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The Goat Thief
Perumal Murugan is one of the best Indian writers today. He trains his unsentimental eye on men and women who live in the margins of our society. He tells their stories with deep sympathy and calm clarity.
A lonely night watchman falls in love with the ghost of a rape victim. A terrified young goat thief finds himself surrounded by a mob baying for his blood. An old peasant exhausted by a lifetime of labour is consumed by jealousy and driven to an act of total destruction. Set in the arid Kongu landscape of rural Tamil Nadu, these tales illuminate the extraordinary acts that make up everyday lives.
A lonely night watchman falls in love with the ghost of a rape victim. A terrified young goat thief finds himself surrounded by a mob baying for his blood. An old peasant exhausted by a lifetime of labour is consumed by jealousy and driven to an act of total destruction. Set in the arid Kongu landscape of rural Tamil Nadu, these tales illuminate the extraordinary acts that make up everyday lives.
232 pages, Paperback
Published June 20, 2019
44 people are currently reading
805 people want to read
About the author
Perumal Murugan
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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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
March 11, 2024
I'd been wanting to read a book by Perumal Murugan for a long time, so the chance event of finding this book at a low price at a bookstore was ideal. In my opinion, it was very average. It began well, with some amazing stories, but quickly deteriorated. Mr. Murugan's portrayal of human emotions and sentiments, sometimes motivated by vengeance and grief, is excellent. Personifying them with the strangest things possible.
Overall, I give it three stars and am eager to read more of his work.
The Well ( 3.75 stars)
- Okay, so I'm already addicted; who would have guessed that a normal summer day could turn deadly? I'm really impressed with the use of personification.
The Wailing of toilet bowl (4 stars)
-So, what the hell! I knew this was going to happen as soon as I read the title, but being swallowed up by a toilet bowl is my new nightmare. Send help and support!
And, once again, Mr. Murugan nailed the use of personification; the way he described the *cough* plight of the toilet bowl and his hunger was beyond my imagination. So I personally enjoyed this writing style.
Musical chairs (4 stars)
-The endings of these short stories piqued my interest the most. I like open endings, and these stories fit the bill.
I'll say it again: the way human emotions are personified using lifeless objects is incredible. I've never read anything about power being represented as a chair. And I really like the title because it fits the story so well.
The night owl stopped crying (3 stars)
-In comparison to others, a slightly medicore story could have been more emotional and less substantial. Nonetheless, Mr. Murugan's writing continues to work its magic.
An unexpected visitor (3.15 stars)
- A touching story about a grandmother and her great-grandchildren. How an unexpected visitor or person can change the course of our lives. It's beautifully crafted here.
Mirror of innocence (2.5 stars)
-Happy father's day, father! Now you can fucking go to sleep peacefully.
The goat thief (3 stars)
-It was adequate in my opinion, as it described the plight of the goat thief, who was eventually apprehended in the morning after enduring the night's hardship.
These stories, I believe, are more dependent on narration and writing style than on storyline. For example, if you come here looking for a compelling plot line, you will not find one. However, these stories will assist you in comprehending human emotions.
Shit (3.5 stars)
-A story about how a meaningless object became significant in the most unusual way possible.
The way we view septic tank cleaners is still taboo in Indian society. I witnessed it myself several years ago. Some people who are unfamiliar with Indian culture may find it strange, but it is what it is. Despite the fact that the government has passed several laws to protect sanitary workers, there is still a stigma in society.
Sanctuary (2.5 stars)
-Ahh sorry, getting younger with the well ??? and what was the last reference? Couldn't understand this one.
The man who couldn't sleep (3.5 stars)
-What a dreadful little sad story.
Overall, I give it three stars and am eager to read more of his work.
The Well ( 3.75 stars)
- Okay, so I'm already addicted; who would have guessed that a normal summer day could turn deadly? I'm really impressed with the use of personification.
The Wailing of toilet bowl (4 stars)
-So, what the hell! I knew this was going to happen as soon as I read the title, but being swallowed up by a toilet bowl is my new nightmare. Send help and support!
And, once again, Mr. Murugan nailed the use of personification; the way he described the *cough* plight of the toilet bowl and his hunger was beyond my imagination. So I personally enjoyed this writing style.
Musical chairs (4 stars)
-The endings of these short stories piqued my interest the most. I like open endings, and these stories fit the bill.
I'll say it again: the way human emotions are personified using lifeless objects is incredible. I've never read anything about power being represented as a chair. And I really like the title because it fits the story so well.
The night owl stopped crying (3 stars)
-In comparison to others, a slightly medicore story could have been more emotional and less substantial. Nonetheless, Mr. Murugan's writing continues to work its magic.
An unexpected visitor (3.15 stars)
- A touching story about a grandmother and her great-grandchildren. How an unexpected visitor or person can change the course of our lives. It's beautifully crafted here.
Mirror of innocence (2.5 stars)
-Happy father's day, father! Now you can fucking go to sleep peacefully.
The goat thief (3 stars)
-It was adequate in my opinion, as it described the plight of the goat thief, who was eventually apprehended in the morning after enduring the night's hardship.
These stories, I believe, are more dependent on narration and writing style than on storyline. For example, if you come here looking for a compelling plot line, you will not find one. However, these stories will assist you in comprehending human emotions.
Shit (3.5 stars)
-A story about how a meaningless object became significant in the most unusual way possible.
The way we view septic tank cleaners is still taboo in Indian society. I witnessed it myself several years ago. Some people who are unfamiliar with Indian culture may find it strange, but it is what it is. Despite the fact that the government has passed several laws to protect sanitary workers, there is still a stigma in society.
Sanctuary (2.5 stars)
-Ahh sorry, getting younger with the well ??? and what was the last reference? Couldn't understand this one.
The man who couldn't sleep (3.5 stars)
-What a dreadful little sad story.
November 13, 2021
The book has 10 short stories:
1)The Well 🌟🌟🌟
✔️The tale of a grown up man having h8s l8fe around the village well, having his days well spent with the kids there & ending up his life tragically
2)The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️Let your imagination run wild with this one👍
A young housewife getting to settle down after her marriage in an unknown big city; living in an apartment most of the time by herself when her husband goes to work; the horror of the toilet bowl nagging her all day long!
3)Musical Chairs 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️Obsession theme at its best👍
The attachment to a thing at home. Well we all have been there, haven't we?
4)The Night the Owls Stopped Crying 🌟🌟🌟
✔️Horror and imagination in a well-blended combination
A man getting obsessed with the spirit of a lady; written in a very engaging manner
5)An Unexpected Visitor🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️Loved this one
The relationship between a child and an old lady has been described beautifully with less words; there will always be less words to describe this short story.
6)Mirror of Innocence 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️The dilemma of dealing with a wailing child in the middle of a dead night has been described so well.
7)The Goat Thief 🌟🌟🌟
✔️Well, it is about a goat thief hiding from the rest of the villagers; at the verge of getting caught
8)Shit 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️The most dirtiest, unforgettable short story I have ever read. Literally, I could smell shit while reading every sentence of this one.
