Book Review: In The Tusk That Did The Damage

Book: In The Tusk That Did The Damage

Author: Tania James

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 240

Price: Rs 499

In The Tusk That Did the Damage, her second novel, Tania James journeys into the heart of a complex subject: the nature of human-elephant conflict. The idea is unusual, not unlike the structure which alternates the voices of three characters. One of them is a documentary filmmaker, another, a poacher's brother and the third, an elephant named Gravedigger that tramples human beings to death and gently buries them.

The work is a convergence of subplots, which include poaching, conservation, corruption, and the shocking death of a character which few would expect. Poignant and intriguing, it derives its luminosity from James's ability to weave the interlinked narrations — and episodes — effortlessly.

Much of the novel's depth originates from James' extensive research in Kerala, the state her family comes from. "My family is from Kottayam, and we used to visit every few years, but we never ventured beyond our hometown," she says.

In 2011-2012, when she was in Delhi on a Fulbright fellowship, she made several research trips to Wayanad and Periyar. She says she had "never been to those regions of Kerala, so the mountains and forests of Wayanad, the religious diversity, the presence of tribal populations — all this was completely new".

James's research in India constitutes the core of her novel. But then, apart from Wayanad and Periyar, she went that extra yard and spent time at the Kaziranga Wildlife Park in Assam where she followed Abhijit Bhawal, a veterinary doctor. "He told me incredible stories about the animals he had rescued, including one about a tiger stuck in a well. He had to go down the well by himself, tranquilise the tiger, and pull her out! His adventures deserve a book unto themselves," she says.

One has heard about writers for whom a novel is the consequence of a moment, a sudden spark that gives birth to a story and takes it forward. But James isn't one of them. "Novels never strike me suddenly," she says.

"They require a long incubation period in which to slowly acquire striking situations and questions worth exploring over a few years of writing."

The use of three narrators isn't common, and yet, James chose that path. The author's explanation has a lyrical grace that is apparent in her writings, "I like novels that cycle through a chorus of voices — the way they can play off one another and show alternate versions of the same event, investigating reality from several sides, which is useful when dealing with such a thorny issue as human-elephant conflict."

James has studied documentary filmmaking at Harvard, and, interestingly, one of her main characters does the kind of assignments she might have been doing today. Why did she move to fiction? "I've always liked playing with language and constructing stories from the ground up." She adds, "As a documentary filmmaker, you have to work within the limits of your footage, which can be an exciting creative challenge. But in my early twenties, I felt more comfortable in the realm of writing fiction and more able to take risks."

After having created a character like Gravedigger, does she understand the elephant a little better today? Or, does it remain as mysterious as ever? She replies, "I do understand the Asian elephant much better in terms of its physicality and emotional complexity. I understand where certain kinds of violence come from. Of course, there will always be gaps in our understanding of animal minds. So, I maintain a level of respectful ignorance."