What do you think?
Rate this book
Estuary
Late at night, Kumarasurar’sphone rings shrilly. His teenage son is calling. What could he want? A seemingly simple demand torments Kumarasurar, who fears it might put his finances—and perhaps his son’s life—in jeopardy. As a father’s anxieties unravel, his memories undermine his self-worth and imaginary scenes of damnation taunt him. Estuary brings alive the different ways—absurd and endearing by turns—in which a man and his young son navigate the contemporary world. In the process, it peels back the layers of Kumarasurar’s the hurt of a married man whose wife cares only for the happiness of their child, the endless monotony of an office job, and the struggle of the salaried middle-class to give their children the best chance of success. Perumal Murugan’s latest novel, his first in an urban setting, is also a razor-sharp parody of everything from e-commerce to the fitness industry, art appreciation to political manipulation, cram schools to social networks. Through a meditative exploration of a father’s emotional landscape, Murugan tells of a world wrecked by unchecked consumerism and an obsession with growth, where technology overrides common sense and degrees don’t guarantee education. And, with characteristic tenderness, he also weaves in a way to redemption.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2020
25 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Perumal Murugan
97 books380 followersPrimary 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
August 20, 2022
Impressive 🙌
The story handles the theme of an anxious parent who becomes so affected towards the end that they become mentally incapable of carrying out their normal everyday routine.
It all started with Kumarasurar's teenage son, who was studying away from home, asked him to buy the latest and most expensive smart phone. Having pampered their son all their lives, Kumarasurar and his wife were in a dilemma whether to spend their hard-earned money on the phone or else what would happen to their son if they didn't give in to his demands.
With all the news circulating around on the TV, the newspapers and gossips about cyber crime and the ways how a phone might do harm to their precious son, Kumarasurar's mind became unstable becoming a threat to his own life until his wife had to secretly intervene taking the help of someone wise.
This story is well-written and the characters are realistic. The mental health issues, how the modern gadgets and the fast-paced life affects the young and the older generations have been etched out quite well.
I feel the ending was a bit too rushed given the fact that 95 percent of thr writing focused too much on the same scenario of how Kumarasurar got affected. I would say the change towards the end seem a bit too sudden but well, it's convincing given the nature of the characters.
Well relevant and well representative, a well-written story overall.
The story handles the theme of an anxious parent who becomes so affected towards the end that they become mentally incapable of carrying out their normal everyday routine.
It all started with Kumarasurar's teenage son, who was studying away from home, asked him to buy the latest and most expensive smart phone. Having pampered their son all their lives, Kumarasurar and his wife were in a dilemma whether to spend their hard-earned money on the phone or else what would happen to their son if they didn't give in to his demands.
With all the news circulating around on the TV, the newspapers and gossips about cyber crime and the ways how a phone might do harm to their precious son, Kumarasurar's mind became unstable becoming a threat to his own life until his wife had to secretly intervene taking the help of someone wise.
This story is well-written and the characters are realistic. The mental health issues, how the modern gadgets and the fast-paced life affects the young and the older generations have been etched out quite well.
I feel the ending was a bit too rushed given the fact that 95 percent of thr writing focused too much on the same scenario of how Kumarasurar got affected. I would say the change towards the end seem a bit too sudden but well, it's convincing given the nature of the characters.
Well relevant and well representative, a well-written story overall.
July 30, 2020
If you thought Perumal Murugan only weaves his stories around the hardships of agrarian life and political allegory, his latest book Kazhimugam translated asEstuary is going to be a pleasant surprise unraveling a world so familiar. As with Poonachi, Estuary has a brilliant foreword that makes you see the author gleefully spinning his magic with his aside on the synthesis between truth and fiction. I read the foreword on loop before I turned the pages.
Estuary(the wide part of a river where it joins the sea) tackles myriad themes: the monotony of life and work, the almost factory like nature of educational institutions that is bent on making machines of humans in their intent of pushing students to ‘brilliant performances’, the mad race for gadgets, the addiction to the products of technology, the loneliness in human relationships today and the loss of self. All of these themes are explored in the backdrop of a father who feels distant from his teenage son and who has to struggle with his own belief system to get an expensive smartphone for his son.
This is a book that delights you with its almost wry look at the contemporary world, as we know it now. There is the Murugan flair for allegory and even as the narrative is situated in a modern world, it is nature that plays a catalyst in the ‘resolution’ that happens as you wonder, was THAT a resolution.This one is profound AND wicked!
Estuary(the wide part of a river where it joins the sea) tackles myriad themes: the monotony of life and work, the almost factory like nature of educational institutions that is bent on making machines of humans in their intent of pushing students to ‘brilliant performances’, the mad race for gadgets, the addiction to the products of technology, the loneliness in human relationships today and the loss of self. All of these themes are explored in the backdrop of a father who feels distant from his teenage son and who has to struggle with his own belief system to get an expensive smartphone for his son.
This is a book that delights you with its almost wry look at the contemporary world, as we know it now. There is the Murugan flair for allegory and even as the narrative is situated in a modern world, it is nature that plays a catalyst in the ‘resolution’ that happens as you wonder, was THAT a resolution.This one is profound AND wicked!
August 3, 2020
Perumal Murugan tells us that Estuary is pure fiction but it’s very much our truth. The generation gap, exam results of children, the rat race of good colleges, engineering vs Medicine and all those things that plague us Indians or as Mr. Murugan tells us, plagues the inhabitants of Asuralokam (demon land), plague us too.
.
Kumarasurar is a govt employee who works in the statistics department which unlike the revenue and other lucrative departments doesn’t have any avenues for ‘extra income’, it’s a small forgotten department running in a highly incompetent government setup.
.
Our protagonist has a son whom he loves very much and is in college, one day his son asks for a new phone and so unravels our narrator’s whole life. Why must his son need a new phone? Where will he get the money from? Will his son ever have a ‘settled life’ ? Through this turmoil we see Kumar’s beginnings, the time he got a govt. job and became a hot commodity in the marriage market. Birth of a son four years later and the jealousy that came with it and the urge to protect his son Meghas from it all. A wife who dotes on the child and seems to live and breathe for him one, his small income that doesn’t stretch. Add to it his lost dreams of becoming a poet, his mundane life... a life that came to a standstill when Meghas asked for a new phone.
.
In the book you find a father’s worried and well meaning insides clashing with his gruff exterior, his anxiety for his only child in a world of Internet pornography, deaths due to selfies, suicides and such. Murugan’s world is essentially like ours even though the writer swears that it is fiction; Asurlokam with its threadbare government machinery, son preference, entrance exams, mental health issues, technology advent and misuse is very much ours and this is what makes Kumarasurar feel very much like a neighborhood uncle with a small govt job who lies awake at night thinking of his children.
.
Estuary is hilarious and meditative at the same time! My only issue is that it took me a while getting accustomed to the writing and characters at first, if this happens to you too; stick to the book.
.
Kumarasurar is a govt employee who works in the statistics department which unlike the revenue and other lucrative departments doesn’t have any avenues for ‘extra income’, it’s a small forgotten department running in a highly incompetent government setup.
.
Our protagonist has a son whom he loves very much and is in college, one day his son asks for a new phone and so unravels our narrator’s whole life. Why must his son need a new phone? Where will he get the money from? Will his son ever have a ‘settled life’ ? Through this turmoil we see Kumar’s beginnings, the time he got a govt. job and became a hot commodity in the marriage market. Birth of a son four years later and the jealousy that came with it and the urge to protect his son Meghas from it all. A wife who dotes on the child and seems to live and breathe for him one, his small income that doesn’t stretch. Add to it his lost dreams of becoming a poet, his mundane life... a life that came to a standstill when Meghas asked for a new phone.
.
In the book you find a father’s worried and well meaning insides clashing with his gruff exterior, his anxiety for his only child in a world of Internet pornography, deaths due to selfies, suicides and such. Murugan’s world is essentially like ours even though the writer swears that it is fiction; Asurlokam with its threadbare government machinery, son preference, entrance exams, mental health issues, technology advent and misuse is very much ours and this is what makes Kumarasurar feel very much like a neighborhood uncle with a small govt job who lies awake at night thinking of his children.
.
Estuary is hilarious and meditative at the same time! My only issue is that it took me a while getting accustomed to the writing and characters at first, if this happens to you too; stick to the book.
August 19, 2020
A foreword that promises chaos has always had my attention. In Estuary, Perumal Murugan has 'abandoned the compactness and intensity and nuance', ignored all the basic ethics he follows as a writer and given himself certain creative freedom.
Kumarasurar, with his wife Mangasuri, live in their urban home in Asurapur. They dote on their only son Meghas, spoiling him to the extent that he has turned into an adamant teenager who makes his own choices about live, weighing pros and cons in a rash, selfish and disinterested manner. Kumarasurar has no 'additional income' and his days are spent planning his finances in hopes that Meghas will get into a good college and finally land a prestigious job.
'Estuary' is about the anxiety parents go through, in a world where young minds are corrupted by porn, smartphones, alcohol and drugs(to name a few). This might be a fictional setting but we are in a world where institutions churn out robots, flaunting their success rate and backing it up by cruel methods that will either make or break a person.
A caustic world, spewing truth is what 'Estuary' is all about. The writer simply narrates a story, more observation than preaching. And even then, as readers, we are engrossed, trying to grasp a POV that we as teenagers were unaware of, and Meghas' mind that reverberates a lot with our past self. The parents spend their days losing sleep and appetite over their only son's wellbeing while the son tries to cope up with the modern world, it's promises of temporary glory and the constant desire to be better than one's peers.
There's also a witty side to a story we have heard time and again, and that makes Murugan stand out. He laughs at his characters and their quirks, points out their nuances meticulously, and also gives you thoughts to chew upon.
