10 MUST READ NEPALI BOOKS IN 2023
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| Over the years Nepali literature has been enriched by many litterateurs. |
By LB THAPA
Dr. Tulsi Acharya is a prolific writer. He has penned over a dozen books on various subjects of public interest. Receiving a degree in English literature was just the beginning. Acharya’s appetite for more knowledge was further augmented, and he joined Kennesaw State University to pursue an MA in creative writing. In the course of academic penance, he was awarded a Ph.D. This feat of success was like a dream come true in the life of any scholar. After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Acharya did not look back. He undertook several complex subjects and researched thoroughly to write books. If you read any books penned by Dr. Acharya, you will find his scholarly impression in those books.
The readers can definitely understand Dr.Acharya’s range of scholarship from the books he has written. Such books as ‘I Won’t Marry You, A Collection of Shakespeare’s Stories, Katai Bomb Katai Bomjan, Living by Memories, Swapnabhumi, Sex Gender and Disability in Nepal, Knowledge, Running from the Dreamland, Handbook of Professional Business and Communication and Journalism, and Mochan. In brief, his books speak volumes. A prodigious and extremely gifted writer, Dr. Acharya has already established himself as a literary giant among the luminaries of Nepali litterateurs.
Dr. Acharya’s writing career had already started by writing critical and analytical articles that were published in different newspapers and magazines at home and abroad. An interesting fact about Dr. Acharya is that he started his writing career under the impression of writing poetry, but eventually, he ended up becoming a champion fiction and nonfiction writer par excellence.
Yours truly has taken up Dr. Acharya’s last book, Mochan, for review. The book was published in 2021, when the world was under the constant threat of the Corona pathogen. The novel Mochan means redemption, and it proved true to its name. The readers of Mochan found their agony, pain, and loss redeemed by the captivating story of the novel. The novel successfully diverted the readers’ thoughts from despair and loss to hope and possibility. Spiritual discussion and meditation at Tapoban brought a degree of solace, mental peace, and satisfaction to the hearts of the readers.
The novelist Dr. Acharya’s Mochan is a complete novel. The story has unveiled the bitter reality of life that most people would like to endure silently. However, Dr. Acharya has beautifully presented such difficult and complicated human relationships through his first Nepali novel, Mochan. The protagonist in the novel is Jeevan, whose life is full of vicissitudes. His intense love for his newly married wife could not last for long. The clash of egos, loss of love, mistrust, jealousy, and differences of opinion wreak havoc on their relationship. Thus, Aashma, Jeevan’s wife, remained an enigma to Jeevan.
The main reason for misunderstandings and conflicts between Jeevan and Aashma was their attitude and demeanor. Aashma is an ambitious woman who wants to live a carefree life, and her goal is to attain happiness through materialistic methods. However, Jeevan has a diametrically different nature. He always led his life with the guidance of principles, honesty, and simplicity. His priority was never to find happiness in materialistic things but in spirituality. And this was the bone of contention between Jeevan and Aashma. This difference in ideology actually created a rift in the relationship between Jeevan and Aashma that widened beyond repair. And a whole lot of problems began afterward.
Jeevan was deprived of the love and care that he always expected from his wife, Aasma. When he could not get that love and care from his wife, he tried to find it outside, and that led him to develop an extramarital affair. Jeevan’s life turned from bad to worse as he suffered from one setback after another. Those nasty lessons of life taught Jeevan a costly lesson: peace and happiness cannot be found in the camaraderie of human relationships. This revelation in Jeevan's life led him to spirituality. This was a huge turning point in Jeevan's life.
While reading Mochan, readers can also have the feelings of Parijat’s Blue Mimosa. The way psychological themes are dealt with in the novel goes from simple to complex, and vice versa. The entire story of Mochan sways in a balance between hope and despair.
After reading the novel Mochan, it is clearly understandable that the novelist, Dr. Acharya, has thoroughly used his firsthand knowledge while researching to write the book Sex, Gender, and Disability in Nepal. The writer has successfully depicted complex human behaviors like love, sex, and extramarital affairs in his novel. This part of human psychology and the way the author has dealt with the subject are simply outstanding. And for this, I must say Mochan stands equal to Parijat’s Blue Mimosa.
