Into India

Rating:
Summary: Into India a good start
Review: For the Western reader, there is precious little that clearly explains the history, art, culture and society of India. John Keay is one of the few qualified writers filling the void about India's history and people including a piece for the Atlantic Monthly. Although one of the reviews criticizes Into India for not covering the pervasive corruption in India, I recommend that you click on the index page view of this work to get a glimpse of just how comprehensive this book is. I do like the reviewer's suggestion to read Naipaul. I would add, from the galaxy of talented writers coming out of India, Manil Suri, Arundahati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Raj Kahal, Akhil Sharma, Amit Chaudhuri, Mira Kamdar, and one of my favorites from British Vancouver, Anita Rau Badami, for those who want to understand the frustrations and fulfilments of living in India. Keay's Into India is certainly an excellent place to start and worth the space on any library shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Into India a good start
Review: For the Western reader, there is precious little that clearly explains the history, art, culture and society of India. John Keay is one of the few qualified writers filling the void about India's history and people including a piece for the Atlantic Monthly. Although one of the reviews criticizes Into India for not covering the pervasive corruption in India, I recommend that you click on the index page view of this work to get a glimpse of just how comprehensive this book is. I do like the reviewer's suggestion to read Naipaul. I would add, from the galaxy of talented writers coming out of India, Manil Suri, Arundahati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Raj Kahal, Akhil Sharma, Amit Chaudhuri, Mira Kamdar, and one of my favorites from British Vancouver, Anita Rau Badami, for those who want to understand the frustrations and fulfilments of living in India. Keay's Into India is certainly an excellent place to start and worth the space on any library shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Leaves Out Too Much of the Other India
Review: If you are looking for an introduction to India that goes deep below the surface and yet does not fill up pages - this is the book. This book is a classic and no review will do full justice to it.
The book is organized geographically and for each of those regions Keay gives us a view of the people, culture and tourist places in that order of importance.
People seem to be of most importance to Keay and perhaps rightly so. All important "types" of social groups are described along with "how" and "why" they are unique. The "types" are according to region, caste, religion or sect or a combination of these. Culture is also described vividly and contrasted well and somewhere in this history is put in to give a perspective on things.
It is a highly recommended reading among books on India in English language and tourists and students would benefit alike from it.

Rating:
Summary: An up to date book, decades old!
Review: Into India was written 30 years ago, and has not changed much in its reprintings. It's simply the best introduction you can find to India - the land, culture and people. Organized geographically, each chapter purports to describe an area such as 'North' or 'Central' India, but Keay skillfully combines local descriptions with a more general discourse. Thus a discussion of a local Jain community leads to a history of the sect. Religion, culture and history are presented in parallel, and combine to create a multidimensional view.

Rating:
Summary: An up to date book, decades old!
Review: Into India was written 30 years ago, and has not changed much in its reprintings. It's simply the best introduction you can find to India - the land, culture and people. Organized geographically, each chapter purports to describe an area such as 'North' or 'Central' India, but Keay skillfully combines local descriptions with a more general discourse. Thus a discussion of a local Jain community leads to a history of the sect. Religion, culture and history are presented in parallel, and combine to create a multidimensional view.

Rating:
Summary: Leaves Out Too Much of the Other India
Review: This is a book in praise of India and as such celebrates many of the good things that a Westerner visiting the country will enjoy - not just sights but people and attitudes. It's a pleasant read, but having been to India I wish the author had not tried so hard to exclude the other side of the country - the India that is proverbial with poverty, inept government and inefficiency - because as a vistor you are exposed to this side in spades, and I would have liked more commentary on them from an author who clearly likes the country. I felt Keay was deliberately avoiding anything that would strike the visitor as a huge problem. Take this along for "positive" side of your trip, by all means, but it won't help you much with the unpleasant, unfortunate side of the subcontinent. V.S. Naipaul's nonfiction on India was much more helpful here. There are three of them: An Area of Darkness; India - A Wounded Civilization; and India - A Million Mutinies Now. I highly recommend those as companions or correctives to Keay's book.