Book Review
Book- Freedom at Midnight
Authors- Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
Genre- Nonfiction, Historical
No of pages: 715
Publisher: Vikas Publishing House
My rating: 4/5
Much has been said about the book, both positive and otherwise, and I feel one must give it a read, if only to know what did the authors find out, after years of research and never-ending interviews.
The story of the birth of a mighty nation, which was allowed to come into existence only after cutting it up into bits and parts is bound to be fantastic.
Having read O Jerusalem! (while in High School) and City of Joy (many years ago) I was all set for top notch writing… and I was not disappointed.
Since it refers to incidents and events more from Mountbatten and the British POV, it was the unfurling of history from a non-Indian POV. One where an attempt was made to glorify none, but state facts as factually as possible.
The times were not normal. The bloodshed during partition and the reason for it seems so pointless; the inability of the politicians of that time to foresee the violence seems ridiculous, because the majority of the population comprised peasants, paupers and puppets.
The wealth not only in terms of riches, gems, intricately created ornaments, buildings, garments and what not, but also of knowledge, garnered over millenniums, handed down generations, was worth witnessing.
The insight into the lives of erstwhile Kings, maharajahs, their lifestyle and of those around them from the point of view of an outside observer has been interesting.
To read about Gandhiji, his beliefs and his influence on the common folk, forces one to realise, how extraordinary was he.
The revelation of the events, some known, some unknown have definitely added to my understanding. The readers can also glimpse the magnanimous nation India was and the diversity that coexisted, once upon a time.
The attempt to narrate the pangs of birth, the pain of division, the bloodshed of neighbours, friends and family, that had never been seen and will hopefully never ever be seen by mankind, is simply impossible. Yet Lapierre and Collins have attempted it and been successful in presenting a glimpse of that panoramic view.
