Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Heat and Dust is an unusual Booker winner. It is deceptively simple. There are no great angst-laden passages, and the characterisations are subtle - almost subliminal - in the way they take root. The descriptions and dialogues seem superficial and unemotional and yet together give an oddly profound effect. Sexual couplings are depicted with the word 'Afterwards...' Somehow this says more than a couple of pages of steamy prose.Wonderful stuff....
posted by Clare Dudman at 7:54 am
2 Comments:
I enjoyed this when I read it years ago (in the days when I read all the Booker shortlist each year, when my brain and memory were in better shape than now). I do recall finding it a bit lightweight, though, compared with E M Forster's Passage to India and Paul Scott's Raj Quartet which I read at about the same time. Did you see the film? I did see it some time later, but think it was not as good as the book (unsurprisingly).
Ah, now I haven't read either of those - so I can't compare. I have got Paul Scott's 'Staying On' in front of me though, and looking forward to that. I don't think I've seen the film either. I'll put that on my LoveFilm list - thanks Maxine!
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