“Em and the big Hoom” by Jerry Pinto

One of the craziest books I have read till date is “Em and the Big Hoom” by Jerry Pinto. Even before proceeding, I suggest you skip this article and go in blind into the book. The read is absolutely rewarding. Please check the trigger warning beforehand.

Trigger Warnings: Depression, Mental Health, Suicide

If you still want to read , here we go.

Em is the mother. Big Hoom is the father. The book title was intriguing enough to make me pick it up along with its purple cover. And, just as the cover suggests, the story is chaotic.

The story follows the life of Em told from the pov of her son. It starts with yet another episode where she attempts suicide and follows up with his parents backgrounds, how they eventually met and got married, how the kids were born, and how Em’s “mania” was yet another family member, always to be ignored and never to be acknowledged.

Em is suffering from bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder and Pinto highlights how it is to live with a mental health patient, the stressors in the lives of the family members and how they used to manage never to leave Em alone, even as children while their father was working.

I have not researched into the factual relationship of the book with the author. However, the story feels raw, authentic, incisive with the social commentary, delves into one of the most sensitive experiences a child can have and yet, it is humorous and would have you chuckling at the spirit of all the characters. Pinto provides a unique perspective into post-independence India and its challenges.

Pinto lays out the complexity of Em’s brain for his readers. She is unhinged and unfiltered. Her unlimited consumption of tea marks her uplifted spirits and end of her manic episodes. Her chain of thoughts unravels into the most circuitous threads often revealing a brilliant insight at the end, often ending up hurting the children or husband. At no point in the book is any member lamenting on the great tragedy of their life, the acceptance is visible in every single word spoken by each of them.

I took almost a month to finish the book, not because it is boring or slow, it offers a lot to the reader and I took it slow not to overwhelm myself. At times, it does get difficult but not hard. The book is factual without any embellishments when speaking about the depressive episodes or the suicide attempts, it downplays the incidents for the benefit of the reader without breaking the flow.

Pinto’s amazing mastery on the language is a treat to read and visiting Bombay in the 80’s feels refreshing. This is my first Pinto. I am definitely picking up his other books.