24 - Joothan, An Untouchable's Life, by Omprakash Valmiki, 154 Pages, Columbia University Press, 2003
WHY I PICKED IT: Recommended by my Mom's friend Fauzia
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days.
RATING: Very Good.
This autobiography by Omprakash Valmiki is an eye opener. When people talk about "The Untouchables," we outsiders simply cannot comprehend what that actually means. To struggle to be allowed into school, to be denigrated by the establishment at every turn, to be refused water when you're thirsty (or to be made to catch it in your hands rather than drink out of a cup.
Valmiki has striven to lead his life in an open manner... to be open about his caste status, despite that it will make him an outsider and ostracized, even when he was in a position to cover it up. That he was able to fight to get educated, and to succeed in that education... he's a much stronger man than I.
Where this book fails, is in the style... the writing is captivating only in it's contents, not at all in the language... it that the fault of Valmiki or the translator (Arun Prabha Mukherjee), I will never know.
This blog is a simple review of every book that I read... For all books I’ll tell you why I picked it, how long it took me to read it, and give it a rating (burn it, not good, meh, good, very good, and required reading). I ask (encourage?) all readers of my blog to post their thoughts of any of the books in my comments :). Thanks!
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