Archive · 21 Aug 2026
A Reader Reconsiders Jeet Thayil Through The Elsewhereans
The writer once read Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil but did not understand or enjoy it.
Years later, the writer met Thayil and remembered that he was also a poet.
The writer then found his book The Elsewhereans in a library.
This book tells the story of Thayil’s parents, Ammu and George.
They met in Kochi in 1957 and moved between many cities and countries.
The writer found this family story easier to follow than Narcopolis.
They also admired Thayil’s beautiful sentences and sense of humour.
The essay says that one difficult book should not stop someone from trying another book by the same author.
In the end, the writer became a fan of The Elsewhereans.
The writer initially found Jeet Thayil’s Booker-nominated novel Narcopolis difficult to understand.
After meeting Thayil at a literature festival, the writer picked up The Elsewhereans to reassess his work.
The Elsewhereans portrays Thayil’s parents, Ammu and T J S George, and their highly mobile family life.
The writer praises Thayil’s sentences, humour, and ability to find beauty in ordinary observations.
The essay argues that readers should not reject an author based on a single book they dislike.
- Who
- Jeet Thayil and the essay’s writer, who reflects on reading Thayil’s work; the book also focuses on Thayil’s parents, Ammu and T J S George.
- What
- A personal literary reflection about moving from dislike of Narcopolis to appreciation of The Elsewhereans.
- When
- Thayil’s parents met in 1957; the writer read The Elsewhereans several months after meeting Thayil at a summer literature festival.
- Where
- The parents met in Kochi, while the essay also describes their life across multiple cities, states, countries, and continents.
- Why
- The writer wanted to reconsider Thayil after finding Narcopolis difficult and discovered that The Elsewhereans resonated more strongly.
- Writer discussed
- Jeet Thayil
- Earlier book
- Narcopolis, a Booker-nominated novel
- Later book
- The Elsewhereans
- Parents featured
- Ammu and T J S George
- Parents’ first meeting
- Kochi, 1957
- Central realization
- Disliking one book does not necessarily mean rejecting its author
- Essay format
- A personal reflection on books and writing