“When Indians sleep, they really do sleep. Neither adults nor children have a regular bed-time -- when they're tired they just drop, fully clothed, on to their beds, or the ground if they have no beds, and don't stir again until the next day begins. All one hears is occasionally someone crying out in their sleep, or a dog -- maybe a jackal -- baying at the moon. I lie awake for hours: with happiness, actually. I have never known such a sense of communion. Lying like this under the open sky there is a feeling of being immersed in space -- though not in empty space, for there are all these people sleeping all around me, the whole town and I am part of it. How different from my often very lonely room in London with only my walls to look at and my books to read.”
Quote by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Work
Heat and Dust is a novel that delves into the complex relationship between two women, set against the backdrop of colonial India and the changing landscape of 20th-century England. The story weaves through multiple timelines, offering a rich tapestry of historical and personal events. more
Author
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala was an Indian-born British author renowned for her novels and screenwriting. Born on May 7, 1927, in Calcutta, India, she passed away on April 3, 2013. Jhabvala's writing frequently explored the intricacies of Indian society and the lives of Indian women. more
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