Reviews

Nightmarch: A Journey into India's Naxal Heartlands by Alpa Shah

elleneam's review against another edition

3.0

I found the subject matter of this book to be really interesting, but it is ruined by the author’s academic lens through which everything has to be analysed. I picked up this book (probably like most people) because I find India’s revolutionary guerrillas to be an enticing topic, and the promise of reading of a woman’s experience marching with them sounds cool. While there is some description of the guerrillas in the book, it is always given through the disapproving bourgeoise lens of the author; whether it is her shock at violence, grievances that intersectional theories aren’t incorporated within their movement, or scorn at polluting the “innocent and egalitarian” way of life of the hunter-gatherer Adivasi communities where some of the guerrillas are based. While some of her criticisms and questioning of the guerrillas is fair (such as looking at problems with being financed by racketeering, or the insistence of traditional gender roles within the movement) I feel that many others (such as the place of weapons and violence in revolutionary movements) could have been easily answered if she had looked at some Marxist literature. Why she didn’t make the effort to read basic theory of the group she was studying perplexes me. Overall, this is a fairly interesting book if you can put up with the author’s constant opinions getting in the way of the narrative.

the_tridentarii's review against another edition

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

hell_demon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

extremely well written and compelling book about an anthropologist who embedded herself within one of the longest running guerrilla groups in the world. very nuanced look at what it takes to be a revolutionary in the 21st century. as a reader you feel empathy for all of the people you meet through the author and understand the thought processes behind the hard decisions they have to make. on top of all of this, the constant anxiety and fear during the 'nightmarch' makes this a thrilling page-turner in addition to an anthropological study. the fact that the author is the only woman around during her whole journey adds another level of interest with regards to gender roles in different cultures on the indian subcontinent. highly highly recommend! 

beepbeepbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

great analysis of the Naxalite movement in India

alexandrapaul's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

I had to read this for the last anthropology class of my degree and I’m so glad. Shah’s ethnography writing style feels like a novel and it makes it really easy to read. I loved how the ethnography follows a narrative as Shah encounters various aspects of the Naxalites and Adavasi cultures along this “nightmarch” to a secret meeting. I learned a lot about Indian history and government and how the Indigenous peoples were oppressed by the state and influenced by the Naxalites. I always appreciate when an anthropologist writes from their own POV because it shows how their own positionality may influence their views and experiences. This is a fascinating and extremely well-written ethnography and I highly recommend it.