HT reviewer Percy Bharucha picks his favourite reads of 2021

Weaving between satire and surrealism: A novel that evokes a childish sense of joy in exploring the uncertain

Of the many books, I’ve read this year none have had as much of an impact on me as Carvalho by KP Purnachandra Tejaswi. A kind friend recently gifted me DA Shankar’s English translation of the book.

KP Purnachandra Tejaswi’s Carvalho brings out the absurdity of the educated Indian’s relationship with rural life. (HT Team)

Tejaswi was a key proponent of the Navya movement in Kannada literature. But as Shankar mentions in his introduction, he was vocal about moving away from the movement’s symbolism towards writing that was more rooted in society.

To that end, Carvalho is perhaps one of his finest works and in the words of GA Amur, “brings out the absurdity of the educated Indian’s relationship with raw reality of village life.” Tejaswi creates several levels to form vivid intersection points between nature, and society. His prose weaves between satire and surrealism. He juxtaposes the stark realities of village life against idyllic dream-like worlds.

Percy Bharucha (Courtesy the reviewer)

We begin with an unnamed narrator buying honey for his ailing father from the Moodigere Bee-Keepers’ Co-operative Society. What follows is a string of hilarious events culminating in the narrator taking refuge under a tree while his honey and jeep are held hostage by a giant swarm of bees. This exchange marks the first meeting between the narrator and the bee-keeper Mandanna. Though a disciple of the great Carvalho, Mandanna is widely regarded as the village idiot.

Through a series of bizarre episodes including a botched ministerial gathering, and Mandanna’s wedding, the narrator finds their fates intertwined. Together they must navigate a maze of legal proceedings and police lockups. Just when the narrator seeks to renounce the world of agriculture his meetings with eccentric genius Carvalho draw him back in. Contrary to popular perception, the renowned botanist and entomologist holds Mandanna in high regard and impresses upon the narrator, his skills as a gifted naturalist and observer.

The novel ends with a holy grail-type quest for a rare flying lizard that holds answers to the nature of evolution itself. Tejaswi creates a quiet amazement that forces the narrator and reader to be involved in this madcap endeavour. This is a novel that evokes a sense of curiosity towards the unknown, a naïve, almost childish sense of joy in exploring the uncertain, which appeals to individuals across age groups and geographies.

Percy Bharucha is a freelance writer and illustrator. Instagram: @percybharucha