<<< Welcome to the Bibliophile Book Review Series, where you can get the details on books I’m reading. Discover what the book is generally about and what this bibliophile thought of it. Today’s review is on a fiction book entitled “Indians on Vacation”, by Thomas King. >>>
Indians on Vacation is a dark and witty narrative of a couple’s relatively inconsequential trip to Prague. Packed with dynamic storytelling and a societal commentary, this book is good for people who want to be encouraged to think about the world more critically.
What is this book about?
As the reader, you spend the book following an indigenous couple as they travel through Prague.
The wife, Mimi, sees travel as a great distraction and a healing experience for the soul. The husband, Bird, see it only as a nuisance.
As you progress through the book, you will be thrown into other narratives that better explain how the couple ended up in Prague in the first place. Though this book does not hold to the traditional stories with a clear conclusion, the author masterfully weaves a series of smaller stories and ideas into it. He creates a fuller sense of satisfaction even without the strength of a concise plot.
Overview:
Narration
The story is narrated by Bird, a man of aboriginal descent. At the time of the narration, he is a tired writer no longer interested in writing the tales of humanity. He is known to have medical complications and mental struggles on a daily basis. He spends most of his travels wishing he wasn’t travelling.
His narrative is often biased towards seeing things accurately but in a bitter light.
For people who prefer happier, more upbeat narratives, this book may not be a good fit. But if you tend to enjoy cynically humorous narratives, then this book is perfect for you!
Additionally, the narrative often jumps out of chronological order to tell you a side-story that might shed light on your understanding of the characters. Each one offers a new idea or fact that helps you better make sense of the characters in their current situation.
The author’s narration is easy to read and understand. The things he writes about are relatable, making the book itself feel casual and enjoyable.
Character Design
In many ways, each character in this story fits a particular cliche. However, the more you learn about them, the more these cliches fail to capture the essence of each person.
Mimi seems bubbly and positive, but you see the complications in her life the more you learn about her. Bird may seem grumpy and ungrateful, but even he grows more complicated as you discover his past.
There are few characters outside of this couple, but the ones you meet are all charming and easy to imagine. These fun characters make the story as a whole even more enjoyable.
Character Development
If character development is important for you, this book may not be a good fit. Though you learn a lot about their past throughout the book, the main part of the story doesn’t really involve any sort of character development or clear plot- they are on vacation, after all!
Holistic Storyline
As a whole, Indians on Vacation is a fun, quirky story filled with jokes, thought-provoking questions, and intriguing narratives of past events that could be an enjoyable read for anyone.
The thing that this book has to offer most, however, is the ability to make you think about the foundational structure of society. It seeks to find answers about the purpose of travel and our role in the world when we see injustice.
How do we know our help is helping?
What is more important in history- truth or memory?
This story covers all this and more! You can be sure that something will leave you thinking about your own life by the end of the book.
Bonus Features
One thing that I feel is worth mentioning in this story is the recognition of the struggles of the mind.
Indians on Vacation approaches this subject in such a friendly way that it bears remembering.
Bird struggles daily with different types of emotions, such as excessive worrying, pessimism, and self-deprecation. Mimi comically names each personality trait and calls them out whenever she sees her husband starting to fall into the same unhealthy thought patterns. Throughout the book, each aspect of Bird’s emotional problems is named and personified.
As someone who personally struggles with emotional battles, I appreciated the way that these emotions felt like real people trying to connect with the narrator. I actually ended up personifying my own emotional tendencies after seeing it done in this book. I have enjoyed the way it helps you identify how you are feeling and to take control of those emotions.
Who should read this book?
If you like to read books written by people whose voices are not often heard, then this is a great book for you! It is a great way to hear from people who often don’t have a voice in society and can help to broaden your understanding of the world.
Indians on Vacation is also a great book for people who enjoy a good dark comedy, much like the stories of Kurt Vonnegut or Roald Dahl.
Finally, it is a great book for people who enjoy stories about travel. If you are a traveller, I’m sure you will identify closely with a lot of what is said about travel in this book.
Warning: if you like your stories to have a clear beginning, middle, and end, then this book is not for you!
Recommended reading Atmosphere:
A lot of this story happens in charming little cafes and restaurants in Prague. Because of this, reading this book with a decadent coffee is a good start.
There’s also a lot of mentions of old show tunes being played on the streets in this story. If you really want to dive into the atmosphere of the book, an instrumental playlist of old show tunes would do the trick!
Other Articles about ‘Indians on Vacation’
<<< If you want to enjoy “Indians on Vacation” by Thomas King yourself, you can find the link below! >>>
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