Book Review
When the nameless protagonist of The Solitude of a Shadow unexpectedly encounters Karunakaran after nearly three decades, he is overwhelmed by a hitherto-dormant urge to wreak vengeance upon this man who had molested his sister and abused him all those years ago.
Devibharathi’s novel – his first to be translated into English describes with painful clarity the poverty and isolation of obsession, while life flourishes all around the protagonist. Written in his trademark sharp, clear-eyed style, it is also an astutely observed narrative of our society and its overlapping hierarchies of caste, wealth and power.
Translated by N. Kalyan Raman, The Solitude of a Shadow shows us how treacherous and illusory the hunger for revenge can become – with unavoidable tragic consequences.
Author Devibharathi says, “The novel is an all-encompassing literary form. Scrutinizing life and transcending it through language is a challenging task. The writer must travel from the known towards the unknown. What constitutes the unknown? In my novel, I wished to talk only about the unknown. All the characters in the story – Karunakaran, Sharada, Sulo and the narrator, Rajasekaran – attempt to examine themselves. Everyone deals with life in their own way and by their own lights. Beyond good and evil, beyond right and wrong, what really happens?”
N. Kalyan Raman, translator, says, “A superbly crafted novel on the doomed trajectory of vengeance. With every story, Devibharathi invents a language that suits the material. And he never writes the same story twice. Following his craft as a translator has been both challenging and exhilarating. This book is a product of that adventure.”
Rahul Soni, associate publisher – Llterary, HarperCollins India says, “What could have been a simple tale of vengeance becomes, in Devibharathi’s hands, an exploration of the nature of obsession, the hollowness of revenge, and the inequalities of our society. N. Kalyan Raman’s translation is superbly attentive to tone and voice, and to the gradually ratcheting tension of the story. A gripping, disquieting work that will linger in your mind.”
Praise for The Solitude of a Shadow“Small town India comes alive with menace in this taut, hypnotic novel of humiliation and revenge. N. Kalyan Raman’s translation is a pleasure to read.” – Amitabha Bagchi
“Devibharathi tells a complex story of love and revenge in a crisp, nuanced language. N. Kalyan Raman’s exquisite translation matches his literary craft, marked by its simplicity as well as the slow rise in tempo. A compelling read.” – Jayasree Kalathil
