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The City of Joy
The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of a young French priest, Father Paul Lambert, the hardships endured by a rickshaw puller, Hasari Pal in Calcutta, India, and in the second half of the book, also the experiences of a young American doctor, Max Loeb.
Father Stephan joins a religious order whose vows put them in the most hellish places on earth. He chooses not only to serve the poorest of the poor in Calcutta but also to live with them; starve with them; and, if God wills it, die with them. In the journey of Kovalski's acceptance as the Big Brother for the slum dwellers, he encounters moments of everyday miracles in the midst of appalling poverty and ignorance. The slum dwellers are ignored and exploited by wider society and the authorities of power but are not without their own prejudices. That becomes evident by their attitude towards the lepers and the continuation of the caste system.
The story also explores how the peasant farmer Hasari Pal arrives in Calcutta with his family after a drought wipes out the farming village where his family has lived for generations.
The third main character is a rich American doctor, who has just finished medical school and wants to do something with purpose before opening up his practice catering to the wealthy.
The book chronicles not only the separation of the wealthy from the poor but also the separation of the different levels of poverty, caste divisions, and the differences of the many religions living side by side in the slums. It touches on Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity as well. While the book has its ups and downs, both beautiful and horrific, an overall feeling of peace and well being is achieved by the story's end. Despite facing hunger, deplorable living conditions, illness, bone-breaking work (or no work at all) and death, the people still hold on to the belief that life is precious and worth living, so much that they have named their slum Anand Nagar, which means "City of Joy".
[From Wikipedia]
Father Stephan joins a religious order whose vows put them in the most hellish places on earth. He chooses not only to serve the poorest of the poor in Calcutta but also to live with them; starve with them; and, if God wills it, die with them. In the journey of Kovalski's acceptance as the Big Brother for the slum dwellers, he encounters moments of everyday miracles in the midst of appalling poverty and ignorance. The slum dwellers are ignored and exploited by wider society and the authorities of power but are not without their own prejudices. That becomes evident by their attitude towards the lepers and the continuation of the caste system.
The story also explores how the peasant farmer Hasari Pal arrives in Calcutta with his family after a drought wipes out the farming village where his family has lived for generations.
The third main character is a rich American doctor, who has just finished medical school and wants to do something with purpose before opening up his practice catering to the wealthy.
The book chronicles not only the separation of the wealthy from the poor but also the separation of the different levels of poverty, caste divisions, and the differences of the many religions living side by side in the slums. It touches on Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity as well. While the book has its ups and downs, both beautiful and horrific, an overall feeling of peace and well being is achieved by the story's end. Despite facing hunger, deplorable living conditions, illness, bone-breaking work (or no work at all) and death, the people still hold on to the belief that life is precious and worth living, so much that they have named their slum Anand Nagar, which means "City of Joy".
[From Wikipedia]
552 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
360 people are currently reading
8098 people want to read
About the author
Dominique Lapierre
72 books348 followersDominique Lapierre was born in Châtelaillon-Plage, Charente-Maritime, France. At the age of thirteen, he travelled to America with his father who was a diplomat (Consul General of France). He attended the Jesuit school in New Orleans and became a paper boy for the "New Orleans Item". He developed interests in travelling, writing and cars and later traveled across the United States as a young man.
In the early 1950s Lapierre was conscripted into the French army. After one year in a tank regiment, he was transferred to SHAPE headquarters to serve as an interpreter. There he met a young American Army corporal, Larry Collins, a Yale graduate and draftee. They became instant friends. When Collins was discharged he was offered a job with Procter & Gamble. Two days before reporting to work, the United Press offered him a job as caption writer at their Paris office, for much less money than offered by Procter & Gamble. Collins accepted the offer and was soon picked up by Newsweek to be their correspondent in the Middle East. When Lapierre was discharged, he found work as a reporter for the magazine Paris Match. Several years later they decided to join forces to tell a big story which would appeal to both French and anglophone audiences. Their first bestseller Is Paris Burning? sold close to ten million copies in thirty languages. In this book they mixed the modern technique of investigation journalism with the classical methods of historical research.
After that they spent four years in Jerusalem to reconstruct the birth of the State of Israel for the book O Jerusalem!. Lapierre is proud that after spending a great deal of time in Jerusalem he knows each alley, square, street, and building in the Holy City intimately.
Two of Lapierre's books – Is Paris Burning? (co-written with Larry Collins) and City of Joy – have been made into films. Lapierre and Collins wrote several other books together before Collins' death in 2005.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award in the 2008 Republic Day honors list.
In the early 1950s Lapierre was conscripted into the French army. After one year in a tank regiment, he was transferred to SHAPE headquarters to serve as an interpreter. There he met a young American Army corporal, Larry Collins, a Yale graduate and draftee. They became instant friends. When Collins was discharged he was offered a job with Procter & Gamble. Two days before reporting to work, the United Press offered him a job as caption writer at their Paris office, for much less money than offered by Procter & Gamble. Collins accepted the offer and was soon picked up by Newsweek to be their correspondent in the Middle East. When Lapierre was discharged, he found work as a reporter for the magazine Paris Match. Several years later they decided to join forces to tell a big story which would appeal to both French and anglophone audiences. Their first bestseller Is Paris Burning? sold close to ten million copies in thirty languages. In this book they mixed the modern technique of investigation journalism with the classical methods of historical research.
After that they spent four years in Jerusalem to reconstruct the birth of the State of Israel for the book O Jerusalem!. Lapierre is proud that after spending a great deal of time in Jerusalem he knows each alley, square, street, and building in the Holy City intimately.
Two of Lapierre's books – Is Paris Burning? (co-written with Larry Collins) and City of Joy – have been made into films. Lapierre and Collins wrote several other books together before Collins' death in 2005.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award in the 2008 Republic Day honors list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 677 reviews
November 26, 2022
"Misfortune is great, but man is greater than misfortune."
This is such an apt quote to describe the everyday life of City of Joy.
This is such an apt quote to describe the everyday life of City of Joy.
