Dwidhaa

by S.L. Bhyrappa, Pradhan Gurudatta (Translator)

Kavalu means "cross-roads" and the novel deals with Indian society at Crossroads in the era of globalization. The story revolves around the main character Jaya Kumar. It is a narrative of diverging family values in the contemporary Indian society. The plot mirrors the life of an urban middle class family in the backdrop of feminist ideology.

Genres: Fiction

328 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2015

About the author

Dr S.L. Bhyrappa is a litterateur par excellence. He writes in the south Indian language, Kannada, and has been the bestselling novelist for over 25 years now. His novels are widely translated to pan Indian languages. He is the bestselling novelist in Marathi over the past decade and is among the top-five bestselling authors in Hindi. He is a conscious artist that depicts fundamental human emotions in his novels. In addition to his profound knowledge of Indian philosophical and cultural traditions, Professor Bhyrappa has since his childhood had intense personal experiences in both rural and urban milieu. Consequently, his characters are deeply rooted in Indian soil. Seminars have been and are being held on his novels, and volumes of literary criticism have been published on his works.

His books have found their way to the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses of the universities in the state of Karnataka, and have been the subject of about 20 PhD dissertations. He has penned 24 novels and four volumes of literary criticism and books on aesthetics, social issues and culture. Most of his novels are translated into almost all the Indian languages and six into English. He has served as a Prof. of Philosophy over three decades at NCERT.

Dr Bhyrappa is an avid listener of both Indian and Western classical music and has a keen eye for Art. Travelling has been his paasion since childhood and he has travelled across the globe touching the glaciers of poles, forests of Amazon, deserts of Africa, bustling cities of Europe and the United States. He has trekked in the Alps, the Rockies, Andes and in Fujiama, but the Himalayas remain his greatest passion.

Academic Publications in English
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Values in Modern Indian Educational Thought, 1968 (New Delhi: National Council of Educational Research and Training)
Truth & Beauty: A Study in Correlations, 1964 (Baroda: M. S. University Press)
20 Research Papers published in various Journals like Indian Philosophical Quarterly, Darshana International, Journal of University of Baroda

Research and Fellowship
----------------------------
National Research Professor, Government of India, 2014
One of the five members of the Indian Literary Delegation that visited China on invitation by the Government of China, 1992
Ford Foundation Award to visit the USA to study the cultural problems of Indian immigrants to the USA, 1983
British Council Fellowship tenured at the School of Education, University of London, 1977

Reviews

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another compelling work by Bhyrappa, thought-provoking and deeply reflective. This novel stands as a powerful mirror to contemporary society. With its layered narrative and intricately drawn characters, the book invites readers to ponder the complexities of modern life. Each character brings a unique perspective, and it’s fascinating to witness how they respond to the moral and emotional dilemmas they face.

The novel unfolds through two parallel stories—one where a woman holds power over a man, and another where the roles are reversed. Through these contrasting dynamics, Bhyrappa explores a wide spectrum of human relationships and societal issues: live-in relationships, marriage, pre-marital intimacy, divorce, domestic violence, feminism, pre-nuptial agreements, and infidelity.

What makes this work stand out is its fearless portrayal of truth. Certain parts may leave you feeling uncomfortable or disturbed, but that discomfort is a reflection of reality itself. The legal intricacies around divorce and domestic violence are particularly insightful, shedding light on the institutional frameworks that shape personal lives.

True to his style, Bhyrappa offers a bold yet balanced view—especially on the subject of women’s rights—without imposing judgment or taking sides. His storytelling is as nuanced as it is honest.

I read the book in both Hindi and English, and found both translations to be skillfully done, preserving the essence and emotional depth of the original. A thoughtful read that lingers in your mind long after the final page.

[Sanjay Manjunath · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಕವಲು..
[ Spoilers alert ]

ತುಂಬ ವಾದ ಮಾಡುವವರ ಜೊತೆ ಮೌನದಿಂದಿರುವುದು ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದಂತೆ.
ಯಾಕೆ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಿಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ನೈತಿಕತೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ? ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಹೆಣ್ಣು ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ಒಮ್ಮೆಯೂ ಅದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಯೋಚಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಇಲ್ಲವಲ್ಲ? ಎಂದು ಮನಸ್ಸಿನೊಳಗೆ ವಾದ ಏರ್ಪಡುತ್ತಿತ್ತು ಓದುತ್ತಾ ಹೋದಂತೆ.
ಆ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಗುಣಧರ್ಮಗಳೇ ಹಾಗೆ, ಅವುಗಳನ್ನು ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ (ಓದುತ್ತಾ) ಮೌನವಹಿಸಬೇಕು ಅಷ್ಟೇ, ಅಂತ ಮುಂದುವರಿಸಿದೆ.

