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Jezebel
Translated from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar
Jezebel, a young doctor in Kerala, struggles against the cruel realities of a patriarchal world-realities that not even her education, resolve or professional brilliance can shield her from. Her already contentious divorce proceedings go suddenly awry, and her unhappy marriage holds complex secrets. In K.R. Meera's blistering new novel, which takes the form of a courtroom drama to show us the rich inner worlds of its characters, we see Jezebel reflect on her life and its pivotal points as she takes the stand. Through her memories, we see her grow from a reticent, serious young woman to a rebel who refuses to bend to the conventions of society.
Like the Biblical story of Queen Jezebel, who was much maligned as a scheming harlot and infamously thrown to her death from her palace window, Jezebel is a novel that asks if independent women can ever live lives that are free of judgement K.R. Meera's hypnotic prose, in this elegant translation from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar, makes resonant allusions to the Bible in powerful ways that elucidate the correlations between legend and the protagonist's life while also exploring how sexuality and gender roles are manipulated by the dictates of society.
Jezebel, a young doctor in Kerala, struggles against the cruel realities of a patriarchal world-realities that not even her education, resolve or professional brilliance can shield her from. Her already contentious divorce proceedings go suddenly awry, and her unhappy marriage holds complex secrets. In K.R. Meera's blistering new novel, which takes the form of a courtroom drama to show us the rich inner worlds of its characters, we see Jezebel reflect on her life and its pivotal points as she takes the stand. Through her memories, we see her grow from a reticent, serious young woman to a rebel who refuses to bend to the conventions of society.
Like the Biblical story of Queen Jezebel, who was much maligned as a scheming harlot and infamously thrown to her death from her palace window, Jezebel is a novel that asks if independent women can ever live lives that are free of judgement K.R. Meera's hypnotic prose, in this elegant translation from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar, makes resonant allusions to the Bible in powerful ways that elucidate the correlations between legend and the protagonist's life while also exploring how sexuality and gender roles are manipulated by the dictates of society.
- GenresWomens
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2022
8 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
കെ.ആർ.മീര | K.R.Meera
34 books644 followersK.R. Meera is an Indian author, who writes in Malayalam. She won Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009 for her short-story, Ave Maria.She has also been noted as a screenplay writer of 4 serials.
Meera was born in Sasthamkotta, Kollam district in Kerala.She worked as a journalist in Malayala Manorama, later resigned to concentrate more on writing. She is also a well-known column-writer in Malayalam
Meera was born in Sasthamkotta, Kollam district in Kerala.She worked as a journalist in Malayala Manorama, later resigned to concentrate more on writing. She is also a well-known column-writer in Malayalam
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March 28, 2023
Medical Science is a dynamic field that is constantly evolving. It is extremely difficult for a healthcare professional to write a Medical novel that is technically and scientifically perfect unless they are fresh graduates who just finished their Med School or Residency and have great taste in literature or are experienced healthcare professionals who are constantly getting updated regarding the latest advances in Medicine.
I have seen some recently published Medical novels written by healthcare professionals who are both famous in their professional field and the field of literature. Unfortunately, most of them are both technically and scientifically outdated. It happens mainly due to the dynamic nature of Medical Science and authors' inability to get updated as they should be before writing a book.
They might be updated in their own specialty, which is inevitable for their success in their professional field. But they won't be as updated in the other specialties, the latest changes in Medical education (especially if they are exclusively doing private practice), and problems related to other healthcare professionals, Nursing, medical and allied workers, and the latest technologies and techniques they use, which are all necessary to write a technically sound work of fiction unless they are planning to write a novel strictly discussing about the events in their own specialty. I also have seen some healthcare professionals wavering from their decision to write a Medical novel for the same reason.
I am strictly talking about Medical novels here, and Medical Memoirs are entirely different and need a separate discussion.
Updation is a factor necessary to write any novel pertaining to any field. For novels about Medical Science, updation is more critical as it is incredibly dynamic and vast.
You can see some authors (both from inside and outside the Medical field) writing a Medical novel without bothering about Scientific and technical updation at all. They might be good works of fiction if we view them from the point of literature alone, but they will be considered imperfect creations if we consider all the aspects. Shamanathalam from Radhakrishnan K is an excellent example of it. It might be regarded as a great literary work by some people. But the technical and scientific facts are grossly misrepresented in it, making it a mediocre work that should have been otherwise a masterpiece.
I haven't seen many books or critics discussing what I mentioned above. The lack of awareness of it pushes some authors into some sort of writer's dilemma.
So, in short, can only Doctors write a great Medical novel?