December 18, 2014
One of the most significant spiritual experience of my life has happened around this book. I had moved to Mumbai. Loneliness and depression were my accompanying emotions- 24*7. During those days, I didn't use to have money and I used to travel by buses. I was reading this book on the bus. The conductor gave me the ticket. He asked me how did I find the book? Now, this is not a title you expect to be read by the bus conductor. But he told me he has read the book. He started talking with me about this book. I literally felt that there is someone out there who look out for each and every soul. I felt the connection with universe which is difficult to express in words.
June 21, 2021
I originally read this around 2005, when I picked up a copy in a cheap secondhand bookshop in Asia. I recently found it when tidying up my shelves, looking for space and given it is pretty grubby, dog-eared and worn, and seems to be a cheaply photocopied and bound book from India, I would sell it on.
The thing was, I couldn't really remember it. It was well before I joined GR that I had read it, and like many books I had read before I joined I gave it a default 3 star rating. So I figured I would read a bit and see if it was worth a re-read.
It was worth the re-read, but the three star rating remains, although just - for me it is a 3.5 star book, rounded down.
Lapierre states in the introduction that the contents are all real, but the names are all changed. The place names, the peoples names, professions etc all appear to be different, and as such it is recognised as a novel.
The quick version - Father Stephan Kovalski a Polish priest travels to Calcutta, India to live among the poorest people, and help raise them up. In parallel, a man brings his family to Calcutta from West Bengal, having lost his family lands to loan sharks. Hasari Pal, and his family take up residence on a footpath, and they struggle for survival until eventually he is helped into a job as a rickshaw puller, and eventually takes a place in the City Of Joy - the name given to the slum in this book. Midway through the book an American doctor, Max Loeb, arrives to join Kovalski, setting up a small dispensary. Lepers, the mafia, corruption, festival, a wedding, eunuchs, mother Teresa, the bureaucracy Indian government departments, the hardships of obtaining drinking water, the lack of sanitation, all feature heavily. These are, or course, the realities of slum life in India, and many other countries.
Lapierre lived for two years in the slum to record the experiences for this book, but he doesn't feature within the narrative.
For me the story was uplifting and showed the best of humanity, but more interesting for me was the descriptive writing of life in the slums. The impermanence, the hardships, the disparity between those with and those without (everything or anything).
I have a soft spot for books like these, set in the poorest areas of India - more commonly they deal with Mumbai, this one is Kolkata. They always contain story lines of morality despite poverty; selflessness from those who can least afford it; compassion and community spirit.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
The thing was, I couldn't really remember it. It was well before I joined GR that I had read it, and like many books I had read before I joined I gave it a default 3 star rating. So I figured I would read a bit and see if it was worth a re-read.
It was worth the re-read, but the three star rating remains, although just - for me it is a 3.5 star book, rounded down.
Lapierre states in the introduction that the contents are all real, but the names are all changed. The place names, the peoples names, professions etc all appear to be different, and as such it is recognised as a novel.
The quick version - Father Stephan Kovalski a Polish priest travels to Calcutta, India to live among the poorest people, and help raise them up. In parallel, a man brings his family to Calcutta from West Bengal, having lost his family lands to loan sharks. Hasari Pal, and his family take up residence on a footpath, and they struggle for survival until eventually he is helped into a job as a rickshaw puller, and eventually takes a place in the City Of Joy - the name given to the slum in this book. Midway through the book an American doctor, Max Loeb, arrives to join Kovalski, setting up a small dispensary. Lepers, the mafia, corruption, festival, a wedding, eunuchs, mother Teresa, the bureaucracy Indian government departments, the hardships of obtaining drinking water, the lack of sanitation, all feature heavily. These are, or course, the realities of slum life in India, and many other countries.
Lapierre lived for two years in the slum to record the experiences for this book, but he doesn't feature within the narrative.
For me the story was uplifting and showed the best of humanity, but more interesting for me was the descriptive writing of life in the slums. The impermanence, the hardships, the disparity between those with and those without (everything or anything).
I have a soft spot for books like these, set in the poorest areas of India - more commonly they deal with Mumbai, this one is Kolkata. They always contain story lines of morality despite poverty; selflessness from those who can least afford it; compassion and community spirit.
3.5 stars, rounded down.
July 17, 2007
This book inspired by true story. To write this book, Dominique Lappier had to live in slum area in Calcutta, India for about two years. So that this slum area became the setting of the book.
The book told about the story of epic in a place called Anand Nagar or City of Joy. For Brother Stephan - a priest from Poland - came to this place made him to a suprise. He had to live in such filtry condition: a few water to share, bad sanition, etc. But, here, Stephan found the light of God that he seeked for. All the people in Anand Nagar, eventhough lived in very poor condition, they care on another. Brother Stephan learned much things from the people in Anand Nagar. Here, people in all religion (Hindu, Budha, Moeslem, and Christian) lived in a high tolerance.
For Hasari Pal, leaving his home in Bihar, Bengal was not what he wanted. The fall short of harvest, made him to sell his cow: Rani and left his home to Calcutta for better living. Then, he found that Calcutta was harder than in Bihar. He made his children became beggar, and Hasari himself had to sell his blood. They all lived in the street. By the help of a friend, Ram, Hasari became an pedicab driver. From the money he collected, Hasari could afford him and his family to move to Anand Nagar. Until one day, Hasari found himself was affected by TBC - many poor people like Hasari suffered from this illness, including his best friend, Ram - But Hasari still have one obligue, to find his eldest daughter a husband. But, finding a good husband meant expensive dowry. To complete the dowry, Hasari had to sell his (dead) body for medical purposes. Hasari died at the day his daughter wedding.
Besides Hasari Pal and Brother Stephan, there were so many heroes in this book such as Marx, a doctor from America, Mother Sabia, etc.
This book has been filmed in 1985 and starred by Patrick Swayze and Om Puri as Hasari.
For me, this book enlighted me. I learned how to more appreciate to other people and any of living things.
The book told about the story of epic in a place called Anand Nagar or City of Joy. For Brother Stephan - a priest from Poland - came to this place made him to a suprise. He had to live in such filtry condition: a few water to share, bad sanition, etc. But, here, Stephan found the light of God that he seeked for. All the people in Anand Nagar, eventhough lived in very poor condition, they care on another. Brother Stephan learned much things from the people in Anand Nagar. Here, people in all religion (Hindu, Budha, Moeslem, and Christian) lived in a high tolerance.