Kumarasurar, with his wife Mangasuri, live in their urban home in Asurapur. They dote on their only son Meghas, spoiling him to the extent that he has turned into an adamant teenager who makes his own choices about live, weighing pros and cons in a rash, selfish and disinterested manner. Kumarasurar has no 'additional income' and his days are spent planning his finances in hopes that Meghas will get into a good college and finally land a prestigious job.
'Estuary' is about the anxiety parents go through, in a world where young minds are corrupted by porn, smartphones, alcohol and drugs(to name a few). This might be a fictional setting but we are in a world where institutions churn out robots, flaunting their success rate and backing it up by cruel methods that will either make or break a person.
A caustic world, spewing truth is what 'Estuary' is all about. The writer simply narrates a story, more observation than preaching. And even then, as readers, we are engrossed, trying to grasp a POV that we as teenagers were unaware of, and Meghas' mind that reverberates a lot with our past self. The parents spend their days losing sleep and appetite over their only son's wellbeing while the son tries to cope up with the modern world, it's promises of temporary glory and the constant desire to be better than one's peers.
There's also a witty side to a story we have heard time and again, and that makes Murugan stand out. He laughs at his characters and their quirks, points out their nuances meticulously, and also gives you thoughts to chew upon.
August 5, 2020
I am in awe with Perumal Murugan's simplistic language in which he conveys his thoughts. Estuary was my second novel that I picked from this author (first one was "Amma" which I read in Feb 2020).
Estuary is simple novel about the complex father-son relationship. It reminded me of the times in the old days when I had coaxed my father for a new PC and how I used our mother as a medium to pass on our wishes. I was halfway through the novel when I realized the atrocities that the new generation puts on the parents without realizing how it would affect them financially, mentally and emotionally. A must-read novel for every parent and child. :)
My favorite part in the novel was the encounter of the Kumarasurar with the ocean and how the ocean engulfs him in a new world of his own. I loved the writing in that part of the novel and it breathed a new life into the otherwise bitter-sweet father-son relationship.
Estuary is simple novel about the complex father-son relationship. It reminded me of the times in the old days when I had coaxed my father for a new PC and how I used our mother as a medium to pass on our wishes. I was halfway through the novel when I realized the atrocities that the new generation puts on the parents without realizing how it would affect them financially, mentally and emotionally. A must-read novel for every parent and child. :)
My favorite part in the novel was the encounter of the Kumarasurar with the ocean and how the ocean engulfs him in a new world of his own. I loved the writing in that part of the novel and it breathed a new life into the otherwise bitter-sweet father-son relationship.
April 25, 2025
I picked up Estuary without much expectation. The blurb doesn’t say much, so I went in without knowing anything. It turned out to be a really good read.
The book moves at its own pace. Nothing feels rushed or forced. What I loved most was how real the characters felt. Every one of them is written with such subtlety and depth that you end up walking beside them, feeling their emotions and dilemmas. The climax is my favourite part. It’s calm, and beautifully described.
The book moves at its own pace. Nothing feels rushed or forced. What I loved most was how real the characters felt. Every one of them is written with such subtlety and depth that you end up walking beside them, feeling their emotions and dilemmas. The climax is my favourite part. It’s calm, and beautifully described.
September 8, 2020
Read something really good after a long time
The writing is nice language is simple yet so rich
Translated very well
Good for every age group .
The writing is nice language is simple yet so rich
Translated very well
Good for every age group .
September 30, 2020
Estuary means the mouth of a large water-body where the tide meets the stream. In this book, ‘Estuary’ means the place where fiction full of anxieties and reality full of middle-class worries meet.
One of the main reasons why I wanted to read this book is because Perumal’s Poonachi is one of my favorite reads of all time. I can’t tell you enough on how much I loved and cried while reading Poonachi or The Story of a Black Goat. As one can tell, I started this book with really high expectations. I did not enjoy the first half as much as I thought I would. I was struggling at a point to keep reading. But I kept reading because someone who wrote a book like Poonachi would definitely have something different in this book as well.
This book, Estuary by Perumal Murugan, is a story of Kumarasura, his wife and his son. Kumarasura is not at all tech-savvy but infact is terrorized when he learns about the tech scams, deaths caused because of a bunch of teenagers trying to click a selfie, game-addiction and lust. He starts getting nightmares which doesn’t let him sleep peacefully. Infact, doesn’t let him sleep at all. He thinks and over analyzes every situation, every minute, with what if scenarios.
What if my son is in a bad company.
What if he is addicted to drugs.
What if something happens to him while he is clicking a selfie.
What if his marks are less and he isn’t awarded any seat on his merit.
What if what if what ifs.
The story is stretched. Atleast the first half is. But Murugan does not fail to highlight the dread of Kumarasura over technologies, especially once he learns about the bad side of the same. Kumarasura’s wife is hence robbed of normal and peaceful days when her husband starts acting abnormally while their son is away studying in a hostel.
I felt very deely for Kumarasura and his struggles to catch up with the tech-developments. He suffered, mostly in silence, thinking about the worst possible outcomes. A simple demand from his son brought along days of anxieties and sleepless nights.
As I kept reading and progressing with the read, I found myself so engrossed into the story that it was unputdownable. The title and the cover is indeed so perfect and one learns about the same in the last 50 pages of this book. As you learn about the meaning behind the title, a wave of calmness is felt over you (atleast I did). Within pages, anxiety was gone surrendering to whatever present holds.
Lastly, I do recommend reading this book. It some-how is a wholesome story translated very beautifully from its original text by Nandini Krishnan. If you haven’t yet read Poonachi by Perumal Murugan, then I would rather ask or suggest you to read Poonachi before anything else.
Entire Review on my website - https://kinjalparekh.in/estuary-by-pe...
One of the main reasons why I wanted to read this book is because Perumal’s Poonachi is one of my favorite reads of all time. I can’t tell you enough on how much I loved and cried while reading Poonachi or The Story of a Black Goat. As one can tell, I started this book with really high expectations. I did not enjoy the first half as much as I thought I would. I was struggling at a point to keep reading. But I kept reading because someone who wrote a book like Poonachi would definitely have something different in this book as well.
This book, Estuary by Perumal Murugan, is a story of Kumarasura, his wife and his son. Kumarasura is not at all tech-savvy but infact is terrorized when he learns about the tech scams, deaths caused because of a bunch of teenagers trying to click a selfie, game-addiction and lust. He starts getting nightmares which doesn’t let him sleep peacefully. Infact, doesn’t let him sleep at all. He thinks and over analyzes every situation, every minute, with what if scenarios.
What if my son is in a bad company.
What if he is addicted to drugs.
What if something happens to him while he is clicking a selfie.
What if his marks are less and he isn’t awarded any seat on his merit.
What if what if what ifs.
The story is stretched. Atleast the first half is. But Murugan does not fail to highlight the dread of Kumarasura over technologies, especially once he learns about the bad side of the same. Kumarasura’s wife is hence robbed of normal and peaceful days when her husband starts acting abnormally while their son is away studying in a hostel.
I felt very deely for Kumarasura and his struggles to catch up with the tech-developments. He suffered, mostly in silence, thinking about the worst possible outcomes. A simple demand from his son brought along days of anxieties and sleepless nights.
As I kept reading and progressing with the read, I found myself so engrossed into the story that it was unputdownable. The title and the cover is indeed so perfect and one learns about the same in the last 50 pages of this book. As you learn about the meaning behind the title, a wave of calmness is felt over you (atleast I did). Within pages, anxiety was gone surrendering to whatever present holds.
Lastly, I do recommend reading this book. It some-how is a wholesome story translated very beautifully from its original text by Nandini Krishnan. If you haven’t yet read Poonachi by Perumal Murugan, then I would rather ask or suggest you to read Poonachi before anything else.
Entire Review on my website - https://kinjalparekh.in/estuary-by-pe...
August 27, 2020
It's a story of Kumarasurar who wants the best for his child Meghas and wants him to choose the top college for himself, whereas Meghas wants to live the life he chooses for himself, the college he wants to go to. How will this gap between a father and son fill? Will Meghas choose the college Kumarasurar wants? Will Kumarasurar give the phone Meghas wants? It's a journey of a father who wants to talk more with his son, who wants to share that friendly bond with him. Will, he able to do it?.
.
I had a smile on my face from the very first page. I liked how interestingly, the story is narrated. A story that each one of us can relate to. It's a blend of fiction and a bit of Fantasy, it felt real. With a fabulous plot and a gripping writing style, it's a fast-paced story that reveals reality. It is about the worries that parents have, the expectations they have and the thoughts they want to share with their children.
.
I loved how the story picks up. How Kumarasurar felt when his son talks everything to his mom, how he can just ask his son only a few questions, and how friends play a huge role in our lives. How they let their son do whatever he chooses, how Kumarasurar tried getting out of his shell.
.
The characters developed by the author are strong and relatable. One could relate and will love each and every character here. Each one of them has that special aura.
.
The author wonderfully explains the worries of parents, the hurt, the loneliness, the happiness and the anxieties.
With an excellent storyline and engaging narration, It's a page-turner, filled with emotions.
You'll hug your parents, once you finish reading this one.
.
I had a smile on my face from the very first page. I liked how interestingly, the story is narrated. A story that each one of us can relate to. It's a blend of fiction and a bit of Fantasy, it felt real. With a fabulous plot and a gripping writing style, it's a fast-paced story that reveals reality. It is about the worries that parents have, the expectations they have and the thoughts they want to share with their children.
.
I loved how the story picks up. How Kumarasurar felt when his son talks everything to his mom, how he can just ask his son only a few questions, and how friends play a huge role in our lives. How they let their son do whatever he chooses, how Kumarasurar tried getting out of his shell.
