The King's Harvest

By Chetan Raj Shrestha

I have read Chetan before but not in novels. Random thoughts are always easier to pen down than to tell stories and in his debut novel (2 novellas really), Chetan has outdone himself. I have read a lot of writers (I mean really good story tellers from Hardy to Dostoevsky, Chekov to Annemarie Selinko, Arundhati Roy to Steinbeck), but still haven’t read anyone who writes one lucid English word after another, beautifully intertwined with the nuances of the place (Sikkim in this case) and strings them together to tell unforgettable stories of small everyday redemption and small everyday people.

A slight comparison to Amitav Ghosh would perhaps give an idea as to the language. However, Chetan’s novelettes are very unique and can stand their own.

Open and Shut Case is about how different situations (and sometimes in other people’s lives) delivers us. It’s written very well, set in the beautiful West Sikkim, giving readers a peek into the lives and loves of really simple people.

The King’s Harvest (not to be mistaken for a story about the rock band) is one of the most original stories I have read. Although I did feel the journey itself could have been more arduous to add more feeling (hmmm). But at the same time, it’s a great record of the place that is Sikkim. Really, knowledge that such place as described exists and the simplicity which is increasingly becoming harder and harder to copy touches your soul and every time you pick up the book, you enter into a different world – a world inhabited by Tontem who is so simple, if he were in Mathematics or Chemistry, he wouldn’t have a formula!

While I would have hoped for a longer novel (like Shalimar the clown/ My name is Red) because Chetan is capable of those, am sure – these 2 are also very engaging tales and for people of Sikkim, probably a tribute to one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Sikkimese or no, it’s a must read.

Footnote: Please DO NOT confuse Chetan Raj Shrestha with Chetan Bhagat – that would be quite insulting to Shrestha!

Another one: Love the cover!