I regularly update my ‘Books’ story highlight on Instagram with what I am reading. In the past, I’ve been part of Book Clubs via work and with friends. I’ve enjoyed the conversations I’ve had with people when we’ve found reads in common. To extend that, I am going to do my best to share my monthly reads on my blog. Happy Reading!
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This was another book that I picked up, recommended by the librarian in-charge at the Junkiri Feminist Library in Basantapur. Parityakta by Bhuwan Dhungana ranks as one of my more difficult Nepali reads. Firstly, the title itself is quite a big word and I realised that it was not only tough for me but also for fellow colleagues at work who saw the title in passing. Thankfully, it was a colleague from India who shared that the word could mean forsaken or abandoned.
Initially, I thought the book was a collection of ten stories but only towards the end of the book I gathered that maybe it wasn’t. The jalebi metaphor comes and goes in each chapter but due to my own challenges in reading – I may have missed the true beauty of this writing. The parts when Banares, India, was mentioned, and the writing is in Hindi – the challenge increased for me. Reading this book took a lot of concentration that I only managed to read and not necessarily understand. Does that happen to you?
Having said that I could piece that the book centered on the challenges of being a girl; from being neglected, the unwanted girl child, to always allowing others to take space and leaving ones own feelings and desire on the back burner. Touches on themes from sexuality, to motherhood and what freedom means for a woman.
After I completed the read, I wanted to get an idea of views of others! While I browsed other reviews, I learned that this book which came out in 2020 is the first novel by Dhungana and was shortlisted for the prestigious Madan Puraskar. No wonder I struggled with the reading.
Well pat on my back for completing this book!
Happy Reading!
