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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
3.5/4 stars, but it just feels so forgettable I gave it 3 stars.
Some parts of the book were amazing - existential questioning, the journey of Acharya, the foil of Putta with Acharya, and the ending.
Some parts were OK - the supporting characters were fun to read about but were underdeveloped, the women were especially flat and one-dimensional, and the one who wasn't was chased out of the book.
Some parts were not good - The flow of the book was stuttered. Some parts felt unnecessary and difficult to get through.
Some parts of the book were amazing - existential questioning, the journey of Acharya, the foil of Putta with Acharya, and the ending.
Some parts were OK - the supporting characters were fun to read about but were underdeveloped, the women were especially flat and one-dimensional, and the one who wasn't was chased out of the book.
Some parts were not good - The flow of the book was stuttered. Some parts felt unnecessary and difficult to get through.
This book had value, though it wasn't an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. A large cast (and castes) of characters, a strong narrator and narrative arc, lots of questions, not many answers. Reads more like philosophy than fiction, written out more as an idea than as a story. Regardless, you'll learn something about brahmin sects and tradition.
"I must tell him: Only the form we forge for ourselves in our inmost will is ours without question."
I started to read this book with a perception of mere anti-brahminical story set in early 20th century. By the end, I did seem to realize the allegorical value of characters, background which critically challenge discriminating ideology and staunch orthodoxy alike. Very powerful writing, providing depth in characters by talking on topics of taboo- caste, religion, purity and pollution perception, sexuality are what made me like this book.
In the afterword of the translated work, the author says " He ( the translator) tried to write English like English man." I am left to wonder, if there were more takeaways in the novel's kannada version. Phenomenal Read
I started to read this book with a perception of mere anti-brahminical story set in early 20th century. By the end, I did seem to realize the allegorical value of characters, background which critically challenge discriminating ideology and staunch orthodoxy alike. Very powerful writing, providing depth in characters by talking on topics of taboo- caste, religion, purity and pollution perception, sexuality are what made me like this book.
In the afterword of the translated work, the author says " He ( the translator) tried to write English like English man." I am left to wonder, if there were more takeaways in the novel's kannada version. Phenomenal Read
It was difficult to tease out the nuances in something so culturally unfamiliar. The supplementary notes helped a lot and I think I might have done better if I'd read them before the text itself.
One should read this for the seminal work it is. Having grown-up in a conservative family I can understand and like the way author presented the rigidity of the principles. Where do people draw the line? Orthodoxy vs modernity, would show up in unimagined places in such households strangling free thought and voice. For a book that came in 1976 this is very bold and relevant even now. I can hardly imagine anyone of my parents generation, from my household and relatives, being able to read this book without cringing at every line.
If you're someone struggling to come to terms with matters like culture and modernity because of your upbringing, read this. This book won't answer your questions, but helps you question better. Any book that can make you stop and think should be celebrated, and this is one such book.
As someone who has great respect for the work of A.K. Ramanujan, particularly his Folktales from India and his essays, I felt this translation was a letdown. Maybe that's because he was from a generation that measured the success of translation by measuring the 'exactness'. I need to elaborate here. A.K. Ramanujan ji is a great academic and it's not really my place to comment on his work. But his greatest strength was also the greatest weakness. He strives to be exact and in doing so the text becomes pedagogic. It's almost like he chose that over the flow of narrative. For example at one place where he has to refer to Bhasmasura he does so by calling him Ash-Demon. This is but one example. The result is a narrative that's detailed albeit very choppy. Although I'm still grateful for the glossary.
A must read.
If you're someone struggling to come to terms with matters like culture and modernity because of your upbringing, read this. This book won't answer your questions, but helps you question better. Any book that can make you stop and think should be celebrated, and this is one such book.
As someone who has great respect for the work of A.K. Ramanujan, particularly his Folktales from India and his essays, I felt this translation was a letdown. Maybe that's because he was from a generation that measured the success of translation by measuring the 'exactness'. I need to elaborate here. A.K. Ramanujan ji is a great academic and it's not really my place to comment on his work. But his greatest strength was also the greatest weakness. He strives to be exact and in doing so the text becomes pedagogic. It's almost like he chose that over the flow of narrative. For example at one place where he has to refer to Bhasmasura he does so by calling him Ash-Demon. This is but one example. The result is a narrative that's detailed albeit very choppy. Although I'm still grateful for the glossary.
A must read.
Good messages and discussions on caste, purity, and personal responsibility, (except perhaps when it came to women), but I didn't really enjoy the reading experience.