lack of it takes place over two seasons. The protagonist Sandeep spends his summer vacation at Calcutta at his maternal uncle's place and then returns again to spend his winter. The way his experiences during these short vacations differ during these two seasons creates the little ripples on an otherwise calm surface of Amit Chaudhuri's writing.

The main story is followed by short stories which again compose the nostalgia that rises from life in Calcutta. One thing common throughout the book is the author’s successful portrayal of the wonder hidden in ordinary day to day life of everyday people. A Strange and Sublime Address transports the reader to lazy afternoons somewhere in the lost lanes of childhood.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

[Durjoy Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply personal!

[Megha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have given it four if the short stories were as good as the first novella.

[Joe M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully observed and atmospheric portrait of a family living in Calcutta, this was a quick read that I truly did not want to end. Reminded me a bit of Yasujirō Ozu's films and how he gracefully and humorously captures the minutia of family dynamics and ordinary lives. A Strange and Sublime Address is one of three books by Chaudhuri now reissued by NYRB classics, and while part of me wishes they had collected them all together, these editions are so attractive that I can certainly live with purchasing the other two at some point to complete the set!

[David S]

Serene.

[Arti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandeep, an only child living in a Bombay, comes with his mother to his maternal uncle’s house to spend his vacations with his cousins Abhi and Babla. This book has a mention of two such vacations one and a half year apart, one in the summers and one in the winters of the following year. The way the kids spend their time in the summer vacation, looking at the pigeons, watching the passers by, sitting on the balcony, looking at the palm tree in the neighborhood reflects how innocent childhood is. The story has been narrated in a very descriptive manner and some of the scenes can actually be visualised. I really enjoyed this part of the book.

Nine short stories follow the main book. These stories are very different in nature and essence from the main book and most of them, actually all except one leave the reader expecting more out of the story as they end abruptly.

Four stars for the main story and three stars for the following nine.

[Scotch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many tacky metaphors and similes. I tried to work past it but then THIS happened on page 12–13: "a grating, earthy noise, like a drunk man cracking an obscene joke in a guttural dialect and laughing at it at the same time," and "each year is like a precious deposit in a newly opened bank account." NEWLY OPENED BANK ACCOUNT. I closed the book immediately and gave up. I'll give some of his later works a try...

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those books where nothing happens and that's ok. Lovely prose describing two holidays on the life of 10-year-old Sandeep, who travels from the modern apartment of his parents in Bombay in the school holidays to the more chaotic world of his extended family in Calcutta. A story of rickshawallas and all the kids in one bed, of learning to speak some Bengali and coping with the diabolical heat. It gives a feel of India in 250 pages.

[Ashima Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book, one can't help but notice the exquisite way the author strings his words into sentences to create absolute magic.
I loved the story that the book begins with and takes more than half the pages. That of Sandeep.
The other short stories that follow are sometimes strange, sometimes sublime, each leaving you wondering about the darkness beneath what meets the eye.

[Nidhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

bapok, as they say in bengali. a charming little book.

[Bhavani Nyanajegaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do u describe a book like this? Phenomenally detailed description. You're literally taken to each room and brought face to face with every character.

[Celine Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those lovely, still books where nothing happens except the curious, open gaze of a child dissecting and diagnosing the world. A first novel that begins with the young protagonist, Sandeep, going to Calcutta/Kolkata to stay with his uncle’s family. It’s a story that thrives off of beautiful and insightful description—it’s otherwise (nearly) plotless, although the ending is beautifully done, with just the right level of drama and pathos.

At first I was vaguely irritated by the style, which relies a lot on conspicuously announced similes (so many descriptions are clearly demarcated with a “like…”, which usually feels charmless and heavy-handed to me). But then the prose became so charming and imagistic and insightful that I felt a bit ashamed of my irritation…although I do genuinely think the early pages are notably weaker than the rest of the novel.

So many beautiful, pristinely described moments and little satirical portraits (always fun to read a child’s interpretation of adult foibles!) but here are two favorites. A beautifully poetic description of the end of a power outage:

Just as Chhotomama and the boys were preparing to join the others in the maidan, to settle on the cool grass and pull the grass out luxuriously with their fingers, the lights came back. It was a dramatic instant, like a photographer's flash going off, which recorded the people sprawled in various postures and attitudes, smiles of relief and wonder on their faces. Each day there would be a power-cut, and each day there would be the unexpected, irrational thrill when the lights returned; it was as if people would never get used to it; day after day, at that precise, privileged moment when the power-cut ended without warning as it had begun, giving off a radiance that was confusing and breathtaking, there was an uncontrollable sensation of delight, as if it were happening for the first time. With what appeared to be an instinct for timing, the rows of fluorescent lamps glittered to life simultaneously. The effect was the opposite of blowing out candles on a birthday cake it was as if someone had blown on a set of unlit candles, and the magic exhalation had brought a flame to every wick at once.