For Hasari Pal, leaving his home in Bihar, Bengal was not what he wanted. The fall short of harvest, made him to sell his cow: Rani and left his home to Calcutta for better living. Then, he found that Calcutta was harder than in Bihar. He made his children became beggar, and Hasari himself had to sell his blood. They all lived in the street. By the help of a friend, Ram, Hasari became an pedicab driver. From the money he collected, Hasari could afford him and his family to move to Anand Nagar. Until one day, Hasari found himself was affected by TBC - many poor people like Hasari suffered from this illness, including his best friend, Ram - But Hasari still have one obligue, to find his eldest daughter a husband. But, finding a good husband meant expensive dowry. To complete the dowry, Hasari had to sell his (dead) body for medical purposes. Hasari died at the day his daughter wedding.
Besides Hasari Pal and Brother Stephan, there were so many heroes in this book such as Marx, a doctor from America, Mother Sabia, etc.
This book has been filmed in 1985 and starred by Patrick Swayze and Om Puri as Hasari.
For me, this book enlighted me. I learned how to more appreciate to other people and any of living things.
February 10, 2008
This was one of the most amazing books I read; it changed my life! What sticks out in my mind to this day was reading about the poor giving the very last of their food to another who was even more poor and had less.
I finished this book in the Denver International airport between flights and cried my eyes out! Such a beautiful book, I recomend everyone to read it!
I finished this book in the Denver International airport between flights and cried my eyes out! Such a beautiful book, I recomend everyone to read it!
December 13, 2014
It is one of the most amazing books one has ever come across. The pathos of chaos couldn't have been better described. The book does not celebrate poverty but the author paints an incredible picture of the denizens of this city of Joy : "The poorer they were, the more eager they were to give ". He goes to describe "the miracle of these concentration camps" where "the accumulation of disastrous elements were counter balanced by other factors that allowed their inhabitants not merely to remain fully human but even to transcend their condition and become models of humanity "
He takes a dig at the bureaucracy while narrating his brush with the custom authorities calling the customs office as "classic shrine to bureaucracy "
What the city of Calcutta offers to the famished immigrant is " faint hope of finding some crumbs to allow them to survive until the next day"
The book has an interesting end: the poorest finding hope in the perceived empowerment in the nuclear tests. Ironical.
A must read for those that want to connect with the harsh ground realities that get outlined through some touching and poignant stories.
He takes a dig at the bureaucracy while narrating his brush with the custom authorities calling the customs office as "classic shrine to bureaucracy "
What the city of Calcutta offers to the famished immigrant is " faint hope of finding some crumbs to allow them to survive until the next day"
The book has an interesting end: the poorest finding hope in the perceived empowerment in the nuclear tests. Ironical.
A must read for those that want to connect with the harsh ground realities that get outlined through some touching and poignant stories.
May 21, 2019
Un romanzo che ho letto due volte, a distanza di dieci anni l'una dall'altra. Una storia che continua a.conquistarmi, a farmi riflettere, a suscitare quelle domande che, Secondo il mio personale criterio, rendono un libro un buon libro: Un immortale, insomma. C'è una lezione straordinaria che trapela da ogni pagina, una luce che trascende la miseria descritta e che lascia intravedere quel frammento di coraggio capace di scorgere il buono anche nel dramma, quel sorriso che sa reinventare il futuro, la sola forza che resta a ognuno di noi: La speranza.
January 5, 2017
An excellent book on a Calcutta ( Kolkata) slum named Ananda Nagar. Many people believe The City of Joy refers to Kolkata but in this book , The City of Joy is just an Enligh transliteration of the slum Ananda Nagar.
December 13, 2022
Picked this as it was voted as Book of the Month in Nov '22 by Indian Readers.
Loved the beauty of human bonding and compassion in harsh times.
I could feel the pangs of pain and suffering. Hence could not read more than a few pages together.
The plot deals with the extortion of human body in the worst possible way. The stuff people are forced to do in order to make a living for their poor families.
The initial blood donation part by the protagonist Hasri (a rickshaw puller) was shattering. Only I didn’t know then that it was just the tip of the iceberg.
Corruption, landlord mafia, fetus donation, dead bones trade, life of eunuchs, tuberculosis, leprosy, casteism, draught… it has horrific themes! All of this based on facts and reality! Grotesque!
Silver linings among these dark clouds were characters of the Priest Kovalski, and the Doctor Max - who changed the lives of so many people around them (including themselves!)
This book is pretty impactful. Has life changing potential.
Highly recommended!
P.S: The author left for his heavenly abode couple of weeks back. You will live forever Sir via your good deeds and books!
Loved the beauty of human bonding and compassion in harsh times.
I could feel the pangs of pain and suffering. Hence could not read more than a few pages together.
The plot deals with the extortion of human body in the worst possible way. The stuff people are forced to do in order to make a living for their poor families.
The initial blood donation part by the protagonist Hasri (a rickshaw puller) was shattering. Only I didn’t know then that it was just the tip of the iceberg.
Corruption, landlord mafia, fetus donation, dead bones trade, life of eunuchs, tuberculosis, leprosy, casteism, draught… it has horrific themes! All of this based on facts and reality! Grotesque!
Silver linings among these dark clouds were characters of the Priest Kovalski, and the Doctor Max - who changed the lives of so many people around them (including themselves!)
This book is pretty impactful. Has life changing potential.
Highly recommended!
P.S: The author left for his heavenly abode couple of weeks back. You will live forever Sir via your good deeds and books!
January 11, 2015
The person who lent me this book was not someone I consider a close friend. When I gave it back to her she asked me if I "enjoyed" it. Without thinking, I responded, "It's not the kind of book you "enjoy", it's the kind of book that changes your life." She didn't get it.
