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The Better Man
A middle-aged bachelor, Mukundan returns to the Indian town where he was born, where he is tested and forced to confront his past. Reprint.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
39 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Anita Nair
97 books473 followersAnita Nair is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the novels The Better Man, Ladies Coupé, Mistress, Lessons in Forgetting, Idris: Keeper of the Light and Alphabet Soup for Lovers. She has also authored a crime series featuring Inspector Gowda.
Anita Nair’s other books include a collection of poems titled Malabar Mind, a collection of essays titled Goodnight & God Bless and six books for children. Anita Nair has also written two plays and the screenplay for the movie adaptation of her novel Lessons in Forgetting which was part of the Indian Panorama at IFFI 2012 and won the National Film Award in 2013. Among other awards, she was also given the Central Sahitya Akademi award and the Crossword Prize. Her books have been translated into over thirty one languages around the world. She is also the founder of the creative writing and mentorship program Anita’s Attic.
Anita Nair’s other books include a collection of poems titled Malabar Mind, a collection of essays titled Goodnight & God Bless and six books for children. Anita Nair has also written two plays and the screenplay for the movie adaptation of her novel Lessons in Forgetting which was part of the Indian Panorama at IFFI 2012 and won the National Film Award in 2013. Among other awards, she was also given the Central Sahitya Akademi award and the Crossword Prize. Her books have been translated into over thirty one languages around the world. She is also the founder of the creative writing and mentorship program Anita’s Attic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 17, 2021
Después de leer hace unos años El vagón de las mujeres de esta misma autora (que me encantó), decidí leer otra obra de la escritora india.
El argumento, basado en la amistad y el poder curativo de la misma, prometía. Además, la historia estaba ubicada en un pequeño pueblo indio, donde las costumbres y tradiciones están aún muy vivas. Pensé que iba a disfrutar una vez más de la pluma de la autora, pero lamento decir que no fue así.
Sus 352 páginas se me hicieron interminables, con una historia sin apenas acción y aburrida. Y el final, me pareció a modo de una moraleja de una historia simple. Tuve que hacer un auténtico esfuerzo para acabarlo.
El argumento, basado en la amistad y el poder curativo de la misma, prometía. Además, la historia estaba ubicada en un pequeño pueblo indio, donde las costumbres y tradiciones están aún muy vivas. Pensé que iba a disfrutar una vez más de la pluma de la autora, pero lamento decir que no fue así.
Sus 352 páginas se me hicieron interminables, con una historia sin apenas acción y aburrida. Y el final, me pareció a modo de una moraleja de una historia simple. Tuve que hacer un auténtico esfuerzo para acabarlo.
July 25, 2011
This is Anita Nair's first novel, and quite a good start. I could identify with it quite a bit, probably because of the Kerala setting, and therefore the familiarity with the kind of characters that appear in the background.
Having said that, the protagonist is quite a universal character. Mukundan, a retired government official, retires to his village and his childhood home, not by choice, but by the machinations of fate.
This is the story of how he faces the ghosts of his past, and understands that his fragile character is not equipped to deal with them. The same character which tends to fix the blame on external entities when it's not able to fulfill the desires of the present, and the aspirations of the future.
This is also the story of 'One-screw-loose' Bhasi, ostensibly a house painter, but one with the ability to heal the human mind.
The story is about human nature, its selfishness, the games that the mind plays on itself and the redemption that happens when it faces its own inabilities and conquers them.
Having said that, the protagonist is quite a universal character. Mukundan, a retired government official, retires to his village and his childhood home, not by choice, but by the machinations of fate.
This is the story of how he faces the ghosts of his past, and understands that his fragile character is not equipped to deal with them. The same character which tends to fix the blame on external entities when it's not able to fulfill the desires of the present, and the aspirations of the future.
This is also the story of 'One-screw-loose' Bhasi, ostensibly a house painter, but one with the ability to heal the human mind.
The story is about human nature, its selfishness, the games that the mind plays on itself and the redemption that happens when it faces its own inabilities and conquers them.
October 12, 2013
After ladies coupe, I picked up this book. I enjoyed watching Kerala come alive in front of me as I read the book. I could almost hear the monsoon and see the big imposing tharavadu and the paddy fields. I could feel Mukundans fear, loneliness and understand his desires.
The writer has taken a simple story of a man with numerous ghosts from his past finding himself and told it with such breathtakingly beautiful prose. The book should be read for the experience, for a feel of the place for anyone who has visited Kerala will relate to it and for the plot which is fresh and simple.
