Author - Devibharathi
 
Goodreads Rating - 4.19
 
When the nameless protagonist of The Solitude of a Shadow unexpectedly encounters Karunakaran after nearly three decades, he is overwhelmed by a hitherto-dormant urge to wreak vengeance upon this man who had molested his sister and abused him all those years ago.

Devibharathi's novel—his first to be translated into English—describes with painful clarity the poverty and isolation of obsession, while life flourishes all around the protagonist. Written in his trademark sharp, clear-eyed style, it is also an astutely observed narrative of our society and its overlapping hierarchies of caste, wealth and power.

Superbly translated by N. Kalyan Raman, The Solitude of a Shadow shows us how treacherous and illusory the hunger for revenge can become - with unavoidable tragic consequences.

Taut and hypnotic - AMITABHA BAGCHI

A compelling read - JAYASREE KALATHIL
 
Paperback