It certainly changed my perspective on a lot of things. Yes, it is a novel, but it's based on the author's experiences with Calcutta's poorest. For some odd reason, it made me very aware of just how dependent we are in the West on electricity--and how we take it for granted. You plug stuff in, it works. You don't worry about it. But when the current isn't there, due to storm or breakdown or not paying the bill on time, nothing in the First World works anymore. Refrigeration. Computers. All that technology which has taken over our lives. Professionals now depend on their little electronic (electric) friends for absolutely everything. All that microsurgery etc. that they can do now--without electricity to run the computers and the lasers and the special technotools--impossible. And many of today's professionals don't learn alternate ways to do things, so they're helpless if there's no "juice" in the outlets.
The family's story is more powerful because it is not unique. Untold millions, though they may not be rickshaw men, live on a knife's edge every single day. The story of "blood donors"--and of where many natural-bone skeletons actually come from--shook me to my core. And I don't use those words lightly.
I later listened to M. La Pierre speak of his experiences in India, and though his manner in real life was a taste pompous, I put it down to being a gent of a certain age and cultural background--and perhaps discomfort at being interviewed live on TV.
If you read this book, do so mindfully. Step back from emotional "oh isn't that terrible" and focus on the fact that this is reality for hundreds of thousands of people every day, in our "modern" world.
Don't read it at all if you aren't going to let it touch you.
It certainly changed my perspective on a lot of things. Yes, it is a novel, but it's based on the author's experiences with Calcutta's poorest. For some odd reason, it made me very aware of just how dependent we are in the West on electricity--and how we take it for granted. You plug stuff in, it works. You don't worry about it. But when the current isn't there, due to storm or breakdown or not paying the bill on time, nothing in the First World works anymore. Refrigeration. Computers. All that technology which has taken over our lives. Professionals now depend on their little electronic (electric) friends for absolutely everything. All that microsurgery etc. that they can do now--without electricity to run the computers and the lasers and the special technotools--impossible. And many of today's professionals don't learn alternate ways to do things, so they're helpless if there's no "juice" in the outlets.
The family's story is more powerful because it is not unique. Untold millions, though they may not be rickshaw men, live on a knife's edge every single day. The story of "blood donors"--and of where many natural-bone skeletons actually come from--shook me to my core. And I don't use those words lightly.
I later listened to M. La Pierre speak of his experiences in India, and though his manner in real life was a taste pompous, I put it down to being a gent of a certain age and cultural background--and perhaps discomfort at being interviewed live on TV.
If you read this book, do so mindfully. Step back from emotional "oh isn't that terrible" and focus on the fact that this is reality for hundreds of thousands of people every day, in our "modern" world.
Don't read it at all if you aren't going to let it touch you.
April 11, 2023
I wrote a most recent review. I was really disappointed in the second reading
October 27, 2018
Era il miracolo della Città della gioia, dove la vita sembrava sempre più forte della morte.
Un bellissimo tuffo in India, un libro stupendo che richiede una lettura lenta, nonostante abbia uno stile semplice e fluido. Dovrebbe essere letto nelle scuole, tantissimi spunti di riflessione e grandi insegnamenti, tra i tanti: dare il giusto valore alle cose ed alla vita stessa, nutrire sempre la speranza, condividere. A toccarti è proprio la condivisione tra i poveri delle bidonville, che applicano in pieno il proverbio indiano "Tutto ciò che non viene donato va perduto".
Devo dire che questo libro sconvolge decisamente la graduatoria delle nostre necessità.
Un bellissimo tuffo in India, un libro stupendo che richiede una lettura lenta, nonostante abbia uno stile semplice e fluido. Dovrebbe essere letto nelle scuole, tantissimi spunti di riflessione e grandi insegnamenti, tra i tanti: dare il giusto valore alle cose ed alla vita stessa, nutrire sempre la speranza, condividere. A toccarti è proprio la condivisione tra i poveri delle bidonville, che applicano in pieno il proverbio indiano "Tutto ciò che non viene donato va perduto".
Devo dire che questo libro sconvolge decisamente la graduatoria delle nostre necessità.
July 21, 2020
When I read this book about 5 years ago, I couldn't finish it because of all those tragic events.
Even now, I'm still shocked reading this. The thing that terrified me most was the company buying and selling human bones.
And the cyclone that happened in this book reminds me so much of Nagis Cyclone that happened in my country, Myanmar in 2008.
Even now, I'm still shocked reading this. The thing that terrified me most was the company buying and selling human bones.
And the cyclone that happened in this book reminds me so much of Nagis Cyclone that happened in my country, Myanmar in 2008.
March 20, 2020
Non so in che termini parlarne. Ogni cosa che mi viene in mente è troppo banale da dire. Niente è abbastanza per descrivere La Città della Gioia. Ogni parola che potrei dire sarebbe superficiale.
Sono solo dell'idea che questo sia uno di quei libri DELLA VITA, uno di quelli che vanno letti almeno una volta, che si sia persone appassionate dei temi trattati oppure no. Certamente l'effetto che fa è diverso a seconda di ciascuno di noi. Una cosa però è certa: è e rimane una lettura forte e impegnativa, non tanto per lo stile quanto piuttosto per i temi, per chiunque, dai più stoici ai più deboli di cuore. Nulla è lasciato al caso e tutto è riportato nei minimi dettagli più accurati. Le immagini descritte sono molto evocative e anche se non si è mai vista Calcutta, a tratti sembra proprio di averci vissuto da una vita, e diventano familiari anche le vie. Questa capacità evocativa viene riproposta anche con le scene più crude (che non mancano). La consapevolezza che la storia sia tratta da una vera, rende ancora più vivi e veritieri i personaggi, e con loro anche le loro azioni. Dire che è coinvolgente non è abbastanza (anche se non nego che ci vuole un po' di tempo per entrare davvero nella storia). Con Hasari e Paul Lambert (i due personaggi la cui storia viene seguita più a lungo di quella di altri) ho percorso le vie di Calcutta e quelle di Anand Nagar (se possono essere chiamate vie), con loro sono sopravvissuta a monsoni, e giornate calde. Ho corso a fianco dei risciò e dentro e fuori dalle varie casupole dello slum in aiuto dei più disgraziati. Ho conosciuto un'infinità di divinità del pantheon indiano e assieme agli indù le ho venerate, così come ho seguito le preghiere a Dio di Paul, e quelle a tutti gli altri dei degli altri personaggi, dei che a Calcutta, e in particolare nello slum, convivono in piena pace e solidarietà, che un po' ci manca in Occidente ai giorni nostri, e che non ho potuto fare a meno di apprezzare.
