A tender yet haunting portrayal of fractured relationships and unfulfilled lives.
Still Lives by Reshma Ruia
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Fiction
My Rating: 4/5
“Unhappiness prowls through the rooms like an uninvited guest.”
As I delved into Still Lives by Reshma Ruia, I found myself drawn into a world where the characters lives—PK Malik, his wife Geeta, and their son Amar—are soaked in melancholia and a deep-seated longing. Set in the industrial city of Manchester, far from their roots in India, this is a family caught in the middle of midlife. Their lives, though seemingly normal, unravel tragically over the course of the novel.
From the very beginning, a sense of intense yearning grips the narrative. There’s a deep, almost painful desire among the characters to belong: to a place, to the people they love, and to the lives they once imagined for themselves.
PK Malik, the protagonist, left Bombay years ago in search of a brighter future, hoping to escape the traditional ways of his father and make his mark in the world. But at fifty-five, he finds himself trapped in a faltering business and a monotonous life, with no motivation left to change course. His wife Geeta pines for the warmth and familiarity of India, struggling with the cold, grey surroundings of Manchester. Their son Amar, who is on the autism spectrum, adds another layer of complexity to this family dynamic.
One of the most striking aspects of this book is how it so accurately portrays the mental plight of expats—Indian expats, in particular—trying to find a balance between their heritage and the reality of living in a foreign land. The narrative brings to life the themes of isolation, dislocation, and the struggle for identity.
The author manages to create an atmosphere that reflects the inner emotional turmoil of her characters: a dreary, rainy Manchester that seems to mirror PK and Geeta’s waning sense of purpose and belonging. It’s almost as though they are floating through life, disconnected from both their past and their present.
Ruia’s prose is simple yet deeply resonant, capturing the quiet, often overlooked moments that define human relationships. The slow, steady unraveling of PK and Geeta’s marriage is portrayed with heartbreaking sincerity. Small conversations, easily swept under the rug, pile up over time until they create an unbridgeable chasm between the couple. What once was love has become something lifeless, and the author carefully shows us how this erosion happens gradually, unnoticed until it’s too late.
Another aspect of Still Lives that I found particularly interesting is the nuanced depiction of PK’s relationship with his son, Amar. As a child on the autism spectrum, Amar faces his own struggles, but what stands out is the emotional distance between father and son. The author has written this dynamic with sensitivity, never allowing the characters to fall into stereotypical portrayals. There is an honesty in PK’s inability to connect, just as there is an honesty in Amar’s attempts to navigate a world that often seems indifferent to him.
The affair between PK and Esther, the wife of his business competitor, isn’t borne out of lust, but out of PK’s deep sense of inadequacy and his desire to escape the monotony of his life. Rather than sensationalizing this aspect, Ruia uses it as another thread in the tapestry that defines PK’s life. It’s clear that PK is searching for something—whether it’s meaning, excitement, or a sense of power—but the affair only serves to highlight how disconnected he feels from his own life.
While the pace of the novel is slow, it works to its advantage. The author allows the characters to breathe, giving us a chance to fully understand their motivations, their flaws, and their struggles. The slow-burn nature of the narrative draws you in gradually, and before you know it, you are deeply invested in the lives of these characters. As a reader, you know a train wreck is coming, but you can’t look away.
The ending, which some readers may find shocking or unsettling, left a deep impression on me. Without giving too much away, I can say that it felt both unexpected and inevitable at the same time. The final moments of the book left an ache in my heart.
At its core, Still Lives is a novel about the human need to belong. It’s about the slow death of relationships when communication breaks down, and the crushing weight of regret when we look back on the choices we didn’t make. But it’s also about the possibility of redemption, of finding meaning in a life that feels empty. PK’s attempts to grow a mango tree in the harsh climate of Manchester is symbolic of his desire to nurture something beautiful, even in a world that feels barren.
Still Lives is a deeply moving, beautifully written book that will resonate with readers who enjoy slow-burn domestic fiction or are interested in stories about the immigrant experience.
Reshma Ruia writes with clarity, compassion, and insight into the nature of human relationships and the emotional toll of displacement. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a thoughtful, introspective read.
This book has been published by Speaking Tiger.
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