.
The characters developed by the author are strong and relatable. One could relate and will love each and every character here. Each one of them has that special aura.
.
The author wonderfully explains the worries of parents, the hurt, the loneliness, the happiness and the anxieties.
With an excellent storyline and engaging narration, It's a page-turner, filled with emotions.
You'll hug your parents, once you finish reading this one.
August 10, 2024
முதல் பக்கத்திலிருந்து தந்தைக்கும் மகனுக்கும் ஆன உரையாடல்கள், தினசரி நடவடிக்கைகள், ஒரு தந்தையின் மனநிலை என அனைத்திலும் எதார்த்தம்!
2 மாதமாக நிறைய இடைவெளிவிட்டு வாசித்தும் கூட கதையோ, சம்பவங்களோ மறக்கவில்லை. ஆசிரியரின் எழுத்து அப்படி!
தந்தையின் எண்ண ஓட்டங்கள் மிக உண்மையாகவும், கதைக் களம் சுவாரசியமான புணைவாகவும் இருக்கின்றன. தந்தை கழிமுகத்திடம் கண்ட அனுபவம் நானே அங்கிருந்து பெற்றது போல் இருந்தது.
பெற்றோர்கள் பிள்ளைகள் மீது வைக்கும் நம்பிக்கை ஒரு அசுர அதிசயமே. ஒரு அலைபேசிக்காக ஒரு தந்தை என்னவெல்லாம் யோசிக்கிறார்! அடேயப்பா! பிள்ளைகள் மேல் அதீத நம்பிக்கை வைப்பது ஆபத்து. இப்படி இவர் போல் நம்பிக்கையே இல்லாமல் அதீத சிந்தனை கொண்டு இருப்பது பேராபத்து! அதனாலேயே அவரின் மன மாற்றம் மனதிற்கு இனிமையானதாக இருக்கின்றது.
ஓர் நல்ல வாசிப்பு.
2 மாதமாக நிறைய இடைவெளிவிட்டு வாசித்தும் கூட கதையோ, சம்பவங்களோ மறக்கவில்லை. ஆசிரியரின் எழுத்து அப்படி!
தந்தையின் எண்ண ஓட்டங்கள் மிக உண்மையாகவும், கதைக் களம் சுவாரசியமான புணைவாகவும் இருக்கின்றன. தந்தை கழிமுகத்திடம் கண்ட அனுபவம் நானே அங்கிருந்து பெற்றது போல் இருந்தது.
பெற்றோர்கள் பிள்ளைகள் மீது வைக்கும் நம்பிக்கை ஒரு அசுர அதிசயமே. ஒரு அலைபேசிக்காக ஒரு தந்தை என்னவெல்லாம் யோசிக்கிறார்! அடேயப்பா! பிள்ளைகள் மேல் அதீத நம்பிக்கை வைப்பது ஆபத்து. இப்படி இவர் போல் நம்பிக்கையே இல்லாமல் அதீத சிந்தனை கொண்டு இருப்பது பேராபத்து! அதனாலேயே அவரின் மன மாற்றம் மனதிற்கு இனிமையானதாக இருக்கின்றது.
ஓர் நல்ல வாசிப்பு.
August 6, 2020
My foray into Perumal Murugan’s fiction has begun with Estuary and what a delightful journey it was!
Estuary opens with a foreword that will immediately have your mind scrambling to ascertain what comes next. But worry not reader, you can take it from me — the ride ahead would be all sorts of fun. Translated by Nandini Krishnan, Estuary is set in an urban landscape where we meet Kumarasurar’s nuclear family of three. Kumarasurar works as a civil servant in a neglected department, which translates into zero scope for bribes. With the salary as his sole income, he is always deep into planning his family’s expenses. He and his wife, Mangasuri, dote on their only son, Meghas. Despite their limited means, they never deny Meghas anything.
One day, Meghas calls his father past his bedtime, asking for something. It’s a simple demand but it unleashes a flood of thoughts in Kumarasurar’s mind. The father is unable to sleep, drink or eat and spends his nights pacing the terrace. When I was reading the book, I was amazed at how well Murugan captured the anxieties of parents, their overwrought minds that are always, invariably, worried about the children. From the aloofness of modern life to the capitalised educational institutions that churn out robots year after year, Murugan does a superb job in bringing together many disparate themes together.
For me, this book worked its magic because the writer did not make hero figures out of parents. Nobody is idealised, in fact, nobody is spared. Murugan not only evokes empathy in the reader for the father, but he also hones his piercing writing gaze at how parents’ towering expectations from their child can sometimes wreak great havoc in the child’s life, all without their even realising. One might think that the book is pedantic but Murugan writes with a lightness of touch, not afraid to laugh at his characters or their follies. I’d even go as far as to say that he extends a hand to invite the reader in laughing with him.
Estuary opens with a foreword that will immediately have your mind scrambling to ascertain what comes next. But worry not reader, you can take it from me — the ride ahead would be all sorts of fun. Translated by Nandini Krishnan, Estuary is set in an urban landscape where we meet Kumarasurar’s nuclear family of three. Kumarasurar works as a civil servant in a neglected department, which translates into zero scope for bribes. With the salary as his sole income, he is always deep into planning his family’s expenses. He and his wife, Mangasuri, dote on their only son, Meghas. Despite their limited means, they never deny Meghas anything.
One day, Meghas calls his father past his bedtime, asking for something. It’s a simple demand but it unleashes a flood of thoughts in Kumarasurar’s mind. The father is unable to sleep, drink or eat and spends his nights pacing the terrace. When I was reading the book, I was amazed at how well Murugan captured the anxieties of parents, their overwrought minds that are always, invariably, worried about the children. From the aloofness of modern life to the capitalised educational institutions that churn out robots year after year, Murugan does a superb job in bringing together many disparate themes together.
For me, this book worked its magic because the writer did not make hero figures out of parents. Nobody is idealised, in fact, nobody is spared. Murugan not only evokes empathy in the reader for the father, but he also hones his piercing writing gaze at how parents’ towering expectations from their child can sometimes wreak great havoc in the child’s life, all without their even realising. One might think that the book is pedantic but Murugan writes with a lightness of touch, not afraid to laugh at his characters or their follies. I’d even go as far as to say that he extends a hand to invite the reader in laughing with him.
March 11, 2022
நதியும் கடலும் கூடும் இடம் கழிமுகம் எனப்படும். மேடு, பள்ளம், கழிவு, என இன்னல்கள் பலவற்றை கடந்து பரந்த கடலை வந்து கலக்கும் நதியை பற்றிய புனைவு இது. தொழில்நுட்ப உலகில் பிள்ளையை பெற்று பழைய உணர்வுகளை விட்டு வெளிவர போராடும் தந்தையை பற்றிய புனைவு. புத்தகத்தின் தலைப்பை கடைசி அத்தியாயத்தில் படிக்கும்போது புரிந்தது ஏன் பெருமாள்முருகன் அய்யா இந்த புனைவை படைத்தார் என்பது.
September 20, 2020
Book Title: Estuary
Author: Perumal Murugan
Format: Kindle
Book Title
The title of the book ' Estuary ' is thoughtful and philosophical. As the word means the wide mouth part of a ricer which meet at the sea, the story is of simple people caught up in the web of urban life.
Book Cover
The cover image of the book is a mirrored reflection of two men in the water. Though details or an outline of the story cannot be fetched from the image, the mere mention of water in the image can be referred to as the title Estuary.
Inside the book
' Estuary ' by Perumal Murugan is a story set in urban background. This book is the story of Kumarasurar, a government servant who upholds high moral standards in work as he is assigned to a department where bribery is just next to impossible. He is a man with some standard practices that are obsolete and shows strong resistance to changes in and around him. Like many usual middle-class men who hate to take any sort of risks in life, he always makes safe choices and strongly believes in safe play in life with no scope of troubles to himself and by him too.
As a part of his self-made standards, it also makes him technology illiterate. He always complains that he is not comfortable working with a computer with all the wires hanging around that remind him of snakes. With his utter foolishness, he even hesitates to learn how to work on a computer. While he is like this, his son Meghas is on par with the present generation and technology. This young teenage lad dreams of a greater life. His wife Mangasuri often criticizes Kumarasura for his laid back approach. She gets irritated by his friends and especially Kanakasura who is a father of two girl kids but always yielded to have a male kid when his wife decided not to have any more kids. His constant want for a male kid later turns onto a habit of curing and ridiculing the male kids in the area. Mangasuri hates this trait and tries to keep Meghas out of his eye whenever possible.
However, in the latter parts of the story, Kumarasur with strict ideals and a growing suspicion of his adolescent son and his loyalties due to the influence of his friend Kanakasur's constant complaints about growing up male children doesn't let him live at peace. Meghas, who now studies in a boarding school, being away from home and being more on his own self, starts showing signs which displease Kumarasur. With differences in opinions, there bridges a gap between the father and son. Meghas becomes closer to his mom which then pricks Kumarasur. With a rigid mentality, Kumarasur often struggles within himself not knowing how to develop a cordial relationship with his son. This further gets agitated when Meghas asks a smartphone. Because of his stringent thinking, he imagines Meghas as a spoiled child, but there is something else on the other side of the story.
The next part of the story emphasizes on the atrocities that are forced onto students in the name of attaining higher grades and marks in many of the reputed educational institutions. As this book is originally written in Tamil, the colleges stationed in Tamil Nadu are focused. With a wave of urbanization and to cope up with the competition to face the world, often young children are raised up in strict environments which rather curbs the freedom of the children. There are specialized punishments in some places which are often accepted by the parents thinking such rules will make their children walk in the right manner. But what usually they forget to understand is forced rules always result in breaking rules. Children sometimes also become violent.
