A Lonely Harvest

by Perumal Murugan, Aniruddhan Vasudevan (Translator)

ONE AMAZING STORY. TWO DIFFERENT ENDINGS.At the end of Perumal Murugan's trailblazing novel One Part Woman, readers are left on a cliffhanger as Kali and Ponna's intense love for each other is torn to shreds. What is going to happen next to this beloved couple?In A Lonely Harvest-one of two inventive sequels that pick up the story right where One Part Woman ends-Ponna returns from the temple festival to find that Kali has killed himself in despair. Devastated that he would punish her so cruelly, but constantly haunted by memories of the happiness she once shared with Kali, Ponna must now learn to face the world alone.With poignancy and compassion, Murugan weaves a powerful tale of female solidarity and second chances.

Genres: Fiction, India, Literary Fiction, Indian Literature, Audiobook, Novels, Historical Fiction

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

Primary profile for this author.

Do NOT merge author profiles in different languages/spelling.

Per GR policy, books published in another language/script should have the name on that book as secondary author, with Perumal Murugan as primary author.

Perumal Murugan is a well-known contemporary Tamil writer and poet. He was written six novels, four collections of short stories and four anthologies of poetry. Three of his novels have been translated into English to wide acclaim: Seasons of the Palm, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Kiriyama Award in 2005, Current Show, and most recently, One Part Woman. He has received awards from the Tamil Nadu government as well as from Katha Books.

Reviews

[Girish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alavayan - an alternate sequel to Mathorubagan is the world of Ponni and the women. Following after the dramatic climax of Mathorubagan (one part woman), it imagines a world where Kaali commits suicide at the shame and now it is Ponni coming into her own breaking her dependencies.

The writing is raw and in almost a matter of fact tone of three women - Ponni, her mother in law and mother - the author shatters every construct of today's modern appropriateness. Of normalised incest and temple orgies - the world of Perumal murguan can be a social bubble burster. The fact that the tale is interwoven with an all-women struggle with lamentations, hope and resilience makes it a book of hope.

The book did raise a few thoughts. The village custom that if a wife is found with a child after her husband's death she has to declare to the entire village that the father was indeed her husband and nobody in the village should ever doubt it afterwards - Isn't this a barb wire fence of a community? The book's departure into supernatural gave it an eerie other worldly feel.

This is a powerful book no doubt. Heavy and yet filled with hope while it relentlessly questions the moral fabrics of the society. Maybe why people live in the present is not to confront the past.

[Padmaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this one and enjoyed it more than Trial by silence. Reading the sequels felt like Mr Murugan took us on a literary parallel universe.
~
Kali commits suicide and a shattered Ponna is left to deal with his suicide and the harsh life as his widow. Ponna slowly gets back on her feet and finds happiness in looking after the fields, cattle and the livestock. Ponna finds independence in this book and becomes a strong woman who is much more confident and has a voice of her own.
She tries to keep Kali alive in her mundane things and lives with his memories. Her character development was done very tastefully.
'A lonely harvest' was much more women centric and it felt like a group of women defending patriarchal laws and living freely on their own. Ponna is joined by her mother and mother in law who act like strong rocks in her life.
~
I am at peace now knowing both sides and I have a nice closure to the story. I needn't say much about Mr Murugan's writing, you already know by now 🙈
4.5⭐

[Anantha Narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the 2 sequels, I like the happy ending one better. I felt it had some soul in it. I liked the trial by silence than this version.

[Vairamayil · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotional shift 🔥🦾

[Archita Mitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe in parallel universes?
Personally, I am very intrigued by the concept. And I loved reading two alternate sequels of 'One Part Woman'. In 'One Part Woman', we first meet Kali and Poona, a loving married couple living in a village in Tamil Nadu, India. When after 12 years of marriage they are unable to have a child, the family forces Poona to attend a temple festival where for one night sexual norms are relaxed, and barren wives are allowed to sleep with other men to bear children. Unable to bear the thought of Poona being with another man, Kali attempts suicide. The book ends there, and Murugan followed it with two alternate sequels one where Kali succeeds in his attempt and Poona has to lead a widow's life, and one where he lives and she has to deal with his anger and rejection.
I read the latter, A Trial by Silence, first because I couldn't bear the thought of Kali dying. But, to my surprise, I liked A Lonely Harvest better. After Kali's death, Poona is inconsolable, but slowly she manages to find happiness in tending to her fields and flock. She strives hard to keep Kali's memory alive by nurturing his crops and animals. In this book we see her become a much stronger character. Suddenly thrust into the role of the decision-maker of the family, she becomes assertive and confident. Standing strong by her side are her mother and mother-in-law. Before her son's death, Serayi wasn't fond of her daughter-in-law, but after his death she becomes his rock. This novel is in many ways about a group of women charting their own path through a patriarchal society that is intent on confining them. Between the two, I like this one more.