ಕವಲು, ಆಧುನಿಕ ಬದುಕಿನ ಮತ್ತು ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಮೇಲ್ವರ್ಗದ ಗಂಡು ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತು ಕಾನೂನು ಕಟ್ಟಲೆಗಳ ಸಂಕೀರ್ಣತೆ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇರುವ ಕಥನ.

ಮಂಗಳ, ಜಯಕುಮಾರ್, ವಿನಯಚಂದ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಇಳಾ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು.

ಮಂಗಳ ಮತ್ತು ಇಳಾ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂತಹ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ವ್ಯತ್ಯಾಸವಿಲ್ಲ. ಇಬ್ಬರೂ ಮಹಿಳಾವಾದ, ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ, ಪಾಶ್ಚಿಮಾತ್ಯ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ಧೋರಣೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮೈಗೂಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡವರು.
ಇಳಾ ಪಾಶ್ಚಿಮಾತ್ಯ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದು ಅಲ್ಲಿಯ ಮುಕ್ತತೆಗಳನ್ನು ಅರಿತಿದ್ದವಳು. ಮಂಗಳಾ ತನ್ನ ಶಿಕ್ಷಕಿ ಇಳಾಳಿಂದ ಪ್ರಭಾವಿತಳಾದವಳು.

ಕಾಮಾತುರಕ್ಕೆ ಬಲಿಬಿದ್ದು ಮಂಗಳಾಳನ್ನು ತನ್ನ ಎರಡನೇ ಪತ್ನಿಯಾಗಿ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವ ಜಯಕುಮಾರ ನಂತರ ಅವಳ 'ಮಹಿಳಾವಾದ'ದ ಮಾತಿನ ಬಿರುಸಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿ ನುಜ್ಜುಗುಜ್ಜಾಗುತ್ತ, ವೇಶ್ಯೆಯರ ಸಹವಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಬಿದ್ದು, ಕಾನೂನು ಕೋಟಲೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಿಲುಕಿ ಹೈರಾಣನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಅವನ ಜೀವನದ ಸುಂದರ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳೆಂದರೆ ತನ್ನ ಮೊದಲ ಪತ್ನಿ ವೈಜಯಂತಿಯ ಜೊತೆ ಕಳೆದ ಜೀವನ ಮತ್ತು ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕವಾಗಿ ಮಾನಸಿಕ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ತನ್ನ ಮಗಳ 'ಪುಟ್ಟಕ್ಕ'ನ ಸಹಚರ್ಯ.

ತನ್ನ ಬುದ್ಧಿಮತ್ತೆಗೆ ಸರಿಹೊಂದುವಳು ಎಂದು ಇಳಾಳನ್ನು ಮದುವೆಯಾದ ವಿನಯಚಂದ್ರ, ಅವಳ 'ಮಹಿಳಾವಾದ'ದ ಮಾತಿನ ಬಿರುಸಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದರೂ ಅದನ್ನು ಚಾಣಾಕ್ಷತೆಯಿಂದ ಬಿಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ದಿಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ನೆಲೆಸುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಅವಳಿಂದ, ಮಗಳಿಂದ ದೂರವಿದ್ದರೂ ಫೋನ್ ಮುಖಾಂತರ ಮತ್ತು ರಜಾದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನ ಮಗಳು ಸುಜಯಾಳನ್ನ
ಭೇಟಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಸುಜಯ ಒಂದೊಮ್ಮೆ ತನ್ನ ಅಪ್ಪನ ಜೊತೆ ಅವನ ಹಳ್ಳಿಗೆ ಹೋದಾಗ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಪರಿಸರ, ಚಿಕ್ಕಪ್ಪ, ಚಿಕ್ಕಮ್ಮ, ಅವರ ಮಗನಾದ ಸತೀಶ, ಅಜ್ಜಿ ಇವರೆಲ್ಲರ ಪ್ರೀತಿಗೆ ಪಾತ್ರಳಾಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅಮ್ಮನ ಮುಕ್ತತೆಗಿಂತ ಒಟ್ಟು ಜೀವನದ ಸಂಭ್ರಮಕ್ಕೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಅವಳು ಒಳಗಾಗುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಇದರಿಂದ, ಮುಂದೆ ಅವಳು ಅಮ್ಮನ ಮಹಿಳಾವಾದದಿಂದ ದೂರವಾಗಿ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳ ಬೆಲೆ ಅರಿಯುತ್ತಾಳೆ.

