Thaneer

 


Name :  Thaneer 
Author : Ashokamitran
Year of Publication : 1973
Genre : Fiction, Novel
Rating : *****( Five stars out of 5)

The author wonderfully juxtaposes the water crisis that crippled Madras with the stories of Jamuna, Chaya and Teacheramma, three women who strive to overcome the injustice of their lives by being there for each other. Ashokamitran's pithy style does not waste time on backstories and explains entire lives in a single page. By the end of the novel,  the water crisis is not over, even street lights are not working, drainage water has mixed with drinking water, Jamuna is pregnant, her lover is still trying to exploit her sexually, Chaya's husband is not coming back any time soon, their mother has gone senile, Teacheramma is suffering her sick husband - Despite such negativity all around, the novel somehow instils hope in us and that is the hallmark of great literature.

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