The Upheaval

“The Upheaval is about what happens to a self-sufficient agricultural community when the mining industry takes over. It was quite sensational when it first came out because of how it tackled this story as gritty realism. And it was one of the earliest modernist Indian novels to deal with environmental damage as a theme. Naik’s colorful characters are true to life and his language has that rich Konkani lilt—even in the English translation—with specific metaphors and similes that are true to their time and place and engage the senses beautifully. Some critics have found the plotting uneven but it is a landmark Konkani novel for many reasons. A classic in its own time, really.” Read more...

The Best South Asian Novels in Translation

Jenny Bhatt, Translator