UR Ananthamurthy’s Kannada masterpiece to be available in English

PTI, Nov 24, 2020, 11:07 AM IST

New Delhi: Legendary Kannada writer and Jnanpith awardee U R Ananthamurthy’s literary masterpiece Avasthe will now be available to readers in English, publisher HarperCollins announced.

First published in 1978 in Kannada, “Avasthe”, the political drama tells the story of Krishnappa Gowda, a revolutionary leader of the peasants, in a nation struggling with corruption and the corrosion of human values.

From his sickbed, Gowda grapples with his conscience and the schemes of partymen and flattery from hangers-on. Memories come and go as his mind, tethered to a failing body, reaches for the true meaning of life.

“In Ananthamurthy’s hands, life’s cruel negations – caste, poverty, pettiness – are delicately balanced with its triumphs – the splendour of nature, the majesty of poetry, the delight of friendship, the deliverance of love,” the publisher said in a statement.

“The quintessential Indian novel, Avasthe is a masterpiece whose meanings will continue to resonate and reveal themselves long after it has been read,” they added.

The novel has been translated into English by Katha Translation awardee Narayan Hegde, Emeritus Professor of English at SUNY College, Old Westbury.