| Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti | |
| Author: | Radha Rajagopal Sloss |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Subject: | Autobiography |
| Published: | May 1991 by Bloomsbury Publishing (1st edition) |
| Media Type: | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages: | 335 |
| Isbn: | 978-0-747-50720-8 |
is memoir by Radha Rajagopal Sloss It chronicles aspects of the long, intimate, and ultimately contentious relationship of the author's family with the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. Originally published five years after his death, the book's descriptions of facets of Krishnamurti's life generated a degree of controversy.
The author's father Rajagopalacharya Desikacharya (commonly D. Rajagopal, 19001993),[1] and mother Rosalind Rajagopal (19031996), were friends and associates of Jiddu Krishnamurti (18951986) for four decades; throughout this time they lived in close proximity with him in Ojai, California. While growing up, the author viewed the unconventional Indian philosopher, whom she affectionately called, as a member of her family. Eventually, the personal and business relationships of her parents and Krishnamurti soured permanently. The acrimony culminated in drawn-out legal actions that were fully settled only after Krishnamurti's death.[2]
Radha Rajagopal Sloss covers aspects of these relationships in some detail, but the book is best known for describing facets of Krishnamurti's private life, especially his long-term extramarital affair with the author's mother. Additionally, the book contains statements about Krishnamurti's character (and certain of his actions) that have generated controversy.
Rajagopal Sloss stated the following regarding the work:
The book was originally published in by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom. A US edition was published by Addison-Wesley in In Rajagopal Sloss re-released the work through iUniverse, a US self-publishing company
.
The book has been favorably reviewed by Tim Heald in The Times (London),[3] Patricia Beer (London Review of Books),[4] and Firdaus Kanga in the Times Literary Supplement (London).[5] Rajagopal Sloss was interviewed about the book upon publication by Helen Tworkov, for magazine; the article incorporates a generally sympathetic review of the work.[6]
The revelations regarding the extramarital affair were met with surprise and consternation by Krishnamurti adherents,[7] [8] and generated a measure of adverse publicity. A Krishnamurti biographer wrote that "history will not view Krishnamurti in quite the same light", yet the same author considered the long-term impact of the revelations doubtful.[9] [10]
Several statements about Krishnamurti present in the work have been characterized as controversial, and provoked rebuttal publications by Krishnamurti associates and affiliated institutions.[11] [12] An independent source has described the book as "deliberately iconoclastic".[13]