{"product_id":"2026200007117-secondhand-the-vice-consul","title":"The Vice-Consul","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good                          \u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good                  \u003cbr\u003eMarkings: No markings\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn The Vice-Consul, Marguerite Duras crafts a haunting, atmospheric meditation on colonial malaise, displacement, and the crushing weight of suppressed desire. Set against the sweltering, enigmatic backdrop of 1960s Calcutta, the narrative weaves together the fractured lives of the French diplomatic elite and a wandering, destitute Cambodian beggar woman. At the center of this tension is the disgraced Vice-Consul of Lahore, a man whose profound isolation and erratic outbursts mirror the decay of the colonial order surrounding him, creating a pervasive sense of dread that remains one of Duras’s most unforgettable achievements.\n\nDuras’s prose is characteristically sparse and syncopated, stripping away traditional sentimentality to expose the raw, existential anxieties of her characters. By juxtaposing the opulence of the ambassador’s residence with the squalor of the streets, she masterfully critiques the moral blindness of expatriate society. This novel stands as a pivotal work in Duras’s \"India Cycle,\" celebrated for its experimental structure and its unflinching look at the intersections of power, madness, and solitude. It is an essential addition for any collection of 20th-century French literature or postcolonial fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48887881400539,"sku":"2026200007117-SECONDHAND","price":20.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/9ce92233-a33a-42ae-b2fa-89f51c67b867.png?v=1781747664","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200007117-secondhand-the-vice-consul","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}