I don’t want to go into the details of a few insignificant omissions and typos in the novel. These slip-ups have been successfully covered up by the strong story, lucid language, and artistic way in which the entire novel is written. Moreover, I feel a strong urge to translate Mochan into the English language. A novel of this stature must be translated into the English language. So that the Western world can also have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the socio-economic echelons of Nepali society and the people who live there.
In fact, Mochan has already earned a degree of respect, popularity, and commercial success among the best novels in Nepal. However, its English translation can have even more far-reaching effects. Western readers cannot be left out of reading such a beautiful novel. Credit: The Kathmandu Post
PARBAT
PARBAT MA BATUWA GHAM
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| Publisher: Book Hill Genre: Songs & Lyrical Poems Published: April 29, 2023 Rs.409/- |
If you love to read songs and lyrical poems, then Parbat Parbat ma Batuwa Gham is for you. Ramesh Chhitiz must be lauded for the vivid depictions that he incessantly poured into his poetry. Thus, making his poetry so captivating and illuminating. The best part of Chhitiz’s poetry is that it helps one get over narrow orthodox beliefs, acting as a window to the outside world with the contrast of hope, despondency, and acceptance.
Reading his poems in solitude can inundate the reader with an ocean of sense and sensitivity. Penning such heartwarming lyrical poems is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. One needs years of skills to attain such a degree of poetic virtuosity.
Putting it in the right perspective, Chhitiz’s poetry is an amalgamation of nature, society, art, culture, and literature. Throughout his poetry, it can be seen how skillfully the poet has exploited nature to serve his purpose. This is a rare skill that requires years of dedicated writing and a high degree of thought processing.
On the one hand, his poetry is simple to comprehend; on
the other hand, he exhibits his uncanny prowess in dealing with the contradicting
situations of human life. Moreover, his understanding of the linguistic ability
to embellish his language is at the next level. Thus, poetry lovers should not
miss reading this wonderful book.
NOON TEL
The name of the book, ‘Noon Tel," is a metaphor that aptly stands for the paraphernalia of village life. A life in a village is unobtrusively poised among natural forces. These natural forces support life itself and help it keep going naturally. In a village, life is simple, but it is also fraught with difficulties, challenges, and ambiguities. People living in villages thus learn to develop a healthy relationship with a balance that is good for them and for posterity.
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| Publisher: Sangri-La Books Genre: Non-fiction Published: April 29, 2023 Rs.535/- |
The book Noon Tel is based on the writer’s own personal experience while living in his village. The author has carefully included every segment of life that is worth mentioning in this book. He has written about the journeys that his ancestors undertook due to various circumstances. In the second part of the book, the author becomes more specific and descriptive when he compares subtle human physiological and psychological impacts vis-Ã -vis Mother Nature. As of now, the author has become more scholastic in dealing with his subjects, which are more modern and exigent.
In the next part of the book, the author seems to have become more restless and is venting his anger and frustration by asking many questions. Among others, one of his grudges is that when science and technology have brought a sea change to the world, then why has this world become unsafe to live in? Natural calamities instigated by human maladies have become more palpable today than ever before. The author has registered his thumping disagreement with the ill governance, corruption, and myopic vision of top-notch bureaucrats who misuse their power for their vested interests.
The author claimed to have contemplated the subject for seven years before writing the present book. He says that he has also included the vital experiences of four generations in the book. Altogether, I found the book Noon Tel to be a good read. I am sure the readers of this book will not feel bored anywhere.
KHANDAR DARBAR
The royal massacre that occurred at the Royal Palace in 2001 brought shame and disgrace to the nation. The entire family of the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah was targeted and eliminated. Such a heinous crime of this magnitude could not have taken place without the active role and support of the people closer to the royal family.
