Mortal Attractions
Simpleton, the hero of this novel, migrates from his village to Kathmandu in search of work and a better life. But he soon begins to feel the pressure of big-city life as he finds it difficult to find work and everyday survival becomes an uphill battle.
He falls in love with a girl from a higher caste family and experiences the heartbreak of being rejected as a poor country boy.
This novel shows the struggle, desperation and frustration that is the lot of millions of ordinary people in Third World countries who dream of better and more fulfilling lives.
"Prakash Gurung's debut novel marks a new era... breathtaking intensity and variety" - Shyamal K Shrestha, Sunday Despatch (Kathmandu)
"A gripping story to set you thinking over the lot of the poor people for whom dreams remain only to be rarely fulfilled." - Prem N Kakkar, The Rising Nepal (Kathmandu
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Life In Kathmandu
Gurung's novel depicts the life in the Kathmandu valley
By A CORRESPONDENT
Life is never easy in countries like Nepal. Every body has to face different challenges to survive. From dawn to dusk, an individual has to toil hard.
Gurung explains difficulties and painful lives of the middle class families through his main character Simpleton who struggles hard to survive.
The story of Simpleton, the hero of this book, is but a reflection of the many privations and difficulties faced by the people in the daily basis, affecting every aspect of their insecure lives and loves in which money makes a very romantic gift indeed.
The story of Simpleton is full of hard work faced by the people of different strata who come to Kathmandu valley in search of employment.
In the book, Gurung explains inside out the life in Kathmandu valley including love, marriage, crime and others. Every villager who migrates to the city feels some sort of relief for a few weeks. Soon after they begin to feel the heat of city life as jobs are hard to come by and eking out a decent living becomes an uphill task. As the reality bites, the feeling of desperation and frustration sinks in.
This is what the author tries to explain in his whole story. The fate of innocent and simple rural youths who come to visit the city with an aim to get better life is vividly portrayed in the book.
A son of British Gurkha veteran, Gurung is also a former boxer. A multi-faceted personality, Gurung has already published more than a dozen of poems at different times.
In the novel, the author also throws in some spice with the portrayal of love affair between a simple rural boy and a girl from higher class family of Kathmandu with elements of class-clashes, rich and poor divide and love.
The book is a good and interesting read. It further highlights the literary talent of Gurung who is quite simply a man of multiple interests. |
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