The horror of reading about dealing with a place full of human shit. Yet you want to know how the story ends, don't you?
9) Sanctuary 🌟🌟🌟
✔️The joy of being back at your won native place
10)The Man Who Could Not Sleep 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️An awesome tale of a man whose sleep cannot be compromised yet things around him making him unable to sleep for days, yet at the sleep welcomed him. The mind says it all!
*Overall, the writing style was real solid, totally unique and gripping👍
1)The Well 🌟🌟🌟
✔️The tale of a grown up man having h8s l8fe around the village well, having his days well spent with the kids there & ending up his life tragically
2)The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️Let your imagination run wild with this one👍
A young housewife getting to settle down after her marriage in an unknown big city; living in an apartment most of the time by herself when her husband goes to work; the horror of the toilet bowl nagging her all day long!
3)Musical Chairs 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️Obsession theme at its best👍
The attachment to a thing at home. Well we all have been there, haven't we?
4)The Night the Owls Stopped Crying 🌟🌟🌟
✔️Horror and imagination in a well-blended combination
A man getting obsessed with the spirit of a lady; written in a very engaging manner
5)An Unexpected Visitor🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️Loved this one
The relationship between a child and an old lady has been described beautifully with less words; there will always be less words to describe this short story.
6)Mirror of Innocence 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️The dilemma of dealing with a wailing child in the middle of a dead night has been described so well.
7)The Goat Thief 🌟🌟🌟
✔️Well, it is about a goat thief hiding from the rest of the villagers; at the verge of getting caught
8)Shit 🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️The most dirtiest, unforgettable short story I have ever read. Literally, I could smell shit while reading every sentence of this one.
The horror of reading about dealing with a place full of human shit. Yet you want to know how the story ends, don't you?
9) Sanctuary 🌟🌟🌟
✔️The joy of being back at your won native place
10)The Man Who Could Not Sleep 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✔️An awesome tale of a man whose sleep cannot be compromised yet things around him making him unable to sleep for days, yet at the sleep welcomed him. The mind says it all!
*Overall, the writing style was real solid, totally unique and gripping👍
May 9, 2020
Ever since the controversy surrounding Perumal Murugan, I have wanted to read his books. I probably ought to have picked up his novel, but this book of short stories is what came my way first. I found them mildly amusing and interesting, but I disliked the way in which these stories tapered off at the end without any interesting conclusion. Too frequently, I was left a little bewildered as to what Perumal was trying to convey.
An interesting thing I noticed was how frequently the author depicted the village well as the place for young children (boys, mostly) to play. Does this still happen?
The Well: A man is enticed by his nephews and nieces to go to the nearby well and play for some much needed relief from the heat. But once there, the children became rather creepy. I felt this was borrowed from Stephen King's Children of the Corn, except I am not sure it was meant to be creepy? - 2 stars
The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl: A newly married wife gets her first taste of the city and is perplexed by the lack of communication around her. A pot of stale rice keeps brewing in her kitchen to be fed to the toilet bowl and it turns creepy at the end. I have no clue what this story was trying to convey. - 3 stars
Musical Chairs: A married couple moves into a house and gradually, the husband gets the ownership of the chair there. The wife panics that she is going to lose the chair and eventually makes a grab for it. A story about patriarchy in its mild form. - 4 stars
The Night the Owls Stopped Crying: A night watchman gets a job guarding a haunted house. Eventually, he tries to befriend the spirit (female). The ending is abrupt and spoilt a very interesting story. Or was the guy going mad? - 3 stars
An Unexpected Visitor: When an old woman plays hostess to her great-grandson for a few days, she gets an unexpected spark of life in her. It's a very heartwarming story but is left with an open ending. - 4 stars
Mirror of Innocence: A toddler wakes up in the middle of the night and would not go back to sleep until she gets her plaything. There isn't really much of a story here. I disliked the patriarchal narrative as well. - 2 stars
The Goat Thief: The title story of the book is really the one I liked the least. A goat thief is discovered but escapes into the gutter. Does he escape? I couldn't figure it out ... - 1 star
Shit: A bunch of young men live in a house in a village. (Why are young men renting out in a village where there isn't likely to be many jobs?) A septic tank leaks in their backyard and a manual scavenger is called to clean it up. A good look at how some people are still treated subpar for cleaning up your shit while you wouldn't even touch it. But I didn't really understand the role of the tumbler here. Nevertheless ... - 4 stars
Sanctuary: A young man, on holiday in his village, whiles away the time at the well playing with the young boys. I got a bit tired of the male, male, male life of the last few stories here. And I was annoyed at the ending because wtf was the author trying to convey? - 1 star
The Man Who Could Not Sleep: A man admires a young man for being dynamic and building a house so early in life. But deep inside, it's really envy. Decent enough story. - 3 stars
Most of these stories were extremely male-oriented, and looked at life mostly through a man's eyes. Even where women were present, there were intensely patriarchal relationships. I am also surprised at the depiction of all women in the book as housewives. I genuinely expected better in this respect from Perumal.
I'll probably try reading at least one of his novels, but this book of short stories has left me rather underwhelmed. Still, if you want a glimpse of rural Tamil Nadu, this can be a good, short read.
An interesting thing I noticed was how frequently the author depicted the village well as the place for young children (boys, mostly) to play. Does this still happen?
The Well: A man is enticed by his nephews and nieces to go to the nearby well and play for some much needed relief from the heat. But once there, the children became rather creepy. I felt this was borrowed from Stephen King's Children of the Corn, except I am not sure it was meant to be creepy? - 2 stars
The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl: A newly married wife gets her first taste of the city and is perplexed by the lack of communication around her. A pot of stale rice keeps brewing in her kitchen to be fed to the toilet bowl and it turns creepy at the end. I have no clue what this story was trying to convey. - 3 stars
Musical Chairs: A married couple moves into a house and gradually, the husband gets the ownership of the chair there. The wife panics that she is going to lose the chair and eventually makes a grab for it. A story about patriarchy in its mild form. - 4 stars
The Night the Owls Stopped Crying: A night watchman gets a job guarding a haunted house. Eventually, he tries to befriend the spirit (female). The ending is abrupt and spoilt a very interesting story. Or was the guy going mad? - 3 stars
An Unexpected Visitor: When an old woman plays hostess to her great-grandson for a few days, she gets an unexpected spark of life in her. It's a very heartwarming story but is left with an open ending. - 4 stars
Mirror of Innocence: A toddler wakes up in the middle of the night and would not go back to sleep until she gets her plaything. There isn't really much of a story here. I disliked the patriarchal narrative as well. - 2 stars
The Goat Thief: The title story of the book is really the one I liked the least. A goat thief is discovered but escapes into the gutter. Does he escape? I couldn't figure it out ... - 1 star
Shit: A bunch of young men live in a house in a village. (Why are young men renting out in a village where there isn't likely to be many jobs?) A septic tank leaks in their backyard and a manual scavenger is called to clean it up. A good look at how some people are still treated subpar for cleaning up your shit while you wouldn't even touch it. But I didn't really understand the role of the tumbler here. Nevertheless ... - 4 stars
Sanctuary: A young man, on holiday in his village, whiles away the time at the well playing with the young boys. I got a bit tired of the male, male, male life of the last few stories here. And I was annoyed at the ending because wtf was the author trying to convey? - 1 star
The Man Who Could Not Sleep: A man admires a young man for being dynamic and building a house so early in life. But deep inside, it's really envy. Decent enough story. - 3 stars
Most of these stories were extremely male-oriented, and looked at life mostly through a man's eyes. Even where women were present, there were intensely patriarchal relationships. I am also surprised at the depiction of all women in the book as housewives. I genuinely expected better in this respect from Perumal.