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| Publisher: BN Pustak Sansar Genre: Crime Fiction Published: April 13, 2023 Rs. 472/- |
The author of the book has claimed his book is different. He has freely discussed those matters from which many authors in the past deliberately refrained. The entire royal family of the late King Birendra had been butchered, and the blame was dumped on the late Crown Prince Dipendra. Not a single Nepali ever believed this version of the lie to be true.
The author has raised many questions relating to the real incidents and found huge discrepancies among them. These unrelated, unthinkable, and unacceptable lies had been circulated for years by a few notorious gangs to make people believe them.
In the end, the author strongly believes that soon the curtain will be raised on the conspiracy and the assassins will be brought to light. Nepali people cannot afford to let the murderers of our beloved royal family walk scot-free as if nothing has happened. The author has done laborious research to collect the necessary tidbits to make the book a good read.
The author, Basanti Shahi, has collected her scattered memories from the time when the country was under the vicious grip of the Corona pandemic. Author Shahi has ably penned her good, bad, and melancholic experiences into her book, Samaya Sakasa. Unfortunately, the pandemic had brought the country to a screeching halt. The world economy suffered, and so did world tourism.
The pandemic wreaked havoc on every stratum of society, but those poor people who survived on daily wage earnings found themselves caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Not having a savings in hand made many of them take the risk of going out in search of food. And this was the time when they were highly susceptible to getting caught by the virus. But the fire of hunger made them risk their lives in search of food.
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Publisher: Phoenix Books Genre: Non-fiction Rs. 699/- |
The author Shahi has successfully depicted the miserable lives of many people who were forced to live under house arrest for 53 days. Her eloquent writing style has no doubt earned our praise, but perhaps what many readers might not like in the book is the elaborate inclusion of Corona-related statistics. These data are, after all, freely available on the internet. This could be a minor distraction for many avid readers; otherwise, the book as a whole is a nice read.
The book has exquisitely depicted how, during the pandemic, many organizations, including several kindhearted philanthropists, came forward and served the needy people across the country.
The author has included a separate chapter where she explains how the provincial government and opposition party members work together to fight against the pandemic. She has also mentioned an unfortunate incident where many Corona patients from Surkhet district were admitted to the hospitals in Kathmandu. But, regrettably, only the life of one patient could be saved, while the rest of the others could not remain alive to reach their village, Surkhet.
The potential buyers of this book might find its price uncompromising. The book costs Rs. 699. An average Nepali reader will definitely find this amount of pain in their neck. This might lead a buyer to think twice before purchasing the book.
The long and tedious description of the Corona pandemic
could have been shortened, and several unnecessary statistics could have been
excluded to bring down the cost of production of the book. Such statistical
jargon has filled several pages, making the book bulky and expensive. However,
those who can afford the price of the book will find it a good read.
Parijat, or Bishnu Kumari Waiba, was a powerful writer of prose and poetry, but she is best known for her complex psychological novels, like Sirisko Phool (Blue Mimosa). It was through her writing strength that Parijat hogged the literary limelight and remained at the epicenter of Nepali literature for decades.
Sirisko Phool (Blue Mimosa) is a complex psychological novel. The novel is well known for its literary merit and brilliant craftsmanship. The novel became an instant success, and it grabbed the attention of the leading scholars of the country, who unanimously decided to present the Madan Puruskar, a highly prestigious literary award of the country, to Parijat.
Parijat was a versatile and highly prolific writer of
sublime prose and poetry. She was fully dedicated to writing as a full-time
vocation. When she was not writing novels and poems, she would be writing for
newspaper columns. This way or that, she kept herself connected with the
readers who were diehard fans of her writing.
SUSHREE PARIJAT
Parijat, or Bishnu Kumari Waiba, was a powerful writer of prose and poetry, but she is best known for her complex psychological novels, like Sirisko Phool (Blue Mimosa). It was through her writing strength that Parijat hogged the literary limelight and remained at the epicenter of Nepali literature for decades.
