One Part Woman

Name: One Part Woman
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781782275466
Price: 26.0 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

By Perumal Murugan

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.81

( 6,998 ratings, 946 reviews)

Summary

One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan is a poignant exploration of the lives of a childless couple, Kali and Ponna, living in a rural Indian village. The couple faces intense societal pressure and personal anguish due to their inability to conceive. In a desperate bid to fulfil societal expectations, they confront deeply held beliefs and traditions, leading to complex emotional and cultural repercussions.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you enjoy stories that traverse cultural traditions and the complexities of human relationships, this book might captivate you. It offers a poignant exploration of love, societal expectations, and the struggles of a couple facing deep personal and communal challenges in rural India. The narrative delicately balances profound themes with vivid character portrayals, making it an engrossing read for those interested in deeply layered fiction.

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A vibrant fable of marriage, caste and social convention from an important Indian writer

Description

One Part Woman tells the story of Kali and Ponna, a South Indian couple perfectly content in their marriage, aside from one thing - they are unable to conceive. Quickly attracting gossip and familial disapproval, they try everything they can to have a child, from offerings at temples to atoning for the misdeeds of their ancestors, but each attempt brings fresh disappointment.

Their final hope rests on the annual chariot festival, a celebration of a god who is one-part woman, one-part man. For one night, the rules of marriage are relaxed and consensual sex between unmarried men and women is overlooked, for all men are considered gods. Could this be the opportunity they've been searching for?

Both tender and bitingly critical, One Part Woman is a powerful tale of marriage formed and deformed by social custom and anxiety.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan is praised for its evocative storytelling and the exploration of societal norms and personal desires within a traditional rural Indian setting. Readers admire Murugan's intricate portrayal of a couple's deep longing for parenthood amidst societal pressure. The narrative's poignant representation of community relationships and cultural practices has been commended for its authenticity and emotional depth.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781782275466

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 July 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pushkin Press

Contributors:

Translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 256

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Perumal Murugan

About the Author

Perumal Murugan is an Indian author and professor of Tamil literature. He has written six novels and four collections each of short stories and poetry. His best-known novel One Part Woman, highly controversial in India, won the ILF Samanvay Basha Samman, and Aniruddhan Vasudevan's English rendering won the Translation Prize from India's National Academy of Letters.

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