Sensitive portrayal of a class divide

~ The Space Between Us, by Thrity Umrigar ~

Umrigar’s love for Bombay, her intimacy with the city, comes through very
strongly in her third novel, as in her earlier two. And once again, Umrigar introduces and familiarises her reader to the city through a growing knowledge of and familiarity with her characters. This time, she tells the stories of Bhima and Sera, the servant and the mistress, whose lives are intertwined despite their not being able to share furniture and cutlery because of their class divide. They do however share hardships, secrets, understanding, trust, affection in an increasingly powerful bond. Umrigar creates a cast of unforgettable characters, developing their lives and stories at a charmingly measured pace and in an intensely engaging manner. Their lives, like the city against which they live, contain so much which is beautiful and heartening, and so much which is ugly and degrading.

If there has been a small weakness in the previous writings of Umrigar, it is that the novels were just a little fragmented although each tale in itself was extremely well written and riveting. In her 3rd novel however, Umrigar’s writing has grown and strengthened, and The Space Between Us is a tightly knit, highly polished, extremely well balanced and designed novel. It is so beautifully written that it reaches the point of being heartbreakingly beautiful. Umrigar’s power to touch and move her reader remains as potent as ever.

The pleasure of reading this latest of Umrigar’s writing is simply beyond words; the flow is so smooth that one’s mind fairly skates along, but coupled with that is the desire to slow down, to savour the read, to stretch this rare pleasure out as long as possible. I found myself often rereading sentences and whole pages even while I was reading this novel for the very first time, because much was so beautifully crafted and arranged that simply had to re-experience those lines once more before being content to move on, even though the current and momentum of her writing was simply gripping.

Umrigar has fine honed her already obvious talent in this novel to a thrillingly high level. The writing appears effortless, an impression which only true mastery can impart.

I could not recommend this book highly enough. Its title, like the rest of the novel, is evocative, rich in meaning, delicate in its inflections and symbolism, and thoughtfully worded. The Space Between Us is a book which could convert even the uninitiated into the joys of reading.

The Space Between Us, by Thrity Umrigar. William Morrow, 2006.