Sirisko Phool (Blue Mimosa) is a complex psychological novel. The novel is well known for its literary merit and brilliant craftsmanship. The novel became an instant success, and it grabbed the attention of the leading scholars of the country, who unanimously decided to present the Madan Puruskar, a highly prestigious literary award of the country, to Parijat.
Parijat’s memoirs are capable of stirring the thoughts of the readers and making them feel what Parijat herself felt in her own life. Besides all this, there was yet another aspect of her life where Parijat could never free herself from controversy. Her bitter argument with Modnath Prashit or her moral support for the people’s war—all these things and many other activities always kept Parijat in controversy.
Govind Giri seems to have penned this book under the intense inspiration of Parijat’s own life, which was vastly dominated by love, sex, and betrayal. Many critics have vociferously accepted that Sushree Parijat is the magnum opus of Govind Giri. However, for those who want to know Parijat from the body of her literary work and the kind of rebellious life she lived, the book Sushree Parijat can be a delightful read. Moreover, researchers cannot have the liberty of choice but to buy the book, as it contains what they otherwise cannot find elsewhere, though in poetic form.
Publisher: FinePrint, Genre: Poetry, Published: 2022, Rs.787/-
BIMOKCHH
Don’t be confused by his name, Ghimire Yubaraj. He always spells his name as Ghimire Yuvraj. First, like many others, I too found his name a bit unsettling. Then yours truly poked his nose a bit more to find the reason why he writes his name Ghimire Yubaraj, and I came to know the reason.
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| Publisher: Sangri-La Books Genre: Drama Published: 2023 |
Actually, there is an extremely popular name in the field of Nepali media whose name is Yubaraj Ghimire. Two exact names created much confusion among the people. To cease that confusion, he began to write his name, Ghimire Yubaraj. With this minor altercation, everything settled down. Now, people understand very well who Ghimire Yubaraj and Yubaraj Ghimire are. Ghimire Yubaraj stands for drama and theater, and in the meantime, Yubaraj Ghimire is a huge name in the national media.
Ghimire Yubaraj has been involved in Nepali drama for the last two decades. In 1999, Ghimire received basic training for one year at Nachghar. Thereafter, he spent seven years in Gurukul. Later, he graduated from Commedia International Theatre School, Denmark, in 2011. Ghimire Yubaraj, along with a group of like-minded people, laid the foundation of Shilpee Theatre in 2007. At present, he is the art director at the Shilpee Theatre.
Ghimire Yubaraj has already directed over two dozen dramas, and he has acted in about one and a half dozen of them as well. Ghimire started his career in journalism and later went on to write "Rupantaranka lagi Rangmanch," Itihas ra samikchha," and Andhiko Manoram Nritya," which have already been published.
The present drama
under review has depicted a grotesque picture of a society where people live a
life of impostors, continuously proving themselves to be what they are not.
Bimokchh is a serious drama for all drama lovers.
SATYA HARAN
Satya Haran is a novel by Raju Adhikari. It seems the novel has amalgamated several threads of mythological, psychological, and modern tidbits to fit into his novel, making it more appealing to its readers. For instance, the author mentions how an ancient library in Nepal was gutted by fire. Later, it was also learned that some extremely valuable scriptures had been stolen before the library had been reduced to ashes. An investigation was initiated immediately after the incident.
Further inquiry into the matter baffled the investigators, as they found that some foreign elements had been involved in exploiting Nepali art, culture, and literature. Further reading of the novel brings even more surprises, leaving the readers flabbergasted and mystified. According to the novel, many of the inventions of science today, for example, Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, the theory of gravity and inertia, or today’s rocket science with advanced missile technology, have already been discussed in many ancient Hindu scriptures.
The novel asserts that many scriptures, which are vastly unknown to the world, must have been stolen by foreign elements, and therefore they are being used today. Today’s modern science has only understood a small part of ancient Vedic knowledge. A vast portion of Vedic knowledge is still beyond human comprehension.