[Abhidev H M · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really good. I guess this is some kind of happy ending sequel of "One Part Woman". Now I can't sleep peacefully without reading "Trial by Silence".

[Pratip Vijayakumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aalavayan could be considered as Book 2A of Maadhorubaagan. In the preface of this book, the Author have mentioned that in the Preface and he sets an expectation on What would the book be about?
Aalavayan is set in the phase where Ponna leads her life after Kali commits suicide. I didn't realise until a certain point that this book is lead only by the female characters. Yes, of course, you could find Male characters but they are utilised in very few places and not extensively.
Again Nallupayan mama steals his moments whenever he comes into the picture though unlike in Maadhorubagan he is portrayed as a man who hates life still his puns and some open minded ideas are spread across.
I understand Ponna is devastated and she is not moving on after her Husband's demise but the Author went to lengths and breadths to showcase her disability to move on and almost after half of the book it takes pace. I also found that the Author rushed to finish the book at the end. He should have finished the book in a much more shorter form or should have increased the timeline of the whole story. The book ends where Ponna gives birth to a child but the Author could have extended it a bit so that he could have cut the boring parts.
A good read but it was not as interesting as Maadhorubagan.

[Ganesamoorthy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

புத்தகம்: ஆலவாயன்
எழுத்தாளர்: பெருமாள் முருகன்

இந்த கதையின் சாரம் துவங்கும் முன்பே எனக்கு மறைந்த இயக்குநர், ஒளிப்பதிவாளர் " ஜீவா" தான் , எனக்கு ஞாபகம் வந்தார். அதற்க்கு காரணம் " 12B" திரைப்படம் தான்.
நண்பன் பிரசாந்த அதற்கான கரு எங்கு இருந்து வந்துயிருக்கலாம் என்று சில படங்களை மேற்கோள் காட்டினான்.

எனக்காக நான் எடுத்துக் கொள்வது, வாழ்வை எவ்வளவு எளிமையாக வைத்து கொள்வோமோ அவ்வளவு நன்று.
காளி ஏன் பொன்ன மீது அப்படியான ஒரு உடமை பாராட்டுகிறான்?

நமது பல கால சடங்குகள் என்ற பெயரில் நிகழும் அநீதிகள் எவ்வாறு கலைய முடியும் என்று சிந்தனை செய்ய வேண்டியது அவசியம்.

நமது முன்னோர்களை வழிபடும் சமுகம் எதனால் ? எவ்வாறு?

உடல் மீதான கட்டுபாடுகள். எதனால்? ஏன் மனிதனின் உடல் மீது ஏன் புனிதம் என்ற பெயரில் அவலங்கள்?

வாழ்வு தான், எங்கும் நாவல் முழுவதும் விறவி இருக்கிறது. நல்லப்பன் சித்தப்பா ஒரு ஆதுரம்!

[Prakash Rajendran · Rating 5 out of 5]

அவளிடம் அவனுக்கிருந்த பிரியத்தை அளவிட இந்த உலகத்திலேயே கருவி கிடையாது. அவனால் அதை உணர்த்த முடியும். சிறு தொடுதலில், ஒரே ஒரு முத்தத்தில், ஒற்றை வார்த்தையில் பிரியத்தின் முழுஅளவையும் காட்டிவிடுவான். அத்தனை பிரியத்தைச் சுமந்துகொண்டு அவன் எங்கே போவான்? பூவரசங் கொம்பில் ஒரு பறவையாகி உட்கார்ந்து பார்த்திருப்பான். வேலிக்கொடியில் ஒதுங்கும் ஒடக்கானின் பார்வையில் அவனிருப்பான். திமில் சிலுப்பும் மாட்டுக்கன்றின் தலையசைப்பில் தெரிவான். செம்மறியாட்டுச் செருமலில் அவன் குரல் கேட்கும். மண்ணில் படுத்திருப்பான். கத்தரியில் கை நீட்டிக் காத்திருப்பான். அவன் எங்கும் போகவில்லை. முழுமையாக இங்கேதான் இருக்கிறான்.

