Literary novel about the Nepalese civil war
One of my favourite things to do when I go to the Lifeline Bookfair (or Book Lovers Lane) is to browse the international section and look for books from countries that I’ve never read literature from before. One of these times, I came across this book, and I had certainly never read anything from Nepal before. It is quite a short novel and perfect for my Short Stack Reading Challenge.
“Palpasa Café” by Narayan Wagle is a literary novel set in Nepal during the civil war. The novel opens with Narayan waiting to meet with his friend Drishya, who is the main character of his book, at a café. When Drishya doesn’t arrive, he finds out that he has been abducted by so-called security personnel. The story then begins in Chapter 1 from Drishya’s perspective. Drishya is a Nepalese artist who, while travelling in Goa, meets a mysterious and compelling young woman called Palpasa in who makes documentaries. When he returns to Nepal, he works in his studio in Kathmandu but cannot avoid the impact of the civil war. A visit from an old friend inspires him to visit the western hill villages where he grew up and see what Nepal is really like.
This is a great example of literary realism, taking it to the point where the author is himself a character in the novel writing a book about the protagonist. Drishya is a complex character who oscillates between overconfidence in his art and insecurity, and his journey back to his roots to understand his country and himself is transformative. The scenes in the hills are the most evocative and beautiful in the book. However, until Drishya reaches the western hill villages, the impact of the civil war is indirect and abstract. Wagle’s initial subtlety in exploring the effects of the conflict means that when it is finally experienced by Drishya face-on, it is even more significant to both Drishya and the reader.
You don’t need to be a historian to understand the emotional impact of war, but I did feel at times that I did not have the requisite knowledge to understand the different sides to the Nepalese civil war and the things that were driving the conflict. I think it’s a good reminder that while it’s really important to read widely and diversely, and many books have universal themes that speak to humanity generally, but that books are not always written for me as the audience and sometimes I need to do a bit more work to understand the nuance of what is going on.
A creative and authentic novel that explores many facets of Nepal throughout the civil war.
Tinted Edges 