On the other hand, the man who hates changes, Kumarasura is well raged about the existence of adult sites on the internet that can be accessed with a smartphone and hence develops a kind of mental concern about his son being polluted. His regular such paranoid thoughts make him impatient. Irrespective of his anxiety, Meghas though chooses a college that gives importance to a child's freedom, remains a studious and well-mannered kid.
This is where Murugan's exemplary writing skills come into action. With a free-spirited imagination of the places, people especially the personalities of ' Asuras ' and prevailing social inequalities, Estuary happens to be the face of the present society. Though many people oppose, to safeguard their children's life none resist.
My review
This story though is a work of fiction, can be categorized into realistic fiction which showcases the present lives. With a competition that is a burden to many parents, children often are made to stud in great academic colleges which enables the kids from rich families to lead an easy student life. A person coming from a small town or a lesser economical strata family often faces many problems. Due to which the kids face mental turmoil and end up their lives. This also prevails in some of the esteemed corporate companies where because failing in an assessment test their jobs are at risk and many young engineers and management professionals have killed themselves.
In this book, Murugan has pointed out many other social issues present in society even today. I have listed some of them below:
1. Male dominance and absurd way of showing authority on children and women.
2. Rigidness towards changes around concerning technology and living standards due to deep-rooted outdated principles.
3. Ill effects of disparity in economical statuses
4. A fear of moulding oneself towards the cultural differences
What to expect
A fantastic work of fiction that will make the reader sit and think once the book is completed. This thinking quotient will grow gradually as every word in the story starts sinking in.
My take on the characters
Every character in the story is so realistic that if young people read they will surely identify the next house uncle or their own relative who makes absurd statements on new-age technology and urban lifestyles.
How good is the author's writing style
Perumal Murugan is known for his beautiful writing skills and great narration talent. This book also reflects the same as before his previous works. The underlying lessons have created a wave of anxiety when the book was first released in Tamil. The story in many places questioned the authoritative approach of people in power.
Who can read the book
Any reader with minimum knowledge about the ill effects of heavy competition and false propaganda of giving better lives by big colleges can read this. One can also correct their though process and hence this is the effect great writing skills have. Murugan often inspires many people and thus this book also might have already inspired. Now, when translated into English, I thank the translator Miss. Nandini for having done a great job.
Final Rating
5/5
Author: Perumal Murugan
Format: Kindle
Book Title
The title of the book ' Estuary ' is thoughtful and philosophical. As the word means the wide mouth part of a ricer which meet at the sea, the story is of simple people caught up in the web of urban life.
Book Cover
The cover image of the book is a mirrored reflection of two men in the water. Though details or an outline of the story cannot be fetched from the image, the mere mention of water in the image can be referred to as the title Estuary.
Inside the book
' Estuary ' by Perumal Murugan is a story set in urban background. This book is the story of Kumarasurar, a government servant who upholds high moral standards in work as he is assigned to a department where bribery is just next to impossible. He is a man with some standard practices that are obsolete and shows strong resistance to changes in and around him. Like many usual middle-class men who hate to take any sort of risks in life, he always makes safe choices and strongly believes in safe play in life with no scope of troubles to himself and by him too.
As a part of his self-made standards, it also makes him technology illiterate. He always complains that he is not comfortable working with a computer with all the wires hanging around that remind him of snakes. With his utter foolishness, he even hesitates to learn how to work on a computer. While he is like this, his son Meghas is on par with the present generation and technology. This young teenage lad dreams of a greater life. His wife Mangasuri often criticizes Kumarasura for his laid back approach. She gets irritated by his friends and especially Kanakasura who is a father of two girl kids but always yielded to have a male kid when his wife decided not to have any more kids. His constant want for a male kid later turns onto a habit of curing and ridiculing the male kids in the area. Mangasuri hates this trait and tries to keep Meghas out of his eye whenever possible.
However, in the latter parts of the story, Kumarasur with strict ideals and a growing suspicion of his adolescent son and his loyalties due to the influence of his friend Kanakasur's constant complaints about growing up male children doesn't let him live at peace. Meghas, who now studies in a boarding school, being away from home and being more on his own self, starts showing signs which displease Kumarasur. With differences in opinions, there bridges a gap between the father and son. Meghas becomes closer to his mom which then pricks Kumarasur. With a rigid mentality, Kumarasur often struggles within himself not knowing how to develop a cordial relationship with his son. This further gets agitated when Meghas asks a smartphone. Because of his stringent thinking, he imagines Meghas as a spoiled child, but there is something else on the other side of the story.
The next part of the story emphasizes on the atrocities that are forced onto students in the name of attaining higher grades and marks in many of the reputed educational institutions. As this book is originally written in Tamil, the colleges stationed in Tamil Nadu are focused. With a wave of urbanization and to cope up with the competition to face the world, often young children are raised up in strict environments which rather curbs the freedom of the children. There are specialized punishments in some places which are often accepted by the parents thinking such rules will make their children walk in the right manner. But what usually they forget to understand is forced rules always result in breaking rules. Children sometimes also become violent.
On the other hand, the man who hates changes, Kumarasura is well raged about the existence of adult sites on the internet that can be accessed with a smartphone and hence develops a kind of mental concern about his son being polluted. His regular such paranoid thoughts make him impatient. Irrespective of his anxiety, Meghas though chooses a college that gives importance to a child's freedom, remains a studious and well-mannered kid.
This is where Murugan's exemplary writing skills come into action. With a free-spirited imagination of the places, people especially the personalities of ' Asuras ' and prevailing social inequalities, Estuary happens to be the face of the present society. Though many people oppose, to safeguard their children's life none resist.
My review
This story though is a work of fiction, can be categorized into realistic fiction which showcases the present lives. With a competition that is a burden to many parents, children often are made to stud in great academic colleges which enables the kids from rich families to lead an easy student life. A person coming from a small town or a lesser economical strata family often faces many problems. Due to which the kids face mental turmoil and end up their lives. This also prevails in some of the esteemed corporate companies where because failing in an assessment test their jobs are at risk and many young engineers and management professionals have killed themselves.
In this book, Murugan has pointed out many other social issues present in society even today. I have listed some of them below:
1. Male dominance and absurd way of showing authority on children and women.
2. Rigidness towards changes around concerning technology and living standards due to deep-rooted outdated principles.
3. Ill effects of disparity in economical statuses
4. A fear of moulding oneself towards the cultural differences
What to expect
A fantastic work of fiction that will make the reader sit and think once the book is completed. This thinking quotient will grow gradually as every word in the story starts sinking in.
My take on the characters
Every character in the story is so realistic that if young people read they will surely identify the next house uncle or their own relative who makes absurd statements on new-age technology and urban lifestyles.
How good is the author's writing style
Perumal Murugan is known for his beautiful writing skills and great narration talent. This book also reflects the same as before his previous works. The underlying lessons have created a wave of anxiety when the book was first released in Tamil. The story in many places questioned the authoritative approach of people in power.
Who can read the book
Any reader with minimum knowledge about the ill effects of heavy competition and false propaganda of giving better lives by big colleges can read this. One can also correct their though process and hence this is the effect great writing skills have. Murugan often inspires many people and thus this book also might have already inspired. Now, when translated into English, I thank the translator Miss. Nandini for having done a great job.
Final Rating
5/5
October 12, 2021
A parent's life is unimaginably fraught with fears and worries. They aspire the best for and from their children.
As a child, I've often thought these anxieties stemmed from the outdated opinions and beliefs of the past. That my parents ought to go out and look how the world looks now, atleast the one I share with my peers.
The experiences our protagonist went through, as a father looking out for his son, took me on an eye-opening journey. It dissected the worries a father goes through for his child, pulling us across all the thoughts that race through his mind. In a manner, it brought me closer to understanding what my parents might have went through while raising me.
In a manner, it brought me closer to them.
A simple account of the life of a common man fathering a son, navigating through this modern era of vices.
As a child, I've often thought these anxieties stemmed from the outdated opinions and beliefs of the past. That my parents ought to go out and look how the world looks now, atleast the one I share with my peers.
The experiences our protagonist went through, as a father looking out for his son, took me on an eye-opening journey. It dissected the worries a father goes through for his child, pulling us across all the thoughts that race through his mind. In a manner, it brought me closer to understanding what my parents might have went through while raising me.
In a manner, it brought me closer to them.
A simple account of the life of a common man fathering a son, navigating through this modern era of vices.
March 24, 2019
குமராசுரர்-மங்காசுரி தம்பதிகளின் மகன் மேகாஸ் பொறியியல் கல்லூரியில் முதலாம் ஆண்டு படித்துக்கொண்டுள்ளார். நவீன வ���லையுயர்ந்த செல்பேசி அவருக்கு தேவைப்படுவதாகவும் அதை உடனே வாங்கித்தர வேண்டும் என தாய்-தந்தையிடம் உத்தரவிடுகிறார். தாய் மங்காசுரி ஒரே மகன் ஆசையாக கேட்கிறான் வாங்கிக் கொடுங்க என மகன் பக்கம் பேச. தந்தையோ ஏன் இந்த வயதில் இவனுக்கு இவ்வளவு விலையுயர்ந்த செல்பேசி தேவைப்படுகிறது? இதை வைத்து இவன் என்ன செய்யப்போகிறான் என்ற சிந்தனையில் தவிக்க அந்த சமயத்தில் அவர் கேள்விப்படும், சாகச தற்படம் எடுக்க முயன்ற இளைஞர்கள் பலி, பெண்களை செல்பேசியில் ஆபாச படம்மெடுத்த இளைஞர்கள் கைது, செல்பேசியின் உதவியுடன் இணையதளத்தில் காணொலிக்காட்சியாக, ஒலிச்சித்திரங்களாக ஆபாச படங்களை அனைவரும் பார்கின்றார்கள், செல்பேசியில் உள்ள விடியோ கேம் விளையாட்டிற்கு அடிமையாகி மனநிலை பாதித்த இளைஞர், செய்திகளை கேட்டு பதறி எங்கு தன் மகனும் இப்படி ஆகிவிடுவானோ என பயப்படுகிறார். இறுதியில் செல்பேசி வாங்கித்தந்தாரா இல்லையா என்பதே கழிமுகம். கதை நடக்கும் இடம் அசுரலோகம் என்றாலும் பூலோக பிரச்சனைகள் எல்லாம் அங்கு இருக்கிறது, குமராசுரர்-மங்காசுரி-மேகஸ் இடையிலான உறையாடல்கள் நாவலின் பலம், பெருமாள்முருகன் அங்கு தனித்து தெரிகிறார்.
