ഖസാക്കിന്റെ ഇതിഹാസം | Khasakkinte Ithihasam | The Legends of ... by O.V. Vijayan

The protagonist, Ravi, a Malayali final year under-graduate student in Madras, is haunted by the guilt of an affair he had with his stepmother. The character Appukkili was originally created by Vijayan for his short story 'Appukkili' - a chapter in the finished book - which was published in October 1958 ( Mathrubhumi Weekly). Vijayan took twelve years (begun in 1956) to complete Khasakkinte Itihasam. Vijayan memorial is present at Thasrak in Palakkad. Arabikkulam, a pond that finds mention in the novel, is also located in Thasarak. This njattupura was a 'temporary shelter' for O. The njattupura where protagonist Ravi ran the school was modeled on a real-life njattupura. Vijayan Memorial by Kerala Government at Thasarak, Palakkad In an afterword to the English version of the novel Vijayan wrote: Some of the characters in the novel were modeled after real-life characters whom Vijayan encountered in Thasarak. Vijayan's sister was appointed as the teacher of a single-teacher government school in the village (1956). Khasakkinte Itihasam was inspired by the Ottupulackal family's stay at a village called Thasarak near Palakkad (in central Kerala) for a year.

The English version has also been translated into German by Ursula Gräfe. Most Kerala readers prefer to read this as an independent novel rather than seeing it as a translation. The novel was 'translated' into English by Vijayan in 1994 (under the title The Legends of Khasak, Penguin Books), but this version differs substantially from the Malayalam original. It has had over 50 reprints, making it one of the most widely read Malayalam novels. The multi-faceted work is still one of the bestsellers in Malayalam.

The novel, published in 1969, after more than a decade of drafting and re-drafting, became an instant hit with young people in Kerala. The novel is characterized by the matter-of-fact inclusion of mythical elements into seemingly realistic fiction ( magic realism). The novel is often associated with the general disillusionment with the communist movement in Kerala in the 1960s.

He finds rational inquiry meaningless and begins a metaphorical journey inwards. He immerses himself in the 'bewitching sensuousness' of the new 'rustic, amoral world', only to emerge as an 'involved outsider'. The protagonist is soon bewitched by this ancient village where dreams and legends intermingle. Little by little, the village reveals its secrets. The novel tells the story of a young university student, who leaves a promising future to take up a primary school teacher’s job in the remote village of Khasak.

The novel has been translated from Malayalam into French by Dominique Vitalyos. It was first serialised in 1968 and published as a single edition in 1969. The Saga of Khasak, generally referred to as Khasak in Malayalam literary circles) is the Malayalam debut novel by Indian writer O.

ഖസാക്കിന്റെ ഇതിഹാസം | Khasakkinte Ithihasam | The Legends of ... by O.V. Vijayan