In another part of the novel, it is narrated how Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution believes in the evolution of human beings from certain species of apes. In contrast to Darwin’s theory, the novel presents a Vedic approach to human evolution. He writes that the rich stock of Hindu Vedic literature had already explained many complex ideas beyond human comprehension in the Vedic scriptures hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Thus, the novel has made an effort to bring together theology and modern science face-to-face. The overall content of the novel is full of action, imagination, and suspense. These contents will definitely pull those readers who crave thrills and adventure together.
Genre: Novels, Crime Fiction Published: January 2023 Rs. 250/-
DHUNWAKO TASBIR
Dhunwako Tasbir is a novel that is penned by Dr. Raju Adhikari. The story of the novel is based on human psychology. Weaving a story that revolves around human behavior is always a challenging task. The novel Dhunwako Tasbir portrays the life of a man who wanted to accomplish many things in his life. But will he be able to achieve all of them? Of course not, and this situation will definitely lead to frustration.
The frustration in life will lead the person to live a virtual life. Has it not been happening with many people today? The protagonist in the novel undergoes a similar situation. In the course of his life, when he cannot attain his dreams, he starts living a life that is far from reality. Actually, this is the reality in the lives of many people at present. Most people have become overambitious, and this has made their lives more complicated and chaotic.
Sometimes a life under the shadow of imagination overpowers the human psyche, and the brain starts living in the world of imagination as a reality. There is nothing wrong with living a life full of ambition. But the problems will become more muddled when falsehood takes the place of reality in a person's life. This is the main theme of the novel.
The story begins with Kapil, who is the protagonist of the novel. He goes to Shanghai, an industrial city in China, for higher education. While studying abroad, he makes several plans to elevate his life and make it more successful in Nepal. During this time, the novel also presents the lives of immigrants in China. In the meantime, Kapil’s dormant desire for music suddenly wakes up while studying in Shanghai. He developed a close association with some Chinese music lovers.
Kapil had a comfortable life in Shanghai. His friends always appreciated him as a person and his performance in music. But gradually, Kapil starts losing interest in the urban lifestyle, and he begins to crave a simple and bucolic lifestyle in Nepal. But Kapil’s close friends did not like Kapil’s idea of going to Nepal. If this happens, then they might lose an important band member from their orchestra team. When Kapil remained firm and adamant about his decision to go to Nepal, his friends played tricks on him and kept him in captivity. Did he escape from their captivity? On the other hand, what did happen to Kapil?
Thus, a new episode in the novel begins, and it is full of suspense, thrills, and adventure. Overall, the novel is a good read for people who love to read thrills, suspense, and mystery in a single book. The novel guarantees all ingredients on one plate.
Publisher: Thuprai, Genre: Psychological Fiction, Thrillers, Published: 2022, Rs.125/-
AATOWODA
AATOWODA is a novel that is based on the lives of Santhal tribal people living in Jhapa. The meaning of Aatowoda is "settlement"—the settlement of Santhal tribal people. The novel has highlighted some pertinent issues related to the Santhal tribal people. Readers will come to know about the social, cultural, economic, political, and psychological aspects of the Santhal tribal people. The novel has also depicted the lifestyles and languages of Fulmuni, Budhin, Tursa, and Lukhi.
The novel has aptly highlighted the current situation of the Santhal tribe living in the far eastern area of Nepal. Over decades, these people have been alienated from the mainstream social and political system of the country. Getting no attention from the concerned authorities has further pushed this community into the pit of oblivion. Many of them have no land, so they are forced to live like landless squatters.
On the one hand, the novel has highlighted many problems that the Santhal community is facing today. On the other hand, the author has also depicted some brighter aspects of the Santhal community. Such as the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the tribal people. The author has also spread the flavor of the local language throughout his writing, which has created a fantastic linguistic aroma. Most arguably, the present novel, Aatowoda, could be the first novel of its kind to highlight the art, culture, tradition, and ways of life of Santhal tribal people.
Those readers who
enjoy novels based on cultural backgrounds will definitely find this novel a
good read.
Publisher: Kalam Prakashan, Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Published: 2023, Rs.335/-
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| LB Thapa is the publisher and author of The Hemingway Post, a literary magazine. |
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