ARTIST OF DISAPPEARANCE BY ANITA DESAI (2011)

During my reading and journey I've found myself asking the same question on many instances: What does it really mean to appreciate art? More specifically, till what extent one should romanticise and idealise the appreciation of art? Fortunately, Anita Desai in her three novellas gives a very unique and nuanced perspective on this topic.

The Museum of Final Journeys 4.5/5

The first story follows the journey of an unnamed civil-service officer who struggles to adjust after being stationed at a remote outpost. He believed himself to be a creative person and wanted to become a writer, but ended up pursuing a bureaucratic career like his father. He struggles to adjust in a new rural town and misses the perks of city life. People around him, including his father once promised him an exciting life after becoming a civil servant as he would face new problems to solve every day, but his reality is far from that dream as he only ends up solving small disputes. He becomes apathetic towards his work and life until one day an old caretaker of a museum approaches him and tells him the story of the Mukherjee family and their collection of antique goods. He worries that no one will be able to take care of the museum after him, so he wants the government to take care of it. This piques the narrators interest, and he agrees to visit the museum, both as an officer and someone who can understand and appreciate the valuable antiques. While the mansion itself is dilapidated, the antiques amaze him as the museum stores incredibly rare and personal items that would have been difficult to acquire. But after exploring one room after another, he starts to feel overwhelmed and loses the anticipation to explore the mysterious rare objects in the museum. The tour ends with the caretaker showing him an old weary elephant. The officer promises to stay in touch with the caretaker but nothing happens and thus both the officer and readers never find out what became of the museum.

Honestly, this is a sad tale of a bitter man whose experience at the museum raises an important question: How much is too much when it comes to collecting and appreciating rare items? This story highlights the importance of stopping before cherishing something special becomes a chore.

Translator Translated 5/5

Honestly, this is my favourite story from the book. We all have role models, but what happens when we aren't able to distinguish between our love for an author's work and our ego and drive for perfection. Prema Joshi is a dull professor whose life changes after reconnecting with a school classmate Tara, the woman she once idolised. Tara now runs a feminist printing press and offers Prema to translate an underrated Oriya author, Suvarna Devi's book. This becomes a golden opportunity for Prema as she has always wanted Suvarna Devi's work to reach a wider audience so that people can appreciate her as the brilliant writer she is. While the process of translating and publishing goes smoothly, Prema faces disappointment after meeting Suvarna Devi, as her simple personality and bland feedback to Prema's work does not reflect the fantasy of a genius charismatic author she had in mind. After sometime Suvarna Devi writes another novel and send it to the publisher and Prema for translation. Prema reads the draft, but this time she's underwhelmed as she feels like her favourite author has lost her spark. So uses some creative liberty to modify the novel by dramatizing some elements, and it is something that does not sit well with Suvarna Devi's family, particularly her nephew and she ends up being dropped by Tara.

They say never meet your idols. While this is a common lesson, I like how the narrative chooses to focus more on Prema's disillusionment over Suvarna Devi's subversive interactions with her. As a result, this story isn't about Suvarna Devi not living up to the arbitrary standards set by Prema, but Prema letting her translations become a vessel for her ambitions as a failed writer.

Artist of Disappearance 4.5/5

Finally, we have a story that's also makes up the title of Desai's book. Ravi is a recluse who lives in the dilapidated remains of his family’s mansion in the Himalayan foothills. As a child, Ravi was adopted by wealthy but abusive parents who constantly neglected him, leaving him alone during their European trips. He found solace in nature, believing that beauty of nature gave him freedom as he found himself reveling in the innumerable possibilities of life. After briefly attending college to meet family expectations, Ravi returned home following his parents' deaths. He allowed his mother’s elderly companion, Miss Wilkinson, and her cats to stay with him. When Miss Wilkinson accidentally set the house on fire and later died, Ravi isolated himself in the ruins. He discovered a hidden glade where he created intricate patterns with plants and stones, patiently waiting for leaves to change color to enhance his evolving masterpiece.

When a documentary crew arrived to shoot a film on environmental degradation, they stumbled upon Ravi’s artwork and tried to meet him. However, Ravi refused, believing their presence would desecrate his work. Instead, he collected matchboxes filled with tiny pieces of nature, which resembled constellations in the night when opened. The crew realized that without Ravi’s interview, their footage was meaningless, so they left to film mining explosions before leaving the village.

All three stories are a breath of fresh air in a world where everything is unnecessarily hoarded and sensationalised. One thing that's common in all novellas is that they tell the stories of underdogs. An aspiring writer turned civil servant, an ambitious teacher with mediocre academic journey running into an old classmate and an introverted man who has been a victim of abuse. All three of them have some interactions with art that isn't exposed to a wider audience, revealing their inner desires and delving into 'what it could have been scenarios'. Bittersweet and thought-provoking, I would like to give this book an overall rating of 5/5.