KARNALI BLUES Book Review

 KARNALI BLUES

Originally published: 2010
Author: Buddhi Sagar
Genre: Fiction
Language: Nepali

Many poetry and stories are written about the suffering and love of mothers, but few are written in favor of courageously tough fathers. And Karnali Blues is undisputedly a father's book.

Karnali Blues tells the story of a father-son relationship from the eyes of the son, focusing on how he sees his father in his life. The story begins with the narrator recalling his childhood as he rushes to the hospital to see his father, who is on his deathbed.

The story is told through the eyes of a young boy whose father is nothing short of a superhero. And as the plot unfolds, it is told from the perspective of an adolescent boy who learns how his father was a simple man who never failed to meet any of his needs. The book is divided into 11 parts. It's an account of his 11 days in the hospital with his father, and it includes memories of his father.

Readers will swim across  Amauri Khola of beautiful words, participate in writer's mischievous activities, and encounter a variety of characters, when writer and his family move from Matera to Kalilot.

Interesting characters include Bhagiram, Chandre, and Mamata didi, among others. Everyone has a unique story to tell and a lesson to teach. Readers witness the magic of Nepal's far west. However, the author often depicts the bleak side of the rural village, in addition to the charm of nature.

The captivating and sentimental stories make reader(s) emotional, laugh out loud, recall their own childhood, and most importantly; give them a pause about their own father and his devotion or sacrifices. Writers father still stands as strong as the mountains to shield him, no matter how mischievous he becomes or how many problems he causes. As his father is dying, the writer recognizes that it was his father who had lost the most. By the end of this story, the narrator attains maturity in his thoughts.

Buddhisagar's writing ability is so exceptional that it takes the reader(s) through various stages of the novel, making it remarkable. The author, who was born and raised in the Karnali region, has described the settings, characters, and plot using all of his real-life experiences.The use of native language in some locations also aims to establish an organic relationship between the reader and the book.

Karnali Blues is about Transformation. The village where the narrator spent much of his youth is changed by an excavator. The destiny of a town where his father ran a pharmacy is changed by a bridge in Chisapani. The character is transported to Kalikot instead of Surkhet due to a mental change. And the death of the old man (writer's father) has completely changed the lives of his son and wife.

This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I really advise others to read it. Reading the book makes me nostalgic; it returns me to my childhood memories and increases my appreciation for my dad.

P.S. I want to share an interesting story of mine,own while reading this book, I started reading this book on Jan 17,2020 with some rough assumption of completing it on one week as I was on my winter vacation and had enough time but I completed it in one and half days nearly two days. My hands were automatically turning the pages of the book and my mind was full of excitement to read the upcoming events between Brishbahadur (Son) and Harshabahadur (father) in different locations of Matera, Katase (one of the very common name I listen at home while talking about my parents' marriage as it was only the way to reach my maternal uncle home at that time) and Kalikot.