Mundaneness and monotonicity are often used in a very negative sense…..
But what is life without a bit of mundaneness and a dash of monotonicity?!
“Ghachar ghochar” written by Vivek Shanbhag, Srinath Perur and published by Harper Perennial depicts the beauty of mediocrity and monotonicity that life, in general, has to offer. Beyond the tentatively depicted scenes in the seamless narrative, Shanbhag gives us an insider’s feel into the concerns of the middle class for half a century. With the transformation of small towns into modern concrete jungles, the secure basis of class melting away, all certainties gone, except that of caste.
“It’s true what they say – it’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there’s only a little, it behaves meekly; when it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us.’
The plot revolves around the daily life of a family based in Bangalore of five and how their lives and problems changed when they became financially stable too fast. The book delves into the psyche of each and every character in the story and conveys to us the changes that they have undergone after encountering the sudden rise in status. The book with its simple narrative conveys to us the problems encountered by different economic strata of the society. During the beginning, swarms of ants seemed to be the only problem that seemed to bother the daily lives of the families which was very soon replaced by much graver problems.
It is a very small read and is perfect for those not-so-long journeys that we usually go on. What attracted me most to the book was the way I could relate to it, it stayed with me. Do give this book a try, because in this world full of complex ordeals a little bit of simplicity is what we all desire.