‘Simsara’ is a good book that offers a unique perspective on the  existing gender, caste and class differences in the society as well as regionalism, culture, values, ghosts, worship, and recognition of human behavior. Written by Nepali journalist and author Basanta Basnet, and based in his hometown of Taplejung district, the strongest aspect of the novel is its use of imagery—a massive pillar bearing the weight of a house, a lonely house that has lost its warmth, a flower blooming on a tree, an old bird wailing, a weak animal, or a human life bound by the chains of compulsion.

The book is poetic and metaphorical. The characters are entrenched in their circumstances and have a lot of psychological trauma and baggage. The story is narrated in first person but in some places you feel like you are hearing the author’s voice and not the character’s, which I think is mainly due to the writing style. In some instances, you get to see how silence can be more terrifying than speech. There is a lot of serious thought given to even the most trivial thing and that, along with the simple, evocative language, makes the novel highly enjoyable. 

A really promising character in the novel is Samvat who passed his SLC in the second division. He has failed to make his parents see that a joint family isn’t an ideal situation. With his parents in the same house, his relationship with his wife suffers and the couple fail to have the daughter they always wanted. His complex emotions give depth to the story. Babu’s character, on the other hand, isn’t able to prove himself as the main pillar of the household. He has no affection for his wife and teenage son. The newly married Kanchi also has no such attachment. Simsara is a swamp where both the father and the son are stuck. 

Simsara basically takes us through a world from the perspective of a teenager. There is a lot of adolescent psychology in it. But we must not mistake it for young adult fiction as the elements of familial relationship in the book make it a must read for people of all ages. The novel makes you ponder about many things like love, guilt, and survival. It’s not the author’s job to take sides and Basnet doesn’t indulge in it either. As humans, we are likely to take sides but authors aren’t allowed that luxury and in Simsara, Basnet shows the turmoils his characters go through and what makes them who they are without judgement. If you are familiar with Basnet’s previous works, you will know what to expect from his writing but Simsara feels refreshing in terms of the world it delves into. 

The book heavily discusses issues of our social, political, gender, religious, and caste differences. As a reader personally I was very affected by the child psychology and trauma in Simsara. We don’t realize how deep rooted these issues are and how badly it affects people. We tend to turn a blind eye to it and reading Simsara made me realize how harmful that can be. Basnet’s third published work Simsara is a fascinating and inspiring story about how our misguided cultural, political, and familial beliefs can have deep psychological impacts.

Fiction

Simsara

Basanta Basnet

Published: 2024

Publisher: FinePrint

Pages: 265, Paperback