Cover of Snake Charmer

Book 1999

Snake Charmer

4.01 2 readers shelved it

Publisher
Penguin (Non-Classics)
Language
English
Published
1999
  • Fiction
  • Snake charmers
  • New York Times reviewed
  • Fiction, general

The Snake Charmer tells the story of Sonalal, middle-aged and unloved by his rapacious wife and disrespectful sons. He is indisputably the best snake charmer in all of India, for he has elevated his trade to a delicate art. One evening, while charming his beloved snake, Raju, Sonalal produces a music so extraordinary that he feels touched by the gods. But in a moment that will change his life forever, his rapture turns to rage, and Sonalal destroys the one creature who loves him.

Consumed by a despair so great that it threatens his very being - not to mention his masculinity - Sonalal embarks on an Odyssean journey in pursuit of redemption.