Definitely worth a read. I am giving it only three stars for the book feels a little unfinished and abrupt. As though the author decided to stop writing and start again in places. The conflicts are resolved in a hurry and that acts against the whole feel of the book.
The writer has taken a simple story of a man with numerous ghosts from his past finding himself and told it with such breathtakingly beautiful prose. The book should be read for the experience, for a feel of the place for anyone who has visited Kerala will relate to it and for the plot which is fresh and simple.
Definitely worth a read. I am giving it only three stars for the book feels a little unfinished and abrupt. As though the author decided to stop writing and start again in places. The conflicts are resolved in a hurry and that acts against the whole feel of the book.
November 6, 2019
Overall a nice book, with beautiful descriptions of village life and people. But I was not as captivated by it as I was with other books by her. It was a little slow, and I didn't feel strongly for any of the characters (contrasting against Mistress, where I could empathize with all of the four main characters).
The story is skillfully woven around psychology of Mukundan, a man who is both in awe and terror of his father - a tyrannical man who bullied him throughout his childhood, trying to make him strong as himself, but only succeeding in driving him further and further away from it. While his father holds him in contempt, Mukundan hates his father for the treatment he gave himself and his mother, but at the same time, cannot help being in awe of him seeing how he is both feared and respected by the entire village. When Mukundan is forced to return to his paternal village after retirement, he only has one objective - to prove that he is a better man than his father. But he has to contend with the ghosts of his past, as well as his father, who still seems to hold a power over him. He befriends a painter called Bhasi, who has the gift of healing minds, however he is reluctant to commit himself to this friendship completely. It takes a trap that he easily falls into, one that robs him of the happiness that has come quite late in his life, to make him actually realize his own failings, and the real strength of his father - one that comes from within. The author does not provide a quick and easy solution to his wretched feelings, but leaves him with a realization of his mistakes and attempts to redeem himself.
The character of Bhasi was rather puzzling - it is difficult to understand his devotion to the village he has adopted, and even more so to Mukundan, despite the rebuffs. Although he is a main character, his story felt incomplete.
The story is skillfully woven around psychology of Mukundan, a man who is both in awe and terror of his father - a tyrannical man who bullied him throughout his childhood, trying to make him strong as himself, but only succeeding in driving him further and further away from it. While his father holds him in contempt, Mukundan hates his father for the treatment he gave himself and his mother, but at the same time, cannot help being in awe of him seeing how he is both feared and respected by the entire village. When Mukundan is forced to return to his paternal village after retirement, he only has one objective - to prove that he is a better man than his father. But he has to contend with the ghosts of his past, as well as his father, who still seems to hold a power over him. He befriends a painter called Bhasi, who has the gift of healing minds, however he is reluctant to commit himself to this friendship completely. It takes a trap that he easily falls into, one that robs him of the happiness that has come quite late in his life, to make him actually realize his own failings, and the real strength of his father - one that comes from within. The author does not provide a quick and easy solution to his wretched feelings, but leaves him with a realization of his mistakes and attempts to redeem himself.
The character of Bhasi was rather puzzling - it is difficult to understand his devotion to the village he has adopted, and even more so to Mukundan, despite the rebuffs. Although he is a main character, his story felt incomplete.
December 8, 2011
The only aspect in this book that’s worth an applause is the cover art. But apparently there are different versions of the book cover since the book was published by many publishers. I specifically liked the one which showcases an elderly man, shielding himself from rains with a feeble umbrella, keeping his face blissfully obscure. Something in the body language of the man tells us that rain or no rain, the man would like to remain in the shadows and will not like to face anything or anyone, as long as he has a choice. Great work there, aptly suiting the protagonist’s character.
Anita Nair’s ingenious narrative skills do little to make the reader’s attention stay afloat with The Better Man. Her depiction of Kaikurussi is lovely, and the painstakingly written details about the town, the surroundings, and the general backdrop are brilliant. They bring the town alive. The characterization is another element worth mentioning, considering this book, unlike a lot of Nair’s works, has male lead characters. However, the backdrop and characters can in no way grip the readers’ minds and having a wafer-thin story line doesn’t help the cause at all. With so weak a plot, Nair deserves to be appreciated for not having given up writing the book mid-way! There are way too many side-tracks that finish even before they start and one if left feeling baffled at many points as to what they read in the last few chapters and how exactly it fits the coming chapters. May be worth a read, if you are doing a specific study on imaginary towns in Kerala.