La voglia di emulare l'esempio dei grandi uomini di queste pagine e di diventare coraggiosi un quarto di quello che sono stati loro, è grande e scommetto che coinvolge chiunque legga questo libro e provi a comprenderne il senso almeno un po'.
Ultimo, ma non meno importante, anche la voglia che vi assalirà di prendere il primo aereo diretto in India per vedere con i vostri occhi tale realtà, non sarà da meno né trascurabile, e penso questo sia uno dei tanti punti di forza del libro. Un buon libro sa fare questo, e oggi in pochissimi ci riescono. è un libro senza eguali. Unico.
Questo è tutto ciò che mi sento di dire in suo favore. Da un lato non è abbastanza, perché questo libro meriterebbe molto di più, ma dall'altra è anche troppo, nel senso che è un libro che non ha bisogno di presentazioni. Si presenta da sé tra le sue varie pagine. Ogni parola in più è di troppo. Leggetelo.
Sono solo dell'idea che questo sia uno di quei libri DELLA VITA, uno di quelli che vanno letti almeno una volta, che si sia persone appassionate dei temi trattati oppure no. Certamente l'effetto che fa è diverso a seconda di ciascuno di noi. Una cosa però è certa: è e rimane una lettura forte e impegnativa, non tanto per lo stile quanto piuttosto per i temi, per chiunque, dai più stoici ai più deboli di cuore. Nulla è lasciato al caso e tutto è riportato nei minimi dettagli più accurati. Le immagini descritte sono molto evocative e anche se non si è mai vista Calcutta, a tratti sembra proprio di averci vissuto da una vita, e diventano familiari anche le vie. Questa capacità evocativa viene riproposta anche con le scene più crude (che non mancano). La consapevolezza che la storia sia tratta da una vera, rende ancora più vivi e veritieri i personaggi, e con loro anche le loro azioni. Dire che è coinvolgente non è abbastanza (anche se non nego che ci vuole un po' di tempo per entrare davvero nella storia). Con Hasari e Paul Lambert (i due personaggi la cui storia viene seguita più a lungo di quella di altri) ho percorso le vie di Calcutta e quelle di Anand Nagar (se possono essere chiamate vie), con loro sono sopravvissuta a monsoni, e giornate calde. Ho corso a fianco dei risciò e dentro e fuori dalle varie casupole dello slum in aiuto dei più disgraziati. Ho conosciuto un'infinità di divinità del pantheon indiano e assieme agli indù le ho venerate, così come ho seguito le preghiere a Dio di Paul, e quelle a tutti gli altri dei degli altri personaggi, dei che a Calcutta, e in particolare nello slum, convivono in piena pace e solidarietà, che un po' ci manca in Occidente ai giorni nostri, e che non ho potuto fare a meno di apprezzare.
La voglia di emulare l'esempio dei grandi uomini di queste pagine e di diventare coraggiosi un quarto di quello che sono stati loro, è grande e scommetto che coinvolge chiunque legga questo libro e provi a comprenderne il senso almeno un po'.
Ultimo, ma non meno importante, anche la voglia che vi assalirà di prendere il primo aereo diretto in India per vedere con i vostri occhi tale realtà, non sarà da meno né trascurabile, e penso questo sia uno dei tanti punti di forza del libro. Un buon libro sa fare questo, e oggi in pochissimi ci riescono. è un libro senza eguali. Unico.
Questo è tutto ciò che mi sento di dire in suo favore. Da un lato non è abbastanza, perché questo libro meriterebbe molto di più, ma dall'altra è anche troppo, nel senso che è un libro che non ha bisogno di presentazioni. Si presenta da sé tra le sue varie pagine. Ogni parola in più è di troppo. Leggetelo.
July 3, 2024
4.5
"Questo popolo di flagellati, di umiliati, di affamati, di oppressi è davvero indistruttibile. La passione per la vita, la capacità di speranza, la volontà di rimanere in piedi lo farebbero trionfare su tutte le maledizioni del suo Karma."
Storie straordinarie e strazianti, in una Calcutta talmente disumana e dilaniata da malattie e povertà che è quasi un controsenso leggerla al contempo cosi piena di vita, di speranza, di spontanea solidarietà tra tutti i suoi macilenti abitanti.
Alcune scene sono state raccapriccianti in modo impensabile ma lo sconforto di simili situazioni, spesso troppo quotidiane per quella popolazione così in balia della Natura inclemente e dispotica, non ha mai avuto la meglio sulla bontà e la carità di quegli stessi poveri diavoli, dotati di una ricchezza interiore assoluta, invidiabile e lontanissima da quella occidentale.
Una lezione di vita cruda e spietata, scritta con semplicità e cuore aperto.
Assolutamente da leggere, da comprendere e ricordare come monito per le nostre piccole lamentele di tutti i giorni.
"Questo popolo di flagellati, di umiliati, di affamati, di oppressi è davvero indistruttibile. La passione per la vita, la capacità di speranza, la volontà di rimanere in piedi lo farebbero trionfare su tutte le maledizioni del suo Karma."
Storie straordinarie e strazianti, in una Calcutta talmente disumana e dilaniata da malattie e povertà che è quasi un controsenso leggerla al contempo cosi piena di vita, di speranza, di spontanea solidarietà tra tutti i suoi macilenti abitanti.
Alcune scene sono state raccapriccianti in modo impensabile ma lo sconforto di simili situazioni, spesso troppo quotidiane per quella popolazione così in balia della Natura inclemente e dispotica, non ha mai avuto la meglio sulla bontà e la carità di quegli stessi poveri diavoli, dotati di una ricchezza interiore assoluta, invidiabile e lontanissima da quella occidentale.
Una lezione di vita cruda e spietata, scritta con semplicità e cuore aperto.
Assolutamente da leggere, da comprendere e ricordare come monito per le nostre piccole lamentele di tutti i giorni.
