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Leaf, Water and Flow: A Novel
We live as social beings. But our being social includes power structures of various kinds—from the language that we speak and write in to the state or anti-state actors that claim to run some of these structures.
The novel attempts to grapple with these structures, the individuals who are part of these structures and also who are in conflict with these structures. There is Naxalite/Maoist politics, there is an egret who has seen a baby die in a village in central India, there is an author (perhaps the one who had written a novel titled The Story of Being Useless), there is a teak-leaf which is dying, there is a ‘professional revolutionary’ who has come out of incarceration, there is an Adivasi woman who was once part of a Maoist dalam, there is a wife of a police sub-inspector, and there is a reader who reads this novel and ends it with his comments.
There are some more such voices in the novel. Some of them tell their stories, some of them try to contribute to the stories of others, and a few of them are perhaps also thinking about how to end this binary and be a part of all the stories.
The novel attempts to grapple with these structures, the individuals who are part of these structures and also who are in conflict with these structures. There is Naxalite/Maoist politics, there is an egret who has seen a baby die in a village in central India, there is an author (perhaps the one who had written a novel titled The Story of Being Useless), there is a teak-leaf which is dying, there is a ‘professional revolutionary’ who has come out of incarceration, there is an Adivasi woman who was once part of a Maoist dalam, there is a wife of a police sub-inspector, and there is a reader who reads this novel and ends it with his comments.
There are some more such voices in the novel. Some of them tell their stories, some of them try to contribute to the stories of others, and a few of them are perhaps also thinking about how to end this binary and be a part of all the stories.
258 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 15, 2024
Absolutely phenomenal. Unlike anything I have ever read before. Shame that a vast majority of the world would never discover it, let alone read it.
March 18, 2025
I wouldn’t have picked up an Avdhoot Dongre if it weren’t for Nadeem Khan and his recommendations, and I am thankful that I got to read Avdhoot’s work. Despite being a Marathi speaker it is my misfortune that I never got into Marathi reading and I regret that, but truthfully, I was always bad at Marathi; even in the school and I barely passed the subject, which must have accounted for my disinterest in Marathi reading. It is too late now to switch I believe. The reason for telling all this is to again extend my gratitude towards the translations of Nadeem Khan, which has enabled readers like me to access some of these fascinating reads. All that said, leaving my appreciation for Nadeem Khan’s work aside, I have tried my best to collect my thoughts about this book without being biased and with the perspective and interpretation of a common reader.
Pravaha
‘Leaf, Water and Flow’ is a refreshing read. Some of the things that make it refreshing are Avdhoot’s unique narration, the depth, choice and diversity of its subjects and the subjective views that bring the reader closer to the characters of the story. At the start of the book, right from the very first page, Avdhoot establishes his unbridled thoughts and imagination very successfully. This prepares the reader to enjoy what is coming next and is essential for the cohesiveness of the story. Talking about cohesiveness, although the text is bound to the central theme of the fabric of reality and the flow of events, the binding of the book is all that is holding the individual chapters and stories in that sequence. The author has explained this in the chapter ‘Quilt’ about how each of these colors and patches are held together by the underlying fabric. Also, the allusion to this quilt in the final chapters at the hands of Hemlata-bai and other grannies is brilliant.
The translation has done an exceptional job of conveying these complicated thoughts very cogently. You do feel like you are in the mind of the author, I believe I would have experienced a similar feeling if I were reading this book in Marathi. With such rampant thoughts and deep reflections, this must have been a challenging task.
Paani
Some of the words are easy to connect to for a Marathi user like the word ‘tin-pot’ used as ‘tin-pot school’, which I immediately translated as ‘taprat’ in Marathi. But I wonder if these words will have the same effect for a non-Marathi person. Apart from these specific words and some Marathi phonetic play, the rest of the book will read as it is even for a non-Marathi.
Among the final chapters, the finishing of the chapter ‘Egret’ and the chapters ‘Die-gram’ and ‘Water’, were a little challenging to comprehend as well as difficult to connect to the thoughts of the author. However, this comes from a person who is not very experienced in reading a lot of literature and thus the views can differ. The rest of the book flows seamlessly.
What I found mildly disappointing was the lack of rhymes in the first few poems in the book, which is inconsistent with the latter poems. An example would be the poem that starts with the past of Bhaskar, when read in English it doesn’t read like a poem, while the later poems like the ‘Moh’ are quite marvelous even in English.
