Pyre

By: Perumal Murugan, Aniruddhan Vasudevan - translator

Narrated by: Suvash Mohan

'Pyre glows with as much power as [One Part Woman] did, and adds immeasurable value to contemporary Indian literature'-The Hindu

Saroja and Kumaresan are in love. After a hasty wedding, they arrive in Kumaresan's village, harboring a dangerous secret: their marriage is an inter-caste one, likely to upset the village elders should they get to know of it. Kumaresan is naively confident that all will be well. But nothing is further from the truth. Despite the strident denials of the young couple, the villagers strongly suspect that Saroja must belong to a different caste. It is only a matter of time before their suspicions harden into certainty and, outraged, they set about exacting their revenge.

A devastating tale of innocent young love pitted against chilling savagery, Pyre conjures a terrifying vision of intolerance.

Powerful novel, excellent reading

This novel is less morally complex than “one part woman.“ It is a protest novel, animated by rage at the cruel prejudice against caste intermarriage - something the author has direct experience of - which can drive people to destroy the ones they love the most. It is deeply moving. The characters of the husband and wife are well fleshed-out and engaging. my only complaint is that everyone is essentially good or bad; the cruelty of the mother and the villagers seems unremitting.

Suvash Mohan‘s performance is really excellent. It is theatrical, in a way that I find very effective for this novel. I hope to listen to more of his readings.

Engaging narrative!

Narrator's voice captures the many characters, characters who love and hate. Even though the ending is clearly foreshadowed in the beginning, the storytelling had me listening and finishing in only two sessions.