K. R. Meera

A collection of short stories through which KR Meera captures the longingness - for dignity, for desire, for love, for happiness - plaguing the lives of women from diverse backgrounds in Kerala. In the translator’s note, modern patriarchy in Kerala is referred to as “air pollution” which the author pins down in all its subtle and explicit details.

The stories are quirky, satirical, and dark, they will make you uncomfortable. Her prose is exquisite, her style is intense and unique to show more the extent that it varies with each story. In “Yellow is the Colour of Longing” she explores the playful flirtations of a two middle aged people meeting in a hospital, in “What the Souls do at Midnight” she pens down the surreal journey of the soul of woman stuck with marital and familial obligations longing for more, in “Same-Sex Sorrows” she narrators the tale of a man as he questions his entire perception of women and the world after attending a feminist conference. Then, there is “The Saga of Krishna” about a father grappling with the reality of his daughter being groomed and abused at the hands of a man he trusted and brought into the house.

Some stories do require you to slow down and/or revisit. My favourite stories were “Finally, Sasandeham”, “The Jugular of Memory”, “Ave Maria”, and "Noor—Light Years of Solitude”.

They stories have references and descriptions of violence and rape, I wasn’t aware of that and a few stories, particularly “Ave Maria”, “Noor-Light Years of Solitude” and “The Saga of Krishna”, rattled me. show less

A tour de force that spans centuries of India's history, from misogynistic precolonial myths to the neoliberal postcolonial nightmare that is slowly unfolding in the nation and perverting ideals that, as Meera demonstrates, might not have been all that great to begin with. Her journalistic background is evidence in lush, descriptive prose that practically paints a picture in the readers' mind. And her protagonist is delightfully human, struggling to give practice to her autonomy and anger in show more a world where systemic biases and regressive ideas about the places of women and the poor contribute to an ineffective, corrupt media-political machine. American readers will find that the themes of social inequality and injustice explored in the novel can be applied to our country as well, and that the perception of the so-called "third world" as dismally underdeveloped compared to our own is a glaring misconception. We are all being pulled tighter and tighter into a web of selfish interests that will throw us under the bus to preserve their bottom line, and this novel is a testament to the power of rage and the need for liberation from this strictures. show less

Review: This book have a absurd Character of man who just want to be with the women because he had a charm on them, our female protagonist she is a confused Character, she left her family for a boy and lost her husband for his adultery and loose her children to take vengeance from husband, this work of author show the traits and influence of Jude the obscure because plot is nearby same the difference is that there we have male Protagonist who is confused and what way to choose here female show more protagonist is and for that she loose her family ,
This books tells us it's all about choice we make, if our female protagonist choose the boy her family choose things must be different but love intervene and lust take away and destroy many lifes , lifes of protagonist sisters and her family who had promising future ahead but her one wrong action and they land up as house-wifes and for that they consider her sister responsible and Don't want to talk to her. And she change into Meera sadhu to regret for her deeds. show less