The Case of the Love Commandos by Tarquin Hall

A couple of years ago I got onto a few authors from India writing about India, and was really enjoying reading about the culture and the country, while enjoying some very well written novels.


In my own mind, I guess I grouped them in a hierarchy of things I learned about India.  The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga was a good novel, but passionately angry about the disparity of wealth.  It focused its anger to such an extent that I recall little of the country described, and more the sense of outrage at how people treat each other.  It was a hard novel to read in some ways, but one that could stir the emotions and force the question of why this disparity is permitted.


Q & A by Vikas Swarup I really enjoyed.  It's the novel on which Slumdog Millionaire  was based, and I thought it was excellent.  It did show the poverty, but also shared the beauty and the range of experiences available throughout the country, and had a positive thread of hope running through it.  It made me want to visit India, but braced me for some of the heartbreaking poverty I might see there.


The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall was much more light, a bit quirky, a bit funny, but didn't seem overly interested in dwelling on the poverty aspects, having more fun with its lead character Vish Puri.  It showed a bit of India, though a more modern flavor, and a sense of the people and the culture viewed through a fairly humourous lens.


The Case of the Love Commandos is the second Tarquin Hall novel I've read.  It starts out with a "vigilante" style group that helps young lovers escape the caste system to wed across castes. I liked the novel, I had fun with the mystery, and I liked that it was prepared to engage a little more in the examination of some of the poverty issues than I saw in The Case of the Missing Servant (or perhaps it was too subtle for me to pick up on after The White Tiger).  The Case of the Love Commandos takes a bit of a look at the caste system in a way that helps explain both its supporters and detractors to an outsider.


That being said, I have a difficult time adjusting to the tone of the novel.  I'm not entirely sure whether I should be laughing or feeling horrified.  Whether these are things that people from India would laugh at and enjoy or if I'm finding humour in broad stereotypes that are purely offensive.  I guess that's part of the fun, but it creates a level of discomfort too.  When Vish Puri eats scotch bonnets for breakfast, is that an exaggeration?  Is that part of the culture?  Is it ridiculous that I don't know the answer to that question?  I guess it's the third question that highlights what I like about these novels.  I don't know the answer, but it makes me want to find out (and makes me feel a little foolish for not knowing).


Another example is how Vish Puri can't be bothered to learn the names of all of his employees/servants, so just re-assigns them names based on the functions they perform (Tubelight, Handbrake, Chai e.g.).  It helps the Western reader keep them straight, and perhaps more easily than would be the case with using their given names... but is Mr. Hall highlighting Vish Puri's ridiculous sense of importance and unwillingness to take an interest in these castes or is he highlighting a Western attitude towards people in India?


The overall tone is light enough that it's not a scathing indictment or fury like I felt in The White Tiger.  Instead it's a gentle reminder that we can have fun, but it's worth investing some time learning about this culture and these people.  I like learning about other countries and cultures through light fiction, but I guess it also highlights to me that maybe I need to look up some of these things through a more authoritative source.  Mr. Hall clearly has a love for India, even as he's laughing at it (and his pompous protagonist), and wants to share that love and that fun with the reader. 


And although I haven't tried any of them out yet, Mr. Hall inserts recipes for Indian cuisine at the back of his books, and they look wonderful.  Speaking of which, I think that's going to prompt me to pick up The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken.