Kirkus Review of New Gandhi, Hope, Maridadi Monet and Colour
On August 14 in a future year that features interplanetary travel, an unnamed traveler and his companions discover a many-armed woman wearing a dress of many hues. She is the Goddess of Hope, and she asks the group if they’re able to hear the “colour heartbeats of the Universe.” She then takes them to meet New Gandhi, a man who bears a strong resemblance to the famous activist for Indian independence. This Gandhi lives in Australia, where he’s spent each day for the past two years in contemplation: “The freeway is not far and the sound of traffic on Monday morning is bad. And there are weekly police sirens. I think of the people driving these cars and what they may be like.” He’s only one of many figures the Goddess of Hope introduces to her pilgrims. Others include an Afro-Indian cook living in Manhattan, a self-made tech billionaire from Georgia, and “New” versions of Claude Monet, Leonardo da Vinci, and Princess Diana; a barking dog; and even a version of the author, discussing bipolar disorder. The work also addresses such topics as Buddhism, daily routines, the use of money, acrostic poems, and, in particular, the colors that form an indelible part of the world. Thakker writes in an unusual style that presents readers with a lyric monologue that shifts between narrators, and their soliloquies often feature a rainbow, as when New Gandhi describes his “yellow history from days in green Porbandar,” and “giving up my navy blue suit to my pink India,” and his “purple thoughts.” The novel is not an easily accessible one, as it lacks a conventional plot, and readers will often find themselves confused as to who is speaking and who is listening. Overall, it seems as if Thakker intends the text to wash over the reader, and sometimes it does so in a quite pleasant manner. However, its vagueness may cause many to lose interest, even given the novel’s relatively short 125-page length.
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