Book review | Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life: An Italian job
This story charts the spiritual journey of Lorenzo who, as the title states, is on a quest to find the meaning of life. The author says in his opening note, “This is a true story. That is to say, like many true stories, it is a work of fiction. It is based, though, on the life of Fabrizio Senesi, a good friend of mine.” The book, then, can be viewed through a dual prism, as both fiction and non-fiction.
It’s a different book from the author’s previous ones, which were India-centric. Not so this one. Here, the story spans continents. In tone and topic too, it is unlike what he has written before. Perhaps, it signals a new phase in his prolific ouvre. The astute observation combined with droll wit that characterised his brilliant debut novel English August, and the others that followed, are very much present in this tale, too.
Nineteen-year-old Lorenzo Senesi of Aquilina in Italy has an accident while driving his Vespa. An enforced month of convalescence has him pondering on the course of his life. He then enrols for a course of physiotherapy, unaware of how it will help him later. He is also part of a prayer group, and after a few trial periods of staying at the Praglia Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, decides to join it.
Lorenzo’s 10 years in Praglia mark the first important phase of his life. The author describes, in detail, the life of ora et labora, which defines the everyday life of a Benedictine monk. The ora being the prayers—seven communal ones—that the day is divided into. The labora alludes to the manual work that the monks have to toil at—from gardening and doing the laundry to working in the vineyards owned by the monastery. There is the banality that comes from following a fixed routine every day, but one also gets the sense of peace that prevails in living an austere life.
The reader is privy to the fact that Lorenzo is soon going to join the Praglia Abbey. His family is not.
A child who joins a religious order is, in a sense, lost to the family. It comes through when Lorenzo’s father says, “The chosen, from one perspective, are simply, from another, lost.” This is pretty much how Lorenzo’s life pans out. There is a distance, both physical and mental. And, though there is sorrow where his family is concerned, that seems to be the trade-off in choosing a life of a higher spiritual purpose.
One may not fully understand what moves Lorenzo to take the decisions he does. What is clear is his commitment to a course of action once he has embarked on it. The narrative moves at a faster pace in the later parts of Lorenzo’s life. This could also be because much happens to him when he decides to leave Praglia. There is a brief stopover in London to learn English. From there, he proceeds to join a fledgling Benedictine monastery all the way in Khulna, Bangladesh. He then moves to an NGO in Rishilpi. And, there is another unexpected move he makes at the end—the monk becomes a layman again; a life lived in reverse, as it were.
The parts set in Khulna are full of local flavour and keen observation. Lorenzo is far from being painted as a white saviour here. His foibles are gently brought to light. The author’s discerning eye for those that people a small place is displayed. There is a host of characters and a gentle gaze is turned on them and their quirks. His trademark acerbic wit is woven through the book. There are parts that make you laugh out loud, while others make you chuckle. The reader can easily picture it all, whether it is Lorenzo’s spartan room at Praglia or the lush green and wet environment at Khulna.
There is a sense of serenity, grace and simplicity that one encounters in this story. The narrative contains Biblical metaphors, poetical allusions and much else. Some lines, like those of the Italian writer and mystic, Carlo Corretto, are most illuminating.
The author’s prose makes Lorenzo’s journey revelatory, to both him and the reader.
A quote by Dostoyevsky in the story seems apt: “A monastic is not a special sort of person. He is simply what every person ought to be.”
Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life
By: Upamanyu Chatterjee
Publisher: Speaking Tiger
Pages: 318
Price: Rs 699