By Rupali Sethi
Anandajit Goswami is one of the most eminent Indian authors who has once again captured the imagination of the readers with his latest book “Siddharth – The Soul Seeker”. As a passionate author, he is constantly occupied in translating his plots and imagination into various genres of fiction writing . Siddharth: The Soul Seeker by Anandajit Goswami is a novel that explores a spiritual and existential journey set against the backdrop of India’s tumultuous partition era.
With utmost poignancy and subtleness, the book conjures up a landscape of human emotions and sheds a plethora of light on the predicament of the protagonist Siddharth who has to bear the agony of displacement, partition pangs and deep psychological alienation.
As we leaf through the pages of this inexplicably gripping narrative, we find that Siddharth, the chief character is an ordinary boy who has suffered the mayhem and massacre that lacerates the torso of mankind in the wake of the gory partition of India. The novel also stands as a great testimony to the fact that the finer virtues like humanity and compassion never evaporate from the planet earth even if there is gruesome bloodbath and chaos all around. The hapless child is raised quite in a dotting manner by a compassionate Muslim woman. His falling in love with and marrying a Hindu girl solidifies the noblest ideas of unity across two warring community caught in a bloody conflict .
Resplendent with profound psychological insights, the narrative mirrors the unsavory realities of our contemporary times. The Indian readers spontaneously get connected with the various situations delineated in this most engaging book as it amply elucidate the existential crisis with which most of us remain perpetually haunted during the course of our life. Deeply driven by existential questions about human existence and his own identity, Siddharth embarks on a journey across India, immersing himself in its diverse cultural and religious practices.
Eventually, this odyssey of the protagonist culminates in a dramatic courtroom battle that seeks to resolve the mysteries of his identity and purpose. Keeping the readers glued to its pages, the book throws a flood of light on the most poignant and sensitive themes of survival, cultural diversity, spiritual quest and self-discovery. Therefore, it can be rightly remarked that the book is quite rich and intensely packed when it comes to its thematic aspect.
Most of the modern day fiction writers opine that plot is the soul of a story. Therefore, they invest a major chunk of their energy in weaving a well-knit plot but in their dogged pursuit of creating a fully cohesive and coherent plot, they wittingly or unwittingly leave their characters in somewhat neglected state. Here, deviating from the prevalent culture, the author of this book has been fully cognisant to the needs of his characters. It is the commendably convincing portrayal of his protagonist, through whom, the narrative is unfolded and on the shoulder of whom,the structure of a well-organized plot has been erected.
In the context of the plot construction when the term 'Well-Organized Plot' has been referred to, it is not to be misconstrued in the sense of the Victorian Era of fiction writing. A well-organised plot is not necessarily shorn of psychological brooding. Goswami’s plot is really captivating that gives the readers a sense of deep conviction. And such is the charisma of Goswami’s characters that as a critic, you feel enormously impelled to expound on them more and more. Having a close connect with the characters, a literary critic would fain articulate that the author of this book has adhered to the Literary Canons of Great Greek Master Aristotle who lays strong emphasis on the idea of Probability and Relatability in characterisation. Hence, Goswami’s characters appear to be men and women walking shoulder to shoulder with us in our day-to-day real life.
Goswami chooses to keep the language and expression very simple and lucid but yet the content seems to be thoroughly profound and reflective in nature. Similar is the case pertaining to Siddharth – The Soul Seeker” which is such a remarkable work of fiction that you can’t afford to miss.
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