I'll probably try reading at least one of his novels, but this book of short stories has left me rather underwhelmed. Still, if you want a glimpse of rural Tamil Nadu, this can be a good, short read.
June 19, 2018
3.5
A collection of 10 short stories.
Most of the stories are based on rural settings. More than a couple of them stitched around a well.
A couple of abstract endings.
Overall fun to read.
A collection of 10 short stories.
Most of the stories are based on rural settings. More than a couple of them stitched around a well.
A couple of abstract endings.
Overall fun to read.
November 15, 2017
Famed Tamilian writer, Perumal Murugan's 10 short stories have been compiled into this volume called The Goat Thief. Steeped in cultural nuances and throwing light on the simplicities of life, the stories draw our attention towards the very nature of humanity; be it seeking company or obsessing over ordinary objects. Some of these tales are testament to the hardships that people from lower tiers of society undergo. And by imbuing common occurrences with an almost surreal quality, this book digs its talons deep into the psyche of the reader. In Mirror of Innocence and Musical Chairs, you'll read about household objects that grow to mean something different to certain inhabitants. Whereas, The Well and Sanctuary are two stories that hauntingly convey how the protagonist loses himself in the depths of a well.
I'm not all that familiar with translated literature, but if they are anywhere as good as this one, sign me up! What's refreshing about this collection of short stories is that they concern the most random of things like salt shaker, toilet bowls, tumblers, wells, chairs etc. and yet there's something so captivating about the narration. You can't help but be in awe of how realistically basic human sentiments are unearthed by such ordinary events. As far as the form goes, there's very little dialogue in all of these short stories. But that didn't deter me, because the narrative was so reminiscent of several quirks and attributes unique to Indians. Two of my favourite stories are An Unexpected Visitor and The Well. Another factor that I simply LOVED about this book is that the stories have ambiguous or abrupt endings. And you can't even see it coming. All in all, this collection is a quick read; appealing to those who enjoy stories that challenge the norms of possibility and bring out the endearing quality of companionship. I thoroughly enjoyed it and so, I urge you to pick it up!
What do you get out of it? A microscopic glimpse at the lives of individuals from different backgrounds, the little things that keep them going.
Thank you Juggernaut for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
I'm not all that familiar with translated literature, but if they are anywhere as good as this one, sign me up! What's refreshing about this collection of short stories is that they concern the most random of things like salt shaker, toilet bowls, tumblers, wells, chairs etc. and yet there's something so captivating about the narration. You can't help but be in awe of how realistically basic human sentiments are unearthed by such ordinary events. As far as the form goes, there's very little dialogue in all of these short stories. But that didn't deter me, because the narrative was so reminiscent of several quirks and attributes unique to Indians. Two of my favourite stories are An Unexpected Visitor and The Well. Another factor that I simply LOVED about this book is that the stories have ambiguous or abrupt endings. And you can't even see it coming. All in all, this collection is a quick read; appealing to those who enjoy stories that challenge the norms of possibility and bring out the endearing quality of companionship. I thoroughly enjoyed it and so, I urge you to pick it up!
What do you get out of it? A microscopic glimpse at the lives of individuals from different backgrounds, the little things that keep them going.
Thank you Juggernaut for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
July 21, 2025
I am going to update my rating to 4 stars.
it was a deceptive aberration to compare this collection of short stories to perumal murugan's work that I've read previously. this book is replete with surrealism which acted as a sturdy metaphor of various human experiences, be it a homebound wife's drudgery or a worker's disembodiment. the writing required me to part with my preconceived notions of what to expect from murugan and pushed me towards a complex understanding of oppressive structures that turn fluid at the normalising of such atrocities against our being.
it was a deceptive aberration to compare this collection of short stories to perumal murugan's work that I've read previously. this book is replete with surrealism which acted as a sturdy metaphor of various human experiences, be it a homebound wife's drudgery or a worker's disembodiment. the writing required me to part with my preconceived notions of what to expect from murugan and pushed me towards a complex understanding of oppressive structures that turn fluid at the normalising of such atrocities against our being.
September 28, 2020
I just finished this collection of short stories, but my mind is lingering in the magic weaved by Perumal Murugan. The collection has 10 short stories, all equal in brilliance. The storytelling is so gripping and engaging it fills you with thrill, once started you just can't stop, as if the words are enchanted and you're moving in, hypnotised with their essence. Murugan writes about the most mundane this and fill them with life, everything seems magically extraordinary and deep.
My favourite of these all, and the one I believe I'd keep returning to is The Well. In this story he has webbed words around the natural beauty of the South Indian countryside and made it so mysterious and beautiful, it seems like reading magical realism.
The other remarkable feature of his story is the humour and wit, that he writes so effortlessly. The other story that surprised me unexpectedly was Shit (it was titled Shit it's not shit 😂) This one started at a humourous note, and made me crack up several times, and the slowly without dropping the humour it started attacking the double standards and stereotypes of the society to the point that you couldn't laugh at the jokes but feel guilty and can't raise your eyes.
This was definitely one of the best reads I had this year and if you're thinking of reading Perumal Murugan I'd suggest you to start with this one.
My favourite of these all, and the one I believe I'd keep returning to is The Well. In this story he has webbed words around the natural beauty of the South Indian countryside and made it so mysterious and beautiful, it seems like reading magical realism.
The other remarkable feature of his story is the humour and wit, that he writes so effortlessly. The other story that surprised me unexpectedly was Shit (it was titled Shit it's not shit 😂) This one started at a humourous note, and made me crack up several times, and the slowly without dropping the humour it started attacking the double standards and stereotypes of the society to the point that you couldn't laugh at the jokes but feel guilty and can't raise your eyes.
This was definitely one of the best reads I had this year and if you're thinking of reading Perumal Murugan I'd suggest you to start with this one.
June 19, 2021
Read my detailed review here - https://www.bookgeeks.in/the-goat-thi...
March 11, 2018
This was my first reading of Perumal Murugan's writing, and it's translated from Tamil to English by N. Kalyan Raman.
Although I haven't read much in terms of translated stories from Indian languages, the little I have seems to be carrying the weight of problems in society in a somewhat dramatic manner, with the layers being rendered in a heavy-handed manner. This book of short stories, however, trains its gaze on our primal selves and does it by stripping away the narrative layers to zone in on a single behaviour or set of behaviours . Whether it is the fear of the village-bred wife when confronted with the wailing orifice that is the commode in her bathroom in a city apartment, or the goat thief's constant frame of mind of being pursued, a prized drinking glass that has been defiled, the mindset of the village well or a couple's possessiveness over a chair.