The answer is no. I have seen some brilliant novels written by Doctors. I also have seen some Medical novels written by Doctors which are pathetic. A scientifically sound and sharp mind can't guarantee a brilliant Medical novel. For that, they should also be interested in the aesthetic sense, art, and literature.
Can people outside the Medical profession write great Medical novels?
The answer is yes. If the author's taste in literature is excellent and is ready to do deep research in updated Medical and Scientific information to get all the facts correct, it is possible. It requires a lot of effort to create such a novel, though. This book by K.R. Meera is an excellent example of it which is perfect in every way.
K.R. Meera has no relation to Medical Science from a professional point of view. She was working in a reputed newspaper, and she resigned from her job and became a full-time author.
The amount of research the author did for this novel is outstanding. According to my knowledge of Medical Science, I think she perfectly got all the Medical and technical aspects correct even if she has no Medical background. There is no need to discuss her literary prowess as she is considered one of the best contemporary writers.
I love the way how the author crafted the character of Jezebel. Her character arc is nothing less than perfect. Her view of feminism and the philosophical way she looks at life is one of the best I have seen in any novel. The readers will have a whirlwind journey with her throughout this novel. The author brilliantly depicts the problems she had to face in her marital life, her professional brilliance, and how she boldly faced all the challenges. I bought the Malayalam version of this book on the day it was published and finished reading it in a single sitting, even discarding my sleep. Sleep is something very important to me, and I only sacrifice it in exceptional situations for my family or my patients. This is one of the exceptional cases where I pulled out an all-nighter without even knowing about it until I finished reading this book.
The next thing I did after finishing this book was to call my friend, a senior official in the company which published this book. I asked for the author's phone number, called the author directly, discussed my thoughts about this book, and congratulated her for writing a book that is perfect from both the literary and scientific points of view.
Of all the books I have read in my life, that was the only time I have acted in such a way. It was only because I was sure that I couldn't do anything until I congratulated the author for creating such an amazing work of fiction. This book will be in the top 10 list of my all-time favorite books.
I discussed about the possibility of an English version when I talked about this book with the author. I was glad to see the English translation of this book in the bestseller section when I was scanning through books in a bookstore recently.
The English translation is equally great, like the original Malayalam one, and I recommend all my friends here to try this book if you love to read a well-written medical novel that will satisfy you in every way.
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube First Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Second Channel - Dasfill - Malayalam | Twitter ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
I have seen some recently published Medical novels written by healthcare professionals who are both famous in their professional field and the field of literature. Unfortunately, most of them are both technically and scientifically outdated. It happens mainly due to the dynamic nature of Medical Science and authors' inability to get updated as they should be before writing a book.
They might be updated in their own specialty, which is inevitable for their success in their professional field. But they won't be as updated in the other specialties, the latest changes in Medical education (especially if they are exclusively doing private practice), and problems related to other healthcare professionals, Nursing, medical and allied workers, and the latest technologies and techniques they use, which are all necessary to write a technically sound work of fiction unless they are planning to write a novel strictly discussing about the events in their own specialty. I also have seen some healthcare professionals wavering from their decision to write a Medical novel for the same reason.
I am strictly talking about Medical novels here, and Medical Memoirs are entirely different and need a separate discussion.
Updation is a factor necessary to write any novel pertaining to any field. For novels about Medical Science, updation is more critical as it is incredibly dynamic and vast.
You can see some authors (both from inside and outside the Medical field) writing a Medical novel without bothering about Scientific and technical updation at all. They might be good works of fiction if we view them from the point of literature alone, but they will be considered imperfect creations if we consider all the aspects. Shamanathalam from Radhakrishnan K is an excellent example of it. It might be regarded as a great literary work by some people. But the technical and scientific facts are grossly misrepresented in it, making it a mediocre work that should have been otherwise a masterpiece.
I haven't seen many books or critics discussing what I mentioned above. The lack of awareness of it pushes some authors into some sort of writer's dilemma.
So, in short, can only Doctors write a great Medical novel?
The answer is no. I have seen some brilliant novels written by Doctors. I also have seen some Medical novels written by Doctors which are pathetic. A scientifically sound and sharp mind can't guarantee a brilliant Medical novel. For that, they should also be interested in the aesthetic sense, art, and literature.
Can people outside the Medical profession write great Medical novels?
The answer is yes. If the author's taste in literature is excellent and is ready to do deep research in updated Medical and Scientific information to get all the facts correct, it is possible. It requires a lot of effort to create such a novel, though. This book by K.R. Meera is an excellent example of it which is perfect in every way.
K.R. Meera has no relation to Medical Science from a professional point of view. She was working in a reputed newspaper, and she resigned from her job and became a full-time author.
