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BOOK REVIEW “Cuckold”
Author: Kiran Nagarkar
Genre: Fiction
Language: English
Pages: 609
Cost: 395 Rs
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher India
First Published in India: 1997
“Cuckold” is an award winning book of Kiran Nagarkar. Kiran Nagarkar is very interesting author. He wrote his first book “Saat Sakkan Trechalis” in Marathi which also won awards. But it was very much controversial book and many say, that was the reason he moved to English. This book is also no less contentious. Title of the book as well as the subject is very much controversial. The word cuckold means a married man who has an adulterous wife. Now the book sound interesting, isn’t it? Add to it that although the book is fiction, the characters in the book are not fictitious they are real characters from Indian History. So it raised my curiosity and I had to read this book.
As I said earlier book is very much controversial because one of the most important character in this book is “Saint Meerabai”. Although author did not mention her name throughout the book, you get the hint it’s her from the start. At the end of the book author declared it’s her. Now ‘Saint Meerabai’ is divine figure in India, and in the book her husband is ‘Cuckold’ i.e. she is the one has adulterous affair out of marriage which is actually with the “God Krishna”. The book also has lot of sexual overtones which can make the book touchy for many.
But the book is actually not about “Meerabai” but her husband, a prince and supposedly a successor of a throne. And novel is his life story where he has to fight for the throne with his brothers and also with father. I think the book is one of the must read books especially for the people who are interested in Indian history. The book is also translated in Marathi called as “Pratispardhi”.
If I have to rate this book I will give it 8 out of 10.
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