This fine book is available now at our bookstore....
Journey to the East
by MaryAnn & Bijon Sarma
266 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #01-0155; ISBN 1-55212-755-9; US$23.50, C$26.95, EUR19.00, £13.50
This is the story of two souls who loved each other, and wanted to become more than friends for the rest of their lives.
If you are interested in ordering this book, or wish to browse through similar publications, please select:
If you'd rather place an order by talking to one of our cheerful order desk clerks, please call 1-888-232-4444 (USA and Canada only) or 250-383-6864.
From Europe, ring our UK order desk clerk at local rate number 0845 230 9601 (UK only) or 44 (0)1865 722 113.
Here is more information on this book:
Read more!
About the book About the author Sample excerpt Catalogue info
About the BookJourney to the East wires the remote past, the present, and the not-so-distant futures of East and West into a tumbleweed that the writers roll along the track of time. The universal truth of love guides the reader all the way to the end. |
About the AuthorMaryAnn is a pathologist and free lance writer. Her brother Bijon Sarma is an author, architect and freelance writer living in Bangladesh. |
A Review
"(The novel's) focus hovers over the decadence of western civilization and comparison of it with the eastern one" "In the novel the story is set in a society some eight hundred and fifty years ahead of the twenty-first century. The society where the story of the novel takes place is a western one - full of riches and luxuries. The novelist sees the society from a very logical viewpoint. The present socio-familial milieu of the west compels the writer to design their future society in such a one where there is nothing like family - no one is a father, or mother, or a child of any other one as Gloria the protagonist says 'I do not have a father, mother or any family' (14). All the womenfolk of the country are of three categories having cards A for 'Available on payment', or M for 'Motherhood' or F for 'Free-lance Woman' as our Gloria is.
'Womb-hiring' is a profession in this country which Gloria accepts repeatedly, though in this hazardous task the final payment from the men's part comes after the DNA test is done. The narrator of Journey to the East Ms. Gloria Sullivan's baby also fails to pass the DNA test which is a common activity of 'the would be fathers to be certain about the genetic inheritance'(5)and with the anti-pathetic incident the novel opens 'I am a natural born child, I belong to no one and no one belongs to me' (34) is Gloria's princpal hollowness for which she can easily say ' I did not have any love or affection for the children' (23) or 'In my case, the only attraction to become a mother was money' (23) because 'of all the jobs a woman can do in our society child bearing is the most profitable' (18). But in her third time of lending the womb the mother springs in her up; she falls in a relationship which may be termed as love and she agrees to marry Mr. Thomas, the father of her third child - though marriage is a millennium old custom in Gloria-Thomas's society.
There are very few significant characters in Journey to the East - along
with Gloria. Thomas is the most vital one who originates the inspiration and
encouragement in Gloria's life. They both meet the lash 'If such is the
reality then what is the point of living in this world ? What great purpose
would my existence serve in this world ? What new experience do I still
expect to have in the future year ?'(61)and everyone will agree that there
are pivotal questions that every human being faces and fights and at last
enjoys to spread to the next generation. These questions have placed them in
the philosophical query of themselves: why and how their socoety been so
and thus the analytical episode on the social and cultural history (though
fictitious, as it is of future; but predictable) of the west befalls on the
novel.
The main points that generate long discussions are about
women's liberation; western sexual behavior like sodomy, lesbianism etc.,
abolition of marriage and family etc. Journey to the East imagined by the
author, is a warning for the west that is rushing to the havoc.
The reviewer expected "(The novelists) are on the verge of acclamation in sub-continental English novels, in addition to their buoyant appearance as novelist writing in English in Bangladesh which is mostly barren in giving birth creative English writers".
Mr. Subrata Kumar Das
Lecturer of English in Bangladesh
Rifles College, Dhaka
Review appeared in the Friday Magazine of THE BANGLADESH OBSERVER
February, 2003
(website is www.thebangladeshobserver.com , www.bangladesh.net/observer.
e-mail : observer@dhaka.net)
Sample Excerpt
Preamble
and wanted to become more than friends for the rest of their lives.
They found it extremely difficult in their society because
at this time men and women were seldom given permission.
Was there any valid reason for the man to marry a woman?
Living together lasted until the wish of the stronger party.
The natural consequence was no marriage, no more family.
But even if women were not married, they were there,
and their availability determined their value.
Whatever the women's value, money was not a
problem as long as they could work or others could work for them.
Thus men and women became free and lives were full of enjoyment.
Deaths were in the hospital beds where the nurses waited with patience
to remove the body and prepare the bed for the waiting one.
While all others accepted such practice, two souls were different.
Quite accidentally they discovered each other
and after long years rediscovered something called 'love'.
They promised to share their lives. Then, all of a sudden
they found that the doors to that end were closed.
However they were desperately in love.
About fourteen hundred years ago, in a quest of fortune,
a brave sailor sailed his ship to the west. At the end of a dreadful journey he
came out successful. He and millions of others were rewarded with what they
aimed for. But did they pave the way to lose anything? Who knows. Fourteen
hundred years after that great voyage, two souls, in love had to start their
own journey to the east. Why and what for! Was it the wealth, gained by
relentless effort through thousands of years? Was it something that was then
lost because of someone's interest and or others' negligence?
Catalogue Information
Our books are manufactured one-at-a-time to fill individual orders -- part of an innovative process we invented, called "on-demand publishing." Authors and organizations from 120 countries are using Trafford for their publishing needs.
If you (or your company) wish to list a title for sale to the public, contact the nearest office or select "publishing offices" from our bookstore pages for details.
|
Canada • USA • UK • Republic of Ireland URL http://www.trafford.com © 1995-2005 Trafford Publishing, a division of Trafford Holdings Ltd. Trafford's Privacy Policy: Client information will never be provided to anyone outside of Trafford and its subsidiaries except where required by law. |