The amount of research the author did for this novel is outstanding. According to my knowledge of Medical Science, I think she perfectly got all the Medical and technical aspects correct even if she has no Medical background. There is no need to discuss her literary prowess as she is considered one of the best contemporary writers.
I love the way how the author crafted the character of Jezebel. Her character arc is nothing less than perfect. Her view of feminism and the philosophical way she looks at life is one of the best I have seen in any novel. The readers will have a whirlwind journey with her throughout this novel. The author brilliantly depicts the problems she had to face in her marital life, her professional brilliance, and how she boldly faced all the challenges. I bought the Malayalam version of this book on the day it was published and finished reading it in a single sitting, even discarding my sleep. Sleep is something very important to me, and I only sacrifice it in exceptional situations for my family or my patients. This is one of the exceptional cases where I pulled out an all-nighter without even knowing about it until I finished reading this book.
The next thing I did after finishing this book was to call my friend, a senior official in the company which published this book. I asked for the author's phone number, called the author directly, discussed my thoughts about this book, and congratulated her for writing a book that is perfect from both the literary and scientific points of view.
Of all the books I have read in my life, that was the only time I have acted in such a way. It was only because I was sure that I couldn't do anything until I congratulated the author for creating such an amazing work of fiction. This book will be in the top 10 list of my all-time favorite books.
I discussed about the possibility of an English version when I talked about this book with the author. I was glad to see the English translation of this book in the bestseller section when I was scanning through books in a bookstore recently.
The English translation is equally great, like the original Malayalam one, and I recommend all my friends here to try this book if you love to read a well-written medical novel that will satisfy you in every way.
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube First Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Second Channel - Dasfill - Malayalam | Twitter ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
October 8, 2022
If you are looking for a thought provoking influencial read, look no further here is a book recommendation for you.
KR Meera's latest novel Jezebel is one that's translated from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar
So the story goes somewhat like this:
Jezebel, a young doctor in Kerala, struggles against the cruel realities of a patriarchal world-realities that not even her education, resolve or professional brilliance can shield her from. Her already contentious divorce proceedings go suddenly awry, and her unhappy marriage holds complex secrets. In K.R. Meera's blistering new novel, which takes the form of a courtroom drama to show us the rich inner worlds of its characters, we see Jezebel reflect on her life and its pivotal points as she takes the stand. Through her memories, we see her grow from a reticent, serious young woman to a rebel who refuses to bend to the conventions of society.
Like the Biblical story of Queen Jezebel, who was much maligned as a scheming harlot and infamously thrown to her death from her palace window, Jezebel is a novel that asks if independent women can ever live lives that are free of judgement K.R. Meera's hypnotic prose, in this elegant translation from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar, makes resonant allusions to the Bible in powerful ways that elucidate the correlations between legend and the protagonist's life while also exploring how sexuality and gender roles are manipulated by the dictates of society.
I have started reading it. It till now has good depth in its words and definitely keeps me engaged on each corner.
Go check it out now.
KR Meera's latest novel Jezebel is one that's translated from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar
So the story goes somewhat like this:
Jezebel, a young doctor in Kerala, struggles against the cruel realities of a patriarchal world-realities that not even her education, resolve or professional brilliance can shield her from. Her already contentious divorce proceedings go suddenly awry, and her unhappy marriage holds complex secrets. In K.R. Meera's blistering new novel, which takes the form of a courtroom drama to show us the rich inner worlds of its characters, we see Jezebel reflect on her life and its pivotal points as she takes the stand. Through her memories, we see her grow from a reticent, serious young woman to a rebel who refuses to bend to the conventions of society.
Like the Biblical story of Queen Jezebel, who was much maligned as a scheming harlot and infamously thrown to her death from her palace window, Jezebel is a novel that asks if independent women can ever live lives that are free of judgement K.R. Meera's hypnotic prose, in this elegant translation from the Malayalam by Abhirami Girija Sriram and K.S. Bijukumar, makes resonant allusions to the Bible in powerful ways that elucidate the correlations between legend and the protagonist's life while also exploring how sexuality and gender roles are manipulated by the dictates of society.
I have started reading it. It till now has good depth in its words and definitely keeps me engaged on each corner.
Go check it out now.
