Adam is an astonishing collection of short
stories - weird yet fascinating. The theme of stories make you think about
nature, pets and dark emotions of human being. Characters are so captivating;
they may leave you with questions that demand understanding more than any
answer.
S. Hareesh is an incredible storyteller. This
collection is thrill to read on prose level as well. It is translated from the
Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil and while going through each story, I felt an immense
urge to say thanks to the translator. I am in awe of the efforts ̶ she took to bridge two languages and cultures
with such brilliance.
‘The congealed darkness knocked against his leg
and hurt him. In the silence, the sound of the bus engine still reverberated in
his ears. As his sleep-addled mind cleared and the feeling of anxiety left him,
he began to doubt whether he had even been in a bus.’
I often think ̶ we
underestimate short stories, while it takes lot of efforts to write one - where
each sentence counts. For instance,
while reading ‘Alone’, I had been literally pondering over the thought process
of an author, from exactly where he took the idea. As I entered into the world
of his characters, all the boundaries of fiction and reality have been shattered
eventually. Some moments are brutally honest and break the image of your glossy
world and how. It is kind of scary to even think about it.
‘Adam grew up slowly, half-starved as he was
most of the time. All day, he ran around the tree he was tied to, and when
night came he howled at the darkness. Without regular brushing or washing, his
dust-covered fur matted and his flea-infested skin broke out in itchy warts and
sores.’
I found some stories interesting; some stories
touched the different aspects of human souls and some made me feel uneasiness.
Especially, the stories that revolved around the pets should definitely come
with trigger warnings. As in the title story, author depicts ̶ in
our society how situations play a major role in the development of an
individual, even members born to same family, can have an utmost diverse life.
Another aspect of his craft is how brilliantly he creates tension amid
situations. With Compelling writing, author has woven some disturbing scenes,
and the atmosphere around human psyche is impressive.
In English, ‘Moustache’ seems the debut of S.
Hareesh. But in his original language, S Hareesh has already published three
short stories collections before stepping into the world of long form novel.
Obviously, Adam is one of them. Author stated, ‘After my first book came out, I
had to stay away from writing for a number of years – years when I thought I
might never write again. The stories in this collection helped me come out of
that state of mind.’
This is the first translated fiction I have read
this year. One can step into each story and find an unconventional way of
storytelling; with socially conscious themes and unsettling endings, S. Hareesh
pave a way to reader’s heart.
‘In the next game, much to my shock, I saw that
the death notice I picked up from the box was my own. It baffled me, but I
quickly put it into my pocket and smiles secretively, - death notice.’
If you want to learn the layers of character’s growth, I must say this is the right place to begin. As ‘Death Notice’ gives you a psychological insight. I loved how author worked on such daring theme. His writing style is neither dull nor glossy. I would like to have more books in my shelf ̶ of such gutsy tone, raw and utterly original stories.
Each title is being enveloped with culture of Kerala;
this is another reason to pick this book. It’s hard to select favorite, but I
would love to recommend - Adam, Alone, Death Notice, Kavyamela and Maoists. If
you are a genuine cinema lover, you won’t able to deny the fact that ‘Jallikattu’
is one of the best Indian movies. It is based on S. Hareesh’s short story. You
have to explore this collection to identify the actual title. I assure you that
story is no less than movie.
This collection is so gripping that holds your
attention till the last page. Even the cover of this book makes you grab the
book instantly. I couldn’t highlight any quote-preachy message, there are
moments when I took a pause and reread the whole paragraph.
Although, S. Hareesh has won the JCB prize for
literature 2020 for ‘Moustache’, I got introduced by his writing through this
collection only and I found it utterly fresh and original voice. I am looking
forward to pick up his novel. Highly Recommended.
P.s. Thank you Vivek Tejuja and Penguin India, for sending the
review copy.