January 7, 2013
I haven't read such a beautiful book in recent times. Not that the writing is all that good, but the content and the real stories of struggle,pain and the spirit to life that strives even in the worst of conditions makes you wonder about the sheer mental strength it takes to be one among the original "City of Joy".
Though the setting is quite similar to largely explored themes in Indian movies and books by now, the sheer intensity of involvement of the main characters with the many heroes of the slum as well as the way each small detail is portrayed makes you feel each pang of pain that goes through the lives of these men and women destined to live a wretched life in the slums of the first major city of India.
The author has taken pains to bring forth the logical reasons behind the stale and wretched state of these lives,while exploring the practical steps required to solve the problem by its roots. He also brings forth the stories of extreme care and love that is prevalent among the residents of this hellish slum,through the eye of a European. It transports you to an emerging India, more than half a decade ago, where the norms of equality and riches were limited to very few quarters. People were experiencing a major shift from the lifestyle of their ancestors, and the disasters brought about by the ruthless climate of the region coupled with the inability of the Government to handle disasters of such scales completely threw the lives of millions out of track.
Such as it is, the author has also sprinkled in quite a lot of amusing incidents that provoke an involuntary smile in the reader's face amidst all the dashing images of people unfortunate enough to never breath some fresh air, or think of a clutter free, clean life. With their water polluted,bodies diseased,rights denied and brutally kept on the run by the urban machinery, death was sometimes more welcoming than the suffering. But the amount of life and hope displayed by the characters in this story is unbelievable. And remember that this is no fiction.
This book is undoubtedly a masterpiece, not just of its time, but for ever, because it spreads the story and message that religions all over the world have failed to do. Love,kindness,hope and the willingness to strive for life. The way many a priests find their true God among the poor and suffering, this book reminds its readers that whatever men have been searching for all the centuries has always been within them. They just had to start acting on it. Just go and read it. I wouldn't want to write anymore about it than chew on its contents.
Though the setting is quite similar to largely explored themes in Indian movies and books by now, the sheer intensity of involvement of the main characters with the many heroes of the slum as well as the way each small detail is portrayed makes you feel each pang of pain that goes through the lives of these men and women destined to live a wretched life in the slums of the first major city of India.
The author has taken pains to bring forth the logical reasons behind the stale and wretched state of these lives,while exploring the practical steps required to solve the problem by its roots. He also brings forth the stories of extreme care and love that is prevalent among the residents of this hellish slum,through the eye of a European. It transports you to an emerging India, more than half a decade ago, where the norms of equality and riches were limited to very few quarters. People were experiencing a major shift from the lifestyle of their ancestors, and the disasters brought about by the ruthless climate of the region coupled with the inability of the Government to handle disasters of such scales completely threw the lives of millions out of track.
Such as it is, the author has also sprinkled in quite a lot of amusing incidents that provoke an involuntary smile in the reader's face amidst all the dashing images of people unfortunate enough to never breath some fresh air, or think of a clutter free, clean life. With their water polluted,bodies diseased,rights denied and brutally kept on the run by the urban machinery, death was sometimes more welcoming than the suffering. But the amount of life and hope displayed by the characters in this story is unbelievable. And remember that this is no fiction.
This book is undoubtedly a masterpiece, not just of its time, but for ever, because it spreads the story and message that religions all over the world have failed to do. Love,kindness,hope and the willingness to strive for life. The way many a priests find their true God among the poor and suffering, this book reminds its readers that whatever men have been searching for all the centuries has always been within them. They just had to start acting on it. Just go and read it. I wouldn't want to write anymore about it than chew on its contents.
January 4, 2016
Comprato quasi per caso, l'ho visto gironzolando in libreria e mi ha incuriosito.
Ho letto di persone che vendono il sangue per mangiare e vendono le proprie ossa (dopo la morte) per pagare la dote della figlia. Ho letto di persone che fanno la fila per ore per andare in bagno e lavarsi con mezzo litro di acqua...quando va bene. Ho letto di persone annegate in un tombino dopo un monsone. Ho letto di persone morte di fatica mentre trascinavano un risciò con cui a stento guadagnavano da mangiare per sé e la propria famiglia. Ho letto di persone che non avevano niente e nonostante questo essere più ottimiste di me che ho "tutto". Ho letto di persone senza nulla ma in pace con se stesse, felici e con una grandissima capacità di donarsi ed amare.
Molto probabilmente il mio stile di vita non cambierà gran che, però sarebbe già un grosso passo avanti se riuscissi a dare anche solo un po' più di amore a coloro che ho intorno, un sorriso al momento giusto, un favore quando mi viene chiesto...
Questo libro è come un mattone sul cuore, ma dovrebbe essere letto, riletto e fatto leggere.
Ho letto di persone che vendono il sangue per mangiare e vendono le proprie ossa (dopo la morte) per pagare la dote della figlia. Ho letto di persone che fanno la fila per ore per andare in bagno e lavarsi con mezzo litro di acqua...quando va bene. Ho letto di persone annegate in un tombino dopo un monsone. Ho letto di persone morte di fatica mentre trascinavano un risciò con cui a stento guadagnavano da mangiare per sé e la propria famiglia. Ho letto di persone che non avevano niente e nonostante questo essere più ottimiste di me che ho "tutto". Ho letto di persone senza nulla ma in pace con se stesse, felici e con una grandissima capacità di donarsi ed amare.
Molto probabilmente il mio stile di vita non cambierà gran che, però sarebbe già un grosso passo avanti se riuscissi a dare anche solo un po' più di amore a coloro che ho intorno, un sorriso al momento giusto, un favore quando mi viene chiesto...
Questo libro è come un mattone sul cuore, ma dovrebbe essere letto, riletto e fatto leggere.
March 10, 2008
probably my favorite book ever. I read it in 1999 whilst i was in India, and perhaps the fact that i was there made the scenes more vivid and real for me. Its an amazing depiction of how joy love and kindness can exist in povery, squalor and hardship.
June 1, 2017
Me ha parecido la marca blanca de Shantaram de Gregory David Roberts, que es un relato magnífico. No he podido dejar de hacer comparaciones entre uno y otro constamente y qué pena, oye. Y tanto religioneo, ufff, no lo podía soportar. La verdad es que podía haber ahorrado esta lectura perfectamente.