September 23, 2023
My first read by KR Meera. An English translated version of the original in Malayalam. Set in modern day Kerala deeply rooted in patriarchy despite the high levels of literacy proclaimed by the state and its people. KR Meera has resolutely addressed the evils of patriarchal society and the stigma associated with homesexuality and transexuality in this work of hers.A distraught Jezebel the protagonist also a doctor by profession files for divorce citing harassment at her inlaws house. She faces flak from society (even her mother) for her decision. The lawyer contemptuously remarking her wearing jeans in court is one example of how narrow minded our society is, besides more derogatory allegations of her numerous affairs with other men. The translated work interspersed with terms from original like kochey, mole, doctoreh and many others touched a chord. Though kind of dragging at times, i enjoyed the experience of reading a Malayalam book(translated version)
July 20, 2022
Standing ovation 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
K.R. Meera, the bastion (one of my favourite writers) stuns us once more with her hypnotizing prose in a harrowing story of womanhood, juxtaposes the life of her protagonist Jezebel to the biblical’s ever feisty Queen Jezebel cruelly maligned & vilified as the conspiratorial whore by the religious men to date. Both crucified. Meera redeems them wholly in her mind’s eye. Now as a written testament.
Take a bow, Meera. Still reeling from the effects of Jezebel.
Deftly translated from the Malayalam to English by Abhirami Girija Sriram & K.S Bijukumar.
Review: Jezebel was one woman’s fight for freedom. The draconian Old Testament hasn’t been kind to womankind. Babylonian whores were burnt to death, wives beaten to death, Jezebel the prophet plunged to death.
Jezebel being the consecration of God, even in the story - a God-fearing, family abiding, all desires suppressed, academically inclined intelligent capable Physician was wedded to Jerome George Mathew who tormented her soul right from their nuptial night.
Jezebel was made to hate her own body by her own mother. Because - religion. Every religion sees the female body as a mortal sin and their very lives are to be in suffering and pain always, the women always repenting for this sin. The Visceral hatred is penned in every other line of the testament practiced rigorously in absolute blindness by her mother.
Valiyammachi, the prophet in this story is our usual suspect, the sassy kind grandmother who insists with the Lord to keep her astray always. Her well-seasoned rendezvous with a series of men made her wisdom on society sharper. Jezebel found a confidante in Valiyammachi. Even Valiyammachi couldn’t save the day. The trials and tribulations stacked against Jezebel were such.
Jerome who was gay and already in a relationship with his staunch Hindu lover goes on a rampage destroying Jezebel’s remaining self-esteem and independence. She is broken into obedience. She couldn’t find her saviour in her parents or Lilly Mummy.
Through Sandeep a love respite, she finds Ann Mary who wanted to save. Broken helping another broken. Jerome the spawn of satan commits an unforgivable crime when Jezebel sheltered Ann Mary in her home. This was it. Jezebel turns Jez-Rebel.
His dad, George Jerome Matthews was an epitome of evil unto himself and the world. Cruel to the bone transforms into an actual living breathing demon all out for the crucification of Jezebel.
There’s a part of me that feels Jerome did what he did in order to punish his lover and jezebel. He created a hell space with him, like a spreading plague, as the centrifugal force of evil and watched in utter silence his dad hell bent on immolating Jezebel at Jerome’s behest.
Jezebel goes through a legally structured character assassination in the courtroom before her hangmen - the judge and the jury. They disrobed her mentally. Mangled her dignity. Hung her out to dry in the gallows. Meera interweaves the macroscopic and microscopic layers of the power play with the courtroom melee and biblical moorings.
Jezebel trapped in the insane maelstrom almost risking a criminal case, simultaneously with an ethical dilemma to uphold her service oath to humankind sought solace in a sorry pre-mature ejaculation version of a man who abandoned her when she bared herself out to him. Out in the open, nailed to the cross, all by herself bears her cross to see herself out on the other side. Resistance and rebellion.
#KRMeera #Jezebel #AbhiramiGirijaSriram #KSBijukumar #penguinindia #translatedworks #bookstagram #igreads #keralaliterature #sahityaakademi #kindlereads #fiction #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #bookreview #book #readingnationsg
#read #book #reading #readersofinstagram #bibliophile #whatareyoureadingsg #Malayalam
#SooryaneAninjaOruSthree
K.R. Meera, the bastion (one of my favourite writers) stuns us once more with her hypnotizing prose in a harrowing story of womanhood, juxtaposes the life of her protagonist Jezebel to the biblical’s ever feisty Queen Jezebel cruelly maligned & vilified as the conspiratorial whore by the religious men to date. Both crucified. Meera redeems them wholly in her mind’s eye. Now as a written testament.
Take a bow, Meera. Still reeling from the effects of Jezebel.
Deftly translated from the Malayalam to English by Abhirami Girija Sriram & K.S Bijukumar.
Review: Jezebel was one woman’s fight for freedom. The draconian Old Testament hasn’t been kind to womankind. Babylonian whores were burnt to death, wives beaten to death, Jezebel the prophet plunged to death.
