The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

“A good book, he had concluded, leaves you wanting to reread the book. A great book compels you to reread your own soul” excerpt from Richard Flanagan’s, The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

“Should a book be readable or intense to win a prestigious award?” This was the question Preeti asked when we spoke about how I was progressing through the book.

It got me thinking as I wanted the review to give a clearer picture to the readers.

Flanagan’s saga is a deeply poignant, heart- wrenching narrative centered around the experiences of Dorrigo Evans and his fellow POWs, who worked on “The Line”, to build the Burma Death Railway. Every day was a bargain with death and a tussle between hope and stoicism. Flanagan’s novel is based on the experiences of his father, a survivor of this abhorrent ordeal.

The story moves back and forth in time from when Evans enlisted, to his return as an honoured veteran. The ordeal lives on and manifests in Evan’s and his comrades’ loneliness.

Very defly, Flanagan shifts the story to focus on Japanese tormentors’ view point. Single-minded and loyalistic, The Japanese Imperial Army sees no wrong in it’s brutal treatment of POWs. All is justified in the name of The Emperor and  honour.

Basho’s great haibun inspires the title and Japanese poetry is used beautifully to sum up the ever resilient human spirit.

” The months and days are the travellers of eternity. The years that come and go are also voyagers……”

When I started reading the book, I wondered why it was chosen over the other short-listed novels, one of which I had thoroughly enjoyed. 50-60 pages down, this brutal, yet beautiful story emotionally captivated me. Flanagan has very skilfully brought to life the characters and portrayed their turbulence and trials in a manner that touches the very soul of the reader.

Many write readable books, but not many can captivate the interest of the readers and move them. Any book that does that is definitely worth the accolades. And The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan definitely fits the bill.

Rating- 4.7/5
The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Richard Flanagan

467 pages

Published by Chatto & Windus

Winner of The Man Booker Prize 2014

About artikaaurorabakshi

Artika Aurora Bakshi Artika Aurora Bakshi is the author of five well-acclaimed children’s books,My Little Sikh Handbook, My Little Sikh Handbook 2: Ardas, My Little Sikh Handbook: Travel Journal, My Little Sikh Handbook: The Mighty Sikh Empire, My Little Handbook of Feelings, and an anthology of stories, Hold On To Me. Her first story, set in Amritsar, during the pre-Partition period, All She Had Left, was published on Story Mirror. Her short stories have been published on Kitaab. She co-manages thegoodbookcorner.com, a manuscript help and book review site. Her passion for reading has led her to helping other writers with their manuscripts. She is a Contributing Editor for Nishaan, and the Associate Editor for SLIM Marketer. She comes from a family of lawyers and has a master’s degree in International Banking & Finance. A regular at the Galle Literary Festival and The Ceylon Literary and Art Festival, Artika’s articles and book reviews have featured in the Daily Mirror, Daily News, The Ceylon Chronicle, and various blogs, such as, talkingcranes.com, sikhchic.com, sikhnet.com. An avid reader, Artika runs an online book club with a membership base of over 600 members. Her quotes are featured under soul_nightingale_artika on Instagram and on Soul Nightingale by Artika Aurora Bakshi on Facebook. You can reach Artika at bakshiartika@gmail.com .

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