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದುದೆಂದರೆ ಕಾಮ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಕಾನೂನು ಕಟ್ಟಳೆಗಳ ಸಂಕೀರ್ಣತೆ ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಪರವಾದ ಕಾನೂನುಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಮಹಿಳೆ ಎಂದ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಅವಳು ಅಬಲೆಯಲ್ಲ ಅವಳಲ್ಲು ಗಂಡಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ವಾಂಛಲ್ಯಗಳು, ಕುಟಿಲತೆಗಳು ಕೂಡ ಇರುತ್ತವೆ ಎಂಬುದು.

ಕಾಮ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳಿಗೆ ಇಳಾ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂಗಳ ಇಬ್ಬರಿಗೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ನೈತಿಕತೆ ಅಡ್ಡಬರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಅವರು ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಕೊಡುವ ಸಮಜಾಯಿಷಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ, ಮುಕ್ತಕಾಮ, ಪಾಶ್ಚಿಮಾತ್ಯ ದೇಶಗಳ ತುಲನೆ ಇವುಗಳೇ.

ಇನ್ನು, ಜಯಕುಮಾರ ಒಂದು ಬಾರಿ ಕಾಮಕ್ಕೆ ಬಲಿಯಾಗಿ ತೊಂದರೆ ಅನುಭವಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದರೂ, ನೈತಿಕತೆಯ ಪ್ರಜ್ಞೆ ಮೂಡಿದರೂ ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಬಲಿಯಾಗಿ ಕಾನೂನಿನ ಕೈದಿಯಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.
ಪ್ರಭಾಕರ ಮತ್ತು ಮಂತ್ರಿಯ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ಗಂಡಿನ ಕಾಮವಾಂಛೆಯ, ಅನೈತಿಕವೇ ನೈತಿಕವೆಂದೂ ವರ್ತಿಸುವ ಚಾಲಾಕಿ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು.

ಜಯಕುಮಾರನ ಸಂಸಾರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಗೊತ್ತಿದ್ದು, ಅವನ ಮಗಳಾದ ಪುಟ್ಟಕ್ಕ (ವತ್ಸಲಾ)ಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಿಂದ ಸಾಕಿ ಸಲಹುವ ಪಾತ್ರ ದ್ಯಾವಕ್ಕ.

ತನ್ನ ಮಾವನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದುಕೊಂಡು ಓದಿ, ದೂರದ ಅಮೇರಿಕಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸಗಳಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಲಿವಿಂಗ್ ಟುಗೇದರ್ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಹೊಂದಿ, ಅದು ಮುರಿದು ಬಿದ್ದು ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಪ್ರೇಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಳುಗಿ, ಮದುವೆಯಾಗಿ, ತೊಂದರೆಗೊಳಪಟ್ಟು, ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಕಾನೂನುಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿ ಒದ್ದಾಡಿ, ಕೊನೆಗೆ ಭಾರತಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು, ಅಜ್ಜಿಯ ಮಾತುಗಳಿಗೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿ ಪುಟ್ಟಕ್ಕನ ಮದುವೆಯಾಗಿ, ಜೀವನದ ಒಂದು ಹಂತಕ್ಕೆ ಬರುವ ಪಾತ್ರ ನಚಿಕೇತ.