Jezebel being the consecration of God, even in the story - a God-fearing, family abiding, all desires suppressed, academically inclined intelligent capable Physician was wedded to Jerome George Mathew who tormented her soul right from their nuptial night.
Jezebel was made to hate her own body by her own mother. Because - religion. Every religion sees the female body as a mortal sin and their very lives are to be in suffering and pain always, the women always repenting for this sin. The Visceral hatred is penned in every other line of the testament practiced rigorously in absolute blindness by her mother.
Valiyammachi, the prophet in this story is our usual suspect, the sassy kind grandmother who insists with the Lord to keep her astray always. Her well-seasoned rendezvous with a series of men made her wisdom on society sharper. Jezebel found a confidante in Valiyammachi. Even Valiyammachi couldn’t save the day. The trials and tribulations stacked against Jezebel were such.
Jerome who was gay and already in a relationship with his staunch Hindu lover goes on a rampage destroying Jezebel’s remaining self-esteem and independence. She is broken into obedience. She couldn’t find her saviour in her parents or Lilly Mummy.
Through Sandeep a love respite, she finds Ann Mary who wanted to save. Broken helping another broken. Jerome the spawn of satan commits an unforgivable crime when Jezebel sheltered Ann Mary in her home. This was it. Jezebel turns Jez-Rebel.
His dad, George Jerome Matthews was an epitome of evil unto himself and the world. Cruel to the bone transforms into an actual living breathing demon all out for the crucification of Jezebel.
There’s a part of me that feels Jerome did what he did in order to punish his lover and jezebel. He created a hell space with him, like a spreading plague, as the centrifugal force of evil and watched in utter silence his dad hell bent on immolating Jezebel at Jerome’s behest.
Jezebel goes through a legally structured character assassination in the courtroom before her hangmen - the judge and the jury. They disrobed her mentally. Mangled her dignity. Hung her out to dry in the gallows. Meera interweaves the macroscopic and microscopic layers of the power play with the courtroom melee and biblical moorings.
Jezebel trapped in the insane maelstrom almost risking a criminal case, simultaneously with an ethical dilemma to uphold her service oath to humankind sought solace in a sorry pre-mature ejaculation version of a man who abandoned her when she bared herself out to him. Out in the open, nailed to the cross, all by herself bears her cross to see herself out on the other side. Resistance and rebellion.
#KRMeera #Jezebel #AbhiramiGirijaSriram #KSBijukumar #penguinindia #translatedworks #bookstagram #igreads #keralaliterature #sahityaakademi #kindlereads #fiction #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #bookreview #book #readingnationsg
#read #book #reading #readersofinstagram #bibliophile #whatareyoureadingsg #Malayalam
#SooryaneAninjaOruSthree
December 6, 2022
Jezebel, the protagonist with the same resilience as any other women to the (harsh) realities of the world. This explains how the society takes the stand and manipulates the life in the name of customs. The life of jezebel is correlated with the legend story and the translations with the modern twist of current society. coming to the format this is recited as a court room drama, unhappy marriage, divorce, secrets etc. Author projects how fierce the character outgrew herself and fought against conventions of the society.
The story line, narration and character arch is no doubt an engaging story. But, why this story line of never ending suffering, romanticizing dominance by one gender and the other try to outgrow being tagged a rebel?? why??. why cant she just come out of the scathing contentious life of her? why does she have to explain it to all ? what does going against the commands of the society mean? who put it in first place. I think it is right time, the stories must stop romanticizing suffering .
The story line, narration and character arch is no doubt an engaging story. But, why this story line of never ending suffering, romanticizing dominance by one gender and the other try to outgrow being tagged a rebel?? why??. why cant she just come out of the scathing contentious life of her? why does she have to explain it to all ? what does going against the commands of the society mean? who put it in first place. I think it is right time, the stories must stop romanticizing suffering .
August 10, 2022
I absolutely love K. R. Meera's work and always recommend it to everyone I know. If any writer can write about women's pathos in the cultural setting of India then it is definitely Meera. All her previous works are proofs of her brilliance, sadly Jezebel is not at par with them.
This is a book about Jezebel, the wronged doctor, hurt, humiliated, broken by all her dear ones (except her kind-hearted Valiyammachi). But this book is also about Queen Jezebel from the Bible and how she is still misunderstood by the religious followers and forever casted into a negative light. Jezebel is about women who are type-casted as rebellious and ill-mannered just because they dared to raise their voices against the horrible actions taken against them. And this is exactly what I liked about the book. Meera yet again wields her magic and breathes life into the words by showing the readers the atrocities that take place against women and their treatment as lesser beings in the society. I also loved the cultural nuances that came through in the translation.
