The River: A Virago Modern Classic (Virago Modern Classics)

Review A small masterpiece, a near perfect account of how childhood has to come to an end and the serpent must enter the garden . . . In The River she celebrates a passion for the people, colours, sounds and even the smells of India . . . She evokes, in simple, flawless prose, a young girl's first encounters with jealousy, sex, guilt and death. - The SpectatorThe River will make you laugh, make you cry and, in its way, change you for ever Product Description By the author of Black Narcissus.'Her craftsmanship is always sure; her understanding of character is compassionate and profound; her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' New York TimesHarriet is caught between two worlds: her older sister is no longer a playmate, her brother is still a little boy. And the comforting rhythm of her Indian childhood - the sounds of the jute factory, the colourful festivals that accompany each season and the eternal ebb and flow of the river on its journey to the Bay of Bengal - is about to be shattered by a tragic event. Intense, vivid, and with a dark undertow, The River is a poignant portrait of the loss of a young girl's innocence. Book Description This is Rumer Godden's unforgettable evocation of India and of childhood, of innocence and experience. A small masterpiece. From the Back Cover 'A near perfect account of how childhood has to come to an end and the serpent must enter the garden . . . Godden evokes, in simple, flawless prose, a young girl's first encounters with jealousy, sex, guilt and death.' Anne Chisholm, Spectator'The River will make you laugh, make you cry and, in its way, change you for ever' Julie MyersonHarriet is caught between two worlds: her older sister is no longer a playmate, her brother is still a little boy. And the comforting rhythm of her Indian childhood - the sounds of the jute factory, the colourful festivals that accompany each season and the eternal ebb and flow of the river on its journey to the Bay of Bengal - is about to be shattered. Intense, vivid, and with a dark undertow, The River is a poignant portrait of the end of childhood. About the Author Rumer Godden (1907-98) was the acclaimed author of over sixty works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Born in England, she and her siblings grew up in Narayanganj, India, and she later spent many years living in Calcutta and Kashmir. Several of her novels were made into films, including Black Narcissus, The Greengage Summer and The River, which was filmed by Jean Renoir. She was appointed OBE in 1993.