In Light of India

by Octavio Paz, Eliot Weinberger

Release Date: 25 March, 1997

Edition: Hardcover

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In Light of India: A Reverent, Thoughtful "Adios"

Paz's technical, highly informative swan song, as he wound down his amabassadorial stint, is at once distant, respectful...and oddly wistful. One can picture him, gazing contemplatively out of the window, as his train wisks him through the Indian countryside, his elbow on the sill, head in hand...A rather grand, respecful Goodbye, with just a hint of saddness and yearning...which is what this book represents. Paz's envious, strangely misplaced attempts to compare his native Mexico to the country-of-his-dreams (India) seem a bit desperate and even clumsy at times. One could sense Paz's wish: "If only my Mexico were as majestic, grand and enigmatic..." Or atleast had as many software startups per capita. Perhap's Paz will convert to Hinduism by his 85th birthday. An informative, (too) reverent, but decent piece of work...Almost has the mood and (deliberate) distance of Langston Hughes' "Big Sea", but far more exacting, patient and academic in its use of the english language and (again) far more technical...A lot of starch in this one. A worthy edition to one's own library - or to Paz's works, in general. SP

A book that bridges continents

"In Light of India" is a book-length, multi-part essay in which Mexican poet Octavio Paz discusses the complex political, religious, and artistic worlds of India. Paz, who had served as his nation's ambassador to India, writes with insight and obvious affection for his subject.

Paz is a masterful prose writer. His style is smooth and clear, and full of sage-like statements. Consider this observation: "Dialogue between a poet and a saint is difficult because a poet, before speaking, must hear others--that is to say, the language, which belongs to everyone and to no one. A saint speaks with God or with himself, two forms of silence" (p. 118).

Paz covers many topics: India's ancient history, the conflict between Hindus and Muslims, the caste system, classical Sanskrit poetry, and more. But, as he notes, the book is not meant to be an exhaustive scholarly treatise. Rather, it is a very personal view of India: "this book. . . is the child not of knowledge but of love" (33). And as such, the book is rich in interesting anecdotes and fascinating insights, from Paz' account of his meeting with the guru Mother Ananda Mai to his reflection on the influence of Rabindranath Tagore upon Pablo Neruda.

"In Light of India" is a marvelous companion volume to Salman Rushdie's "The Jaguar Smile": in that volume of essays, a writer from the Indian subcontinent reflects upon a Latin American country (the reverse of Paz' project). But on its own, Paz' book is a wonderful volume both for fans of Latin American literature and for those interested in India.