Ghachar Ghochar, Vivek Shanbhag
Ghachar Ghochar, Vivek Shanbhag
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Ghachar Ghochar

Author: Vivek Shanbhag, Srinath Perur

Narrator: Neil Shah

Unabridged: 2 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/07/2017

Synopsis

A young man’s close-knit family is nearly destitute when his uncle founds a successful spice company, changing their fortunes overnight. As they move from a cramped, ant-infested shack to a larger house on the other side of Bangalore, and try to adjust to a new way of life, the family dynamic begins to shift. Allegiances realign; marriages are arranged and begin to falter; and conflict brews ominously in the background. Things become “ghachar ghochar”—a nonsense phrase uttered by one meaning something tangled beyond repair, a knot that can’t be untied. Elegantly written and punctuated by moments of unexpected warmth and humor, Ghachar Ghochar is a quietly enthralling, deeply unsettling novel about the shifting meanings—and consequences—of financial gain in contemporary India.

About Vivek Shanbhag

Vivek Shanbhag is the author of several works of fiction and two plays, all of which have been published to wide acclaim in the South Indian language Kannada. The first of his books to appear in English, Ghachar Ghochar was excerpted in Granta’s 2015 India issue.

About Srinath Perur

Srinath Perur is a writer and translator whose work has appeared in n+1, Granta, and the Guardian. He is the author of If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai, published by Penguin India.

About Neil Shah

Neil Shah is an Audie-nominated and multi AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator who has recorded over 250 audiobooks spanning across almost every genre, as well as numerous long-form journalism articles. AudioFile magazine has commended him for “an absolutely mesmerizing listening experience” and as “an outstanding narrator who adds a healthy dose of personality to each of the characters.” As a classically trained actor, he has appeared off Broadway and on regional stages, as well as in film and television. He records from his home studio in Oregon’s beautiful Wine Country.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Ariel

This is exactly why I love short books. With 119 pages Shanbhag managed to completely enthral me, had me nodding along, basically had me going "oooo!" and "ahhhh!" This is a story about how a family goes from poor to rich and how it completely tears them apart. Not in a "everyone hates everyone beca......more

Goodreads review by daph pink ♡

Advertised as "psychological drama" I am still looking for the psychological aspect. Analysts will say that I am stupid for not getting the point. The plot in general was weak *cough* what was the plot anyway? - short story of journey of a family traversing across the socioeconomic class, rather rap......more

Goodreads review by Esil

A high 4 stars. When I finished Ghachar Ghochar, I read the author's brief biography at the end of the book, and wasn't surprised to see that he had written several plays. This very short novel has the tightness of a good play. Set in Bangalore, India, the first person narrator tells us about his fa......more

Quotes

“Neil Shah gives voice to the existential crisis at the narrator’s core. Six family members live under one roof, tolerating each other. Shah describes their relational highs and lows in a sardonic tone. His narrative style delivers the story in precise, clipped sentences at steady pace. Shah’s experience shows in his well-rounded portrayal of female characters.” AudioFile

“A classic tale of wealth and moral ruin.” New Yorker

“A great Indian novel.” New York Times Book Review

“Ghachar Ghochar introduces us to a master.” Paris Review

“There’s a whole universe folded into this slender, spiny novel. It’s a parable of rising India and of violence against women, and a sly commentary on translation…This story of a family’s moral unraveling and descent into cruelty after it comes into sudden wealth—capped by a hair-raising ending—already feels like a modern-day classic.” New York Times

“The tense fun of reading this vivid, fretful story lies in watching the main characters grab hold of what they think will be rescue ropes but instead turn out to be slip knots…Ghachar Ghochar is filled with wry poetic lines.” NPR

“One of the most striking novels you’ll read this decade…In Shanbhag’s hands, the Indian family is revealed in layers; as one layer peels away, what lies beneath is left raw and exposed.” Business Standard (India)

“Absorbing, insightful, and altogether a wonderful read.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Shanbhag excels at capturing nuanced moments…Evocative, one-of-a-kind snapshots linger in the mind long after the novel’s completion.” Booklist

“A compact novel that crackles with tension, tracing the tangled path of a family’s dissolution in their sudden rise to wealth.” Kirkus Reviews

Awards

  • Publishers Weekly Pick
  • Kirkus Reviews Pick
  • Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
  • New York Times Best Book
  • New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
  • New York Times Critics’ Top Books
  • Guardian Best Book of the Year
  • Los Angeles Times Book Prize
  • Globe and Mail (Toronto) Best Books
  • Dublin Literary Award
  • Best Translated Book Award
  • American Literary Translators Association Award
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