Better to stay away from this book, unless you have a lot of time to kill and prefer book-form boredom to staying idle. :)
Anita Nair’s ingenious narrative skills do little to make the reader’s attention stay afloat with The Better Man. Her depiction of Kaikurussi is lovely, and the painstakingly written details about the town, the surroundings, and the general backdrop are brilliant. They bring the town alive. The characterization is another element worth mentioning, considering this book, unlike a lot of Nair’s works, has male lead characters. However, the backdrop and characters can in no way grip the readers’ minds and having a wafer-thin story line doesn’t help the cause at all. With so weak a plot, Nair deserves to be appreciated for not having given up writing the book mid-way! There are way too many side-tracks that finish even before they start and one if left feeling baffled at many points as to what they read in the last few chapters and how exactly it fits the coming chapters. May be worth a read, if you are doing a specific study on imaginary towns in Kerala.
Better to stay away from this book, unless you have a lot of time to kill and prefer book-form boredom to staying idle. :)
March 14, 2014
It took me a surprisingly long time to finish this book. This is my first tryst with Anita Nair and I loved the imagery created by her while describing even dreary things like the death of Bhasi's father who falls to his death while climbing a coconut tree - "For many years the tree had known the passion of his heave and thrust as he scaled it day after day.One morning , like a woman who had lost interest , it loosened itself from his embrace and carelessly thrust him away to his death." - I unconsciously ended up smiling at such lines even though the situation demanded a different emotion.
While Mukundan's character was explored in depth , I was a bit disappointed with the unravelling of Bhasi's and also failed to empathize with his love for the village . I was also quite puzzled at the bromance(one-sided?) portrayed between Mukundan and Bhasi.
Having said that , I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Ms.Nair's writing just for her flair of bringing to life the most mundane of activities through her lovely writing.
While Mukundan's character was explored in depth , I was a bit disappointed with the unravelling of Bhasi's and also failed to empathize with his love for the village . I was also quite puzzled at the bromance(one-sided?) portrayed between Mukundan and Bhasi.
Having said that , I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Ms.Nair's writing just for her flair of bringing to life the most mundane of activities through her lovely writing.
April 19, 2012
One of the best books I've read in the recent past. I was engrossed in this book from the first page and could let go of the story only by the end. This novel is much better than Ladies Coupe - the much acclaimed book by the same author. This is a slightly melancholic story of a confirmed bachelor who retires adn comes back to settle at his parental ancestral house in a small village in Kerala. He meets various persons, has many experiences, falls in love, makes mistakes, learns from those, befriends a painter who is not what he seems...
This book will surely be a pleasure to those who liked "solo", "God of small things", "inheritance of loss".
This book will surely be a pleasure to those who liked "solo", "God of small things", "inheritance of loss".
February 12, 2012
I admired the author's refusal to create a happy ending. The protagonist, Mukundan, begins the struggle to recover his life and begin to create something worthwhile under the tutelage of a village house painter, but then stumbles when faced with deeper problems in his own character. The depiction of life in an Indian village is vivid, the characters are distinct and quirky, the kind that develop in isolated places, the main characters sympathetic.
August 29, 2012
A good read. Actually started reading many months back. Took a long time to read the first 150 pages. After that, the narrative gains more pace and I finished the remaining pages rather quickly. The author has given attention to detail and carefully constructed each vital character as the story progressed. This is my first Anita Nair book.
August 24, 2015
Well written, complex but not so much so that it was hard to follow. I fealt that the characters and situations were realistic. I don't think the paranormal events were dealt with well, however I would recommend .
April 13, 2016
The Better Man is the story of Mukundan, a fifty two year old retired government employee who returns back to his village Kaikurissi in North Kerela. He is haunted by feelings of inadequacy as he tries to live up to the expectations of his harsh and domineering father and feelings of guilt about not saving his mother from the untenable position she finds herself in when his father takes up living with another woman just outside her doorstep. When he returns to his village he is befriended by one-screw loose Bhasi, an educated man who works as a house painter by day and moonlights as a herbal healer.
There is a wonderful cast of characters and the author spends some time providing some insights into many of their lives. There is the main protagonist Mukundan and his childhood amour Meenakshi, his current love Anjali, his mother and father and the old family retainer. I have often wondered what people do after “retirement”. Mukundan is only fifty two and he has already completed his life’s work and has returned back to his village and ancestral home to while away another 20 or 25 years. This is a common phenomenon in Kerela with many people going to work in the middle east, sending money back home to build large homes and then coming back in their late fifties to live alone in palatial luxury as their children have grown up and moved away. The author gives a good sense of the slow rhythm of small town / village life.
