rohini_murugan's review
3.0
A lot of things to complain about. While also a lot of things to marvel about.
The story was in no way captivating to keep us on our toes or to want us to turn the next page. But, I think half of the narration would have been lost to translation, as I could clearly see wide gaps between the intended phrase in Tamil, which lost its lustre when translated to English. The translation could have been way better, and that sure lost some golden points to the book. I think the way the story was taken forward, could have been better. A lot of characters are introduced haywire, all of a sudden, without the reader's expectation and most importantly, amidst a serious ongoing drama. I had to pull myself back from skipping all such parallel storylines at times. The worst part is, that those parallel storylines, rarely add any flesh or point to the main story.
Now to the good things. The characters. The main characters, Lakshmi and Anandhayi. The two women protagonists and the male antagonist. I fell in love with both women, though they are almost opposite in their individual personalities. I liked how every character had a history that added depth to their actions and thoughts. Most importantly, the books helped paint a picture of what it means to be a woman in a stratum of society that differs in class and privilege. It also helped me realise how the feminism that we talk about and preach is far removed from the daily happenings of the lives of such women. Simultaneously also, how such feministic ideals also arise in the minds of women but it is only with privilege that, those have the opportunity to see the light.
The story was in no way captivating to keep us on our toes or to want us to turn the next page. But, I think half of the narration would have been lost to translation, as I could clearly see wide gaps between the intended phrase in Tamil, which lost its lustre when translated to English. The translation could have been way better, and that sure lost some golden points to the book. I think the way the story was taken forward, could have been better. A lot of characters are introduced haywire, all of a sudden, without the reader's expectation and most importantly, amidst a serious ongoing drama. I had to pull myself back from skipping all such parallel storylines at times. The worst part is, that those parallel storylines, rarely add any flesh or point to the main story.
Now to the good things. The characters. The main characters, Lakshmi and Anandhayi. The two women protagonists and the male antagonist. I fell in love with both women, though they are almost opposite in their individual personalities. I liked how every character had a history that added depth to their actions and thoughts. Most importantly, the books helped paint a picture of what it means to be a woman in a stratum of society that differs in class and privilege. It also helped me realise how the feminism that we talk about and preach is far removed from the daily happenings of the lives of such women. Simultaneously also, how such feministic ideals also arise in the minds of women but it is only with privilege that, those have the opportunity to see the light.
raji_c's review
4.0
There is no overt statement in P Sivakami’s book. It depicts rural Tamil Nadu without the veneer that Hindi and Tamil cinema often apply to rural settings. The first female Tamil Dalit novelist, P Sivakami is a former IAS officer. Her observations of the life and rhythms of rural Tamil Nadu are real and stark.
The book features three generations of women, Anandhayi, her mother-in-law, and her daughters. There is also an almost overwhelming cast of other characters whose lives intermingle with that of Anandhayi and her family. The commonality in their lives seems to be unceasing violence, physical and emotional, inflicted by men. The men and their behaviour also pits the women against each other.
And this is a cycle that keeps repeating itself. One of the most poignant images of this is that at the beginning of the book, we see Anandhayi’s mother-in-law occupying the thinnai and by the end of the book, her largely immobile and physically degenerating space on the thinnai is taken by Anandhayi.
I am not a fan of the translation. Some bits were too literal in my opinion and the resulting awkwardness did make certain passages a little tedious. However, overall, I think, the mood of the book has been captured.
I now want to read Sivakami’s first book, which she herself translated. It would make for an interesting comparison, I think.
The book features three generations of women, Anandhayi, her mother-in-law, and her daughters. There is also an almost overwhelming cast of other characters whose lives intermingle with that of Anandhayi and her family. The commonality in their lives seems to be unceasing violence, physical and emotional, inflicted by men. The men and their behaviour also pits the women against each other.
And this is a cycle that keeps repeating itself. One of the most poignant images of this is that at the beginning of the book, we see Anandhayi’s mother-in-law occupying the thinnai and by the end of the book, her largely immobile and physically degenerating space on the thinnai is taken by Anandhayi.
I am not a fan of the translation. Some bits were too literal in my opinion and the resulting awkwardness did make certain passages a little tedious. However, overall, I think, the mood of the book has been captured.
I now want to read Sivakami’s first book, which she herself translated. It would make for an interesting comparison, I think.
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