My personal favourites were Musical Chairs (about a couple and their personal equation in relation to chairs), An Unexpected Visitor (about a child who is left under the care of his great grandmother for a brief while) and Mirror of innocence (about a crying child who can't express what she wants and how her family is rendered sleepless by this).
I am sure there are many metaphors and allegories in the stories that I've absorbed but it will take some time for me to articulate them.
A note of warning, there is a foundation or ruralism (is there such a word?) so bodily functions like piss and shit are mentioned in a matter-of-fact manner. If you don't like reading such stuff, you might want to avoid this book (or at least the story, Shit).
I would say that it may not be the most pleasant bedtime read, but it left me in much better spirits than the other translations of Indian writing I have read. I'm hoping to find some of the stories to read in their Tamil original - worth testing my basic grasp of the language!
Although I haven't read much in terms of translated stories from Indian languages, the little I have seems to be carrying the weight of problems in society in a somewhat dramatic manner, with the layers being rendered in a heavy-handed manner. This book of short stories, however, trains its gaze on our primal selves and does it by stripping away the narrative layers to zone in on a single behaviour or set of behaviours . Whether it is the fear of the village-bred wife when confronted with the wailing orifice that is the commode in her bathroom in a city apartment, or the goat thief's constant frame of mind of being pursued, a prized drinking glass that has been defiled, the mindset of the village well or a couple's possessiveness over a chair.
My personal favourites were Musical Chairs (about a couple and their personal equation in relation to chairs), An Unexpected Visitor (about a child who is left under the care of his great grandmother for a brief while) and Mirror of innocence (about a crying child who can't express what she wants and how her family is rendered sleepless by this).
I am sure there are many metaphors and allegories in the stories that I've absorbed but it will take some time for me to articulate them.
A note of warning, there is a foundation or ruralism (is there such a word?) so bodily functions like piss and shit are mentioned in a matter-of-fact manner. If you don't like reading such stuff, you might want to avoid this book (or at least the story, Shit).
I would say that it may not be the most pleasant bedtime read, but it left me in much better spirits than the other translations of Indian writing I have read. I'm hoping to find some of the stories to read in their Tamil original - worth testing my basic grasp of the language!
December 31, 2017
I absolutely loved this eclectic collection of ten short stories.
‘The Well’ is the opening story with an unexpected turn. It is a very ‘well’-constructed story that sets the mood of the readers to expect the unexpected. After that set up, the nine other stories continue to engage the readers in different ways. Some stories warm your heart, some stories are eccentric in a good way and some stories simply blows your mind with its simplicity. My favourite story in the book is ‘An Unexpected Visitor’ where the relationship between a young boy and his ‘Paati’ was really endearing.
Each story is different and has something different to offer to the readers. Yet there is a common thread linking them all. The stories are based on the simplest things in life and the nuances of human relationships. I had to often stop and contemplate how the author has managed to capture the things we tend to overlook in our modern and fast paced lives. The smallest things that can make big differences; a well or a chair or the loneliness of a housewife or a cornered goat thief or a night watchman desperate for company. The depth of relationships and emotions captured in the stories just amazed me.
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
February 4, 2019
Beautiful set of shorts. Set in different settings - some in villages, some in cities, but almost always picking up the threads of human interactions and holding it up to the Sun. Be it a husband and wife, and their possession battles over chairs, or a wife dealing with the previous day’s rice even though in the City no one comes to claim it, ever. Or an old lady brought to life with the sudden visit of her great-grandson. It is hard not to be reminded of RKN in how the stories move. That is expected since our first exposure to short fiction set in small-town or rural India was through him. But Murugan’s writing goes beyond that. The story “Shit” makes you feel the smell of shit and hold your breath as you read through it. The Well starts idyllic and slowly pulls you in with the sudden malice.
Excellent set of shorts. Hope to read in Tamil one day.
Excellent set of shorts. Hope to read in Tamil one day.
January 30, 2018
I have read many good reviews for the books of the author Perumal Murugan. He is the renowned Tamil author whose books have been created quite a buzz in literature. This book was on the shelf for a long and finally, I managed to finish this book. The title of this book was quite unusual but it increased my curiosity. So, let’s move to know more about this book.
Summary:
Set in the landscape of rural Tamil Nadu, this book compiles ten short stories selected by the author. Each story is different from the others.
The first story, ‘The Well’ narrates the protagonist who is invited to be with the children near the well. The story took an unexpected turn in the end.
The second title, ‘The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl’ is a story of a newlywed woman who hails from the village and tries to adjust her life in the city. Many things are new for her and there is a thing which troubles her but no one can help.
The third story is ‘Musical Chairs’ which is totally amusing. A couple went to reside in the new home and there is one chair which grabs their attention. They were happy by finding such a beautiful chair but slowly this chair disturbs their relationship.
Next title is ‘The Night the Owls Stopped crying’ depicts a story of a night watchman who has a totally different routine compare to the one who works in the day. Next, he finds a strange companion which created troubles for him.
‘An unexpected visitor’ is a heartwarming story where old Paati who used to think that she is of no use gets a chance to take care the 6-years-old great-grandson.
‘Mirror of Innocence’ narrates a story of a child, who starts crying in the middle of the night. She wants a particular thing but nobody has an idea what is it?
‘The Goat Thief’, as the name depicts is the story of a man who steals goats from the people’s house. Then one day, his steal went wrong and the villagers tried to nab him. He tries to hide but will he be successful?
‘Shit’ is a story where a group of boys has to surrender their beautiful tumbler to the person who cleaned the septic tank.
‘Sanctuary’ is a story of a man who visited his native village. Not able to spend his time well, he slowly got a task near the village well.
The last title, ‘The Man Who Could Not Sleep’ is a story of an old man who gets a deep sleep but due to jealousy he lost his sleep and does an unthinkable thing.
My Perception:
This book totally awed me. The protagonist of each story is just a common people who are around us but we tend to ignore them. The author has simply brought the life to these ignored emotions and characters. My personal favorites are ‘The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl’, ‘Musical Chairs’, ‘The Night the Owls Stopped crying’, ‘An unexpected visitor’, ‘The Goat Thief’ and ‘The Man Who Could Not Sleep’. The stories of this book are not random stories which you can read vaguely. Here you have to understand the hidden story behind the story. I am really amazed how amusingly the author has weaved everything and put it into limited words. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Strongly recommend this book to every bookworm.
Summary:
Set in the landscape of rural Tamil Nadu, this book compiles ten short stories selected by the author. Each story is different from the others.
The first story, ‘The Well’ narrates the protagonist who is invited to be with the children near the well. The story took an unexpected turn in the end.
The second title, ‘The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl’ is a story of a newlywed woman who hails from the village and tries to adjust her life in the city. Many things are new for her and there is a thing which troubles her but no one can help.