கிழுவைவேலியில் படர்ந்திருக்கும் கோவைக்கொடியில் எத்தனை பழம் இருக்கிறது, பிஞ்சிருக்கிறது என்று கேட்டால்கூடச் சொல்வான். ஒவ்வொன்றையும் இப்படி நேசித்தவனால் சட்டென்று எல்லாவற்றையும் எப்படி விட்டுப் போக முடியும்?

பொன்னாவுடன் சேர்ந்து நாமும் இப்படித்தான் வருந்தி வியக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது. ஆனால் மரணம் என்பது வாழ்வி்ன் இடர்களில் இருந்து தப்பிக்க எளிய வழி. ஆனால் அது நேசத்திற்கு நேரெதிரான முற்றிலும் மன்னிக்க முடியாத பலவீனமான செயல். என்ன துன்பம் வந்தாலும் நேர்கொண்டு சந்தித்து வாழ்வதுதான் வாழும் வழி்.

ஆலவாயனின் ஒவ்வொரு பக்கமும் வாழ்க்கையின் நிதர்சனம், அதில் பொன்னா, பொன்னாய் மிளிர்கிறாள்!

தன்னுள் உருவாகும் உயிரை அது உயிர்க்கும் தருணத்தை பொன்னா உணருவதை எழுத்தாக்கிய இடம் வெகு சிறப்பு!

[Srija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta say. Like this better than the other parallel timeline.

[Chitra Ahanthem · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the sequel to One Part Woman: in ‘A Lonely Harvest’ , Kali has committed suicide after knowing that his wife has gone to the temple festival. The story then follows what happens to Ponna and his family in the wake of his death.

Ponna is filled with grief and regret for most of book and it is her mother in law Seerayi who pricks and prods the women in the village and then others to accept Ponna's child as that of Kali's. The companionship amongst women on one hand and their reflections on life is a larger look at the agency of women, the question of who makes social and cultural norms and who they favour.

Murugan's writing is of course rooted to the soil and is earthy and full of bawdy delight. Recommended.

[Maragatham Munusamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

மாதொருபாகன் படித்ததும் இப்புத்தகத்தை வாங்கிவிட்டு கொரானாவின் தாக்குதலால் 4 வருடங்களுக்கு பிறகு இப்போது தான் படிக்க வாய்த்தது.

பொன்னாவின் மாமியார் கதாபாத்திரம் இதில் மிகவும் பக்குவமாய் கையாளப்பட்டிரிக்கிறது. முற்றிலும் பெண்களால் ஆண்துணை இல்லாமல் வாழும் வாழ்க்கை எவ்வாறு இருக்கும் என்பதை கொடித்திருக்கிறார் பெருமாள் முருகன்.

பொன்னாவை சுற்றிலும் நிறைய மனிதர்கள் இருந்தாலும் காளி மட்டுமே எங்கும் அவளை சூழ்ந்துள்ளதாக அவளுக்கு இருக்கிறது. கணவன் இறந்தததும் மனைவி கற்பமானதால் நடத்தப்படும் பஞ்சாயத்து அதை நோக்கிய நாட்களும் அதை சார்ந்த உணர்வுகளும் கையாளப்பட்ட விதம் அற்புதம்.

கதையின் முடிவில் பொன்னா மீண்டு வருவது திடீரென்று நிகழாமல் there is flow where she gets herself step by step.

[Karthik · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘One Part Woman’ concludes with two acts of defiance. A Lonely Harvest is one of the two books, along with ‘Trial By Silence,’ that embodies one of these acts of defiance and reimagines a future—almost like a shift in the timeline. I would read this book again solely for Seerayi and Vallayi, the mother-in-law and the mother of Ponna, respectively. It is evident that a patriarchal society requires women's active participation to thrive. However, mentioning that alone is an oversimplification. Women like Seerayi and Vallayi are the reason the spark required to forge resistant ideologies even exists. I have known a few women like them in my own family. Deceptively frail and old, yet their spark becomes apparent when needed.

