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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Kocharethi
| image =
| caption =
| alt =
| author = [[Narayan (writer)|Narayan]]
| title_orig =
| working_title =
| translator = Catherine Thankamma
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| country = India
| language = English, Malayalam
| series =
| subject =
| genre = [[Novel]]
| published = 1998 ([[D. C. Books|D C Books]])
| media_type = Print ([[hardcover]])
| pages =
| awards =
| isbn =
| oclc =
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| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| wikisource =
}}
'''''Kocharethi''''' ({{lang-ml|കൊച്ചരേത്തി}}) is a [[Malayalam literature|Malayalam novel]] by [[Narayan (writer)|Narayan]], often described as Kerala’s first tribal novelist, that was published in 1998. The novel, through the lives of its protagonist Kunjupennu and her childhood love and later husband, Kochuraman, depicts the history, traditions and travails of the [[Malayarayan|Malay Arayan]] tribal community in [[Kerala]] in the twentieth century. While Narayan completed the manuscript of the novel in 1988, it was published only ten years later by the [[D. C. Books|D C Books]].<ref name="thehindu">{{cite news|title=Found in translation|url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article1772998.ece|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=27 April 2011}}</ref> The novel was critically acclaimed and went on to win the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Narayan honoured as Kocharethi goes places|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/narayan-honoured-as-kocharethi-goes-places/article4111023.ece|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=19 November 2012}}</ref>

== Synopsis ==
[[File:Narayan DSW.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Narayan is one of the first tribal novelists from India.]]
''Kocharethi'' narrates the tale of the Mala Araya adivasi community in the early half of the twentieth century through the lives of Kunjipennu and her husband Kochuraman. It is set against the backdrop of the [[Western Ghats]] in the pepper belt along the [[Kerala]] – [[Tamil Nadu]] border.<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=Cultures in transformation|url=http://www.hindu.com/lr/2011/04/03/stories/2011040350020100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108090822/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2011/04/03/stories/2011040350020100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2014|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=3 April 2011}}</ref>

A key theme of cultural change begins when Kunjipennu refuses to marry her maternal uncle's son and instead weds Kochuraman. Following the destruction of their house and the death of their son in a [[forest fire]], they are pushed into dire poverty. A cycle of drought and torrential rain pushes the entire [[Malayarayan|Mala Arayan community]] into debt and [[alcoholism]] to which Kochuraman too falls prey.<ref name="hindu" />

The poverty of the community is ruthlessly exploited by moneylenders, landlords, the businessmen and the police and gradually this unholy nexus of the upper classes and upper castes results in the alienation of the Arayans' lands and those resisting are beaten into submission.<ref name="hindu" />

Kunjipennu and Kochuraman meanwhile have a daughter, Parvati and the establishment of a school in the village marks the beginning of another social transformation in the community. Parvati later gets through college and finds a job in Kochi where she marries against her parents' wishes and slowly begins to distance herself from the community.<ref name="hindu" />

Kochuraman's alcoholism finally results in his taking ill and is forced to seek treatment in Kochi where Kunjipennu accompanies him. His hospitalisation is supported by Parvati's husband and friends but when Kochuraman and Kunjipennu are told that he will require surgery they, mortally scared of modern medicine, escape from the hospital.<ref name="hindu" />

== Reception ==
Kocharethi, [[Narayan (writer)|Narayan]]'s debut novel, won the [[Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Winners|url=http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/ml_aw3.htm|access-date=19 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924045103/http://www.keralasahityaakademi.org/ml_aw3.htm|archive-date=24 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its English translation as ''Kocharethi: The Araya Woman'' by Catherine Thankamma was published by the [[Oxford University Press]] in 2011 and won the [[Economist Crossword Book Award|Economist-Crossword Book Award]] in the Indian language translation category for 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=A tribal community comes alive|url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1322246.ece?service=print|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=The New Indian Express|date=1 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Malayalam literary work Kocharethi wins Economist Crossword Award 2011|url=http://www.ukmalayalee.com/nri-news/news.php?id=MTU0Mw==|access-date=19 November 2012}}</ref> The novel has run into six editions in Malayalam and has been translated into [[Hindi]] as ''Pahadin'' and into all the south Indian languages. A [[French language|French]] translation of the novel is also in progress.<ref name="thehindu" /><ref>{{cite news|title=French version of Kocharethi soon|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-03/kozhikode/31555951_1_tribal-communities-novel-tribal-people|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108090853/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-03/kozhikode/31555951_1_tribal-communities-novel-tribal-people|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2014|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=3 May 2012}}</ref>

The novel has however been criticised on the grounds of having neither style nor craft. It has also been pointed out that structural and stylistic techniques literary writing are largely absent in the novel. The award for the novel was decried by some as having been a politically motivated award.<ref>{{cite news|title=Of a people in transition|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article3675.ece|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=16 August 2009}}</ref> The English version of the novel is also on the course on Subaltern Studies at the [[University of Calgary]] in [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite news|title='The Araya Woman' Shortlisted for Award|url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/article1297260.ece|access-date=19 November 2012|newspaper=The New Indian Express|date=13 October 2012}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article1020744.ece Excerpts from the OUP translation]
* {{YouTube|il6A_2wSjRg|Oxford University Presents Kocharethi – The Araya Woman}}

{{Malayalam Literature |state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Malayalam novels]]
[[Category:1998 novels]]
[[Category:Novels set in Kerala]]
[[Category:Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award-winning works]]
[[Category:DC Books books]]
[[Category:1998 Indian novels]]

Kocharethi - Revision history

>GreenC bot at 18:03, 20 April 2021