ആരാച്ചാര് | AARACHAR by K.R. Meera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aarachar by K R Meera is the first Malayalam language book I read in a few months, and must say this has been an unforgettable read. It is dark, morbid and appalling and as the title suggests, death lingers in every page of the story. Chetna Grdha Mallick, the main character of the story is among the last descendants of a Bengali family of executioners, whose ancestry, according to her grandmother, could be traced back to years before Christ. By some twists of fate, Chetna is appointed as the official Hangwoman of the state- the first female to take up the job after Chetna’s own ancestor centuries before. The novel reads like a legend, with the narrative constantly switching between past and present, recounting tales from the centuries long history and myths surrounding the Mallick family. It is also the story of the sheer power and defiance of a woman in a man’s world and in front of his pride. The way the author has entwined the history and socio-political scenario of Bengal, and the way she has described the tiny little details of Kolkata are commendable; I sometimes felt I was reading the translation of a novel written by a Bengali author. Undoubtedly one of the best works I have read in Malayalam.
the pensive soul 