One screw loose Bhasi is another interesting character with his educated background, failed youthful romance and later marriage to a strong woman Damayanti who got widowed at a young age. What attracts him to Mukundan and why does he feel a strong sense of kinship to him is not very clear. Their friendship helps Mukundan overcome some of his neurosis around his fathers domination and mothers early death. It also provides a kind of test for Mukundan to prove his better nature.. he initially falters and chooses to abandon those who love him for the sake of being “accepted” by the village elite. However, he then changes and becomes a “better man”. Such challenges however come not just once in a persons life, but many times. Mukundan still has a long road ahead.
The authors language and prose is superb. The descriptions are evocative. Also many other nuances of village life such as caste discrimination are woven in through characters such as Kanban the harijan post office employee.
I am an avid fiction reader and am usually racing through a book to find out what happens next in the story - skipping large tracts of descriptive passages. However this was a rare book, which I enjoyed despite there not being much of a plot.. I was not terribly interested in knowing what happens next with Mukundan, but was just enjoying the feeling of being immersed in that lush, quite Kerela village.
There is a wonderful cast of characters and the author spends some time providing some insights into many of their lives. There is the main protagonist Mukundan and his childhood amour Meenakshi, his current love Anjali, his mother and father and the old family retainer. I have often wondered what people do after “retirement”. Mukundan is only fifty two and he has already completed his life’s work and has returned back to his village and ancestral home to while away another 20 or 25 years. This is a common phenomenon in Kerela with many people going to work in the middle east, sending money back home to build large homes and then coming back in their late fifties to live alone in palatial luxury as their children have grown up and moved away. The author gives a good sense of the slow rhythm of small town / village life.
One screw loose Bhasi is another interesting character with his educated background, failed youthful romance and later marriage to a strong woman Damayanti who got widowed at a young age. What attracts him to Mukundan and why does he feel a strong sense of kinship to him is not very clear. Their friendship helps Mukundan overcome some of his neurosis around his fathers domination and mothers early death. It also provides a kind of test for Mukundan to prove his better nature.. he initially falters and chooses to abandon those who love him for the sake of being “accepted” by the village elite. However, he then changes and becomes a “better man”. Such challenges however come not just once in a persons life, but many times. Mukundan still has a long road ahead.
The authors language and prose is superb. The descriptions are evocative. Also many other nuances of village life such as caste discrimination are woven in through characters such as Kanban the harijan post office employee.
I am an avid fiction reader and am usually racing through a book to find out what happens next in the story - skipping large tracts of descriptive passages. However this was a rare book, which I enjoyed despite there not being much of a plot.. I was not terribly interested in knowing what happens next with Mukundan, but was just enjoying the feeling of being immersed in that lush, quite Kerela village.
July 1, 2016
The Better Man is both magical and realistic.
The bitter truths that often mould a person, the instantaneous cures, the weaknesses, the strengths; Anita Nair has penned it all. The characters don't leave you alone. Their woes become yours, their happiness brings you cheer.
The idyllic Kaikkurussi village resembles my place of birth and hence the entire story felt like a nostalgic trip. The upstarts, the naive villagers, the aristocrats, the unhappy wives, I have seen it all. Even the minor characters come alive in the pages.
The transformation of the middle-aged Mukundan who reluctantly settles back into his ancestral home is handled expertly. The ghosts from his past haunt him. His insecurities plague him. Bhasi, the painter who is in charge of the renovation of the house rejuvenates Mukundan's life as well. Named as one-screw-loose, Bhasi embodies the wisdom of the land. He becomes Mukundan's friend and mentor.
Will Mukundan become a Better Man than his father Achuthan Nair who is feared as well as revered in the whole village, in whose shadow he has lived his entire life? The story takes you through his dilemmas and dreams.
Recommended for all those who love clever literary fiction.
The bitter truths that often mould a person, the instantaneous cures, the weaknesses, the strengths; Anita Nair has penned it all. The characters don't leave you alone. Their woes become yours, their happiness brings you cheer.
The idyllic Kaikkurussi village resembles my place of birth and hence the entire story felt like a nostalgic trip. The upstarts, the naive villagers, the aristocrats, the unhappy wives, I have seen it all. Even the minor characters come alive in the pages.
