FIRST TAMIL BOOK LONGLISTED FOR INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE.

The word Pyre by itself is very upsetting and the dictionary meaning of the word is ‘a heap of combustible material, especially one for burning a corpse as part of a funeral ceremony.’ The book in Tamil was called Pookuzhi (the pit of Fire). I do not know how to read or write Tamil, otherwise, I would have read the book in Tamil.
Pyre is a very distressing tale of two lovers, Saroja and Kumaresan of different castes,  who marry, without the knowledge of their elders.
The worst part is that though Kumaresan brings his wife to his village, even his mom refuses to acknowledge her and the whole community starts humiliating, hurting and even ostracising them. The narrative and the translation are so beautiful that I could feel Saroja's helplessness and claustrophobia.
A heartrending tale, set in a rustic background reminds me of some of the Tamil movies I have watched with rural settings and the dirges rendered by Kumaresans mother reminded me of similar dirges in those movies.
Till the end, one keeps hoping that the story will take a turn and will change into a happily-ever-after kind of tale.
Should children always do what their parents expect them to do even when they are adults? Can they have the freedom to select their partners? What is the role of society in the life of a married couple? How much can parents interfere in their children's lives once they are married? Are children indebted to society and their parents? Do animals also behave like these evolved humans?
It's short and easy, yet an evocative read. The characters feel real and their emotions are depicted beautifully.