• r e v i e w •
.

"The innumerable generations of his family that land had borne! That land which had been cooled over and over again by their sweat and transformed into fecund earth. That land which had embraced securely the life of every dispersed pearl millet grain and corn seed. The laughter of the cotton flowers. The strength of the groundnuts. Everything had turned lifeless. Edifices sprung everywhere from a land where crops once flourished. Boulder-like buildings, everywhere. Across the hundred acres." - Perumal Murugan.
.

I've said this before and I will say it again, Perumal's writing is like breathing in the scent of earth. The heady feeling that follows post reading Rising Heat is overwhelming. Perumal's words drip with melancholy making his loss feel like your own. Twenty nine years ago, Perumal wrote his first novel titled Eru Veyyil, which gathered critics and praises for his honest take on village life. Translated into English by Janani Kannan, this novel has the power to move the readers and this comes as no surprise considering how capable the author is at mastering the art of writing poignantly. Rising Heat may not be as captivating as One Part Woman which has still managed to remain my favourite, but it does create a certain amount of impression on the readers.
.

Selvan is boiling with rage as he looks at the lands which were once lush and had belonged to his family but now lies obsolete after the State took them over to build housing colonies. With nowhere to go, his family moves to a small house in a nearby town. As the days go by, Selvan witnesses his family's downfall which at times becomes too unbearable for a boy of his age. With many families losing their land, they are forced to set up shops to earn a living and often times, women even got into prostitution. Selvan's family manages well for a while what with his father working in the remaining piece of land, brother working in the cinema theatre and his sister working in a construction site. But things go awry when shame engulfs his family after a particular incident.
.

The vivid manner in which Perumal paints the characters' authenticity and the description of every day tasks is a delight to read. His portrayal of their language in its crudest form, the unconventional relationships shared by the family members and the various angles of village politics have been showcased brilliantly. Ever so often, Mani, the loving dog of Selvan is mentioned through which the loss of their lands have been described in a heart-wrenching manner. Mani's plight, his yearning for the land that he grew up on strikes a chord. The dynamics between the older and younger generations are written distinctly. It wasn't easy to read about parents being abandoned by their children, men who pocketed money from innocents in the pretense of having influence and the senior citizens who mourned the loss of their land and with it, the ways to earn money. Rising Heat, in my palms felt like blazing sand, the intensity of which singed my skin. The unfairness to which people are subjugated, while snatching away properties that belonged to their ancestors, is still an ongoing issue.
.

In spite of being an ardent fan of Perumal's writing, I couldn't give this novel five stars and this mainly had to do with the translation. It felt tepid, the after effect of the narration feeling very unsatisfactory. But the essence of the story remains intact and for this Rising Heat deserves an applaud. Every time I read Perumal's work, I have this incredible urge to learn Tamil so that I can savour his words in all it's glory. I recommend this.
.

Rating : 4.2/5.