ಮೂವತ್ತು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಸಂಬಂಧಗಳನ್ನು ಕಡಿದುಕೊಂಡು ದೂರವಿದ್ದು, ನಂತರ ತನ್ನ ಕುಟುಂಬವನ್ನು ಕೂಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಮೊಮ್ಮಗಳ ಮಾನಸಿಕ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸುತ್ತ, ಮಗ ಜಯಕುಮಾರನಿಗೆ ಧೈರ್ಯ ತುಂಬುತ್ತಾ, ಮೊಮ್ಮಗ ನಚಿಕೇತನಿಗೆ ತನ್ನ ಅನುಭವ ಮಾತುಗಳನ್ನಾಡಿ ಪುಟ್ಟಕ್ಕನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮದುವೆಗೆ ಒಪ್ಪಿಸುವ ಜಯಕುಮಾರನ ತಾಯಿ ಪಾತ್ರ.
ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳೂ ನೆನಪಿನಲ್ಲುಳಿಯುವಂತವೆ.

ನಾನು ಓದಿದ ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೊಂದು ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ಮತ್ತು ಉತ್ತಮ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಾದರೂ ಅವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿಯಾದ ನಂತರ ಸಿಗುವ ಒಂದು 'ಅಮೂರ್ತ ಭಾವನೆ' ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾಕೋ ಸಿಗಲಿಲ್ಲ!

[Yashawanth Ramaswamy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody writes truth on the face like Sl Bhyrappa. Here the story is about unethical feminists and opportunistic males. Bhyrappa has broken all the limits of ethics and tradition while writing this book. At once it feels like what I am reading?

To the kannada literature it may be outrageous at the time hence there may be so many controversies about this book. Women readers of Bhyrappa may have been shocked while reading this book but here he has just written the harsh truth of the society. Yes there is reality in this novel because we can see so many Mangala, Ila, Prabhakar and Doreraju in present society.

[Karthik Shandilya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Book to read.
I think personally think the author was successful in telling what he intended to, which is to show how the western ideas of feminism,equality has been misinterpreted by the Indians and how they are affecting the current family structure and familial ties.
He tells 2 different stories happening at he same time and has chosen 4 main characters to take the stories to their obvious conclusions. All of them are having grey shades and you cannot side with any one of them if you think objectively.
He is telling with reference to current existing idea about family in the society.So it might come across to people that the author is a little bit biased, but in my opinion he has tried to be reflective of the society's current standing on the matters like family.
The book is little slow and picks up pace in the second half of the book. There is nothing in the book to indicate what the author is recommending whether to follow Indian culture or a culture influenced by the western values.
To put it bluntly, all he does is just tell stories with a certain events leading to their obvious conclusion, obvious in the current social and moral settings in India.
{Edit:- Added a few more lines to explain more on what i feel about this book}

[Shashank Naik · Rating 3 out of 5]

May be many female readers wont like it. But Bhyrappa is such author who believes in reality rather than appeasement. May be the facts he mentions may come true in recent future considering the trend in the developed nations. Harassment of male using the laws provided for protection of female interest can be a reality.

[Vishal Vishu · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome read. the book was really of a different genre from what i have read. it talks about extra marital affairs and the after effects of it. the author shows that such affairs are not stable and may fall down at any given time.

speaks also on westernization and how indians mis-concieve westernization and get attracted to it and thereby degrade indian culture

[Vishwas Gc · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written, how current india laws are supportive to sudo feminism and it's about how people trying to put there problem on other shoulder and try to escape

[Ganesh V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed Review : https://thecommunemag.com/book-review...

[Vasanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"ನಾನು ಕೇವಲ ಕಥೆಗೋಸ್ಕರ ಬರೆಯಲ್ಲ, ಮನೋರಂಜನೆಗೋಸ್ಕರ ಬರೆಯಲ್ಲ. ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯ ಆಳಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಿ, ಆ ಆಳದ ಅನುಭವವನ್ನು ತಂದುಕೊಡುವದಷ್ಟೇ ನನ್ನ ಉದ್ದೇಶ", ಎಂದು ಭೈರಪ್ಪನವರು ಹೇಳುವುದನ್ನು ಅವರ ಒಂದು ಸಂದರ್ಶನದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೇಳಿದ್ದೆ. ಅವರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಗಂಭೀರವಾಗಿ ಓದಿದವರಿಗೆ ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿನ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳ ಆಳ ಅರಿವಾಗಿರುತ್ತೆ.