The third story is ‘Musical Chairs’ which is totally amusing. A couple went to reside in the new home and there is one chair which grabs their attention. They were happy by finding such a beautiful chair but slowly this chair disturbs their relationship.
Next title is ‘The Night the Owls Stopped crying’ depicts a story of a night watchman who has a totally different routine compare to the one who works in the day. Next, he finds a strange companion which created troubles for him.
‘An unexpected visitor’ is a heartwarming story where old Paati who used to think that she is of no use gets a chance to take care the 6-years-old great-grandson.
‘Mirror of Innocence’ narrates a story of a child, who starts crying in the middle of the night. She wants a particular thing but nobody has an idea what is it?
‘The Goat Thief’, as the name depicts is the story of a man who steals goats from the people’s house. Then one day, his steal went wrong and the villagers tried to nab him. He tries to hide but will he be successful?
‘Shit’ is a story where a group of boys has to surrender their beautiful tumbler to the person who cleaned the septic tank.
‘Sanctuary’ is a story of a man who visited his native village. Not able to spend his time well, he slowly got a task near the village well.
The last title, ‘The Man Who Could Not Sleep’ is a story of an old man who gets a deep sleep but due to jealousy he lost his sleep and does an unthinkable thing.
My Perception:
This book totally awed me. The protagonist of each story is just a common people who are around us but we tend to ignore them. The author has simply brought the life to these ignored emotions and characters. My personal favorites are ‘The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl’, ‘Musical Chairs’, ‘The Night the Owls Stopped crying’, ‘An unexpected visitor’, ‘The Goat Thief’ and ‘The Man Who Could Not Sleep’. The stories of this book are not random stories which you can read vaguely. Here you have to understand the hidden story behind the story. I am really amazed how amusingly the author has weaved everything and put it into limited words. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Strongly recommend this book to every bookworm.
November 30, 2017
The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 short stories, each with riveting subjects which will surely intrigue every single reader. It starts with The Well where the protagonist went for a leisure swim with some kids but things take a wild turn in an unexpected end. The second story The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl is the story of an innocent newlywed bride who hails from a village but has moved to the city to live with her husband. As she tries to settle in the new environment, there are a couple of things which troubles her & her husband isn’t much of help either instead he instills another fear which proves to be deadly. To read more such stories which will surely get your jaw dropped to the ground, get this book.
Read the full review on Just Another Bookaholic
Read the full review on Just Another Bookaholic
June 22, 2019
I did like some stories, though I didn't few of them. I'm not a fan of open endings so this wasn't my piece of cake
March 11, 2021
The GoatThief by Perumal Murugan, translated by N Kalyan Raman is a collection of ten short stories, each one unique in the way it sets out to establish a mood. The stories are crafted exquisitely, teasing readers with their interplay of mood,setting and cast of characters, their dilemmas and reminiscences. They are rooted in a rural ambience but more than the setting in terms of the geography, what stands out is how each story take on alife force of its own with moments that are partly magical, part mythical but bringing the author’s flair for placing the mood of the story as it unfolds piece by piece and the situations and emotions the characters find themselves in.
Two of the stories: The Well and Sanctuary has the village well as the setting where most of the action is set. The main characters in both are an adult and a few children. Both examine the careless innocence of childhood but they play out distinctly from one another with the former story hinting at an undercurrent of an evil that children can be capable of, something that is often not addressed. Sanctuary stays firmly in the innocence of the young, the daring of adventure and the longing for youth.
There is the stench of uneasiness and abhorrence in Shit, a story that revolves around a manual scavenger as seen from the eyes of a few entitled youth while Musical Chairs with its theme of perceived communication in a marital space will leave you smiling away. The title story will leave you with some tense moments. Go read this if you haven't already.
Full review here: https://bookandconversations.wordpres...
Two of the stories: The Well and Sanctuary has the village well as the setting where most of the action is set. The main characters in both are an adult and a few children. Both examine the careless innocence of childhood but they play out distinctly from one another with the former story hinting at an undercurrent of an evil that children can be capable of, something that is often not addressed. Sanctuary stays firmly in the innocence of the young, the daring of adventure and the longing for youth.
There is the stench of uneasiness and abhorrence in Shit, a story that revolves around a manual scavenger as seen from the eyes of a few entitled youth while Musical Chairs with its theme of perceived communication in a marital space will leave you smiling away. The title story will leave you with some tense moments. Go read this if you haven't already.
Full review here: https://bookandconversations.wordpres...
November 16, 2020
Between a three and four. Six out of the ten stories worked for me. There is a certain rawness and honesty in these stories that makes them endearing. Typically stories set in a rural setting end up being very unrelatable, but somehow Perumal Murugan succeeds in ensuring there’s something in it for the reader every time.
August 6, 2023
A collection of stories that speak to life. Each story has something to make it stand out. My favourite was "An Unexpected Visitor" which shared the bond between an old woman and her great grandson. Another story, "Mirror of Innocence" shows how even the plainest of items can be priceless for someone else. I wasn't overfond of the title story though. I've read a few books by this author now and I like his style of writing. The translation by this translator seems good, though I have no way to read it in Tamil to say how true to the original it is.
September 17, 2025
A very bizarre collection of stories. Funny but confusing at times and incredibly strange at others.
July 2, 2023
......I sincerely hope these are not his best stories.
May 26, 2020
It's a collection of 10 stories 2-3 were too good.. Remaining r average.
And mostly all characters r nameless and climax r open for readers... I Didn't love that idea as a reader
And mostly all characters r nameless and climax r open for readers... I Didn't love that idea as a reader
November 29, 2017
Full & Detailed review: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/2017/...
The Goat Thief by Perumal Murugan takes a slice of life, the thinnest sliver of one, and illuminates it, and the revelation is dazzling. The stories inevitably turn on the protagonists. The intensity and the relentlessness with which the characters find their situations changed for the worse is totally inexorable.
In The Well, we watch with disbelief as an innocent episode of swimming in a well, along with three children, aged 8-12, becomes dangerous for a man.
This story sets the stage for the others, and we become mentally prepared to realise that we will learn to identify with the protagonists of Perumal Murugan’s stories only to watch them suffer, often for no fault of theirs. It is a reminder about how life, and society, often stacks the odds against us.
In The Wailing of the Toilet Bowl, a newly married woman overestimates the amount of rice she must cook for the day, and the leftovers end up in a vat filled with stale rice. The question of how to get rid of it torments her. Her husband pours the contents of the vat into the toilet bowl, and so begins her irrational fear of the never-satisfied hunger pangs of the toilet bowl.
In Musical Chairs, a husband and wife become obsessed with a chair they find in their new house. By and by, the couple find themselves driven apart by their desire for the special chair. The wife then prevails upon her husband to buy her a chair of her own, but he transfers his obsession to the new chair, and it too becomes a source of friction.
In The Night the Owls Stopped Crying, Raju, a night watchman, falls in love with the ghost of a rape victim who haunts the sprawling estate that he has been hired to guard. He thinks his suit is doing well, until the living begin to pose a hindrance to his dreams.
