Shubhangi Swarup
Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup consists of four novellas in which one or more characters in each novella forges a latitudinal connection with a character in the subsequent story, thereby linking the stories. The four sections, labeled Islands, Faultline, Valley, and Snow Desert, spread across the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, and Antarctica.
The first section on the Andaman Islands is the strongest. It follows the life of Girija Prasad who studies plants and trees, while his wife, Chanda, talks to trees and sees ghosts. The diction is lyrical and sensuous, weaving myth, flora, fauna, and magic in prose that is lush and immersive. Girija Prasad’s character is realistic and enchanting. He displays a love for Chanda that is tender, patient, and fused with wonder at her mysterious abilities. The second section abandons the lush prose and thrusts the reader into graphic scenes of imprisonment, torture, and the brutality experienced by a political prisoner during the military dictatorship of Myanmar/Burma. Sections three and four are stories of love and longing.
Elements of magical realism weave throughout the sections as do folktales, stories within stories, and flashbacks of the characters’ lives. Nature is depicted in a state of continuous flux with its monsoons, tsunamis, shifting glaciers, receding oceans, and rising and shrinking mountains. The scenic backdrop serves to reinforce the view that humans are just tiny specks within the vastness of geological time and an ever-morphing nature.
Although this debut work shows a lot of potential, unfortunately, it loses steam after the first section. The remaining sections ramble and become increasingly incoherent. Swarup’s apparent effort to articulate a vision that unites politics, culture, and spirituality with the natural environment is commendable. But it fails in execution primarily because of the fractured nature of the stories. She overshoots her mark by being too ambitious. Her overwriting is evident; her attempt to philosophize smothers. Despite these flaws, Shubhangi Swarup shows she is capable of writing spell-binding prose so long as she doesn’t overreach.
Recommended with reservations.