The document provides a detailed book review and summary of "English, August" by Upamanyu Chatterjee. It discusses the themes of rebellious urban youth, identity crisis, and effects of dislocation depicted in the novel. The protagonist Agastya Sen joins the IAS but struggles with restlessness and uses marijuana to cope during his training in Madna. Through Agastya's experiences and thoughts conveyed through soliloquies, the novel examines an individual's search for meaning and purpose. Praised for its humor, engaging characters, and insights into Indian society and administration, the book provides an entertaining view of the complexities in India.

1. BOOK REVIEW – English, August
Not being an avid reader from childhood, choosing the book for the review was an important part of my
assignment, and also a strenuous one. The process I adopted in the selection of the book, involved
reading the summaries of all the 10 listed books.
During this research, I came across the novel- ‘English, August’. On reading the summary, it revealed
themes like, Rebellious Lifestyle of the urban youth; Identity crisis faced by the protagonist; Paralyzing
effects of dislocation, with a backdrop of Indian Administration and Society. These themes were said to
be depicted in the novel in a comical and satirical manner. The themes, the style of writing and the
constant mention of Marijuana and Sex in the novel, made it seem to be an interesting read, and hence,
becoming my pick for the book review.
‘English, August: An Indian Story’ is a work of fiction penned down by Upamanyu Chatterjee. It was first
published in the year 1988. Later, was also adapted into a film under the same name in 1994. The
author, Upamanyu Chatterjee had studied English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He then
joined The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1983.1
It is important to note that the protagonist in all
of Chatterjee’s novels is a civil servant.2
This holds true for ‘English, August’ too, where the central
character is given similar educational credentials, and has also joined the IAS. Hence, there is a belief
that a lot of the incidents in the novels are inspired by his personal experiences.
The novel revolves around a 24-year-old Indian Urban youth- Agastya Sen. It narrates the happenings of
his life- from the time he goes to Madna till the end of his training; with constant flashbacks of his past
that justify the character’s actions. The story begins with Agastya, the protagonist, clearing the IAS
exam, and is sent for a year’s training in district administration to a fictional town in India, called Madna.
Leaving his friends and the comforts of the City-Life, he’s in for a rude shock for how his life turns out in
Madna. He battles the restlessness of his mind that arises due to the dislocation, by believing once he
settles down his mind will be at peace. However, his actions- Surviving by keeping distance from his job;
Spending a good deal of time smoking marijuana; Interacting with people where he ridicules them in his
mind - all have a contradicting effect to settling down.
The above plot silently flows to build up on the theme- The individual’s search for the meaning of Life,
and his particular role in the world, which is revealed to the reader in the end.
The title of the novel, ‘English, August: An Indian Story’, arises from one of the incidents in the plot.
Agastya earns different nicknames like “English”, “August”, “Mother Tongue” (p.2) because of his wish
to be like the Tibetan and Anglo Indian friends, he had in school. The explanation of his nicknames, in
the opening of the book gives an immediate picture to the reader about the character’s identity crisis
1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_August
2
Google Books - South Asian novelists in English: an A-to-Z guide By Jaina C. Sanga

2. and his confused state of mind, which continues till the end of the book. Personally, I think this feature
of the character is significant, and is justified to be the title of the book. Also, the latter part- “An Indian
Story”, does seem perfectly apt. The book acts as an entertaining passage to observe the complexities,
paradoxes, sufferings and inanities that exists in India.
My response towards a book largely depends on- How successful was the author in introducing me to
the world he/she has created with the plot and the characters. The reader doesn’t necessarily have to
relate to this world; however, whether the reader is able to feel and believe the character’s emotion is
the litmus test for my likability of a book.
The book is written in a third person narrative with dialogues between characters. Chatterjee using
soliloquies has enlightened the reader with the thoughts that go on in Agastya’s mind. These thoughts
give an impression as if the author was living the character, and was narrating the scenes from his
personal experiences; making the character believable to the reader. Chatterjee’s comical and cynical
style of writing never leaves behind a single dull moment for the reader. The author magnificently
creates humor out of the problems faced by Agastya. He also takes a dig on the human folly- "He's the
sort who'd love to get AIDS just because it's raging in America". The book is a wonderful mix, ranging
from- funny, wryly observed accounts of Agastya’s training; the author making the reader aware about
how the IAS functions; through soliloquies subtle philosophical insights are passed on to the reader.
The story is comprised of various incidents that happen to the main character. Hence, there were so
many events throughout the book that choosing particular scenes did feel unjust towards the rest. One
of the most interesting features of the book is the introduction to the Hinglish literature (that is Hindi-
influenced variety of English). In the opening scene, Dhrubo tells Agastya, “I’ve a feeling, August, you’re
going to get hazaar fucked in Madna (p.1)”, this not only sets the tone for the novel in terms of the plot,
but also to denote the mix of cultures.3
Another scene I found interesting is Agastya’s interaction with- the Englishman, John Avery, and his
girlfriend, Sita. Chatterjee highlights the curiosity in John about discovering India, consisting of “surviving
the train from Bombay to Madna (p.207)”, and comparing the country, to the letters written by his
Grandfather of the same. On the other hand, Agastya and Sita, both Indians, had no interest in exploring
the different cultures existing in their country, and can only imagine going back to their “megalopolitan”
life.
Chatterjee has used brilliant literary techniques to enhance the reading of the novel, and give a deeper
understanding to the subject dealt with. The author uses fascinating array of characters in ‘English,
August’. In Madna there are bureaucrats and their wives, other professionals; there are August's New
Delhi friends (Westernized urban youth) and then the Bengali family (religiously orthodox). This is a
3
http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/chatteru/eaugust.htm

3. wonderful technique Chatterjee uses to depict the contradictions, paradoxes and complexities existing
in India via the array of characters.
The opening scene involves a dialogue between Dhrubo and Agastya. Agastya mentions, “Try your luck
with everything, something hopefully will click (p.3)”. Here, the author foreshadows the basic theme
that is then revealed to the reader towards the end of the book of- Understanding an individual’s search
for the meaning of life and his role in this world.
His Bengal-Goan heritage, multiple names- Ogu to his relatives, August to his friends, Sen to his
colleagues seem to be symbolic to show what Chatterjee stated as, "There wasn't a single thought in his
head, about which he (Agastya) didn't feel confused"
The story is irreverent, frank in both language and ideas, and is not for the faint hearted or the
orthodox. It has dark elements and maintains certain seriousness, but the overall mood is light-hearted
and individual episodes and pieces of dialogue are hilarious. Chatterjee has an unerring touch and
perfect balance, maintaining continuous comic entertainment without ever descending into farce.4
English, August is essentially the story of a man on a journey - as story of all of us on our respective
journeys - trying to attach some purpose to it.5
It is a wonderful read, with likeable characters. The
writing is not always consistent and hard to grasp. However, a funny and surprisingly touching story,
which is well-presented, definitely recommended!6
4
http://dannyreviews.com/h/English_August.html
5
http://karma-and-some.blogspot.com/2011/08/english-august-by-upamanyu-chatterjee.html
6
http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/chatteru/eaugust.htm