The River: A Virago Modern Classic - Softcover

Godden, Rumer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0349017557 ISBN 13: 9780349017556

Publisher: Virago, 2025

Synopsis

By the bestselling author of Black Narcissus and The Greengage Summer

'The River will make you laugh, make you cry and, in its way, change you forever' JULIE MYERSON

'Her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES

'Bold, beautiful . . . everyone's appetites will be satisfied' ELLE

The River is Rumer Godden's beautiful tribute to India and childhood, made into a film by Jean Renoir. And in a preface for this novel she explains how the classic tale came to be written.

Harriet is caught between two worlds: her older sister is no longer a playmate, her brother is still a little boy. And the comforting rhythm of her Indian childhood - the sounds of the jute factory, the colourful festivals that accompany each season and the eternal ebb and flow of the river on its journey to the Bay of Bengal - is about to be shattered by a tragic event.

Intense, vivid, and with a dark undertow, The River is a poignant portrait of the loss of a young girl's innocence.

About this title

About the Author

Rumer Godden (1907-1998) was the acclaimed author of over sixty works of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Born in England, she and her siblings grew up in Narayanganj, India, and she later spent many years living in Kolkata and Kashmir. Several of her novels were made into films, including Black Narcissus, The Greengage Summer and The River, which was filmed by Jean Renoir. She was appointed OBE in 1993.

From the Back Cover

INTRODUCED BY ANITA DESAI

The day was gone. However they might lie awake and cry or ache, they could not claim it back again. Who was it who had said you could not stop days or rivers?

Harriet is caught between two worlds. Her older sister is no longer a playmate, her brother is still a little boy. And the comforting rhythm of her childhood in India - the sounds of the jute factory, the colourful festivals that accompany each season and the eternal ebb and flow of the Ganges river on its journey to the Bay of Bengal - is about to be shattered by a tragic event. Vivid, bittersweet, and with a dark undertow, The River is a poignant portrait of a girl teetering on the edge of knowledge.

'The River will make you laugh, make you cry and, in its way, change you forever' JULIE MYERSON

'Her prose is pure, delicate, and gently witty' NEW YORK TIMES

'A small masterpiece, a near perfect account of how childhood has to come to an end and the serpent must enter the garden' SPECTATOR

Edition details

• Publisher: Virago
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0349017557
• ISBN 13: 9780349017556
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192