ಗೊಡ್ಡು ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯದಿಂದ ಹೊರಬಂದು ಆಧುನಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಆವಿಷ್ಕರಿಸುವ ಆತುರದಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಮಾಜದ ಕೆಲವು ಮಾನವೀಯ ಮೌಲ್ಯಗಳು ಕವಲೊಡೆಯುವುದನ್ನು "ಕವಲು" ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಬಹುದು. ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳ ವಿವಾದ ಹಾಗೂ ಚರ್ಚೆಗೊಳಪಟ್ಟಿರಬಹುದಾದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಿದು ಎನ್ನುವ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಓದಿನ ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲೇ ನನಗೆ ಸ್ಫುಟವಾಯ್ತು. ಯಾವುದೇ ಪೂರ್ವಕಲ್ಪಿತ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಓದುವ ನನಗೆ "ಕವಲು" ಸಮಾಜದ ಮೌಲ್ಯಗಳು ಭಿನ್ನತೆಗೊಳಪಟ್ಟಾಗ ಆಗುವ ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿಡುವ ಕೃತಿಯಾಗಷ್ಟೇ ಕಾಣಿಸಿತು. ಯಾರ ಪರವೂ ಇಲ್ಲ, ವಿರೋಧವೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ವಾಸ್ತವಿಕತೆಯ ಪರಾಮರ್ಶೆಯಷ್ಟೇ.

ಮಹಿಳೆ ವಿಮೋಚಿತಳಾಗಬೇಕು, ಮಹತ್ವಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಬೇಕು ಆದರೆ ಸಮಾಜ ಅಥವಾ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ರಚನೆ ಮತ್ತು ಬೇರುಗಳನ್ನು ಅಲುಗಾಡಿಸಿ ತನ್ನ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೋಬೇಕು ಅನ್ನೋ ಆಯ್ಕೆಯ ಪರಿಣಾಮವೇನು?
ಪ್ರೇಮಕ್ಕೆ ಕಣ್ಣಿಲ್ಲವೆನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ, ಆದರೆ ಕಾಮಕ್ಕೆ? ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಮಾಹಾಪಾತಾಳದೊಳಗೆ ಅಡಗಿ ಕೂತಿದ್ದ ಆ ಕಾಮವನ್ನು ಗೆಲ್ಲಲಾರದೆ ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಕಾನೂನಿನ ಸಂಚಿಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದು ತನ್ನ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ನಾಶ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡ ಗಂಡಸಿನ ಅಸಹಾಯಕತೆ ಎಷ್ಟರ ಮಟ್ಟದ್ದು?
ಪಶ್ಚಿಮಾತ್ಯ ಮಹಿಳಾವಾದಿ ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತಗಳನ್ನು ಭಾರತೀಯ ಸಮಾಜದ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಿತ್ತಿ ಪ್ರಚೋದಿಸುವುದು ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ವಿಮೋಚನೆಯ ಮುಖ್ಯವಾದ ಮೈಲಿಗಲ್ಲು. ಹೌದಾ?
ನ್ಯಾಯ ಅನ್ಯಾಯ ಮೌಲ್ಯ ಅಪಮೌಲ್ಯಗಳಾವುವೂ ಕಾನೂನಿಗೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ್ದಲ್ಲ. ಈ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನ್ಯಾಯಾಧೀಶರಿಗೆ ಯಾವ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರವೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗಾದರೆ ನ್ಯಾಯದ ಗತಿ?

ಕೊನೆಗುಳಿಯುವುದು ಬರೀ ಪ್ರೆಶ್ನೆಗಳಷ್ಟೇ.

[Soumya · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಕವಲು by SL ಭೈರಪ್ಪ
This was one of the toughest book for me to review.
This book might not be liked by a category of people. Possibly cos how the taboo topics are described in a very strong way. This book talks about feminism, divorce, live in relationships, lesbians, sex and prostitution through 2 parallel threads of stories.
This book is an example on how Bhyrappa's thought processing was way ahead of time.
Is feminism being wrongly  interpreted? How people find loopholes in the law and misuse them? Is extra marital affair right or wrong ? Is modernity influencing people's life too much?
Can being ethical and being practical go hand in hand?
At few places, this novel feels like a mirror to the current society.
Like always , Bhyrappa establishes his points very strongly.
This book gets you hooked till the end.
Per to me, one of the best books to read.

