"The Age of Shiva" follows evolution of a young woman, and a nation

"The Age of Shiva"

by Manil Suri

W.W. Norton, 455 pp., $24.95

With his first novel, "The Death of Vishnu," which was longlisted for the Booker Prize, Manil Suri established himself as an important literary voice. That book, published in 2001, was set in an apartment building in Bombay and took place in the course of a day.

Now Suri returns after a seven-year absence with a second novel, "The Age of Shiva." Broader in scope than its predecessor, this is a narrative of epic proportions, spanning several decades and set in multiple locations. Suri has chosen a remarkable period of Indian history as the context for this story, which starts in the 1950s, with India as a newly independent nation, and ends with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's rule in the 1970s.

Many of Suri's literary trademarks are in evidence here: a wealth of detail, luminosity of prose, vivid portrayals of mundane human interactions. The new offering is not without flaws, however. At 455 pages, it is overly long and slow to unfold. Still, it's gratifying to note that Suri has matured as a writer.

The time is 1955; the locale is Delhi. Meera is only 17 when she meets Dev, an aspiring singer. His handsome appearance and romantic singing rouse strong passions in her. Dev, however, has eyes only for Roopa, Meera's older, more attractive sister. Eventually Roopa jilts Dev, who then turns to Meera for solace. Partly due to the attraction she still feels for Dev and partly to escape her overbearing father, Meera marries him. Her father, whom she calls Paji, strongly opposes the union.

As is customary in India, Meera comes to live with Dev's extended family — this turns out to be a difficult adjustment. The clan is orthodox, poor and lower in social status than her family. They were forced to flee Pakistan after the Partition, losing both possessions and family members in the process. The wounds of that journey are still so deep that Arya, the oldest son, has joined a Hindu fundamentalist movement as a form of revenge.

Meera gracefully accepts the family's oppressive religious rituals, one of which is to subjugate herself to her husband. Even when suffering, she doesn't protest.

Paji, who is progressive in his thinking, is distressed by her misery and tries to mitigate it.

He makes an offer of financial assistance that will enable the couple to move to Bombay. There Dev will have an opportunity to break into the music industry, and Meera will be able to pursue a college education. At first Meera refuses his offer, but eventually she and Dev succumb. Paji, ever the manipulative parent, exacts a high price from pregnant Meera for his generosity.

Unfortunately, in Bombay, things don't work out as expected. With Dev facing some of the biggest challenges of his career, Meera, the ever-dutiful wife, is left to snatch fleeting moments of happiness wherever she can find them.

The birth of her son, Ashvin, heralds a new era for Meera. Motherhood becomes the primary reason for her being, but the question remains whether this happiness will be long-lasting. With a series of tragedies befalling the family, Meera must be prepared to forge decisions that will alter her life.

In this ultimately engaging novel, one is tempted to speculate that Meera is the surrogate for India as it emerges from the paternalistic rule of the British and struggles to find its place in the modern world.