July 23, 2016
Poverty-and-disease porn. Horrible horrible white-supremacist book.
August 15, 2024
Es el único libro que al terminar me ha dejado con la piel de gallina. Absolutamente recomendable, es una lectura que te conmueve de principio a fin.
Qué esencial es conocer esta historia, que es un simple ejemplo como cualquier otro del mundo que nos rodea. Y yo pensaba haber visto muchas cosas en mis viajes a Latinoamérica... qué poco sabemos y qué poco queremos saber. Y cuánto necesitamos saber...
Qué esencial es conocer esta historia, que es un simple ejemplo como cualquier otro del mundo que nos rodea. Y yo pensaba haber visto muchas cosas en mis viajes a Latinoamérica... qué poco sabemos y qué poco queremos saber. Y cuánto necesitamos saber...
February 5, 2018
فقر و فلاکت در هندوستان بر هیچ کس پوشیده نیست ولی این کتاب ابعاد دیگری از این فاجعه انسانی را به نمایش می گذارد
July 4, 2019
Un libro maravilloso, lleno de esperanza ❤️📕
March 14, 2025
Bellissimo romanzo: drammatico, coinvolgente, un'esperienza indimenticabile... se si ha la forza d'animo di giungere alla fine, superando un viaggio fra inimmaginabili miserie urbane!!!
October 18, 2016
Buku yang mengusik hati sampai lama sekali setelah selesai dibaca. Sampai sekarang mau membaca ulang pun rasanya sangat berat.
Penderitaan adalah salah satu hal tak terelakkan dalam kehidupan manusia. Tetapi ketika manusia didorong sampai batasnya oleh penderitaan dan tetap bisa menemukan kebahagiaan, mungkin (imo) mereka adalah manusia paripurna yang sesungguhnya.
Penderitaan adalah salah satu hal tak terelakkan dalam kehidupan manusia. Tetapi ketika manusia didorong sampai batasnya oleh penderitaan dan tetap bisa menemukan kebahagiaan, mungkin (imo) mereka adalah manusia paripurna yang sesungguhnya.
May 14, 2016
Kolkata is the one place in India that I travel to often. One of the places I actually want to go to college to.
To say this book changed my life is too much of an understatement. This book warms my heart as much as it breaks my heart.
My dad is Indian but he's not from mainland India, so he belongs to 'Tribal India'. We stay in a small city which was popularly known in the old days (and until now) as "Scotland of the East" due to the fact that the weather is pretty pleasant here as compared to other parts of India. Why I'm adding this, is to shamefully share that though I am half Indian I have no idea whatsoever about the life of the greater population of India- the farmers, the poor, the peasants.
When I was in Kolkata as a kid with my parents, more than once the ignorant thought crossed my mind when I saw homeless people on the streets, "Why do they even come and live in the city anyway when they can easily farm in the countryside?" Sure, I knew about the droughts and famine that hits India time and again, but doesn't the government provide enough irrigation and other relief supplies? Well the answer is No.
This book primarily follows the story of the oldest son in a family who is forced to leave his ancestral, drought ridden village, in search of a better job in the city of Calcutta. He takes along with him his wife and children. The author takes us along in the protagonist's search for any job that comes his way, as well as any means he can get to provide for his family. Sacrificing himself along the way.
Then we follow a Polish priest who comes to live in the City of Joy. He lives among the poorest and the shunned, learning their ways and trying to let them accept him.
The story includes the community of the leprous, who are secluded in one part of the slum area. It includes a woman who is desperate for money to feed her kids- desperate enough to sacrifice one on the way. It includes a society that comes to love the 'white man' living among them as one of their own. It includes the complicated intricacies of the old Hindu marriage. It includes people, people like you and me.
It is only when I read this book that it hit me- they too have a story, they too have dreams, hopes and aspirations for the future.
it is only after I read this book that I realized how much harder life is for them. No, they're not happy to beg and send their children out to look for scraps, they have no choice.
It is only when I read this book that my eyes were opened about how twisted and complicated the system really is. How it isn't as simple as it looks. Just how wretched our society is. And yet, in the midst of all this twisted, wretched and complicated system- that you can still find peace, hope, satisfaction, happiness and most importantly: Joy, in the smallest things of life.
To say this book changed my life is too much of an understatement. This book warms my heart as much as it breaks my heart.
My dad is Indian but he's not from mainland India, so he belongs to 'Tribal India'. We stay in a small city which was popularly known in the old days (and until now) as "Scotland of the East" due to the fact that the weather is pretty pleasant here as compared to other parts of India. Why I'm adding this, is to shamefully share that though I am half Indian I have no idea whatsoever about the life of the greater population of India- the farmers, the poor, the peasants.
When I was in Kolkata as a kid with my parents, more than once the ignorant thought crossed my mind when I saw homeless people on the streets, "Why do they even come and live in the city anyway when they can easily farm in the countryside?" Sure, I knew about the droughts and famine that hits India time and again, but doesn't the government provide enough irrigation and other relief supplies? Well the answer is No.
This book primarily follows the story of the oldest son in a family who is forced to leave his ancestral, drought ridden village, in search of a better job in the city of Calcutta. He takes along with him his wife and children. The author takes us along in the protagonist's search for any job that comes his way, as well as any means he can get to provide for his family. Sacrificing himself along the way.
Then we follow a Polish priest who comes to live in the City of Joy. He lives among the poorest and the shunned, learning their ways and trying to let them accept him.
The story includes the community of the leprous, who are secluded in one part of the slum area. It includes a woman who is desperate for money to feed her kids- desperate enough to sacrifice one on the way. It includes a society that comes to love the 'white man' living among them as one of their own. It includes the complicated intricacies of the old Hindu marriage. It includes people, people like you and me.
It is only when I read this book that it hit me- they too have a story, they too have dreams, hopes and aspirations for the future.
it is only after I read this book that I realized how much harder life is for them. No, they're not happy to beg and send their children out to look for scraps, they have no choice.
It is only when I read this book that my eyes were opened about how twisted and complicated the system really is. How it isn't as simple as it looks. Just how wretched our society is. And yet, in the midst of all this twisted, wretched and complicated system- that you can still find peace, hope, satisfaction, happiness and most importantly: Joy, in the smallest things of life.