I can never tire of Perumal Murugan’s exploration of the microecosystems of Kali’s field and the surrounding village. I can close my eyes and imagine myself there. I walked alongside Ponna and Vengayi as they gathered excess hard rocks in the field to build the foundation of a supposed wall. The portia tree, the barnyard adorned with stars decorating the roof, the Karunchaami deity with its own rich origin story of a local god’s conception, and the village norms that arise at convenience, along with Vengaayi, the untouchable field worker whose story reminds me of all the narratives lost to time and resistance, are what make ‘A Lonely Harvest’ a compelling read. Kali and Ponna’s love is beautiful yet toxic. My heart simply doesn’t permit me to judge them by contemporary, therapy-speak definitions of love.

[Aditi Varma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Week 2 Book 1
Lonely Harvest by Perumal Murugan
Rating 3/5

Lonely Harvest is one of the two sequels to One Part Woman. In this version of the ending to the cliffhanger of the first book, Ponna comes home from the festival to find her husband has killed himself.

And thus begins her journey of despair, sadness, loneliness, guilt, and dealing with family, society, and her self.

A beautifully woven story, although at times the descriptions became cumbersome. A worthy sequel to the first book. Very interesting to read about rural Tamil Nadu in the pre independence era.

Must read, especially for Murugan fans.

[Ragavendra Prasad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a different version of what happens after Madhorubagan. focusing on Ponna’s life. Instead of tragedy, it explores her journey of self discovery and change. writing is simple yet powerful, bringing the setting and emotions to life. The book beautifully explores identity, loneliness, and moving forward. If you liked Madhorubagan, Aalvayan is a must read, offering a deep and emotional experience

[Manasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Perumal Murugan weaves a scintillating tale about Ponna and her journey after the death of her husband Kaali. Murugan, who comes from a small town in Tamil Nadu, is definitely a man ahead of his time. His stories, though primarily has a village background, explores the progressive and liberal thinking of the protagonists but at the same time, also shows the most difficult challenges they have to face to retain their place with respect amongst the villagers. Murugan’s stories are realistic, pragmatic, and often a tad controversial...

[Vignesh Narayanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prefer Trial by Silence sequel over this.

[Abhishek · Rating 3 out of 5]

read it a long time ago, don't think Kali was of the suicidal type.

[Dinesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

மாதொருபாகனின் தொடர்ச்சி.
இப்புத்தகத்தின் முடிவு மகிழ்ச்சி அளிப்பதாக தோன்றினாலும், அதில் புரட்டிப்போடும் ஒரு சோகமும் மறைமுகமாக உள்ளது.

[Vaidya · Rating 4 out of 5]

One story, two parallel sequels. I liked this better than Trial by Silence, which I found was claustrophobic in its silence. Only right at the end do you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Here, the worst is already over as you draw in at the first page. Things only look up from there. The grief is stifling, it can be claustrophobic, but it only gives way to lightness and hope. At least the baggage is only in the past and not something you have to live with.

The translation is uneven, the translator unable to make up his mind about whether he's writing for an Indian audience or an American one. How much does one translate, how much does one leave in Tamil is the million dollar question, no?

One day I hope to read Perumal Murugan in the language he writes, the language I speak.

[dunkdaft · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's about: One of two unique sequels Perumal Murugan wrote after One Part Woman. Unique, because the story mostly stay different from Trial By Silence. 

What I liked: Though there are chapters that are identical to it in this book, but overall the treatment is so different, apart from the setup and characters, the book stays fresh even after having read Trial by Silence.  I enjoyed the banters between old ladies, so that the gloomy atmosphere gets lightened around Ponna. Similarly cameo of Nallayyan, his talks about lineage, the ritual in village, are all interesting parts. How women empowerment is shown is absorbing.

What I didn't: However, it was a bad idea to pick this up almost right after I finished Trial By Silence. I should have give it some time, because at places, when identical paragraphs to previous books come, you feel like dropping the book and stop reading. Also, the farming talks are just way too much at places which doesn't make a very interesting read. Overall, if these two tales have been made as a single book with two sections, with crisper chapters, it would have been more effective. 

Whom I would suggest this for: For those who liked One Part Woman. A suggestion, skip if you have just read Trial By Silence. Give it some time. A decent one this is, but not better than the other sequel. 

[Vivek KuRa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review of the book -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNArP...

[Thenappan Thenappan · Rating 4 out of 5]

பொன்னா....
காளி ...
பொன்னாவின் நினைவுகள் முழுக்க முழுக்க காளி...
பொன்னாவைச் சுற்றியுள்ள பொருட்கள், இடங்கள் அனைத்திலும் காளியே நிறைந்திருக்கிறான்..

