Guyanese writer releases new book, ‘The Bread of Infamy’

Aug 23, 2011 News

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By Leon Suseran

Guyanese author and poet, Basant Raj has just published his fifth book, “The Bread of Infamy”.
Mr. Raj, formerly of Ankerville, Port Mourant, and who now resides in New York, is presently in Guyana to promote his exceptional work, which he said is inspired significantly by real persons who still exist in Guyana today.

Basant Raj is no stranger to this genre of literature, as his two previous books also drew from his personal experiences of people whom he knew and places that actually exist on the Corentyne. Mr. Raj was a former teacher of Corentyne Comprehensive High School and J C Chandisingh Secondary, and lectured in English at the Cyril Potter College of Education on the Corentyne.
In his new book, the author has matured into an adroit novelist whose repertoire of style and topical content makes his work compelling. His emergence in the contemporary literary world gives ample proof of the abundance of Guyanese talent of which we all should be proud.
“The Bread of Infamy is about a man and his frailties in a world of brutal poverty. It chronicles the exploitation of the poor by politicians who use them as pawns in the chessboard of politics. It is a scorching indictment of political corruption and cronyism, and accentuates man`s insatiable urge to acquire wealth by any nefarious means possible,” Raj explained.
He continued: “It also graphically relates the tender love that exists within a humble agrarian family and the dreams of youth to excel in a world dominated by wealth and bigotry. As the narrative unfolds, readers are made to ponder the intricacies of life in a world of socio-economic turmoil.
The ethics and morality of contemporary living becomes a paradox as the characters search blindly for their utopia. Burning questions about the holy Church and its renewed edits on righteousness are juxtaposed with role of the Church in the fight for the rights of the poor in developing societies.”
Readers, he posited, will be awed by the staunch ethical values that are so dominant in the revelation of penance and the reverence for truth that pervade the lives of the poor villagers.
It is not often that we have a novel of such critical analyses of human behaviour. It warns us not to allow ourselves the liberty of complacency and sell our virtues because we live in a society that is devoid of morality; where right and wrong, good and bad, are just shadows in the astral mirror and where survival dictates the gravity of our deeds. The Bread of Infamy brings to every reader a subtle message, a renewed promise of hope in a world of turmoil and blatant corruption. It subjectively targets social prejudices and champions the cause of the poor as a right to dictate their own destinies.
Couched in a style that can be termed incisively conversational, the author has skillfully woven diction and dialogue to flow with the creativity of the characters. The volatile exchanges can definitely be appreciated for their beauty in content as well as in the logical thought processes and they make us realize the enormity of the problems within our own societies.
In this turbulent world of treachery and internecine conflicts, the portrayal of the triumph of good over evil transcends the petty differences of men. The universal message of that theme is that all is not lost in mankind`s struggle for survival.
The characters portrayed are ironically plausible and they can aptly fit in any society. The warped nature of the human psyche is dramatically revealed in the insidious aspirations of the wealthy, while the poor display an inherent propensity for suffering.
In reality, the novel paints a dynamic picture of the gross inequalities of wealth distribution and creates a sharp interplay of lifestyles and ethical values.
While reading, he said, we are thrown into a cauldron of anxieties and are made to feel the brutality of the day. We live the life of famished villagers and we eagerly yearn for their respite but as spectators, we only hope for the best because their destinies are already written in the stars.
As one reads the novel, one feels the anger and frustration rise up in the heart, and is left with the bitter taste of failure, because life is not always a tale of happiness. We feel for the characters as if they are intimate parts of our own lives, yet we are helpless to come to their rescue.
The author said that “The Bread of Infamy will remain a nostalgic treasure and anyone who is brave enough to challenge the wheels of corruption that exist in society today will find solace and inspiration in its pages”.
Basant Raj’s other works include poetry such as Songs of the Soul and Songs of Twilight, and novels, The Shadow of Dreams, and The Abyss of Bliss.

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