அசுரலோக கழிமுகம் நாவலில் எனக்குப்பிடித்த சில வரிகள்,
‘நல்லா இருக்கறயாய்யா?’
‘காலேஜ்க்குப் போனியாய்யா?’
‘சாப்பிட்டயாய்யா?’
‘காசிருக்குதாய்யா?’
‘துணி தொவச்சுப் போட்டுக்கறயாய்யா?’
‘படிக்கறயாய்யா?’
‘வெச்சிருட்டுமாய்யா?’
‘ம்’
‘ஒத்தையா இருந்தா நல்லவனாத் தெரிவான். கும்பலாச் சேர்ந்தாக் கொலக்கூடச் செய்வான்’
பதவியில் மேலே போகப் போக ஒன்றையும் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டியதில்லை. கீழே இருப்பவரிடம் சொன்னால் செய்துவிட்டுப் போகிறார்கள். அவர்கள் செய்வதில் பிழை கண்டுபிடிப்பதுதான் மேலே இருப்பவரின் வேலை.
‘இந்தச் செல்போன மட்டும் இந்த காலத்துப் பசங்ககிட்ட இருந்து புடுங்கிட்டமுன்னு வெச்சிக்க... வாய் கோணிப் போயித் தார் ரோட்டுல தூக்கிப் போட்ட குப்பப் புழுவாட்டம் துடிச்சுச் செத்திருவானுங்க.
நேர் கொண்ட பார்வை இல்லாமல் அக்கம் பக்கம் பார்வை ஓடும் காரணத்தால் தான் சமூகத்தில் பல பிரச்சனைகள் வருகின்றன.
பிடித்ததையேதான் செய்வேன் என்றால் இந்த உலகத்தில் வாழ முடியுமா? பிடிக்காததையும் தேவை கருதிச் செய்துதான் ஆக வேண்டும்.
கல்லூரி இருந்த இடம் ஒருகாலத்தில் விவசாய நிலம் எனவும் கிராமத்து மக்கள் கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக நிலம் முழுவதையும் விற்றுவிட்டுக் கல்லூரியில் பேருந்து ஓட்டுனார்களாவும், விடுதியில் சமையல் செய்பவர்களாகவும் மேஜை துடைப்பவர்களாகவும் தோட்டக்காரர்களாகவும் எனப் பலவகை வேலைகளைச் செய்துகொண்டிருந்தார்கள் எனவும் தெரிந்தது. கிராமத்து மக்களில் யார் வந்து வேலை கேட்டாலும் உடனே கிடைத்துவிடுமாம். அந்த மக்களுக்கு மட்டும் அப்படியொரு சலுகை. விவசாயத்தை மறந்து ஊரே மாறிவிட்டதாம்.
‘இந்த மனசன் உனக்குக் கலியாணம் பண்ணி வெக்க மாட்டாருப்பா. பேராச வந்திருச்சு. பெரிய மனசன் ஆயிட்டாரு. எறங்கி வர மாட்டாரு. அதனால நான் சொல்றதக் கேளுப்பா. உங்க மாமன் நம்மளுக்கு எத்தன செஞ்சிருக்கறாருன்னு உனக்கு தெரியும். நான் கலியாணம் ஆகி வந்தப்ப எங்கூட அனுப்பி வெச்ச எருமக் கன்னுக்குட்டியோட வம்சம்தான் இன்னம் நம்ம கட்டுதரயில நிக்குது. அதோட கெடக்கன்னுகளதான் நம்ம கொலசாமிக்கு நேந்து எத்தனையோ வெட்டிப் பலி குடுத்திருக்கறம். எனக்கு கஷ்டமுன்னு போயி நின்னப்பெல்லாம் உள்ளத வழிச்சுக் குடுத்தாங்க. அவங்களுக்கு நாம என்ன செய்யப் போறம்? ராசாங்க வேல கெடச்சதுக்கப்பறம் நாம எட்டிப் பாப்பமோ மாட்டமோன்னு மனசு மருவிக்கிட்டு இந்தப் பக்கமே வராத இருக்காங்க. அவுங்கூட்டுலயும் ஒரு பொண்ணு இருக்குது, செரி, ஒருவார்த்த கேட்டுப் பாக்கலாமின்னு வர்ல பாத்துக்க. வந்தா உங்கொப்பன் ரெண்டு கடுஞ்சொல்லுச் சொல்லீருவானோன்னு மருவிக் கெடக்கறாங்க. நாம எத்தன ஒசரம் ஏறி நின்னாலும் கீழ குனிஞ்சு பாக்காத இருக்க முடியுமா? மாமன் மவ மங்காசுரி இருக்க மாத்தான் மவளக் கட்டலாமா கண்ணு? நீ செரின்னு சொல்லு, அப்பறம் நான் பாத்துக்கறன்’.
நாம கொஞ்சம் நல்லா இருக்கறமுன்னு தெரிஞ்சாப் போதும், ஊர்ல இருக்கறவனெல்லாம் சொந்தமுன்னுசொல்லிக்கிட்டு வந்திருவான். பிக்கல் பிடுங்கல் தாங்க முடியாது. அதுக்குக் கடன் குடு, இதுக்குப் பணங் குடுன்னு அரிச்சு எடுத்திருவாங்க. நாம எப்பவும் மடியில ஆயிரம் ஆயிரமாக் கட்டி வெச்சிக்கிட்டேவா இருப்பம்? நமக்கே கைக்கும் வாய்க்கும் செரியா இருக்குது. இதுல பரோபகாரமுன்னு எறங்குனா சீக்கிரம் பரலோகம் போக வேண்டீதுதான்.
ஒரு காலத்தில் கேலிக்குரியதாக இருக்கும் ஒன்று இன்னொரு காலத்தில் மதிப்பிற்குரியதாக மாறிவிடுகிறது. ஒரு காலத்தில் மதிப்பிற்குரியதாக இருக்கும் ஒன்று இன்னொரு காலத்தில் கேலிக்குரியதாக மாறிவிடுகிறது. கேலியும் மதிப்பும் மதிப்பும் கேலியும் என்பதுதான் தொடர் மாற்றம்.
‘தன்னோட சூத்து நெறையப் பீய வெச்சுக்கிட்டு மத்தவன் சூத்தயே எப்பவும் பாத்துப் பாத்துப் பீபீன்னு கத்தறவங்கதான் அதிகாரிங்க. பீப் பேழ்றவன் தனக்கு முன்னால கல்லக் குவிச்சு ஒவ்வொரு கல்லா எடுத்தெடுத்துத் தொடச்சுத் தொடச்சு நாலாப் பக்கமும் இருக்கறவங்க மேலே எறிஞ்சிக்கிட்டே இருக்கறதுதான் அதிகாரம். எந்தக் கல்ல மோந்து பாத்தாலும் பீ நாத்தந்தான்’.
‘வீட்டிலேயே வைத்துக்கொண்டு குடிக்கிறாரே, வீட்டம்மா ஏதும் சொல்ல மாட்டாரா, பையன்கள் இவரைப் பார்த்துப் பழகிக் கெட்டுப் போய்விட மாட்டார்களா, இந்தக் கெட்ட பழக்கத்தை இந்த நல்லவர் எங்கே பழகினார், ஏன் விட முடியாமல் தடுமாறுகிறார்...’
தனக்கு தெரிந்த ஒன்று இன்னொருவருக்கும் தெரிந்தால் தன்னுடையதே சிறந்தது என்று நிரூபிக்கப் பலவிதக் குறிப்புகளைச் சொல்லி உன்னுடையது ஒன்றும் பெரிதல்ல என்று காட்டுவதுதான் நடக்கும்.
பழைய சோற்று நீத்தண்ணியில் வெல்லம் கலந்தது போல மெல்லிய இனிப்புச் சுவை. அந்தி நேர வெயில் துணுக்கொன்றைக் கிள்ளிக் கள்ளுக்குள் போட்டது போலச் சுளீர் உறைப்பு. இனிப்பும் உறைப்பும் கலந்த அற்புதம் கள்.
-கலைச்செல்வன் செல்வராஜ்.
அசுரலோக கழிமுகம் நாவலில் எனக்குப்பிடித்த சில வரிகள்,
‘நல்லா இருக்கறயாய்யா?’
‘காலேஜ்க்குப் போனியாய்யா?’
‘சாப்பிட்டயாய்யா?’
‘காசிருக்குதாய்யா?’
‘துணி தொவச்சுப் போட்டுக்கறயாய்யா?’
‘படிக்கறயாய்யா?’
‘வெச்சிருட்டுமாய்யா?’