பெண்களையே உலவ விட்டு மாபெரும் கதையை பின்னி இருக்கிறார் பெருமாள் முருகன்.. இத்தனை கதாபாத்திரங்களை மட்டும் வைத்துக் கொண்டு இவ்வளவு அழகான நினைவிழையைப் பின்ன முடியுமா? என்றதொரு கேள்வியை முன்னிறுத்தி புருவம் உயர வைத்திருக்கிறார்...

காளி இறந்த பின் பொன்னாவின் நினைவுகள் வழி நம்மையும் நடத்திச் செல்லி ஒரு வண்ணத்துப்பூச்சியின் வெள்ளை வாழ்வின் வண்ண கனவுக்காய் சிறகடிக்க விடுவதில் நிச்சயமாக வெற்றி அடைந்திருக்கிறார்..

[Swagatam Deva Nath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perumal Murugan wrote two sequels on two probable endings of "One Part Woman". It is one of them. I liked it but not as much as "One Part Woman" or the other sequel "Trial By Silence". For details read my review on "One Part Woman".

[Karthic Sivaswamy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The another sequel to Madhorubagan. I liked Arthanari better than this sequel. It was little boring as if reading the same stuff again and again.

[Madumitha Selvaraj · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the two sequels to One Part Woman, this book is a step further in the direction of dissecting the human psyche for Perumal Murugan. As a therapist, I have always been fascinated and felt challenged by the different perspectives that the human cognitive process brings forth everyday. Of particular interest, for me, has always been how gender plays a role in it. Add to this the dimensions of culture, time period, literacy, socio economic background, etc and you are left with a gamut of topics that you can explore.
What is it to be a widow? In a society that saw women as the "other half" of a man rather than an individual with her own self image......where the rituals and customs ensuing the death of a married man ensured that his soul departed the material world and attained peace and heavenly abode while giving almost zero weightage to the partner left behind who is almost thrust into the netherworld. The white sari and its significance! How the mourning period is boxed into a set of rules that do NOTHING to help her find closure or even the emotional release that her mind would need! The writer captures all of this beautifully while not exactly degrading the rules or rituals, merely stating them for what they are - a system designed to satisfy the society's need for assurance that no man/woman dare go beyond what he/she is allowed instead of letting them go through the grieving process in their own way.

The way Ponna plays with the situations in her mind - How Kali would have reacted had he been around, why he did what he did, the tree and its significance, his way of doing things from planning the farmland's yield and irrigation to how he would touch her, look at her, put himself into a silent spot when people spoke about their childlessness, is fascinating. In a way, she is getting to see what he was when he was alive only after he is gone. She is accepting him finally for what he was after he no longer was. I have seen this with quite a few of the clients I do grief counselling for. Perumal Murugan brings out the raw deal in writing about this.

The other part about this book that stands out is how the family end up supporting each other. And I am being very cautious to NOT say that this is a function of their gender. Of course, Ponna's mother, sister in law and mother in law show their kind face and understanding nature by helping Ponna through her journey of grieving Kali's demise. But I choose to look at this not as a woman's support group. In a way, even her brother and father understand her and support her, even if, in this case, it means they stay out of her way. I tell this to a lot of clients who ask about how they can support a grieving person. What they can do to contribute to making them feel better. Sometimes, staying away and minding your own business until the grieving person himself/herself asks for support or involvement, is the best thing to do. That way, even the men do their bit.

And last, but not the least, the question that is there on most readers' minds when they realise Ponna now gets what they both had always wanted - Why couldn't Kali be around ? What divine power snatched him away from that moment? How unfair for Kali to not become the parent when he was alive, that he must have wanted to be, when he went to all those temples and did the customs to please the Gods?

The way I see it, Kali was scared of the truth. Of what Ponna was and could be. He knew that the beauty of their bond and the trust they both had on each other was broken the minute he realised he could not accept her for "her" actions. To him, what she did was unforgivable because it was her decision, not theirs. And he could not face the reality of it. That she had grown to become that strong a woman! Not trying to sound feminist here, but he was too cowardly to accept her manifesting her freewill. And that in itself, renders him not good enough to be a parent(at least when alive). This raises a question - does every man who becomes a parent prove his worth to be one ? Or is it all just a game for the divine powers to test such people like Kali! The answer is two fold - 1. No, there are a great many people in the world who become parents because they do not understand contraception or are facing the consequences of the urges of sexual desire.
2. Yes - Because, Kali, having gone through the long ordeal of dealing with the world's ridicule at his childlessness, should have found the courage, love and maturity in him to accept Ponna's decision.

