First published in Kannada in 1978, Avasthe is U.R. Ananthamurthy’s tour de force.

In a nation struggling with corruption and the corrosion of human values, the prime minister is all set to become a ruthless dictator. From his sickbed, Krishnappa Gowda, revolutionary leader of the peasants, grapples with his conscience, the schemes of partymen and flattery from hangers-on. Memories come and go as his mind, tethered to a failing body, reaches for the true meaning of life.

In Ananthamurthy’s hands, life’s cruel negations – caste, poverty, pettiness – are delicately balanced with its triumphs – the splendour of nature, the majesty of poetry, the delight of friendship, the deliverance of love.

The quintessential Indian novel, Avasthe is a masterpiece whose meanings will continue to resonate and reveal themselves long after it has been read.