Paan
The characters in the story are the essence of the book as they make it an entertaining yet a thoughtful read. They also kept me gripped to the story and wanting to explore their lives. Till the end I was waiting for further stories and references to some interesting characters like Virang and Ayan. This anticipation was definitely a part of the book’s journey.
It is quite unique to see how Avdhoot manages to distance himself from the conversation by using the views and opinions of the characters. Particularly the personal views on Maoism and the passion for communism shown by certain subjects. One of the most torn characters that I deeply felt about was Sayali. Her tumultuous journey to the jungles and out, and into the strange world of a metropolis, is extraordinary.
Nadeem khan has done a great job at getting the environment right for the character ‘Smita’. I was quite amazed with this part, as it does not feel like a translation at all. Quite admirable. The broken English, the use of the word ‘Na’ at the end of sentences is what gives you a taste of the typical Indian slang English.
This is an all-encompassing book that gives you all the bizarre perspectives of Avdhoot Dongre with his brilliance. I feel that Avdhoot is lucky to have Nadeem Khan as a translator. His experience in translations, exposure to Marathi along with his attachment to Amravati is aptly suited to this book. Nadeem Khan has indeed done a superb job. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is even a bit interested in reading.
Pravaha
‘Leaf, Water and Flow’ is a refreshing read. Some of the things that make it refreshing are Avdhoot’s unique narration, the depth, choice and diversity of its subjects and the subjective views that bring the reader closer to the characters of the story. At the start of the book, right from the very first page, Avdhoot establishes his unbridled thoughts and imagination very successfully. This prepares the reader to enjoy what is coming next and is essential for the cohesiveness of the story. Talking about cohesiveness, although the text is bound to the central theme of the fabric of reality and the flow of events, the binding of the book is all that is holding the individual chapters and stories in that sequence. The author has explained this in the chapter ‘Quilt’ about how each of these colors and patches are held together by the underlying fabric. Also, the allusion to this quilt in the final chapters at the hands of Hemlata-bai and other grannies is brilliant.
The translation has done an exceptional job of conveying these complicated thoughts very cogently. You do feel like you are in the mind of the author, I believe I would have experienced a similar feeling if I were reading this book in Marathi. With such rampant thoughts and deep reflections, this must have been a challenging task.
Paani
Some of the words are easy to connect to for a Marathi user like the word ‘tin-pot’ used as ‘tin-pot school’, which I immediately translated as ‘taprat’ in Marathi. But I wonder if these words will have the same effect for a non-Marathi person. Apart from these specific words and some Marathi phonetic play, the rest of the book will read as it is even for a non-Marathi.
Among the final chapters, the finishing of the chapter ‘Egret’ and the chapters ‘Die-gram’ and ‘Water’, were a little challenging to comprehend as well as difficult to connect to the thoughts of the author. However, this comes from a person who is not very experienced in reading a lot of literature and thus the views can differ. The rest of the book flows seamlessly.
What I found mildly disappointing was the lack of rhymes in the first few poems in the book, which is inconsistent with the latter poems. An example would be the poem that starts with the past of Bhaskar, when read in English it doesn’t read like a poem, while the later poems like the ‘Moh’ are quite marvelous even in English.
Paan
The characters in the story are the essence of the book as they make it an entertaining yet a thoughtful read. They also kept me gripped to the story and wanting to explore their lives. Till the end I was waiting for further stories and references to some interesting characters like Virang and Ayan. This anticipation was definitely a part of the book’s journey.
It is quite unique to see how Avdhoot manages to distance himself from the conversation by using the views and opinions of the characters. Particularly the personal views on Maoism and the passion for communism shown by certain subjects. One of the most torn characters that I deeply felt about was Sayali. Her tumultuous journey to the jungles and out, and into the strange world of a metropolis, is extraordinary.
Nadeem khan has done a great job at getting the environment right for the character ‘Smita’. I was quite amazed with this part, as it does not feel like a translation at all. Quite admirable. The broken English, the use of the word ‘Na’ at the end of sentences is what gives you a taste of the typical Indian slang English.
This is an all-encompassing book that gives you all the bizarre perspectives of Avdhoot Dongre with his brilliance. I feel that Avdhoot is lucky to have Nadeem Khan as a translator. His experience in translations, exposure to Marathi along with his attachment to Amravati is aptly suited to this book. Nadeem Khan has indeed done a superb job. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is even a bit interested in reading.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews