H&C Stores-Othappu
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Othappu (English: The Scent of the Other Side) is a Malayalam novel by Sarah Joseph that explores a woman's search for spirituality and sexuality. The novel is about a nun who chooses to leave the convent and live a life free from religious norms and practices. The story is set in Kerala and is the third and final book in a trilogy that also includes Alaahayude Penmakkal and Mattathi.
Here are some details about Othappu:
- The novel critiques the hypocrisy of Christianity and the discrimination it practices between social classes.
- It also explores notions of class, caste, antiquity, and prestige.
- The novel's protagonist, Marghalitha, comes into conflict with the church and society, which expect her to conform to their established framework.
- The English translation of Othappu won the Crossword Book Award for translation.
Othappu is about a woman's yearning for a true understanding of spirituality and her own sexuality. The novel is a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy that plagues Christianity in many parts of the Subcontinent. Othappu unfolds at many levels to critique notions of class, caste, antiquity, and prestige that have, over time, eroded the power of the first church. The detailed Introduction by Jancy James provides rare insights into the work and skilfully sketches the social history of Kerala, the location of the novel. Two special inclusions ,Paul Zacharia on the different meanings of 'othappu' and a dialogue between the author and Githa Hiranyan--lend fresh perspectives to the work.
