A Novel in Poetry of Love, Life, Soul & Wildlife
Author: Sanjay Kumar Singh
Book Blurb:
When Narayan Sambhan’s world fell apart at a very tender age, the time he spent in the forests that lay ample around his village resuscitated him. No one knew the forests and the tiger better than Narayan Sambhan. But the forests are mercilessly cut down and increasing loneliness invades his life. As he struggles to carry on, a remarkable incident takes place.
The Moon In the Sun is a tale in poetry set in the Himalayan Terai replete with mesmerizing sights, bliss and beauty as also nerve-wracking experiences that the jungles alone can provide and bestow. It is also a touching tale, in poetry, of the wonderful journey that life can be when the soul attempts to break free.
My Review:
This book took my breath away. While I have read many poetry anthologies, I must confess that I do not really enjoy them as much as prose. This book is an entire novel, but it was written in poetry, so I was not really sure what to expect. But boy, am I glad that I read it!
The entire story is narrated so beautifully, and it is so poetic, that I guess I can see why the author chose this medium to express it. This book, in simplest terms, is romance, A romance between man and nature.
The story starts when Narayan Sambhan is called to the forest conservator’s office as he knew his way around the forest. The conservator is a wild life photographer who wishes to take local help to get some excellent shots of tigers. Narayan helps him get these shots and secures a job.
The book has some mesmerizing descriptions of the wild jungles and even wilder tigers. A scene that just took my breath away was when the conservator sahab and Narayan Sambhan witness the union of a resident tiger and a visiting tigress. This episode has been described in such detail that one feels that one has actually witnessed the episode.
Towards the end of the book, we also see how the jungles are receding and the impact it has on the wildlife. While this is not mentioned explicitly, the subtle way in which the author chooses to describe the fall of the majestic tigers (and the forests) at the hands of humans in the form of deforestation and poaching, really makes you wonder just how much the humans have affected the environment around them.
I did find minor grammatical errors, but they were so minor that one can hardly notice them.
Even if you are not a fan of poetry, if you like reading great stories, I would totally recommend this book to you. I rate this book a perfect 4 out of 4.
There and Their 