…and the young narrator rolling his eyes at the strange etiquette of the adults:

Once they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old lady. "There was no need; she said. 'Oh really, she said. "This is too much, she insisted, with the air of one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present. 'Come, come, come, said Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present, and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity. 'It’s nothing.’ It was nothing, of course, only Ganguram's sweets and yoghurts, but they fussed and fussed and created the illusion that it was something, something unique and untasted and unencountered…Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion that the grown-ups were mad, each after his or her own fashion. Simple situations were turned into complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone feel important and happy. Will they never grow up? thought Sandeep irately.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Each day there will be a power - cut, and each day there would be the unexpected, irrational thrill when the lights returned;" "The effect was the opposite of blowing out candles on a birthday cake: it was as if someone had blown on a set of unlit candles, and the magic exhalation had brought a flame to every wick at once."

This is a beautifully written book about a 10-year-old boy named Sandeep - who lives in Bombay - and goes on summer vacation with his mother to Calcutta every year to visit his extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins.

The city and home around him is safe, mundane and never changing but Sandeep seems to accept that and continues to be an inquisitive 10 year old only child.

I enjoyed this short book very much.

[Jacob Rowland]

It was good, but not amazing. I guess it felt like it was only there a minute before it was gone. Now reading Dickens, it seems like the modern 150-page novel in general, based at least on the ones I've read, is a misguided project: its focus is the relationship between Sandeep and his cousins, and on the change this relation takes over the course of two summers. Everything else, including the whole array of family members and passing characters from around the city , do not constitute any other threads of the story which are able to actually complicate the main thread in any way. They are only allowed to be details, which the novel never gets tired of illustrating, even when it gets in the way of the novel's real novelistic concerns. I remember reading some critic recently describe a novel as sacrificing "depth in exchange for detail," and I think that goes for this one as well.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful descriptive story of a boy who visits relatives in Calcutta. No plot, just wonderful prose. Despite the exotic and mysterious details of food and nature completely outside my experience, it feels like a universal glimpse of children orbiting around adults and the comfort of smells, tastes, and touches of home.

[Alex O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly wonderful book, with prose as slow and languid as the Calcutta summer days that fill its pages... A wonderful summer book, atmospheric with a beautifully poetic voice. I read most of it in one sitting.

[Mia Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

perfectly plops the reader in this bubble of one family in India’s life. The lack of plot stops you from engaging properly though, no matter how nice the writing & descriptions are.

Thank you Yas for travel-handover of book :)

[LILI]

If this were an anime it would be slice of life. A lulling book w no plot but in a good way. Made me nostalgic made me think made me reflect.

[Saima Zubery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy quick read about noticing the childlike wonder in the mundane and ordinary, a beautiful description a bengali household with snapshots from the city of Calcutta in the 90s.
The writing style of this book really appealed to me!

[John Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

[ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

idle in the first half, and a sudden gear shift to hurried vignettes in the second — felt piecemeal at times, but an overall enticing atmosphere

[Ipsita · Rating 3 out of 5]

"17 Vivekananda Road, Calcutta (South),
West Bengal,
India,
Asia,
Earth,
The Solar System,
The Universe.
It was a strange and sublime address."

--

The city of Calcutta, known for its rich history and culture, is a place that holds a special place in the hearts of those who have experienced its unique charm and character. It is a city that has an intangible quality, a certain magic that lingers in the air and cannot be expressed in words.
And yet, Amit Chaudhuri has achieved the impossible task of capturing the essence of this enchanting city in his writing.

Through his masterful use of fine words and intricate prose, Chaudhuri has brought the many facets of Kolkata to life, allowing readers to experience "Tillotama Kolkata" in all its glory. For those who have had the privilege of visiting the city, Chaudhuri's writing will transport them back to the narrow North Calcutta lanes, where each house seems to have a story to tell and every person they encounter is full of character.

Chaudhuri's novel, "A Strange And Sublime," tells the story of Sandeep, an only child living in a high-rise building in Bombay. Through his visits to his extended family in Calcutta, Sandeep experiences the atmosphere of the small house where they live. His writing is precise and careful, seeking to capture the faded happiness of things and the strange, pure moments that people remember.

The novel is a beautifully written and captivating read, perfect for those who appreciate good prose and the ability to get lost in the vivid and detailed world of the author's imagination. While there may not be a traditional plot, the character development and exploration of human relationships are enough to keep readers engaged throughout.

For those who have a personal connection to Calcutta, "A Strange And Sublime" is a particularly special read. The detailed descriptions of the city and its unique features transport readers back to a place they may have once called home, where the laid-back pace of the city and its vintage charm create a surreal feeling.

Chaudhuri's novel is followed up by nine short stories, each one magical in its own way. While some of these stories fall a bit flat and lack the same impact as the main story, the power of the writing in "A Strange And Sublime" and the book's ability to evoke such strong emotions in the reader make it a worthwhile read for anyone looking for a literary journey that will transport them to another place and time.