A well researched and well crafted work of literature is definitely a pleasure to read. The book will be more entertaining if it contains elements of entertainment, research, imagination and inspiration. As the reader leaf through from one page to another, she/he may not realize the swift movement that take her/him through the storyline. Anita Nair’s Mistress is undoubtedly such a work.
Each of us has a passion in life that might knowingly or unknowingly drive our daily activities. In this novel Anita Nair subtly points out that each one’s passion can be a demanding mistress that can control her/his life.
In the novel, Sethu’s passion was his struggle for existence whereas Saadiya’s passion was to make her dreams a reality. When Kathakali drives the life of Koman Asan; the resort named ‘Near the Nila’ becomes the passion for Shyam. When Radha’s passionate search for true romance takes her nowhere; Christopher Stewart’s passion to unravel the mysteries in his life makes him tread paths unknown to him. However each one’s passion is their secret and they attend to them as any of us will cherish in nurturing our passions. The title of the novel thus signifies none other than passion as a mistress who needs constant caring.
The storyline progresses through the points of view of three major characters-Koman Asan, Radha and Shyam-woven together through the silk thread of art. The novel is written in the backdrop of ‘Kathakali’ the unique art form from Kerala. Anita Nair has used the nine expressions called the ‘Navarasas’ that lay the foundation of the art to make the foundation of the novel too. The novel has been divided into three Books and each book comprises three expressions from the Navarasas. Each expression comprises four chapters in it-an introduction, the progress of the storyline through the eyes of Radha, Shyam, Koman Asan and his narration of own life.
The most appreciating factor that I found in this chapter division is the precision with which the story has been carried throughout. Never once the reader might feel the rigid frame within which the story has built in. Anita Nair must have taken tremendous effort to compose this artistic framework.
In the introduction part of each expression, there is an accurate description of them. However what enchanted me the most is Anita Nair’s allusion of expression with simple things in nature around us. That itself shows that she has got the true artistic observation in her.
After finishing the book, there are chances that the reader might feel like reading the book once again to unravel the complexities that it leaves behind. It is because the simple looking work actually comprises two different worlds of art and common life in the same platform. However I left the idea since I didn’t want to get back to some raw scenes in the novel.
Overall the novel is one of the best works in Indian English literature. When I closed the last page I really thought that if Arundhati Roy had got Booker Prize for The God of Small Things, this book definitely deserve some award better than that.
See, the, how stupid the bourgeoisie, the real bourgeoisie have become, step by step they go lower and lower, in a word they are losing all notion of beauty, they are mistaken about everything. When there is something to admire they shout it down, they disapprove! When there are stupid sentimentalities from which you want to turn with disgust, they jump with joy or swoon. (p.77)
Afterword: During my previous career, I had a chance to interview Anita Nair. Here is the link to my interview with her . In the second page of this interview, she explains her views on Mistress.