I absolutely didn't like how the book dragged on unnecessarily. I understand that may be the author wanted to give us a comprehension of how Jezebel's life itself was dragging on because of the calamities. But a lot of times, I felt like skipping some pages as I didn't really see any progress on the plot. The character development of George, Jezebel's father-in-law or Jezebel's parents wasn't well-crafted or even realistic. I almost started disliking Jezebel's naivete by the end of the book.
However, just when I thought nothing can salvage this book, Meera surprised me with a wonderful open-ended closure of the book. I was pleasantly taken aback with the liberty provided by the author and it really helped me forget how monotonous the book had gotten in the middle.
If you want to read and fall in love with K.R. Meera's work then steer clear of this and try Poison of Love or The Gospel of Yudas or Hangwoman. This book could have been so much better and left me with slight disappointment from my one of my favourite authors.
This is a book about Jezebel, the wronged doctor, hurt, humiliated, broken by all her dear ones (except her kind-hearted Valiyammachi). But this book is also about Queen Jezebel from the Bible and how she is still misunderstood by the religious followers and forever casted into a negative light. Jezebel is about women who are type-casted as rebellious and ill-mannered just because they dared to raise their voices against the horrible actions taken against them. And this is exactly what I liked about the book. Meera yet again wields her magic and breathes life into the words by showing the readers the atrocities that take place against women and their treatment as lesser beings in the society. I also loved the cultural nuances that came through in the translation.
I absolutely didn't like how the book dragged on unnecessarily. I understand that may be the author wanted to give us a comprehension of how Jezebel's life itself was dragging on because of the calamities. But a lot of times, I felt like skipping some pages as I didn't really see any progress on the plot. The character development of George, Jezebel's father-in-law or Jezebel's parents wasn't well-crafted or even realistic. I almost started disliking Jezebel's naivete by the end of the book.
However, just when I thought nothing can salvage this book, Meera surprised me with a wonderful open-ended closure of the book. I was pleasantly taken aback with the liberty provided by the author and it really helped me forget how monotonous the book had gotten in the middle.
If you want to read and fall in love with K.R. Meera's work then steer clear of this and try Poison of Love or The Gospel of Yudas or Hangwoman. This book could have been so much better and left me with slight disappointment from my one of my favourite authors.
November 28, 2024
3.75 stars.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It tells the story of a young, bright medical student who gets married to a fellow doctor from an orthodox family and how it affects her life in a patriarchal Malayalee community. Three-fourths of the story alternates between the present which is set in a court where her divorce proceedings are taking place and the past which tells strands of stories that together lead to the present. Surprisingly, the storytelling was very smooth and effective in giving the reader a glimpse into the main character's development. But I would have cut down the story a little bit, especially in the second half, when things became a bit repetitive. Honestly, by the second half, any sympathy for the main character would have died, given her extreme gullibility.
I also did not enjoy the references to the mythological character, Queen Jezebel, which were sprinkled at the beginning and the end of each chapter, especially because they felt forced. This may be because some of the linkages between the story and the mythology may have been lost in translation. However, I have to emphasize that the translation otherwise was quite good.
I also absolutely loved the medical literature in the book, which was dumbed down for the layperson making it enjoyable and relatable.
The queer angle in the story was great but it felt a bit under-researched from a human perspective more than a medical perspective. I’m not sure if the queer community was consulted on this, but from my experience with the community, I felt the queer characters in the story were a bit black and white, with no nuance in their storylines and no greyness in their characters.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it and felt it does reflect the realities of many households in Kerala, despite being one of the most educated states in India.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It tells the story of a young, bright medical student who gets married to a fellow doctor from an orthodox family and how it affects her life in a patriarchal Malayalee community. Three-fourths of the story alternates between the present which is set in a court where her divorce proceedings are taking place and the past which tells strands of stories that together lead to the present. Surprisingly, the storytelling was very smooth and effective in giving the reader a glimpse into the main character's development. But I would have cut down the story a little bit, especially in the second half, when things became a bit repetitive. Honestly, by the second half, any sympathy for the main character would have died, given her extreme gullibility.
I also did not enjoy the references to the mythological character, Queen Jezebel, which were sprinkled at the beginning and the end of each chapter, especially because they felt forced. This may be because some of the linkages between the story and the mythology may have been lost in translation. However, I have to emphasize that the translation otherwise was quite good.
I also absolutely loved the medical literature in the book, which was dumbed down for the layperson making it enjoyable and relatable.
The queer angle in the story was great but it felt a bit under-researched from a human perspective more than a medical perspective. I’m not sure if the queer community was consulted on this, but from my experience with the community, I felt the queer characters in the story were a bit black and white, with no nuance in their storylines and no greyness in their characters.