‘ம்’
‘ஒத்தையா இருந்தா நல்லவனாத் தெரிவான். கும்பலாச் சேர்ந்தாக் கொலக்கூடச் செய்வான்’
பதவியில் மேலே போகப் போக ஒன்றையும் கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டியதில்லை. கீழே இருப்பவரிடம் சொன்னால் செய்துவிட்டுப் போகிறார்கள். அவர்கள் செய்வதில் பிழை கண்டுபிடிப்பதுதான் மேலே இருப்பவரின் வேலை.
‘இந்தச் செல்போன மட்டும் இந்த காலத்துப் பசங்ககிட்ட இருந்து புடுங்கிட்டமுன்னு வெச்சிக்க... வாய் கோணிப் போயித் தார் ரோட்டுல தூக்கிப் போட்ட குப்பப் புழுவாட்டம் துடிச்சுச் செத்திருவானுங்க.
நேர் கொண்ட பார்வை இல்லாமல் அக்கம் பக்கம் பார்வை ஓடும் காரணத்தால் தான் சமூகத்தில் பல பிரச்சனைகள் வருகின்றன.
பிடித்ததையேதான் செய்வேன் என்றால் இந்த உலகத்தில் வாழ முடியுமா? பிடிக்காததையும் தேவை கருதிச் செய்துதான் ஆக வேண்டும்.
கல்லூரி இருந்த இடம் ஒருகாலத்தில் விவசாய நிலம் எனவும் கிராமத்து மக்கள் கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக நிலம் முழுவதையும் விற்றுவிட்டுக் கல்லூரியில் பேருந்து ஓட்டுனார்களாவும், விடுதியில் சமையல் செய்பவர்களாகவும் மேஜை துடைப்பவர்களாகவும் தோட்டக்காரர்களாகவும் எனப் பலவகை வேலைகளைச் செய்துகொண்டிருந்தார்கள் எனவும் தெரிந்தது. கிராமத்து மக்களில் யார் வந்து வேலை கேட்டாலும் உடனே கிடைத்துவிடுமாம். அந்த மக்களுக்கு மட்டும் அப்படியொரு சலுகை. விவசாயத்தை மறந்து ஊரே மாறிவிட்டதாம்.
‘இந்த மனசன் உனக்குக் கலியாணம் பண்ணி வெக்க மாட்டாருப்பா. பேராச வந்திருச்சு. பெரிய மனசன் ஆயிட்டாரு. எறங்கி வர மாட்டாரு. அதனால நான் சொல்றதக் கேளுப்பா. உங்க மாமன் நம்மளுக்கு எத்தன செஞ்சிருக்கறாருன்னு உனக்கு தெரியும். நான் கலியாணம் ஆகி வந்தப்ப எங்கூட அனுப்பி வெச்ச எருமக் கன்னுக்குட்டியோட வம்சம்தான் இன்னம் நம்ம கட்டுதரயில நிக்குது. அதோட கெடக்கன்னுகளதான் நம்ம கொலசாமிக்கு நேந்து எத்தனையோ வெட்டிப் பலி குடுத்திருக்கறம். எனக்கு கஷ்டமுன்னு போயி நின்னப்பெல்லாம் உள்ளத வழிச்சுக் குடுத்தாங்க. அவங்களுக்கு நாம என்ன செய்யப் போறம்? ராசாங்க வேல கெடச்சதுக்கப்பறம் நாம எட்டிப் பாப்பமோ மாட்டமோன்னு மனசு மருவிக்கிட்டு இந்தப் பக்கமே வராத இருக்காங்க. அவுங்கூட்டுலயும் ஒரு பொண்ணு இருக்குது, செரி, ஒருவார்த்த கேட்டுப் பாக்கலாமின்னு வர்ல பாத்துக்க. வந்தா உங்கொப்பன் ரெண்டு கடுஞ்சொல்லுச் சொல்லீருவானோன்னு மருவிக் கெடக்கறாங்க. நாம எத்தன ஒசரம் ஏறி நின்னாலும் கீழ குனிஞ்சு பாக்காத இருக்க முடியுமா? மாமன் மவ மங்காசுரி இருக்க மாத்தான் மவளக் கட்டலாமா கண்ணு? நீ செரின்னு சொல்லு, அப்பறம் நான் பாத்துக்கறன்’.
நாம கொஞ்சம் நல்லா இருக்கறமுன்னு தெரிஞ்சாப் போதும், ஊர்ல இருக்கறவனெல்லாம் சொந்தமுன்னுசொல்லிக்கிட்டு வந்திருவான். பிக்கல் பிடுங்கல் தாங்க முடியாது. அதுக்குக் கடன் குடு, இதுக்குப் பணங் குடுன்னு அரிச்சு எடுத்திருவாங்க. நாம எப்பவும் மடியில ஆயிரம் ஆயிரமாக் கட்டி வெச்சிக்கிட்டேவா இருப்பம்? நமக்கே கைக்கும் வாய்க்கும் செரியா இருக்குது. இதுல பரோபகாரமுன்னு எறங்குனா சீக்கிரம் பரலோகம் போக வேண்டீதுதான்.
ஒரு காலத்தில் கேலிக்குரியதாக இருக்கும் ஒன்று இன்னொரு காலத்தில் மதிப்பிற்குரியதாக மாறிவிடுகிறது. ஒரு காலத்தில் மதிப்பிற்குரியதாக இருக்கும் ஒன்று இன்னொரு காலத்தில் கேலிக்குரியதாக மாறிவிடுகிறது. கேலியும் மதிப்பும் மதிப்பும் கேலியும் என்பதுதான் தொடர் மாற்றம்.
‘தன்னோட சூத்து நெறையப் பீய வெச்சுக்கிட்டு மத்தவன் சூத்தயே எப்பவும் பாத்துப் பாத்துப் பீபீன்னு கத்தறவங்கதான் அதிகாரிங்க. பீப் பேழ்றவன் தனக்கு முன்னால கல்லக் குவிச்சு ஒவ்வொரு கல்லா எடுத்தெடுத்துத் தொடச்சுத் தொடச்சு நாலாப் பக்கமும் இருக்கறவங்க மேலே எறிஞ்சிக்கிட்டே இருக்கறதுதான் அதிகாரம். எந்தக் கல்ல மோந்து பாத்தாலும் பீ நாத்தந்தான்’.
‘வீட்டிலேயே வைத்துக்கொண்டு குடிக்கிறாரே, வீட்டம்மா ஏதும் சொல்ல மாட்டாரா, பையன்கள் இவரைப் பார்த்துப் பழகிக் கெட்டுப் போய்விட மாட்டார்களா, இந்தக் கெட்ட பழக்கத்தை இந்த நல்லவர் எங்கே பழகினார், ஏன் விட முடியாமல் தடுமாறுகிறார்...’
தனக்கு தெரிந்த ஒன்று இன்னொருவருக்கும் தெரிந்தால் தன்னுடையதே சிறந்தது என்று நிரூபிக்கப் பலவிதக் குறிப்புகளைச் சொல்லி உன்னுடையது ஒன்றும் பெரிதல்ல என்று காட்டுவதுதான் நடக்கும்.
பழைய சோற்று நீத்தண்ணியில் வெல்லம் கலந்தது போல மெல்லிய இனிப்புச் சுவை. அந்தி நேர வெயில் துணுக்கொன்றைக் கிள்ளிக் கள்ளுக்குள் போட்டது போலச் சுளீர் உறைப்பு. இனிப்பும் உறைப்பும் கலந்த அற்புதம் கள்.
-கலைச்செல்வன் செல்வராஜ்.
November 7, 2020
Nothing good ever comes from a surprise phone call late at night as Kumarasurar found out when his beloved son Meghas called him out of the blue with an outrageous request. What ensues is a dissent into deep melancholy interspersed with anxiety and ruminations of the past followed by an analysis of the present.
Estuary is many things but a cumbersome read it is not. It is a story of a father who wants to dote on his only son but struggles with the generation gap. His inability to understand the ways of the modern world and finding evil in everything that is considered progressive doesn't help bridge the gap between father and son.
Many of us might find the premise of Estuary relatable though it is touted to be set in a fictional world called Asuralokam made up of Asuras, a fictional take on the human species. The book was more like a trip down memory lane wherein I and my buddy reading partner Hari would discuss the similarities and our lived experiences that were depicted in it.
One such memory call-back was the tongue in cheek descriptions of the educational institutions in Asurlokam. I was fortunate to never have had the dubitable honour of being enrolled in an educational institution that was devoted to churn out mindless minions in the stead of educated and well adjusted young adults. But I had a friend who unfortunately had to complete her high school education in one such institution of horror. She would regale us with her terror filled stories of woe and our only commentary to her sorrowful monologue would be to interject it with an "Oh you poor thing" and a "We're so glad we don't go to xx school" which was unhelpful to say the least.
But I digress, coming back to Estuary one can't help but feel a kinship with the bumbling, well meaning protagonist as he leads us along in his journey of mental turmoil and anguish. We are with him every step of the way and maybe that's why we feel a sense of accomplishment when Kumarasurar achieves a state of peaceful contentment, no matter how tentatively it was reached. And no matter how much you expect it the ending will send you reeling. Is it for the better or for the worse, that is your duty to find out by reading this book because my job here is done.
I shall now end this rambling monologue of a review by reiterating my initial comment, Estuary is many things but a cumbersome read it is not.
Estuary is many things but a cumbersome read it is not. It is a story of a father who wants to dote on his only son but struggles with the generation gap. His inability to understand the ways of the modern world and finding evil in everything that is considered progressive doesn't help bridge the gap between father and son.
Many of us might find the premise of Estuary relatable though it is touted to be set in a fictional world called Asuralokam made up of Asuras, a fictional take on the human species. The book was more like a trip down memory lane wherein I and my buddy reading partner Hari would discuss the similarities and our lived experiences that were depicted in it.
