The Legends Of Khasak  (English, Paperback, Vijayan O V)

The Legends Of Khasak is a literary masterpiece about a young man named Ravi, who wanders into a remote village called Khasak in Kerala. This novel covers the boy’s experiences in the new place, and also brings to light his existential crisis.

Summary Of The Book

The Legends Of Khasak revolves around an under-graduate dropout named Ravi, who has had an illicit affair. Overcome with guilt, the young man leaves behind a research offer from Princeton University, and goes off on a long pilgrimage. Ravi finds himself in Khasak, a remote village in the beautiful Palghat countryside of Kerala. His guilt and anguish make him go through an existential crisis as well.

In this new place, Ravi sets up a makeshift school with the help of the District Board’s education initiative. The elders in the village see him as a threat, and doubt his intentions. The Legends Of Khasak describes Ravi’s interaction with the villagers, as well as with the students of his school. Through these encounters, the author showcases many superstitions and myths that exist in this part of the world. The protagonist also realizes that karma follows a person, no matter where he goes.

The Legends Of Khasak was originally published in 1969, and was named Khasakkinte Itihasam. It took the author twelve years to complete this path-breaking Malayalam novel. In 1970, Vijayan won the Odakkuzhal Award for this book. Khasakkinte Itihasam has seen fifty reprints in the last four decades. It is the highest selling novel in South Asia. It was translated into English in 1994 by the author himself.

About O. V. Vijayan

Ootupulackal Velukkuty Vijayan, born in 1930, was an Indian writer and cartoonist. He has been one of the most important literary figures of the Malayalam language.

The author has written novels, essays, short stories, memoirs, and cartoons. Some of his short stories are Kattu Paranja Katha, Vargasamaram Swathwam, Andhanum Akalangal Kaanunnavanum, and Khoshayathrayil Thaniye.

The author studied at Victoria College in Palakkad, and then completed his Master’s in English Literature from Presidency College. Vijayan’s works have been published in the Far Eastern Economic Review and The Statesman. In 1990, the author was given the Sahitya Akademi Award, as well as the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award. He became the recipient of the Mathrubhumi Sahitya Award in 2004. Vijayan passed away in 2005, after battling Parkinson's Disease for twenty years.