The plot has a promising undertone of the civil war. Although this theme has been oft repeated by writers penning in the Nepali language, it is still fresh enough to be explored in English writings. The narrator, an army Major, is strangely attracted to one prisoner. In his attempt to gather his thoughts about her, he begins his travel down the memory lane, reminiscing about his wild youth, his first love, his search for himself. The anecdotes recounted by the narrator – that of a brawl with a foreigner, of an intimate moment with a nubile maiden, of hours sent in lovelorn pursuits and time spent happily with drunk friends – will remind readers of their own foolish, tumultuous years. Major Himal grows up rapidly before our eyes, slipping into his manhood easily and with conviction. The plot is engrossing at certain points, making readers want to find out what happens next, and the climax does not leave much to complain, either. At least it is not clichéd or melodramatic, if a little abrupt.
The Major’s character is undoubtedly the best part of the novel. Here we have a narrator who does not exaggerate his virtues nor hide his virtues. Unlike other protagonists who are portrayed in an unrealistically heroic manner, Himal is quite believable. He is unapologetically racist, sexist and a chauvinist. A macho male driven only by his senses. While there can be a debate on the character’s political correctness, there can be no doubt of his authenticity. He speaks quite honestly of his shortcomings, his ignorance, and the lust he feels towards his detached wife. He is a very credible portrayal of a soldier who tries his best to fulfill his duties yet is inexplicably drawn to his own captive.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of the female characters. Both of them are like embellishments to the male. While we know nothing of Pashmina, the girl who makes a brief appearance only to flit away, the author has been kinder to Kopila, the Maoist. The author goes on to describe her past and a little bit of her thoughts. Poor Pashmina, who remains nothing more than an object of fantasy, and makes a return only to complicate matters towards the end. The best parts are still left to Himal, who flaunts his wealth and masculinity and sophistication at every possible point. The way he looks down upon Kopila, and insensitively demeans her for lack of finesse yet continues to desire her everyday is a perfect reflection of the callous character he is.
Gurung has, of course, attempted to pepper his novel with plenty of evocative and emotional scenes: the young Himal pining for his beloved, the plight of the captive Maoist, the brief descriptions of lives torn apart by the civil war. But unfortunately, none of these actually manage to fully convey the pathos they set out to. The novel’s uppity tone and pompous words make sure that the reader can never penetrate them and actually savor its essence. The message is there, yet something is missing in the medium, as with this sentence: “Kathmandu has been sizzling for months to fuel the desperation added by the senseless burgeoning of concrete jungle and choking over-crowdedness” (292). Senseless being the operative word here.
Another weakness with the novel is that it does not dwell upon anything long enough to make an impression. The setting shifts frequently and the novelist has been unable to do justice to each place the narrator travels to. What could have been a beautiful, holistic landscape of Nepal has ended up being a semi-abstract piece of art, cobbled together in hasty, heavy-handed strokes. The sole scene full of soul and beauty is the final one, where the heroine walks ahead to an unknown future with a jackal trailing her steps to lick at the blood that drips down her thighs. This poignant scene will make readers realize the true depth of the novel and wish for more revelations of the kind.
All in all, Breaking Twilight tries hard to reach out to readers through its universal theme of human suffering, longing and lifelong yearning. But it tries a little too hard. An easier style and a more colloquial feel would have done wonders with the novel and made every Nepali feel proud to read about themselves.
Title : Breaking Twilight
Genre : Novel
Author : DB Gurung
Pages : 315
Publisher : Mahaveer Publishers
Price : IRs 299
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