Overall, I enjoyed reading it and felt it does reflect the realities of many households in Kerala, despite being one of the most educated states in India.
June 21, 2023
"And so, what happened? Your only daughter's life went to rack and ruin. Did you go and see the house your daughter was going to be married into? Did you inquire about those living there? Someone packed them off here, seeing that the proposal wouldn't suit their daughter. Those here made a grab for it."
I have been wanting to read this stunning novel since ages. Just look at its cover. The story is as beautiful as its cover and I would give a 5 star to it.
Dr. Jezebel is forced to marry Dr. Jerome under the tremendous pressure of her mother Ammachi. She dreams of pursuing her studies further after MD. However, once she steps into her husband's house, she realizes that his house is no less than hell. Jerome was nothing but a puppet in the hands of his father, George.
Everyday, she heard abuses and zero encouragement for her studies. She vents out her feelings to her grandmom - Valiyammachi, who is very modern and understanding. She also gets her mother-in-law- Lily's support, but she too was unfortunately controlled by George.
Ammachi tells her not to come to her house and bear the torture, lest the relatives would speak ill of a married woman staying with her parents.
The story is told from the court scenes, when Jezebel files for a divorce, after George accused her of deliberately trying to murder his son in a fatal accident. Jerome, who is presently in coma, bedridden, is not aware of the happenings.
I am in loss of words for the wonderful book that Meera had written. It teaches you a lot of stuff and how patriarchal our society is. The writing will keep you engrossed. I was very much impressed by Tresa's story. I even liked Ann Mary and Valiyammachi a lot.
I have been wanting to read this stunning novel since ages. Just look at its cover. The story is as beautiful as its cover and I would give a 5 star to it.
Dr. Jezebel is forced to marry Dr. Jerome under the tremendous pressure of her mother Ammachi. She dreams of pursuing her studies further after MD. However, once she steps into her husband's house, she realizes that his house is no less than hell. Jerome was nothing but a puppet in the hands of his father, George.
Everyday, she heard abuses and zero encouragement for her studies. She vents out her feelings to her grandmom - Valiyammachi, who is very modern and understanding. She also gets her mother-in-law- Lily's support, but she too was unfortunately controlled by George.
Ammachi tells her not to come to her house and bear the torture, lest the relatives would speak ill of a married woman staying with her parents.
The story is told from the court scenes, when Jezebel files for a divorce, after George accused her of deliberately trying to murder his son in a fatal accident. Jerome, who is presently in coma, bedridden, is not aware of the happenings.
I am in loss of words for the wonderful book that Meera had written. It teaches you a lot of stuff and how patriarchal our society is. The writing will keep you engrossed. I was very much impressed by Tresa's story. I even liked Ann Mary and Valiyammachi a lot.
January 2, 2024
I first want to give kudos to the translators who I feel seem to have kept the sentiments intact from the original.
The story unfolds to the reader as a court room drama. Every question by the defense lawyer pulls Jezebel (protagonist) to a situation in her life which led her here. Jezebel is a medical student doing her residency when her marriage gets fixed with George Jerome Marakkaran. The whole story is about her struggling against the realities of a man dominated world and a world where religion is used as a weapon to silence women. Jezebels' mom is a religious fanatic who wouldn't love Jezebel. Her dad, a meek man who loved her with all his heart but could never stand up for her. The only solace for her was her Valiyammachi (her maternal grand mother) who is way ahead of her time and a great strength for Jezebel.
The prose is good, translation is good. The way patriarchal society manipulates a woman's life in name of customs and "rules for life" is depicted very well through Jezebel's life. Her education, profession or intelligence is nothing in front of these moral police. The only thing expected of her is to be a dutiful wife to a husband. The whole story has a sad undertone to it throughout. Lot of references to Bibilical instances might be little hard for non-believers to follow. For sure, it is not a draw back. Many a times, I wanted to pull Jezebel out and tell her to be strong. That's the kind of impact the narration has. Its a good one time read if you can take the sad undertone throughout the book.
My rating : 3.5 rounded to 4
The story unfolds to the reader as a court room drama. Every question by the defense lawyer pulls Jezebel (protagonist) to a situation in her life which led her here. Jezebel is a medical student doing her residency when her marriage gets fixed with George Jerome Marakkaran. The whole story is about her struggling against the realities of a man dominated world and a world where religion is used as a weapon to silence women. Jezebels' mom is a religious fanatic who wouldn't love Jezebel. Her dad, a meek man who loved her with all his heart but could never stand up for her. The only solace for her was her Valiyammachi (her maternal grand mother) who is way ahead of her time and a great strength for Jezebel.