February 13, 2009
I am not sure how to start in my review for this book. As a read it was written in a style that keeps you engaged. Alternating most chapters back and forth between two story lines allows you to become involved with the current and still be expectant about the coming chapter. Eventually both of these stories weave into one. Having just recently been to India I found the details to be accurate and he paints a viable image so you can see the story as you read it.
From a social standpoint, I was repeatedly overcome with such compassion and hurt for these people only to be touched and filled with joy that there are people like Brother Stephan and others who care so much about what is important in life and that is people. Reading how those with less than nothing give to others inspires me and reaffirms my hope in all of us. This book was as moving of a story as I have ever read. If all of the bad news of the world has disheartened you, read this book. There is nothing like love to lift you.
From a social standpoint, I was repeatedly overcome with such compassion and hurt for these people only to be touched and filled with joy that there are people like Brother Stephan and others who care so much about what is important in life and that is people. Reading how those with less than nothing give to others inspires me and reaffirms my hope in all of us. This book was as moving of a story as I have ever read. If all of the bad news of the world has disheartened you, read this book. There is nothing like love to lift you.
August 20, 2021
Fu uno dei primi libri che lessi da adulta e stiamo parlando di oltre 35 anni fa, probabilmente lo lessi subito dopo la sua uscita, nel 1985 e ne ho sempre conservato un bel ricordo.
Torno a dargli il massimo dei voti perche non si può restare indifferenti a questa narrazione. Non c'è capitolo che ti da tregua, ogni capitolo racconta di miseria, di povertà, di stenti, di malattie ma vi posso garantire che dal niente nasce comunque sempre un sorriso, un reciproco aiuto, un'infinita solidarietà. Sicuramente un libro datato per certi versi, ma per altri attualissimo, visto quanto sta succedendo in Afghanistan. È stata una lettura che ha saputo emozionarmi e toccarmi molto; recuperate questo libro!
Torno a dargli il massimo dei voti perche non si può restare indifferenti a questa narrazione. Non c'è capitolo che ti da tregua, ogni capitolo racconta di miseria, di povertà, di stenti, di malattie ma vi posso garantire che dal niente nasce comunque sempre un sorriso, un reciproco aiuto, un'infinita solidarietà. Sicuramente un libro datato per certi versi, ma per altri attualissimo, visto quanto sta succedendo in Afghanistan. È stata una lettura che ha saputo emozionarmi e toccarmi molto; recuperate questo libro!
December 24, 2007
Ok, so I know they made some movie based on this book with Patrick Swayze, but that is irrelevant. This book tells the story of life in India and the struggles of a family forced to leave their country home and migrate to the crowded city of Calcutta if I remember correctly. I'm pretty sure that it is not a true story, but based on real events-maybe it's historical fiction. Anyway, I thought it was great.
January 18, 2022
Basado en la Calcuta de los 80, describe las condiciones y el estilo de vida de los habitantes de un slum (barrio de chavolas) llamado la Ciudad de la Alegría.
Está narrado de una forma muy descriptiva pero lejos de hacerlo pesado o aburrido, Dominique Lapierre consigue trasladarnos a dónde quiera, un corralillo de leprosos, una taberna hindú, una mezquita árabe o a un ritual de iniciación de los hijras (una casta de eunucos transgénero). La miseria es una realidad que se presenta con rigurosidad durante toda la obra pero lejos de despersonalizar a los miserables, a través del Padre Lambert el escritor nos hace introducirnos en sus vidas, empatizar con ellos y conocer también sus fiestas, rituales, alegrías e historias personales; esto último es lo que más me ha gustado del libro porque me ha hecho conectar con esas personas con sentimientos más allá de la pena: me he alegrado con la alegría de los leprosos, he sentido coraje y desconfianza pero después asombro, comprensión y ternura con los hijras, he admirado por sus peripecias al niño trapero que portaba un mono a su hombro, me he conmovido con el alma pura de Bandona, me he enfadado y perdonado con el mafioso del slum, me he emocionado con Teresa de Calcuta y a he sentido mucho respeto por la fuerza de Hasari Pal.
Por supuesto me he hartado de llorar porque cada vez que abría el libro me transportaba a Bengala, y ser testigo de tantas experiencias conmovedoras es muy emocionante.
Es un libro que recomiendo 100% porque creo que sirve de guía para una reflexión sobre la pobreza que ayuda a entenderla mejor y a dignificar a las personas que la viven, no para idealizarla sino para evitar estigmatizar tanto a quienes están en esas condiciones.
Está narrado de una forma muy descriptiva pero lejos de hacerlo pesado o aburrido, Dominique Lapierre consigue trasladarnos a dónde quiera, un corralillo de leprosos, una taberna hindú, una mezquita árabe o a un ritual de iniciación de los hijras (una casta de eunucos transgénero). La miseria es una realidad que se presenta con rigurosidad durante toda la obra pero lejos de despersonalizar a los miserables, a través del Padre Lambert el escritor nos hace introducirnos en sus vidas, empatizar con ellos y conocer también sus fiestas, rituales, alegrías e historias personales; esto último es lo que más me ha gustado del libro porque me ha hecho conectar con esas personas con sentimientos más allá de la pena: me he alegrado con la alegría de los leprosos, he sentido coraje y desconfianza pero después asombro, comprensión y ternura con los hijras, he admirado por sus peripecias al niño trapero que portaba un mono a su hombro, me he conmovido con el alma pura de Bandona, me he enfadado y perdonado con el mafioso del slum, me he emocionado con Teresa de Calcuta y a he sentido mucho respeto por la fuerza de Hasari Pal.
Por supuesto me he hartado de llorar porque cada vez que abría el libro me transportaba a Bengala, y ser testigo de tantas experiencias conmovedoras es muy emocionante.
Es un libro que recomiendo 100% porque creo que sirve de guía para una reflexión sobre la pobreza que ayuda a entenderla mejor y a dignificar a las personas que la viven, no para idealizarla sino para evitar estigmatizar tanto a quienes están en esas condiciones.
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