An Obedient Father by Akhil Sharma is a story set in India during the time of the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rayiv Gandhi in 1991, it is centred upon the life of a corrupt civil servant who we soon realize is a loathsome creature who, having molested his own daughter many years ago is now looking at his twelve year old granddaughter. This is a man who is so self-centred that he doesn’t think about anything other than what he wants. I seriously considered abandoning this book, but it was very well written and the parts that were about his extorting money and collecting bribes drew me in, also I read with the hope that his daughter’s rage and hatred would be unleashed upon him.

The story is full of misery, but the author paints a vivid picture of daily life in poverty-stricken Delhi and the main character, loathsome as he is, does show some depth and intelligence. An Obedient Father was a difficult read due to the subject matter but like driving past a car accident, it was almost impossible to look away. Although written in a light conversational tone, this is a book that is raw and uncompromising as it tells the story of a man’s inner conflict and base desires. The political corruption that it exposes seems quite tame in contrast. ( )

Here's what I wrote in 2008 about this read: "I really should have remembered a lot about this book, for there is a lot to it. Recalled after reading online reviews; one example - 'Sharma's depiction of a society riddled with graft, violent religious prejudice, male chauvinism and bigoted cultural attitudes is a cautionary tale about what happens to the individual spirit when poverty, superstition, racial tension and general hopelessness are exacerbated by the absence of judicial morality. This caustic yet darkly comic story resonates powerfully, as the reader comes to sympathize with fallible human beings trapped in circumstances that corrupt the soul.' " ( )

The story takes place in India in the 1990s. Some real people are discussed, the times are not imaginary, but the characters are.

Ram Karan is a money man for Mr. Gupta, a superior in the education department. A junior officer in the physical education department of the Delhi school system, Ram takes bribes from principals of schools and others for whom he can presumably do some good. It is the way it is done. People expect to have to bribe to get things done. So here we get part of a picture of India at the time.

What people do not know about the incompetent Ram Karan is that 20 years ago he took improper advantage of his daughter Anita. Now, his wife recently deceased of cancer and Anita's husband dead in an accident, Anita and her 12-year-old daughter Asha have moved in with him. He is tempted by Asha. But Anita sees him pushing his luck and thus begins the torment.

Ram is beset with regret for what he has done and he tells Anita so. She doesn't care. She harangues him constantly and he grovels as necessary, he finds way to appease her, and his experience as a corrupt bureaucrat aids him in a way. She is never really satisfied, however, and the assault of both his conscience - skewed though it is - and her verbal attacks wear on him until it shows in him physically.

In his job as moneyman Ram finds that his situation has become untenable and his family is not safe.

Having read a novel based in the time of The Emergency in the 1970s, I have a passing familiarity with the Nehru family and of Indira Ghandi in particular. I found this story, taking place almost 20 years later, a further expression of life in India and how soon we forget. I found, too, the story of this odd little fat man at turns funny, ironic, and pathetic. The author has been compared to Dostoevsky. I think maybe closer to Chekhov. ( )

** spoiler alert **

I added this to my reading list ages ago and since I read Akhil Sharma's Family Life recently, I thought I might as well read this. And now that I have, I almost wish I hadn't.

The story is disturbing, to say the least. The main character is an aging corrupt politician (corrupt politician - isn't that redundant in India?) who repeatedly committed a horrific crime (rape) against his daughter years ago for which he was never really punished. And the book goes into detail on that. To say it was difficult to read is an understatement.

Somehow, as the story progresses, the author almost makes you feel bad for this monster, which is incredible. You catch yourself feeling these feelings, and then think, what the hell am I thinking?!

The book also weaves in some major political events in India's history, which is an interesting angle. As bad as that is in itself, I guess it gives you a break from the above-mentioned sordid details.

The effects of the man's crime on his daughter and then his granddaughter and the ripple effects this has just made this even more depressing. Especially in light of India's culture of "what will people say" and the effects on women. Ugh, this book is a tough read and not for the faint of heart.

(I'm struggling with the rating because I think the book was well-written but the story itself...) ( )

This was a difficult book for me to read. But Sharma’s writing pulled me into a very sad story. A father in India molests his young daughter. As a young widow with a young daughter of her own, financial poverty forces Anita to return to living with her father. Her fear and anger at her father overflows especially when she sees him rubbing against his granddaughter as the granddaughter sleeps. Ram knows he was wrong, but can he make amends? It is a sad touch story about the past which Ram had hoped had been forgotten. ( )