Godden's style is unique and very effective. Short, almost tag, phrases are used to characterize subtle points of character. Krishnan is always referred to as "blue black" — echoing the blue color of the mythological God. And Godden's vivid scenarios create the lush, opulent countryside of Southern India, both its nature and its people.

The mass scenes from Krishnan's campaign are particularly effective since they are relayed not as direct experiences, but through the technique of using a narrator with only a limited understanding, the fussy, frantic Dr.

Gooswami, almost a caricature of the Indian civil servant. There is a feeling of unreality in the ancient grove on the coast where Mary spends a night with Krishnan, washing an elephant. Everywhere in the novel, reality is not far removed from the mystical, but reality is not a separate entity, the two merge easily and seamlessly.

As in Godden's...