In the end, it is Ponna's memory and strength in getting through her grief and her unusual situation that stay with us while Kali manages to get our sympathy and a "could-have-been" thought!

Beautiful book that deserves to be analysed and appreciated and not the controversial treatment and hatred that it(and the writer) was given.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perumal Murugan's 'One Part Woman' ended on a cliffhanger. Kali and Ponna, the childless couple who had endured the taunts of society for not being able to produce an heir were tricked into her attending a festival where 'God' impregnates barren women. They had both been content in the love each had for the other, and neither of them had wanted this intervention and both treated it as a betrayal of their love by the other. The book ended with Kali tying a noose from the branches of a portia tree because he couldn't bear to face the world after the betrayal. The reader was left to create their own end, but when the demand for a sequel became too much, the author came up with two alternate endings- one where Kali is successful in dying by suicide and another where he is prevented from doing so.
'A Lonely Harvest' begins with Kali's mother finding his lifeless body hanging from the branches of a portia tree. Ponna is heartbroken, but far from blaming Kali for leaving her alone, she sees his presence everywhere. Not wanting the village to find out about Ponna's visit to the temple festival, her mother-in-law and mother spin their own story to explain Kali's action, and over multiple retellings, the story almost becomes the truth for them. Once she gets over her intense grief, Ponna turns her energy to farming the land as Kali would have done himself. She is pregnant, but even though she knows how the child was conceived, she convinces herself that it was Kali himself that impregnated her.
This is a book about women. Ponna. Her mother in law. Her mother. Her brother's wife. Assorted Pattis. The midwife. The daughter-in-law of the labourer who herself works in the fields. The women from the village. Each of these women has experienced what it means to be female in a patriarchal society, and even while upholding traditional values, they question social norms. These are the women who rally around Ponna, and give her the courage to carry on. From the interaction between Ponna and the hired labourer, we realise that women enjoy relatively more autonomy in poorer and less privileged communities. The book also exposes the hypocrisy of men using women as objects of lust while continuing to judge women who might express desires of their own.
The passages describing the farm are descriptive and evocative- you are drawn into the circle of harvest and can almost visualise the crops that are grown.
This is the more assured version of the story, and I would personally have liked this to have been the only version.

[Arathi Unni · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is such a raw streak in Perumal Murugan books; it’s like walking in slushy fields, as looming clouds bring in the dusk, while crickets croak their lungs out, under leaves that rustle against the brusque touch of the wind, with the wafting sour smell of tangy toddy.

Trial By Silence and A Lonely Harvest, are alternate endings of the prequel, One Part Woman. The first book, One Part Woman, introduces the characters Ponna & Kali to us, their relationship, their moments of joy & miseries. The story is set in a Tamil Nadu village of the pre-independence era, where Kali & Ponna have been married for more than a decade without any kids. While the book talks about their agony of childlessness, their gazillion efforts for a baby and their social interactions in this backdrop, it also talks about the undying nature of their love. One Part Woman, however ends at a stage where a certain incident draws them to a point of heartbreak and a gash in their marriage. The following books are from parallel universes of our protagonists, where their stories take two different courses.

A Lonely Harvest starts with a tragic beginning, something that makes the reader wonder how the story would proceed, considering the context set in the first book. However, what Perumal Murugan does beautifully is build a strong story from that tragedy and lean on one protagonist and all the ancillary characters to drive the story. In this book too, I love the way Ponna’s character strengthens and takes charge. What I also like is the way Seerayi, Kali’s mother, comes into lead at times and stands-up for her daughter-in-law at all difficult times.

Both the stories delve into the conflict of human emotions, societal triggers & lashes, folklores, culture & festivals, local food & more. Perumal’s writing is so experiential and has such a grounded tangible feeling to it, like you are watching the characters in real. The beauty of these books lie in the simplicity of his words and the complexity of the stories; it is difficult to decide whose side you want to take.

[Prerna Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aftermath of a cascade of tragedies

Still trying to fit in some reading from the @thejcbprize into my very hectic graduate school schedule.
This is one of the two sequels to Perumal Murugan’s One Part Women. I haven’t read that, and hence reading this was mostly a standalone experience for me, I was adequately curious about the prequel but I deduced the premise well enough to enjoy reading this.

