Scan barcode
A review by allthatissim
One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan
4.0
Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
One Part Woman is a story about Kali and Ponna, a married couple, who are unable to conceive even after 12 years of marriage. They are happy and sexually satisfied in their marriage but the only thing lacking is a child. Because of this, they are constantly being targeted by their neighbours and the whole village. Their relatives keep an eye on their property as there is no one inherit that. Kali and Ponna tried everything they could do to have a child. They went from one temple to another, performed every old trick, every ritual but there was no effect. Their final hopes were resting on the 18th day of a chariot festival when rules were relaxed and any consenting man and woman can have sex. This night would be the ultimate test to their love and marriage.
This story is a dark humour on Indian society where everyone starts asking the married couple to conceive a child soon after the marriage, especially in rural places. This story is set in South India and perfectly depicts the cultural aspects. It perfectly captures how people often frustrated with their own problems, try to interfere in others’ life. They would give lectures on how things can be changed, doesn’t matter how bad things are in their own lives. The double standards of the society have been beautifully depicted. It showed how people change according to their needs and behave accordingly.
I loved how nicely Perumal Murugan has captured the beauty and life of South Indian culture. The village is not a rich one but the author or I would rather say the translator, has captured the essence perfectly. From lying under a tree to playing in big fields to climb the mountains, all the scenes were vivid. In many ways, it reminded me of my own village, which I haven’t visited in years. In spite of the translation in English, the local flavours have been maintained perfectly by the translator.
I loved both kali and Ponna and adored their love for each other. They got married early (as it happens in most of the rural areas) but over the time they grew fond of each other. In spite of all the negativity around them because of lack of the child, they were true to each other about their feelings. They still had a sexually satisfied life. In spite of being forced by many to do a second marriage, Kali never agreed upon the idea and his love for Ponna only grew with time.
Ponna was a fierce woman and I loved how bold she was with her opinions. Whenever anyone tried to bash her or tried to say bad things to her, she was ready to defend herself and her husband. People considered her to be rude and many stopped talking to her, but she was a woman transformed into a fierce one because of all the societal pressure.
The only negative thing that stopped this book from being a five-star read for me is that sometimes I felt that descriptions were too much and that took my interest away from the story. About three-quarters of the story is about the problems that Kali and Ponna faced along with the description of their childhood and other backstories. Some of the old incidents were relevant to the story but I felt as if most of the stories that the author introduced in between were just for filling the pages. There were some childhood stories of Kali which I don’t think added much to the main plot.
Overall, this is an amazing book that holds a mirror to the Indian society about their double standards. It shows what the need of having a child can make people do. The characters are well drawn and the story is intriguing which will keep you hooked till the end. The end is little abrupt and I wish there was a clear ending but still, this is a story which shouldn’t be missed if you are interested in Indian literature or the problems associated with our societies.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Google+ | Amazon
One Part Woman is a story about Kali and Ponna, a married couple, who are unable to conceive even after 12 years of marriage. They are happy and sexually satisfied in their marriage but the only thing lacking is a child. Because of this, they are constantly being targeted by their neighbours and the whole village. Their relatives keep an eye on their property as there is no one inherit that. Kali and Ponna tried everything they could do to have a child. They went from one temple to another, performed every old trick, every ritual but there was no effect. Their final hopes were resting on the 18th day of a chariot festival when rules were relaxed and any consenting man and woman can have sex. This night would be the ultimate test to their love and marriage.
This story is a dark humour on Indian society where everyone starts asking the married couple to conceive a child soon after the marriage, especially in rural places. This story is set in South India and perfectly depicts the cultural aspects. It perfectly captures how people often frustrated with their own problems, try to interfere in others’ life. They would give lectures on how things can be changed, doesn’t matter how bad things are in their own lives. The double standards of the society have been beautifully depicted. It showed how people change according to their needs and behave accordingly.
I loved how nicely Perumal Murugan has captured the beauty and life of South Indian culture. The village is not a rich one but the author or I would rather say the translator, has captured the essence perfectly. From lying under a tree to playing in big fields to climb the mountains, all the scenes were vivid. In many ways, it reminded me of my own village, which I haven’t visited in years. In spite of the translation in English, the local flavours have been maintained perfectly by the translator.
I loved both kali and Ponna and adored their love for each other. They got married early (as it happens in most of the rural areas) but over the time they grew fond of each other. In spite of all the negativity around them because of lack of the child, they were true to each other about their feelings. They still had a sexually satisfied life. In spite of being forced by many to do a second marriage, Kali never agreed upon the idea and his love for Ponna only grew with time.
Ponna was a fierce woman and I loved how bold she was with her opinions. Whenever anyone tried to bash her or tried to say bad things to her, she was ready to defend herself and her husband. People considered her to be rude and many stopped talking to her, but she was a woman transformed into a fierce one because of all the societal pressure.
The only negative thing that stopped this book from being a five-star read for me is that sometimes I felt that descriptions were too much and that took my interest away from the story. About three-quarters of the story is about the problems that Kali and Ponna faced along with the description of their childhood and other backstories. Some of the old incidents were relevant to the story but I felt as if most of the stories that the author introduced in between were just for filling the pages. There were some childhood stories of Kali which I don’t think added much to the main plot.
Overall, this is an amazing book that holds a mirror to the Indian society about their double standards. It shows what the need of having a child can make people do. The characters are well drawn and the story is intriguing which will keep you hooked till the end. The end is little abrupt and I wish there was a clear ending but still, this is a story which shouldn’t be missed if you are interested in Indian literature or the problems associated with our societies.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Google+ | Amazon