[Chetan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters Managala and Ela have really come out very well. They induce fear in the hearts of the readers who sympathize to the situation of Jayakumar and Vinaychandra while reading. The endings given to the stories of both Jayakumar and Vinayachandra live up to the title. Its not very difficult to imagine the real world people for the characters Mala kerur and Chitra hosur. The ways in which similar situations are handled by the characters Jayakumar and Vinaya gives one or message/s to people. The way the comparisons have been drawn between the western and Indian society through the character Nachiketh was interesting.
The story line could also help the law makers and similar to reflect upon the gaps in he current legal system. The inadvertent blind eyes turned on the male side of domestic violence cases has been reasonable argued here. Domestic violence in any form is bad, agreeable but there is a sea of cultural difference between west and Indian situation which needs to understood. This was, to some extent, brought out through characters of Nachiketh, Jayamma, Mangala's Mother.

[Royal Chethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important truth about SL Bhyrappa’s works is that they haven’t had the fortune of being reviewed by the best of critics. The huge tome of “criticism” that currently exists is just thinly-disguised abuse. Which is sad because given the huge amount of popularity and wide readership that his works enjoy, one would expect a fair amount of quality literary criticism. This phenomenon hasn’t spared his latest, Kavalu (Cleft), already in its 8th reprint in about 50 days.

[Nayaz Riyazulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was procrastinating this novel from many days, because of the negative reviews about this from many of my friends... But finally i read this... This is one of his best works.. He has written based on the present situation and about the misusing the laws from feminists.. You feel for many characters... Loved the character of Nachiketha and Dyavakka.... Its readable...

[Abhiram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is about modern society. It blends the various people around us in modern society into characters. Book is on sensitive topic of Feminism, and family system of modern era-globalization era.
Good book to read as it is very close to current happening in society.

[Pradeep · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK... Tells about woman biased rules in India and its implications

[Banu Prakash Raje Urs M S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kavalu is a nice read. Its a lot closer to reality than it appears.

[tm pradeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice

Merged review:

nice.

[Ravindra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Shrikant Badiger]

This is nice book. Don't miss it !!

[Anirudh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A terrifying book. Nicely written by Bhyrappa.

[Arjun Pradhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

beauty of indian family system personified

[Kashyap Karthik · Rating 4 out of 5]

the author has completly told what he wanted to convey.
Yes, it clearly mentions the modern city life style and the feelings of a person who lost his wife.

[Sumeeth Bhadrannavar · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Kannada book and I enjoyed it. Brilliantly written. Hope to read more in Kannada in the future...

[N.SURESHA · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE BEST NOVEL,THAT SHOWS DIFFERENT ANGLES OF PERESENT MODERN LIFE. (IT/GLOBALIZATION/MODRANISATION...FIELDS)

[Rudresh]

amazing

[Cv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my God !!!

[Sindhu ParthaSarathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very disturbing and profound

[Sanjota Purohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes lot of courage to write such novel. Very well written story which moralize that everything has limit. If something goes to extreme then we should be ready to face its effects. Ila, mangala are very good example for how women can destroy man's life with her ego, over belief.
It looks like this novel is against women by seeing Ila & Mangala but if you read thoroughly then you will come to know that Bhairappa sir had differentiated between good woman like Vaijayanti, Jayakumar mother.

Story is explained in short in below website. Good to go through once.

https://sanjotapurohit.com/%E0%B2%95%...

[Nithesh S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second SL Bhyrappa Novel. I knew literally nothing about the book except the fact that it was one among his famous works. This was a terrific read ! The author explores a multitude of issues including divorce, feminism, live-in relationships, lesbianism, marriage, adultery, dowry and prostitution. The way he weaves the stories around one another and creates a web of characters and situations is simple amazing. The flow, language and the intense storyline is similar to that of Aavarana. I could not put the book down until I had finished reading this.

[Nagaraj N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Parva or Aavarna by SLB. But still excellent.
It's a difficult topic to write about. Shows how women can misuse a law that has been written to protect them.
The book keeps you engaged right through. Not surprisingly most of the characters have
grey shades.
Totally recommend reading it.