One such memory call-back was the tongue in cheek descriptions of the educational institutions in Asurlokam. I was fortunate to never have had the dubitable honour of being enrolled in an educational institution that was devoted to churn out mindless minions in the stead of educated and well adjusted young adults. But I had a friend who unfortunately had to complete her high school education in one such institution of horror. She would regale us with her terror filled stories of woe and our only commentary to her sorrowful monologue would be to interject it with an "Oh you poor thing" and a "We're so glad we don't go to xx school" which was unhelpful to say the least.
But I digress, coming back to Estuary one can't help but feel a kinship with the bumbling, well meaning protagonist as he leads us along in his journey of mental turmoil and anguish. We are with him every step of the way and maybe that's why we feel a sense of accomplishment when Kumarasurar achieves a state of peaceful contentment, no matter how tentatively it was reached. And no matter how much you expect it the ending will send you reeling. Is it for the better or for the worse, that is your duty to find out by reading this book because my job here is done.
I shall now end this rambling monologue of a review by reiterating my initial comment, Estuary is many things but a cumbersome read it is not.
September 2, 2020
Such beautiful writing.
Even though in the foreword of the book, the author has mentioned that this book is different from all his other works, that it wont have the intensity and nuance that he is often praised for, I still saw it. Perumal Murugan wanted to write without restrictions, and I felt that freedom when reading this one.
I had forgotten the feeling of reading a south indian author. It is such a beautiful feeling when you recognise yourself and your life in the pages. Its like reaching home.
The book had my heart go out for the characters, made me want to reach out and talk to them, console them or shout at them. But at the last chapter, at the last line, I couldn't help but laugh out.
Even though in the foreword of the book, the author has mentioned that this book is different from all his other works, that it wont have the intensity and nuance that he is often praised for, I still saw it. Perumal Murugan wanted to write without restrictions, and I felt that freedom when reading this one.
I had forgotten the feeling of reading a south indian author. It is such a beautiful feeling when you recognise yourself and your life in the pages. Its like reaching home.
The book had my heart go out for the characters, made me want to reach out and talk to them, console them or shout at them. But at the last chapter, at the last line, I couldn't help but laugh out.
October 11, 2020
Estuary is a beautiful work of art that follows Kumarasurar's life and how it drastically changes when his son calls him out of the blue and makes a request. The request is a simple one but like a stack of dominoes falling, one on the other, changes the course and understanding of Kumarasurar's life.
The book begins with a beautiful foreword by @perumalmuruganofficial. In it, he highlights a few things about the book that caught my eye. One, the promise that the book is an absolute work of fiction and two, Murugan has forgone his usual writing and let his hand vomit everything that his imagination cooks up.
Stating that, I would like to emphasize on how real the book was to me. Me, a being from an average middle class family in Tamil Nadu felt that someone took my story and wrote it, giving it a narrative from my father's perspective. Everything that Murugan has so beautiful written about, is something almost every child in Tamil Nadu goes through.
The emotions of a father finding it difficult to get accustomed to the changing, progressive world and relinquishing control over everything he has been used to is difficult to behold and makes one think. The tackling of modern day problems due to technology and the sarcastic quips towards the modern day education were my favourite parts of the books. But nothing prepared me for the climax! What a chapter that was! I loved ever bit of it, from the beginning till the end!
The writing followed by the adapted narrative was something magical to behold. The hilarity and sarcasm behind the story serves as a subtle reflection of the modern day society.
The beauty of the writing lies not just in the author's hand but also the translator's! @nandinikrishnanofficial has done an exemplary job in capturing Murugan's essence with her words
The book begins with a beautiful foreword by @perumalmuruganofficial. In it, he highlights a few things about the book that caught my eye. One, the promise that the book is an absolute work of fiction and two, Murugan has forgone his usual writing and let his hand vomit everything that his imagination cooks up.
Stating that, I would like to emphasize on how real the book was to me. Me, a being from an average middle class family in Tamil Nadu felt that someone took my story and wrote it, giving it a narrative from my father's perspective. Everything that Murugan has so beautiful written about, is something almost every child in Tamil Nadu goes through.
The emotions of a father finding it difficult to get accustomed to the changing, progressive world and relinquishing control over everything he has been used to is difficult to behold and makes one think. The tackling of modern day problems due to technology and the sarcastic quips towards the modern day education were my favourite parts of the books. But nothing prepared me for the climax! What a chapter that was! I loved ever bit of it, from the beginning till the end!
The writing followed by the adapted narrative was something magical to behold. The hilarity and sarcasm behind the story serves as a subtle reflection of the modern day society.
The beauty of the writing lies not just in the author's hand but also the translator's! @nandinikrishnanofficial has done an exemplary job in capturing Murugan's essence with her words
January 13, 2022
This book is quite different from the other Perumal Murugan books that I have read which dealt with serious issues. Of course, the issue dealt in here is serious too, but it has been presented to the readers in a rather lighter way. There were many instances wherein, though I have laughed out loud while reading some parts yet have felt guilty for doing so. And that’s the charm of this writer who deals with issues like parenting, generation gap in a rather subtle way that makes the readers enjoy, and makes them think at the same time, without being too preachy.
The plot is about an anxious father and his millennial, carefree son. A father who cannot come to terms with, why his son needs a computer? And why he is always glued to his mobile phone? Why he prefers to stay in his room alone rather than spend time with his parents?
And a son who can’t seem to understand why his father is anxious about him all the time? And how they both come to terms (Estuary) with each other’s “why’s”.
I loved the way the author has portrayed the mother, who acts as a bridge between the father and the son, balancing them both in her own way.
The plot is about an anxious father and his millennial, carefree son. A father who cannot come to terms with, why his son needs a computer? And why he is always glued to his mobile phone? Why he prefers to stay in his room alone rather than spend time with his parents?
And a son who can’t seem to understand why his father is anxious about him all the time? And how they both come to terms (Estuary) with each other’s “why’s”.
I loved the way the author has portrayed the mother, who acts as a bridge between the father and the son, balancing them both in her own way.
April 28, 2021
I want to be nice and give this book a 3 on 5, but I just did not enjoy reading it. It had a few fun moments, but too few for a 250+ pages book about a father obsessing over his son's need for an expensive phone. It would've made a great 50 page short story or novella, but is stretched too much and ends up being tedious.
Maybe worth checking out if you are just beginning to read/explore the fiction genre.
Full/longer review on AbstractAF.in - https://abstractaf.in/estuary-by-peru...
Maybe worth checking out if you are just beginning to read/explore the fiction genre.
Full/longer review on AbstractAF.in - https://abstractaf.in/estuary-by-peru...
June 18, 2024
As much as I love Mr. Murugan's writing, this one left me annoyed. It starts great but then ambles on and starts rambling..
September 12, 2020
Disclaimer: A Physical Copy was provided via the Publisher as part of the Bookstagram Tour. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
Peremul Murugan is one of the most celebrated Indian authors on #bookstagram – and so many of bookstagrammers whose opinions and recommendations I follow blindly have always loved his books – but somehow somewhere, an internal apprehension of not liking his books enough made me reticent to picking up his books.
But I am honestly glad that I waited, for his current offering, Estuary, was waiting to be the fiorst of his works I read – a beautiful, poignant, chaotic yet simplistic in it’s form; follows the life of a simple common man, Kumarasurar and his relationship with his wife, his son and the world and the society he inhabits.
Stating the love or rather the need for a son over a daughter; Perumal Murugan simply states the patriarchal attitude of the Indian Society within the first chapter itself. Kumarasurar and his wife, Mangasuri dote on their only son, Meghas – everything they have ever done has been to make sure that Meghas gets the best of the education they can provide. Jealous of the closeness that his wife and son share, Kumarasurar, a lowly government employee pinches pennies and manages his finances in a way or rather the faith that his son Meghas will get admission into a prestigious college and land a job that will, hopefully end their financial woes in the future.
Estuary is more of a collection of observations and musings on part of Kumarasurar , who is stumped and anxious when his son asks for a mobile phone with a steep price almost nonchalantly! It brings forth the anxiety, the regret and the dlilemma of parents that most teenagers would rarely understand – the wish that they could provide the whole world as desired by their beloved offspring; yet being restricted by the realities of the world, resulting in resentment by their child.
While, this might seem a dreary concept for anyone to read; what stands out is Mr. Murugan’s writing style – it is the way he humorously and easily points at the quirks, the anxiety that you can’t help but be charmed by the absurdity of what a simple man goes through in the effort to fulfill obligations of an ever changing world!
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon |
September 1, 2022
Perumal Murugan has a style of structuring his novels that just feels very Indian. The stories are always rambling in the best possible way. It's never very directed, instead we just revel in the story and the characters. Anecdotes build up little by little and give us a very composite, lived-in feeling. By the time you reach the middle of the novel, you feel like you know these characters personally.
These same factors are at work in this novel too. The middle-parts of it felt a little dragged out though. There's this thing that sometimes artists do where they make us feel the character's feeling. I felt like that's sort of what Perumal Murugan was going for here. Like the overthinking, insomniac father, the novel was also going in circles and repeating its point and I felt frustrated, perhaps like the character also did. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. But at least if this what Perumal Murugan was setting out to achieve, he did it very well.
The last few chapters are a beautiful redemption for anything that came before though. The ease with which Perumal Murugan slips into this sort of magical realism was just wonderful. It truly made me feel appreciative of the little things around me. The transformation that the prose and the character go through are so fluid and evocative that they leave you feeling transformed. I think this feeling was heightened by the frustration that the preceding chapters caused which makes me excuse their tepidity more. The final interaction was the cherry on top and left me feeling very happy to have read one more of this great writer's work and excited for the many more I still have left.