In An Unexpected Visitor, an old woman who lives alone, vainly hoping that Death will claim her, discovers a renewed burst of energy when her granddaughter and her husband ask her to look after their six-year-old son for a few days.
In Mirror of Innocence, a two-year-old girl wakes up in the middle of the night bawling and demanding a certain something and frustrating her parents and grandmother. There can be no peace or sleep until that thing is identified, discovered and given to her. Here, the author captured very well the frustration of parents when little children throw tantrums.
In The Goat Thief, Boopathy, the eponymous thief, tries to escape with a stolen goat under the cover of darkness. His efforts fail, and he loses the goat. When he tries to make a getaway, he finds himself chased by the villagers. Feeling completely beleaguered, he rushes madly into a coconut grove, only to find himself dangerously trapped.
In the starkly named Shit, we come to know of the narrator and his friends, all bachelors, residing in a large rented house. They live a good life, drinking when they want to. The star attraction of their drinking episodes is an attractive plastic tumbler, that one of them gets to drink from, in turns, while the others make do with steel tumblers. The house they live is enveloped in a dirty stench, caused by a rupture in the pipe leading from the toilet to the septic tank. To repair the problem, the friends must pay a sweeper Rs 500, an amount that seems exorbitant, until the narrator, and we, realise the enormity of the sweeper’s efforts.
In Sanctuary, the narrator, a youth becomes so engrossed in the games he plays with little boys in a well, that he actually regresses to a child himself.
Muthu Pattar is The Man Who Could Not Sleep. The insomnia is a strange affliction for him, a hardworking old man who has always rested well after hard labour. The cause of the insomnia is a sudden spurt of jealousy he feels, and he resolves his problem in the only way he knows how.
The heroes and heroines of Murugan’s world are threatened in their own stories. The character swimming in the well, the newly married housewife all alone at home, they all find themselves consumed by their circumstances. And yet, even as they find themselves alone, one can sense their fortunes being guided by Murugan, who feels deeply for them in their predicament.
The long paragraphs, most of which are over-a-page in size, invite us to immerse ourselves in the story. Like the protagonist in The Well, we jump in with jolly abandon only to find that it is not so easy to get out of it, to extricate ourselves from the clutches of the little tyrants. The stories, like the well, claim us.
The Goat Thief by Perumal Murugan takes a slice of life, the thinnest sliver of one, and illuminates it, and the revelation is dazzling. The stories inevitably turn on the protagonists. The intensity and the relentlessness with which the characters find their situations changed for the worse is totally inexorable.
In The Well, we watch with disbelief as an innocent episode of swimming in a well, along with three children, aged 8-12, becomes dangerous for a man.
This story sets the stage for the others, and we become mentally prepared to realise that we will learn to identify with the protagonists of Perumal Murugan’s stories only to watch them suffer, often for no fault of theirs. It is a reminder about how life, and society, often stacks the odds against us.
In The Wailing of the Toilet Bowl, a newly married woman overestimates the amount of rice she must cook for the day, and the leftovers end up in a vat filled with stale rice. The question of how to get rid of it torments her. Her husband pours the contents of the vat into the toilet bowl, and so begins her irrational fear of the never-satisfied hunger pangs of the toilet bowl.
In Musical Chairs, a husband and wife become obsessed with a chair they find in their new house. By and by, the couple find themselves driven apart by their desire for the special chair. The wife then prevails upon her husband to buy her a chair of her own, but he transfers his obsession to the new chair, and it too becomes a source of friction.
In The Night the Owls Stopped Crying, Raju, a night watchman, falls in love with the ghost of a rape victim who haunts the sprawling estate that he has been hired to guard. He thinks his suit is doing well, until the living begin to pose a hindrance to his dreams.
In An Unexpected Visitor, an old woman who lives alone, vainly hoping that Death will claim her, discovers a renewed burst of energy when her granddaughter and her husband ask her to look after their six-year-old son for a few days.
In Mirror of Innocence, a two-year-old girl wakes up in the middle of the night bawling and demanding a certain something and frustrating her parents and grandmother. There can be no peace or sleep until that thing is identified, discovered and given to her. Here, the author captured very well the frustration of parents when little children throw tantrums.
In The Goat Thief, Boopathy, the eponymous thief, tries to escape with a stolen goat under the cover of darkness. His efforts fail, and he loses the goat. When he tries to make a getaway, he finds himself chased by the villagers. Feeling completely beleaguered, he rushes madly into a coconut grove, only to find himself dangerously trapped.
In the starkly named Shit, we come to know of the narrator and his friends, all bachelors, residing in a large rented house. They live a good life, drinking when they want to. The star attraction of their drinking episodes is an attractive plastic tumbler, that one of them gets to drink from, in turns, while the others make do with steel tumblers. The house they live is enveloped in a dirty stench, caused by a rupture in the pipe leading from the toilet to the septic tank. To repair the problem, the friends must pay a sweeper Rs 500, an amount that seems exorbitant, until the narrator, and we, realise the enormity of the sweeper’s efforts.
In Sanctuary, the narrator, a youth becomes so engrossed in the games he plays with little boys in a well, that he actually regresses to a child himself.
Muthu Pattar is The Man Who Could Not Sleep. The insomnia is a strange affliction for him, a hardworking old man who has always rested well after hard labour. The cause of the insomnia is a sudden spurt of jealousy he feels, and he resolves his problem in the only way he knows how.
The heroes and heroines of Murugan’s world are threatened in their own stories. The character swimming in the well, the newly married housewife all alone at home, they all find themselves consumed by their circumstances. And yet, even as they find themselves alone, one can sense their fortunes being guided by Murugan, who feels deeply for them in their predicament.
The long paragraphs, most of which are over-a-page in size, invite us to immerse ourselves in the story. Like the protagonist in The Well, we jump in with jolly abandon only to find that it is not so easy to get out of it, to extricate ourselves from the clutches of the little tyrants. The stories, like the well, claim us.
December 4, 2017
Moments That Make Life
Ordinary moments makes life extra-ordinary. Yes, life is all about the small moments, when felt intensely forms a memorable part of lives. This is the thought that reverberates in all of the short stories. I am glad that I got this opportunity read works of the celebrated Tamil author Perumal Murugan, thanks to N Kalyan Raman’s translation. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 simple stories that irradiates the rustic charm.
‘The Well’ the first story is extremely sweet; while the narration is on, you can actually feel the fun and frolic that you can experience only in a well in a village and not even in the plushest swimming pool. Likewise the other stories are small snippets of lives that can happen on a regular day, in our daily lives.
My personal favourite is ‘An Unexpected Visitor’. It is a story cute little anecdote of an ‘Ajji’ – a grandmother’s life that transforms completely after her grandson comes to visit her. The emotions of an old widow is beautifully displayed and is quite touching.
‘The Wailing Of A Toilet Bowl’ is not something I could comprehend much; the conclusion can be deciphered depending upon perspectives. Similar is the case with ‘Musical Chairs’, I am still thinking what exactly happened with the chair….. however, it is funny story.
As much as the praises to the author, the translator is also eligible for the credits. The narration smoothly flows into your head and dives deep, registering the moments into your memories.
