A Landless Alien: where heart lay is a novel by Ramu Upadhaya that exhibits very elusive ideas vested in a democracy and the unmaking of it. The novelist has used very subtle language, a very complex set of imagery and a narrative that does not let the readers settle in without investing their minds in the process of decrypting the novel. Ramu Upadhaya is known for his fictional works that are often deprived of excitement and entertainment… loaded with intellect to a level that matches absurdity at times.

There is a place called Dickland, and its inhabitants are called Dicklanders. Three people feature in most of the author’s discourses about the place, Tom, Dick and Harry. The author often takes their names together in the abbreviated form – TDHs.

The novel has six parts. Every part has an uneven number of chapters. You will seldom find a pattern or symmetry in the novel, as far as its aesthetic appeal is concerned. The author has kept his tone intense but unrelated and gaudy. Readers who come from ordinary backgrounds and cannot afford to venture into various facets of linguistic capabilities (in English) will have a difficult time reading this novel. It is best suited for those readers who can have the glory of fancy vocabulary and have the wisdom to comprehend arguments that penetrate the common heads and wash aside (instead of making sense and staying inside).

Is A Landless Alien a retort to the democratic system? It might very well be. If you care to read the novel and then further care to read it carefully, you may find that the author is using prototypes – pro TDH and anti-TDH. There are two groups, apparently visible, of citizens in the Dickland. People are openly abusing each other for their region, religion, languages, race and more differentiators one can find. It is happening, unfortunately, in many places in the world.

Ramu Upadhaya has suggested politics at the micro level that alienate people of a section from the mainstream by polluting their minds should be scrapped and let people connect with the growth that is occurring on a grand scale. By alienating people from the mainstream, we cannot do justice to the aspirations and inspirations of societies in that section.

Well, in the end, if you are looking for a novel that can help you entertain on the weekends and charge your head for a super busy weak ahead, you may not be the one to pick this intellectual, philosophical and rather abstract piece of fiction. However, if you like challenging your comprehension, you must pick it up and taste your reading skills – patience and stability of your mental strength (to focus on certain things you engage with).

You can get a copy of this novel from Amazon India in paperback or Kindle version. The novel is written in a very elevated language and the images, allusions, and overall narrative are of a very discreet nature. You may well enjoy it if you are a reader of such a genre. Click the link below to get a copy from Amazon now:

Get a copy from Amazon India – click here

Review by Sarthak for Indian Book Critics