Great read overall and I expect nothing less from this modern Tamil wizard!
These same factors are at work in this novel too. The middle-parts of it felt a little dragged out though. There's this thing that sometimes artists do where they make us feel the character's feeling. I felt like that's sort of what Perumal Murugan was going for here. Like the overthinking, insomniac father, the novel was also going in circles and repeating its point and I felt frustrated, perhaps like the character also did. I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. But at least if this what Perumal Murugan was setting out to achieve, he did it very well.
The last few chapters are a beautiful redemption for anything that came before though. The ease with which Perumal Murugan slips into this sort of magical realism was just wonderful. It truly made me feel appreciative of the little things around me. The transformation that the prose and the character go through are so fluid and evocative that they leave you feeling transformed. I think this feeling was heightened by the frustration that the preceding chapters caused which makes me excuse their tepidity more. The final interaction was the cherry on top and left me feeling very happy to have read one more of this great writer's work and excited for the many more I still have left.
Great read overall and I expect nothing less from this modern Tamil wizard!
September 1, 2020
Book: - Estuary (translated from Kazhimugam)
Author: - Perumal Murugan (translated by Nandini Krishnan)
Review: - The subtleness of Perumal Murugan to bind social issues into a thread and then stretch it into a tale is unparalleled. Estuary, addressing a congregation of social issues around a government employee will take you through a journey of emotions. It will showcase the fragile nature of the parental relationship, the working structure of government offices, marriage rituals, complexities of society and personal bonding. Though it is really hard at some places to understand the context and you might get lost, but the author manages to bring you back on track in the next paragraph. It will take you on a discourse of internal conflicts, parental duties and how to face your demons.
I am not aware of the literary techniques of Tamil language but this translation is well versed with the style of “Poonachi-The story of Black Goat.” If you were impressed by that book, Estuary will seal a place for Perumal Murugan in your heart and hopefully in your bookshelf.
Ratings: - 4/5.
Read this to understand the emotion of a father and how he holds his fort for you at every point in his life.
Author: - Perumal Murugan (translated by Nandini Krishnan)
Review: - The subtleness of Perumal Murugan to bind social issues into a thread and then stretch it into a tale is unparalleled. Estuary, addressing a congregation of social issues around a government employee will take you through a journey of emotions. It will showcase the fragile nature of the parental relationship, the working structure of government offices, marriage rituals, complexities of society and personal bonding. Though it is really hard at some places to understand the context and you might get lost, but the author manages to bring you back on track in the next paragraph. It will take you on a discourse of internal conflicts, parental duties and how to face your demons.
I am not aware of the literary techniques of Tamil language but this translation is well versed with the style of “Poonachi-The story of Black Goat.” If you were impressed by that book, Estuary will seal a place for Perumal Murugan in your heart and hopefully in your bookshelf.
Ratings: - 4/5.
Read this to understand the emotion of a father and how he holds his fort for you at every point in his life.
September 22, 2025
പെരുമാൾ മുരുകന്റെ വായനക്കാരിയായ എനിക്ക് ഒരു സർപ്രൈസ് ആയിരുന്നു ഈ നോവൽ. സാധാരണ തമിഴ് ഗ്രാമീണ ജീവിതങ്ങളിലെ നേർകാഴ്ച്ചകളും അനാചാരങ്ങളും ഇതിവൃത്തങ്ങളുമൊക്കെ എഴുതുന്ന അദ്ദേഹം ഇത്തവണ ഒരു നാഗരിക കഥാ പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിൽ ഇത് വരെ പറയാത്ത രീതിയിൽ ഒരു social satire ആണ് രചിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്..
എഴുത്തുകാരൻ തന്നെ പറയുന്നത് ഇതാണ് താൻ ആദ്യമായി യാതൊരു നിയന്ത്രണങ്ങളുമില്ലാതെ എഴുതുന്ന കഥയെന്നാണ്. കഥാപാത്ര വർണ്ണനകളില്ല, കഥാ ഭൂമികയില്ല.. അതൊക്കെ വായനക്കാരന് മനോധർമ്മമനുസരിച്ച് അനുമാനിച്ചെടുക്കാൻ വിട്ടു തന്നിരിക്കുന്നു..
ഒരു യാഥാസ്ഥിതികനായ അച്ഛന്റെയും, പുതിയ കാലത്ത് പുതിയ മാറ്റങ്ങളെ ഉൾക്കൊണ്ടു ജീവിക്കുന്ന മകന്റെയും, ഈ രണ്ടു പേരുടെയും ഇടയിൽ പെട്ടു പോകുന്ന നാട്ടിൻപുറത്തുകാരിയായ ഒരു അമ്മയുടെയും കഥ വളരെ തനതു ശൈലിയിൽ ഹാസ്യം കലർത്തി അവതരിപ്പിച്ച നോവൽ ഒരു പുത്തൻ വായനാനുഭവമാണ് എനിക്ക് നൽകിയത്..
ഇനിയും പെരുമാൾ മുരുകനെ വായിക്കാൻ ഇത് പ്രചോദനമാകുന്നു...
2018 ൽ 'കഴിമുഖം' എന്ന പേരിലാണ് നോവലിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ പതിപ്പ് പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയത്.
📚Book - അഴിമുഖം
✒️Writer- പെരുമാൾ മുരുക���
📜Publisher- ഒലിവ് ബുക്സ്
✍️പരിഭാഷ - ഇടമൺ രാജൻ
എഴുത്തുകാരൻ തന്നെ പറയുന്നത് ഇതാണ് താൻ ആദ്യമായി യാതൊരു നിയന്ത്രണങ്ങളുമില്ലാതെ എഴുതുന്ന കഥയെന്നാണ്. കഥാപാത്ര വർണ്ണനകളില്ല, കഥാ ഭൂമികയില്ല.. അതൊക്കെ വായനക്കാരന് മനോധർമ്മമനുസരിച്ച് അനുമാനിച്ചെടുക്കാൻ വിട്ടു തന്നിരിക്കുന്നു..
ഒരു യാഥാസ്ഥിതികനായ അച്ഛന്റെയും, പുതിയ കാലത്ത് പുതിയ മാറ്റങ്ങളെ ഉൾക്കൊണ്ടു ജീവിക്കുന്ന മകന്റെയും, ഈ രണ്ടു പേരുടെയും ഇടയിൽ പെട്ടു പോകുന്ന നാട്ടിൻപുറത്തുകാരിയായ ഒരു അമ്മയുടെയും കഥ വളരെ തനതു ശൈലിയിൽ ഹാസ്യം കലർത്തി അവതരിപ്പിച്ച നോവൽ ഒരു പുത്തൻ വായനാനുഭവമാണ് എനിക്ക് നൽകിയത്..
ഇനിയും പെരുമാൾ മുരുകനെ വായിക്കാൻ ഇത് പ്രചോദനമാകുന്നു...
2018 ൽ 'കഴിമുഖം' എന്ന പേരിലാണ് നോവലിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ പതിപ്പ് പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയത്.
📚Book - അഴിമുഖം
✒️Writer- പെരുമാൾ മുരുക���
📜Publisher- ഒലിവ് ബുക്സ്
✍️പരിഭാഷ - ഇടമൺ രാജൻ
February 6, 2022
If you thought Perumal Murugan was only good at writing novels and characters in rural/agrarian settings, "Estuary" will prove you wrong.
Set in fictional "Asuralokam", the book beautifully captures a father-son relationship replete with generation and communication gaps, and quiet affection for each other, as well as the anxieties of a parent in the modern technological era.
Realistic settings and characters, as well as the organic writing which doesn't seem exaggerated for the sake of fiction made this a warm, beautiful, and honest read which I thoroughly enjoyed and savoured.
Set in fictional "Asuralokam", the book beautifully captures a father-son relationship replete with generation and communication gaps, and quiet affection for each other, as well as the anxieties of a parent in the modern technological era.
Realistic settings and characters, as well as the organic writing which doesn't seem exaggerated for the sake of fiction made this a warm, beautiful, and honest read which I thoroughly enjoyed and savoured.
September 19, 2022
Loved it..
July 30, 2024
It was an audiobook but the last few lines makes me want to read the book so so much!
3.5 actually.
3.5 actually.
March 23, 2025
It takes a very good writer to write with such astounding simplicity and an even better one to tackle intense themes with such lightness and ease. Estuary is as the name suggests, a book about the meeting of river and sea ,of new and old and the way both things can coexist at the same time.
Here nobody is heralded to high ground as someone to be looked upto.
Infact everybody is scrutinized in Perumal Murugan's writing almost as if he's pointing out just how absurd everything is.
It's a book about access and how a lack of it can make something appear more valuable or dangerous.
It's a book about parental anxiety and our reactions to a changing world.
But ultimately it's a book about mental health just as much as it is about societal expectations and rampant consumerism.And for that alone, I give it five stars.
Here nobody is heralded to high ground as someone to be looked upto.
Infact everybody is scrutinized in Perumal Murugan's writing almost as if he's pointing out just how absurd everything is.
It's a book about access and how a lack of it can make something appear more valuable or dangerous.
It's a book about parental anxiety and our reactions to a changing world.
But ultimately it's a book about mental health just as much as it is about societal expectations and rampant consumerism.And for that alone, I give it five stars.
August 31, 2020
This is my first Book of Perumal Murugan, Couldn't read earlier because he wrote in Tamil.Estuary has been wonderfully translated by Ms.Nandini Krishnan.The grey areas of relationship between a father and a young teenage son has been well captured. There are various hues of humour which we fail to notice in our life.I think my father would have felt the same about me too!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews