Fire Bird

by Perumal Murugan

Janani Kannan (Translator)

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Book cover for Fire Bird

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Fire Bird is a masterfully crafted tale of one man's search for the elusive concept of permanence. Muthu has his world turned upside down when his father divides the family land, leaving him with practically nothing and causing irreparable damage to his family's bonds. Through the unscrupulous actions of his once-revered eldest brother, Muthu is forced to leave his once-perfect world behind and seek out a new life for himself, his wife and his children.

In this transcendental novel, Perumal Murugan draws from his own life experiences of displacement and movement, and explores the fragility of our fundamental attraction to permanence and our ultimately futile efforts to attain it. Translated from the nearly untranslatable Aalandapatchi, which alludes to a mystical bird in Tamil, the titular fire bird perfectly encapsulates the illusory and migratory nature of this pursuit.

Fire Bird is a thought-provoking and beautifully written exploration of the human desire for stability in an ever-changing world.
  • ISBN10 0670089605
  • ISBN13 9780670089604
  • Publish Date 17 July 2023
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country IN
  • Publisher Penguin Random House India
  • Imprint Penguin Hamish Hamilton
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 304
  • Language English