My takeaway: At the cost of sounding repetitive, it is small moments in life if thoroughly lived and felt, makes life worth living and memorable.
My rating: 4 out of 5
I received a review copy of the book from Juggernaut in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.Ordinary moments makes life extra-ordinary. Yes, life is all about the small moments, when felt intensely forms a memorable part of lives. This is the thought that reverberates in all of the short stories. I am glad that I got this opportunity read works of the celebrated Tamil author Perumal Murugan, thanks to N Kalyan Raman’s translation. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 simple stories that irradiates the rustic charm.
‘The Well’ the first story is extremely sweet; while the narration is on, you can actually feel the fun and frolic that you can experience only in a well in a village and not even in the plushest swimming pool. Likewise the other stories are small snippets of lives that can happen on a regular day, in our daily lives.
My personal favourite is ‘An Unexpected Visitor’. It is a story cute little anecdote of an ‘Ajji’ – a grandmother’s life that transforms completely after her grandson comes to visit her. The emotions of an old widow is beautifully displayed and is quite touching.
‘The Wailing Of A Toilet Bowl’ is not something I could comprehend much; the conclusion can be deciphered depending upon perspectives. Similar is the case with ‘Musical Chairs’, I am still thinking what exactly happened with the chair….. however, it is funny story.
As much as the praises to the author, the translator is also eligible for the credits. The narration smoothly flows into your head and dives deep, registering the moments into your memories.
My takeaway: At the cost of sounding repetitive, it is small moments in life if thoroughly lived and felt, makes life worth living and memorable.
My rating: 4 out of 5
I received a review copy of the book from Juggernaut in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Ordinary moments makes life extra-ordinary. Yes, life is all about the small moments, when felt intensely forms a memorable part of lives. This is the thought that reverberates in all of the short stories. I am glad that I got this opportunity read works of the celebrated Tamil author Perumal Murugan, thanks to N Kalyan Raman’s translation. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 simple stories that irradiates the rustic charm.
‘The Well’ the first story is extremely sweet; while the narration is on, you can actually feel the fun and frolic that you can experience only in a well in a village and not even in the plushest swimming pool. Likewise the other stories are small snippets of lives that can happen on a regular day, in our daily lives.
My personal favourite is ‘An Unexpected Visitor’. It is a story cute little anecdote of an ‘Ajji’ – a grandmother’s life that transforms completely after her grandson comes to visit her. The emotions of an old widow is beautifully displayed and is quite touching.
‘The Wailing Of A Toilet Bowl’ is not something I could comprehend much; the conclusion can be deciphered depending upon perspectives. Similar is the case with ‘Musical Chairs’, I am still thinking what exactly happened with the chair….. however, it is funny story.
As much as the praises to the author, the translator is also eligible for the credits. The narration smoothly flows into your head and dives deep, registering the moments into your memories.
My takeaway: At the cost of sounding repetitive, it is small moments in life if thoroughly lived and felt, makes life worth living and memorable.
My rating: 4 out of 5
I received a review copy of the book from Juggernaut in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.Ordinary moments makes life extra-ordinary. Yes, life is all about the small moments, when felt intensely forms a memorable part of lives. This is the thought that reverberates in all of the short stories. I am glad that I got this opportunity read works of the celebrated Tamil author Perumal Murugan, thanks to N Kalyan Raman’s translation. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 simple stories that irradiates the rustic charm.
‘The Well’ the first story is extremely sweet; while the narration is on, you can actually feel the fun and frolic that you can experience only in a well in a village and not even in the plushest swimming pool. Likewise the other stories are small snippets of lives that can happen on a regular day, in our daily lives.
My personal favourite is ‘An Unexpected Visitor’. It is a story cute little anecdote of an ‘Ajji’ – a grandmother’s life that transforms completely after her grandson comes to visit her. The emotions of an old widow is beautifully displayed and is quite touching.
‘The Wailing Of A Toilet Bowl’ is not something I could comprehend much; the conclusion can be deciphered depending upon perspectives. Similar is the case with ‘Musical Chairs’, I am still thinking what exactly happened with the chair….. however, it is funny story.
As much as the praises to the author, the translator is also eligible for the credits. The narration smoothly flows into your head and dives deep, registering the moments into your memories.
My takeaway: At the cost of sounding repetitive, it is small moments in life if thoroughly lived and felt, makes life worth living and memorable.
My rating: 4 out of 5
I received a review copy of the book from Juggernaut in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
September 5, 2018
Perumal Murugan’s collection of 10 stories was a delight to read. I enjoyed all of them, and it gave me a unique perspective into the lives of the rural and urban Tamil Nadu community.
Apart from the obvious themes of village life and lonely characters, two themes crop up very prominently: Perumal Murugan seems very fascinated with wells and sewage (shit, literally). ‘The Well’ and ‘Sanctuary’ are about boys swimming in wells, and sewage and poo feature in ‘The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl’, ‘The Goat Thief’ and ‘Shit’. The last is a hilarious story about a group of adult men living in a house who could not deal with the sewage leak in the back garden. A story about a prized water tumbler is interspersed in that short story, and towards the end we find out how they are related.
The Goat Thief is pretty funny, about a man who learns the art of stealing goats from his father. On his first job, he gets the jitters about stealing from a lonely old woman, but he remembers his father’s advice: “There’s hardship in everyone’s life. If we start worrying about that, we’ll never be able to practise our trade [stealing goats]. Better keep our hardship in mind” (p.132) Absolutely loved that line! My favourite story, however, is ‘The Night the Owls Stopped Crying’ about a night watchman sent to be a caretaker in a rich lady’s farm. He bosses the dogs around, listens to the owls hoot at night, then one day meets the ghost of a girl who died at the farm.
I enjoyed Perumal Murugan’s stories because they offer a unique perspective into a group of people I would not normally have access to. This is the reason we read literary fiction. It creates empathy and helps us to understand other people better. I hope more Asian stories, written in local languages and dialects, are translated into English to be enjoyed by an international audience. His translator N. Kalyan Raman sums it up best in his afternote: “It’s as if that by writing their [the characters] stories the author is restoring them, in all their humanity, back to this world, our world.”
Apart from the obvious themes of village life and lonely characters, two themes crop up very prominently: Perumal Murugan seems very fascinated with wells and sewage (shit, literally). ‘The Well’ and ‘Sanctuary’ are about boys swimming in wells, and sewage and poo feature in ‘The Wailing of a Toilet Bowl’, ‘The Goat Thief’ and ‘Shit’. The last is a hilarious story about a group of adult men living in a house who could not deal with the sewage leak in the back garden. A story about a prized water tumbler is interspersed in that short story, and towards the end we find out how they are related.
The Goat Thief is pretty funny, about a man who learns the art of stealing goats from his father. On his first job, he gets the jitters about stealing from a lonely old woman, but he remembers his father’s advice: “There’s hardship in everyone’s life. If we start worrying about that, we’ll never be able to practise our trade [stealing goats]. Better keep our hardship in mind” (p.132) Absolutely loved that line! My favourite story, however, is ‘The Night the Owls Stopped Crying’ about a night watchman sent to be a caretaker in a rich lady’s farm. He bosses the dogs around, listens to the owls hoot at night, then one day meets the ghost of a girl who died at the farm.