The prose is good, translation is good. The way patriarchal society manipulates a woman's life in name of customs and "rules for life" is depicted very well through Jezebel's life. Her education, profession or intelligence is nothing in front of these moral police. The only thing expected of her is to be a dutiful wife to a husband. The whole story has a sad undertone to it throughout. Lot of references to Bibilical instances might be little hard for non-believers to follow. For sure, it is not a draw back. Many a times, I wanted to pull Jezebel out and tell her to be strong. That's the kind of impact the narration has. Its a good one time read if you can take the sad undertone throughout the book.
My rating : 3.5 rounded to 4
September 12, 2023
K.R.Meera is known for her writing of female characters in a beautiful way. This book is about a doctor named Jezebel. You would imagine that being a doctor she would be a strong and independent lady. But she is stuck in this heavily patriarchal and mysogynistic world where people expect her to be a dutiful wife to a cruel husband.
During her quest for divorce everything from her hairstyle to her clothes are judged and no one cares for what she has endured in her marital home. People in the modern society can be so narrow minded when it comes to women, including their own family members.
I hated the character of George Jerome Marakkaran with a vengeance. Jezebel tried so many times to break free but he came up with some or the other idea to trap her. And when she could free herself, her conscience would not let her do things.
The book is a tad lengthy and some of the characters introduced really did not have any need to be there.
Overall a good book which makes you feel all emotions from love, pity, sadness to hatred and anger.
During her quest for divorce everything from her hairstyle to her clothes are judged and no one cares for what she has endured in her marital home. People in the modern society can be so narrow minded when it comes to women, including their own family members.
I hated the character of George Jerome Marakkaran with a vengeance. Jezebel tried so many times to break free but he came up with some or the other idea to trap her. And when she could free herself, her conscience would not let her do things.
The book is a tad lengthy and some of the characters introduced really did not have any need to be there.
Overall a good book which makes you feel all emotions from love, pity, sadness to hatred and anger.
April 29, 2023
I love KR Meera’s style of writing, but unfortunately the main character was not relatable to me. Her suffer in silence attitude and delayed reactions to injustice were not palatable to me. The author literally drags the protagonist to hell and worse and back through the book and I guess I was hoping for a more stronger female character and some happiness in the end.
Most of the characters in the book are mean or terrible, so the book sort of depresses you.
I could do without the Bible-y Jezebel bits in the beginning of each chapter. It doesn’t resonate unless you’re a christian or religious.
Overall, I think KR Meera’s writing skills are good, but this book was just alright.
Most of the characters in the book are mean or terrible, so the book sort of depresses you.
I could do without the Bible-y Jezebel bits in the beginning of each chapter. It doesn’t resonate unless you’re a christian or religious.
Overall, I think KR Meera’s writing skills are good, but this book was just alright.
June 4, 2024
Jezebel is a nice work about women's rights in India of the present day. It is quite similar to Henrik Ibsen's classic A Doll's House. Ibsen wrote that in 1879. Apparently such a book about women having a hard time in dysfunctional marriages and getting a divorce, is still needed in India 150 years later. Jezebel feels a bit dated ind irrelevant to me, but then I don't know present day India well. It could well be Jezebel is topical, provactive and even downright useful in India of today. It's popularity suggests so, and then high marks to Meera for writing this about 4 hour read of a book.
March 26, 2023
It's a sob story. Yes, it does address a lot of key issues of modern society, but translation and prose were below par. This book barely stands in the shadow of the firecracker of the other Meera's book 'Hangwoman'. Jezebel is admittedly a page turner, but has too many coincidences for my liking and characters are poorly cast, especially the lawyers. Being a legal thriller, the fight in the courtroom was rancour, and subtle at best.
April 22, 2023
The novel narrates in detail how a young doctor's life gets torn down to pieces by the patriarchal society and how she ceaselessly gathers the pieces and sticks them back desperately to feel whole once again. The narration alters between past and present, taking the reader through the lives of several characters who directly or indirectly informs the protagonist's life. It is difficult not to feel depressed after reading this novel. It is incisive and poignant.
January 1, 2023
Loved the premise and the character arcs! But translation was a letdown 🙁 felt a bit pedestrian & lacked creativity in some places (ex: the number of times "gift of the gab" was used in just 2 pages!). Maybe it's coz I know Malayalam, I felt the original would've been way better. So much lost in translation.
February 19, 2023
It's a sad book, written nicely!
June 7, 2023
It was just amazing! Really made me stop for a second and think and question everything I thought was right in the society.
April 5, 2024
What a super story. My God, this is seriously awesome. I loved the way she took the story. This literally had everything I was looking for. KR Meera- what an amazing writer she is!
March 31, 2025
Fabulous book if a bit lengthy
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