A book about rural India today

In this charming open-air library, I came across a novel by Perumal Murugan, a Tamil writer and professor of Tamil literature, sometimes controversial because he’s accused of advocating too strongly for women’s rights. It’s a harsh novel about love and caste. The love between Kumaresan and Saroja in today’s rural India. The title: *The Pyre*

Perumal Murugan, whose first (?) work One Part Woman has just been translated and published...

This short novel tells the story of Kali and Ponna, married for 12 years, still in love, but unable to conceive a child. Pressure from families, Ponna’s despair... the story weaves between raw considerations and impressive ceremonies. By invoking a specific ritual, the book sparked outrage among fundamentalists. The writer was accused of having offended the sensibilities of certain communities (history is an eternal recurrence), which led to his symbolic death.

I found the reading a bit challenging. You might need a deep understanding of Indian society and the roles of different deities to grasp the subtleties of the story and appreciate its depth.

I’m going to try The Pyre...

One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan, published by Gallimard