I enjoyed Perumal Murugan’s stories because they offer a unique perspective into a group of people I would not normally have access to. This is the reason we read literary fiction. It creates empathy and helps us to understand other people better. I hope more Asian stories, written in local languages and dialects, are translated into English to be enjoyed by an international audience. His translator N. Kalyan Raman sums it up best in his afternote: “It’s as if that by writing their [the characters] stories the author is restoring them, in all their humanity, back to this world, our world.”
January 9, 2019
Book recommendation - The Goat Thief.
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I couldn't get a goat to pose but Layla volunteered to be a model. She makes a good one, don't you agree? :)
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I discovered Perumal Murugan's books last year and since then, I've fallen in love with his stories. They're unique, twisted, refreshing and also haunting. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 short stories by Murugan which is translated by Kalyan Raman, who has done a splendid job. The stories have interesting titles, the first one starting from The Well to even one titled 'Shit'. Quiet intriguing, isn't it?
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If you've read his work earlier, it's predictable that his stories are set in rural areas, so this one wasn't an exception. It gives us a glimpse of people and customs of villages which are practised even today. Few stories are eerily haunting yet you cannot put the book down. If you're looking for a different read which gives you the jeepers, then pick this one up. If I had to pick a favourite from this book then it'd be The Mirror of Innocence. I can only imagine how beautiful the book would have been if I could read it in its original language :)
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I would rate this book 5/5.
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I couldn't get a goat to pose but Layla volunteered to be a model. She makes a good one, don't you agree? :)
~
I discovered Perumal Murugan's books last year and since then, I've fallen in love with his stories. They're unique, twisted, refreshing and also haunting. The Goat Thief is a collection of 10 short stories by Murugan which is translated by Kalyan Raman, who has done a splendid job. The stories have interesting titles, the first one starting from The Well to even one titled 'Shit'. Quiet intriguing, isn't it?
~
If you've read his work earlier, it's predictable that his stories are set in rural areas, so this one wasn't an exception. It gives us a glimpse of people and customs of villages which are practised even today. Few stories are eerily haunting yet you cannot put the book down. If you're looking for a different read which gives you the jeepers, then pick this one up. If I had to pick a favourite from this book then it'd be The Mirror of Innocence. I can only imagine how beautiful the book would have been if I could read it in its original language :)
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I would rate this book 5/5.
March 6, 2018
4.5 stars
Perumal Murugan picks ten of his best stories for this collection, that he thinks have achieved the structural perfection he seeks in a short story (he compares it to a naalu pulli kolam),and N. Kalyan Raman's translation flawlessly delivers them to a new audience. The stories are all about the people who are othered and left alone for being different. While the stories are about the ordinary lives of ordinary people, there is always a sinister undertone lurking in the background waiting to strike anytime. The mundane becomes menacing in each of the stories and the central characters invariably face a dire consequence. But there is a wounded dignity to each of them. My favorites in the collection were 'Shit' (what a brilliant narrative device -that tumbler), 'The Unexpected Visitor' (so endearing), 'Musical Chairs' and the Peter Pan-esque 'Sanctuary'.
P.S - Popsugar 2018 prompt -"A book with an animal in the title"
Perumal Murugan picks ten of his best stories for this collection, that he thinks have achieved the structural perfection he seeks in a short story (he compares it to a naalu pulli kolam),and N. Kalyan Raman's translation flawlessly delivers them to a new audience. The stories are all about the people who are othered and left alone for being different. While the stories are about the ordinary lives of ordinary people, there is always a sinister undertone lurking in the background waiting to strike anytime. The mundane becomes menacing in each of the stories and the central characters invariably face a dire consequence. But there is a wounded dignity to each of them. My favorites in the collection were 'Shit' (what a brilliant narrative device -that tumbler), 'The Unexpected Visitor' (so endearing), 'Musical Chairs' and the Peter Pan-esque 'Sanctuary'.
P.S - Popsugar 2018 prompt -"A book with an animal in the title"
November 22, 2017
Murugan has done a fabulous job in picking up his best stories! I loved every bit of the book. There is no denial on the fact that the book is amazing, the environment of the story line is described with finesse that you feel you're living the character. It was wonderful reading this, and I suggest it to everyone who is a lover of translated works, because this won't disappoint you. Oh, and this makes up for a wonderful birthday gift for a bibliophile as well.
November 23, 2018
A collection of short stories! The actual reality of the mind is exposed here- be it good or bad, we can see something like an other dimension of a mind. In some stories, we can see how the heart reacts to the mind. No emotions, anger, sadness, enmity - just plain, simple attitude of how a mind works. All the stories are good. The "Shit" story really made me laugh! Definitely a good read!
February 7, 2020
The Goat Thief by Perumal Murugan was, for me, a delightful foray into short stories after a lot of non-fiction books. These 10 short stories were originally written in Tamil by the author, and credit must go to the translator for capturing the tone and essence of the characters and the story and not losing it in translation.
What was beautiful about the stories was the central characters' focus on an inanimate object which takes center stage - a toilet, a well, a couple of chairs, a tumbler, and so forth. One lets out a chuckle at the effectiveness with which these are woven into the plot. That so few words can paint such a vivid picture and give depth to the characters speaks to the remarkable ability of the author.
The author's lived experience enhances the richness of the village and city lives depicted in these stories. I also admired his boldness in the use of words considered crass ("shit," for example) but are nevertheless a part of everyone's daily routines.
If you're looking for a book that you can complete with ease in one setting, definitely pick this one up.
What was beautiful about the stories was the central characters' focus on an inanimate object which takes center stage - a toilet, a well, a couple of chairs, a tumbler, and so forth. One lets out a chuckle at the effectiveness with which these are woven into the plot. That so few words can paint such a vivid picture and give depth to the characters speaks to the remarkable ability of the author.
The author's lived experience enhances the richness of the village and city lives depicted in these stories. I also admired his boldness in the use of words considered crass ("shit," for example) but are nevertheless a part of everyone's daily routines.
If you're looking for a book that you can complete with ease in one setting, definitely pick this one up.
June 10, 2019
Preface and translator's note give the very essence of Perumal Mundugane and his style of writing. Ten stories collection that makes the reader sander in the world with characters that are live and one can in real life. Though at times reader deels the story ubruptly ended, it bring its own beauty with it.
May 13, 2022
Possession, attraction, oppression, affection and what not. In just 10 stories, this book travels from many feelings. Each story is set in a different tone, yet distinct flavor of Murugan omnipresent. A different world created by words. Not identical to any contemporary. So in the end you tend to feel the well in farm come alive, you smell the shit, you hear the child cry, you see the white shadows in a farm. Each tale has a different charm, its own suspense that makes you hurry to know how the story is concluded. Mostly, in an open ending. Which is not my personal favorite tactic. Yes, but it keeps your mind work overtime even after you finish reading.
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