The transformation of the middle-aged Mukundan who reluctantly settles back into his ancestral home is handled expertly. The ghosts from his past haunt him. His insecurities plague him. Bhasi, the painter who is in charge of the renovation of the house rejuvenates Mukundan's life as well. Named as one-screw-loose, Bhasi embodies the wisdom of the land. He becomes Mukundan's friend and mentor.
Will Mukundan become a Better Man than his father Achuthan Nair who is feared as well as revered in the whole village, in whose shadow he has lived his entire life? The story takes you through his dilemmas and dreams.
Recommended for all those who love clever literary fiction.
June 1, 2013
I liked it !
As this story is written in rural background of Kerala which is very familiar,hence it is very close to the heart.This story describes life of a retired government employee who returned to his native village after a long time(around 30 yrs) .The protagonist also happens to be a bachelor.This story describes the problems,anxieties of a retired lonely man and how he handle it.It also shows value of friendship and love and how it guide to happiness.
I will rate this 3.5/5
July 26, 2015
What a beautiful work of literature. The story was magnificent, all characters were believable and fully developed and the writing was pure. Every thread woven throughout the novel became a tapestry of human reflection and insight- hard truths learned. What a journey about the discovery of self and through finding yourself finding the human fragility of all those around you.
Took my breath away. It's that good. Read it.
Took my breath away. It's that good. Read it.
May 11, 2017
This was a good summer break read, especially because I was in Kerala and I could picture the setting that is described so well. I feel as if the book had a promising start, but the ending didn't quite measure up. The characters are overwhelmingly male and all well sketched with their own idiosyncrasies - yet there seems to be many too many well described characters to justify the plot.
I would recommend her later books rather than this one to someone who was just starting to read her work.
I would recommend her later books rather than this one to someone who was just starting to read her work.
April 17, 2016
A book about a man whom past and childhood blocked his capability of being an independent grown man. A story on how abuse can make people being weak and willing for approval, even by sacrificing the ones they love. Anita Nair writing style is charming, yet sometimes I felt lost by her switching the characters in some chapters as this change is not immediately perceived.
September 2, 2016
Took a good amount of time , for completing this book.
The plot of the story is quite simple and nothing out of the world, but the one thing that I really liked about the book is the author's way of writing. Those beautiful words and picture perfect descriptions, and a sense and thoughtfulness in every characters' mind.
A nice read, with a little bit of a stretchy feel.
The plot of the story is quite simple and nothing out of the world, but the one thing that I really liked about the book is the author's way of writing. Those beautiful words and picture perfect descriptions, and a sense and thoughtfulness in every characters' mind.
A nice read, with a little bit of a stretchy feel.
February 21, 2013
A meldoramatic book - the stoy revolves around a 60 year old bachelor trying to fight th demons of his childhood. What I loved thou is the characterization in the book... Bought each character alive amazingly well! The alst few chapters thou I thot was a litt rushed thru...
January 7, 2016
Engaging story of a man who retires and returns to his home village and family home. Here memories of his mother and his early friendships, and the aging and death of his father make him rethink his life and his relationships with other people. The south Indian setting is richly described.
September 30, 2008
It got more interesting as it went on...but was missing something. The plot and characters seemed a bit forced somehow. Kind of a neat insight into village dynamics though.
Read
August 26, 2009the start of the book was a little confusing but later it was ok.
September 14, 2012
Very sophasticated and elegantly written book
March 6, 2013
One of the best novels I've ever read.The plot is interesting and it is superbly written.The author has a great deal to say about the poetry and the meaning of life.
October 29, 2013
Not bad for a read.....entertaining enough.
February 8, 2014
story set in a typical kerala village. better appreciated if you know the places mentioned and the meanings of the Malayalam words for which the author has given no English translations.
May 1, 2014
I loved it!!! Another well written work from Anita Nair.
My review on my blog:
http://awanderingmindofabookaholic.bl...
My review on my blog:
http://awanderingmindofabookaholic.bl...
January 14, 2015
A beautifully written book...the rusticity of kerala that has been included really appealed to me since I have been brought up on the folklores of Kerala that were narrated by mu grandmother.
February 1, 2017
Good naration but the story is just plain. But still good considering it was a debut work.
Read
March 10, 2017Good Book
March 15, 2017
A warm novel set in the background of Kerala about the cowardly nature of a man who betrayes loyalty and love to his self deceit and subsequently, evolves over it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews