Me, the mystical enchanter !!. Review on Mystic Masseur, The - VS Naipaul

An impishly jolly Johnny Walker extolling the virtues of a massage in one of the timeless classics of Hindi Cinema with

Massage, oil massage!!

Since time immemorial masseurs have had a special place in each of the Indian houses, what with their skillful art which could make a person forget all his pains and aches just by a touch of theirs.

They have been doubling up as agony uncles, friends, confidants and what have you. Remember how after a harrowing day at work, the first thing we all look for is someone to gently massage our head, make us relax and forget the traumatic day.

Wonder why I am going gaga over the merits of a masseur and his value in our day-to-day lives? That?s for two reasons, one because I personally appreciate their skills, for in times of need there utility can not be replaced even by the ablest doctors, and secondly because my review centers around them and their ilk.

Let me introduce you to one exceptionally gifted Ganesh Ramsumairor simply put the Mystic Masseur. This 1957 debut novel, of the later to be knighted and Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul, has since then been hailed as one of the best comical stories ever penned. Set in 1940?s Trinidad and Tobago this novel has become in ways more then one the symbol of the times and the lives of those days.

V.S. Naipaul belongs to that elite coterie of contemporary writers who have effortlessly transcended the barriers of time, geographies and cultures to weave magically gripping and enticing stories. He has been conferred with the Nobel Prize in literature since then for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories. His works have that unmistakable authenticity and originality about them, which is every writer?s dream and aspirations, and it is this, which sets him apart from others of his ilk.

The Title of the book says it all, it?s the story of a masseur who is hailed as having mystic powers, one who can heal people in distress and someone who can ward off the evil spirits and enrich the soul of the aggrieved. The story is based in 1940?s Trinidad when masseurs held sway and were dime a dozen, they always had their hands full what with them purporting stories and fables of their special powers. They were the island?s medical practitioners of choice doubling up as doctors, as one character observes ?I know the sort of doctors they have in Trinidad. They think nothing of killing two, three people before breakfast.?

The Plot of the novel revolves around Ganesh Ramsumair and his meteoric rise from humble origins. Ganesh Ramsumair is a failed schoolteacher and impecunious village masseur who in time become a revered mystic, a thriving entrepreneur, and the most beloved politician in Trinidad. The story is told in narrative by one of his many awed patients, a young boy who makes his appearance at the beginning and the end of the novel. The story talks vividly about the West Indian lifestyle of the times and the whims and vagaries of the ages. That?s so much so for the storyline, for more please visit the local bookshop and grab a copy to savor it.

Its different What makes this one stand out from the rest is its originality and unabashed honesty. Be it the deliberate use of the Trinidadian accent and their peculiar English and their oratory or for that matter witty tender use of sights sounds and smells of Trinidad?s dusty Indian villages, Naipaul manages to conjure up a story line which sounds so convincing from the word go. For me that?s the hallmark of any fiction writer worth his salt, to essay something in a manner, which just wins over the reader and transports them into the same ambience and times. Consider this ''Leela,'' Ganesh said, ''the boy want to know how much book it have here.'' ''Let me see,'' Leela said... ''Four hundred Everyman, two hundred Penguin--six hundred. Six hundred, and one hundred Reader's Library, make seven hundred. I think with all the other book it have about fifteen hundred good book here.''

Characterization His portrayal of the characters is indeed brilliant if one puts them in perspective of the storyline and the settings. The skeptical wife, Leela whose schooling has made her excessively fond of punctuation marks, gibberish rather colloquial English or the man of many moods, Ramlogan or the aunt Great Belcher who announces everything with a heavy beating of her chest and a nauseating belch which she calls wind, all of them add to the humor and content of the story.

They all enrich the novel with their eccentricities and provide for fascinating and sometimes stupidly intriguing pleasure in following them. This book sees our man, Mr Naipaul at his most expansive and evocative best. It is a real treat to read it for despite of the things he writes it doesn?t hurt the reader one bit.

The setting Rooted primarily in the Indian community, the story deals with the thwarted ambitions, frustrations and ultimate triumphs that are possible in this ?restricted? part of the world. It is a story that is marked by humor, pathos and warmth. The whimsical ways of life of the Indian community living in Trinidad of the 1940?s is essayed with effortless ease, and what strikes most is the fact that he manages to narrate it in a style which doesn?t seem out of sync with the times we live in.

Winning over his readers as they become a party to the life of the character as he battles through his adversaries and difficult times to come up winners. I feel the moment as a reader one start charting the life of the character in the novel; the writer has been successful in his attempts. That?s what Naipaul manages to do. He gives lot of space to Ganesh?s struggles to make a name for himself and his so many thwarted attempts at name fame and money.

It is as if he wanted to highlight his perils more then his achievement, because the pace at which he builds his career speaks about it, what with he rising to become a statesman and respected politician from a mere masseur in all but 50 pages flat out of a total 207.

Read it for the love of literature, as it is not your normal novel where you would expect flowery prose at its best or wonderful exposition of the art of writing, this one must be read for the sheer honesty of it and the way he pens down a not so common story into a so very believable manner.

Read it when you are traveling or are generally bugged after reading or doing heavy things in life. This is out and out hilarious stuff and you wont stop smirking thinking about the life of Ganesh and party. It is a sure painkiller if you take my word for it.

I am sure this book would appeal to one and all, unless of course one doesn?t like colloquial colonial literature which talks about those times. Please do read it and let me know how did you like it.