Kasthuri Sreenivasan

This book—written by a businessman from Tamil Nadu in far southern India who published everything from nonfiction books on industrial sociology to poetry and plays—follows a young man who, to atone for the (perceived) guilt of his Brahmin ancestors, decides to become a latrine cleaner, one of the lowest of castes. The writing is good, the story intriguing, and well-told. It reminded me a bit of Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand, which narrates a day in the life of a latrine cleaner and is a polemic against the caste system. I was impressed by most of Anand’s book but thought the ending very unsatisfying. Sreenivasan’s novel is far better constructed and is a quick, easy read (though it may not be a "better" book).… (altro)