Exploring the timeless charm of novels, their unique storytelling and the promising voices shaping India’s literary landscape in 2024, says KUMAR CHELLAPPAN

It is not without reason that the word novel has been assigned two meanings. Although the English language can often be amusing with its many words having multiple meanings, the term novel has a significant connection to its different interpretations.

The dictionary defines novel as “an invented prose narrative that is usually long and complex and deals especially with human experience through a usually connected sequence of events.” The word also has another meaning - something that is new, original, and never seen, used, or even thought of before.

A novel, as a literary form, tells a story and features multiple characters interconnected through a sequence of events. Each novel offers a new, fresh and unprecedented experience. What makes a novel truly special is its readability and the ease with which it allows readers to identify with the characters it presents.

Let us reflect on the novels of the past. Timeless classics like War and Peace, Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy), The Mother(Maxim Gorky), Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell), The Far Pavilions (M. M. Kaye), and Crime and Punishment(Fyodor Dostoevsky) continue to resonate with readers. These masterpieces transport us to a different world through their narrative, characters, and the time and space they depict. It is rare to encounter someone who feels these novels fall short of their expectations.

The first novel to grace bookshelves in India was Rajmohan’s Wife by Bankimchandra Chatterjee in 1864. This makes the novel as a literary genre relatively new in this region. India has produced remarkable writers like Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, whose works include Ganadevata and Arogya Niketan, the latter being particularly popular. Bankimchandra Chatterjee’s Anandamath (1882), set against the backdrop of the Great Bengal Famine of 1770, is widely regarded as the finest novel ever written in the subcontinent.

During my school days, our language teacher, P. U. Madhavan, emphasised the importance of reading these classics. He was our gateway to the world of literature. Years later, at university, we studied a prose piece by A. J. Cronin, the renowned Scottish novelist, about the art of writing a novel. Cronin often told his wife that he would write a novel loved by all. During a period of recovery from illness, Cronin wrote Hatter’s Castle, a landmark in English literature. He abandoned his medical career to pursue writing full-time.

Cronin’s success, along with that of other novelists, lies in their ability to tell compelling stories. Ponniyin Selvan (Son of Ponni) by Kalki Krishnamurthy, for instance, is based on the life of Arulmozhivarman, a 10th-century Chola prince. Reading this book is akin to watching a film projected on a Vistarama screen, the most advanced film projection system I’ve ever seen.

Novels, poems and stories resemble rivers and streams flowing from mountains, meandering through valleys, plains and plateaus. A well-written novel provides the sensation of sailing smoothly down a serene river. Conversely, a poorly written one feels like driving on a pothole-filled road. Unfortunately, contemporary Indian literature in English often lacks the quality we once enjoyed with authors like R. K. Narayan, Raja Rao and Shobhaa De.

These authors wrote straight from the heart. Today, however, publishers often dictate the content to maximise sales. In India, literary works that criticise certain religions or spiritual figures tend to attract significant attention and awards.

While we lack the likes of Mitchell, Tolstoy and Kaye, a few noteworthy works of fiction emerged in 2024, offering hope for the novel genre. Swallowing the Sun, the debut novel by Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, was a breath of fresh air. Puri masterfully narrates India’s freedom struggle and the emancipation of women from societal constraints. The protagonist, Malati, guides readers through a vivid journey across the Konkan region and Bombay, where she and her sister Kamala break into a male-dominated world. Thrilling and vibrant, Swallowing the Sun feels like a long-awaited monsoon, refreshing and full of intensity.

Another standout author is Harinder S. Sikka, a former Indian Navy commander known for Gobind, Vichhoda and Calling Sehmat. Drawing on his naval experiences, Sikka crafts authentic stories, earning him the title of “India’s Jeffrey Archer.”

Readers eagerly await more from writers like Puri and Sikka, who draw inspiration from real life. As Malayalam literary rebel Keshava Dev once said, “You will understand life only if you learn how to live. That experience will guide you in writing novels and stories. No university can teach you this.”

Thank you, Lakshmi Puri and Harinder S. Sikka, for giving us hope. And thank you, 2024, for these promising voices in literature.