Kali and Ponna, a childless couple have waited for twelve years for parental bliss. Out of desperation, ultimately the resort to a measure, that may be accepted in their community, but violates the sanctity of the institution of marriage and ultimately destroys their marriage. At the beginning of this book, Kali commits suicide, and the women around him, Ponna and his mother Seerayi are trying to come to terms with this loss. When they find out that they are on the verge of getting their deepest desire fulfilled, it remains to be seen if that would fill the void of the loss of their beloved.

The writing has all the elements of Murugan’s repertoire. It’s succinct, crass, dramatic and yet honest. The crassness comes from the community that the writer tries to represent and he doesn’t try to sophisticate the language for the sake of aesthetics.
I felt that a lot of time was spent in describing Ponna’s grief and that was very well done. But the portion on childbirth lacked the same detailing, I was not able to figure out Ponna’s feelings as regards to that.

I liked how the writer tries to subtly bring out the dubious moral standards of the society. On one hand, there are traditions where moral code of conduct can be broken to conceive a child, on the other hand the woman has to stand in front of a village council to defend her character and to swear that her husband is the father of her child. And the fact that it’s only the women who is answerable is even more discerning. But then, that’s the bane of our society, isn’t it?

[Saranya Dhandapani · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Book 25 of 2022-ஆலவாயன்
Author- பெருமாள் முருகன்

மாதொருபகனின் இறுதியில் காளிக்கு என்ன ஆயிற்று? பொன்னா கர்ப்பம் ஆனாளா? என்ற கேள்விகளுக்கு விடை இல்லாது முடித்திருப்பார் பெருமாள் முருகன். அதன் பின் முடிவு இப்படி நடந்திருக்கக் கூடும் என்று மாதொருபகனின் தொடர்ச்சியாக இரு நாவல் எழுதியிருக்கிறார்-ஒன்றில் பொன்னா அன்று சென்றதை தாங்கிக்க முடியாமல் காளி இறந்து போகிறான்-அதன் பின் பொன்னாவின் வாழ்க்கை என்ன ஆகிறது என்பது ஒரு நாவல். அது தான் “ஆலவாயன்”.

பொன்னியின் மாமியார் கதாபாத்திரம் இதில் மிகவும் அழகு. ஒரு ஆண்பிள்ளை இல்லாமல் பெண் எப்படி வாழ முடியும் என்ற கேள்விக்கு இந்த கதையின் மூலம் தன் பாணியில் பதில் அளித்திருக்கிறார் மெருமாள் முருகன். முதல் பாகத்தில் வந்த மனிதர்கள் இதில் நமக்கு இன்னும் அன்பானர்களாக தோன்றுவார்கள்.

பொன்னாவை சுற்றி எல்லாவற்றிலும் காளி தான் தெரிகிறான். முழுக்க முழுக்க பெண்களை மையமாக கொண்டு இதை புனைந்திருக்கிறார். தன்னை சுற்றி அத்தனை மக்கள் இருந்தும் காளியின் நினைவிலிருந்து மீள முடியாமல் தவிக்கும் பொன்னா,சொத்திருந்தும் பயந்து ஓடி வாழும் நல்லையன், பிள்ளை போன பின் மருமகளை மகள் போல் தாங்கும் மாமியார் என அத்தனையும் நிறைந்திருந்தாலும் கதை முழுவதும் ஒரு மென் சோகம் படரும். மாதொருபாகன் பிடித்தவர்களுக்கு இது நிச்சயம் பிடிக்கும்.

இதன் கதையை மூன்றே வரியில் சுருக்கி விடலாம். ஆனால் இது பெருமாள் முருகனின் கதையல்லவா? இக்கதையின் வீரியம், பாத்திர படைப்பு, அன்றைய மக்களின் வாழ்க்கை முறை, நம்பிக்கை,நெறிகள்,நெறி மீறல்கள், நல்ல இலகிய மற்றும் பொல்லாத மனசுகள், உணர்ச்சி மற்றும் உணர்ச்சி பெருக்குகள், நியாயங்கள், நியானப்படுத்தல்கள் என பல்தட்டு நுணுக்கங்களை துளியும் சுவை குன்றாமல் வடித்திருக்கிறார் பெருமாள் முருகன்.

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