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| Author | Vilasini |
|---|---|
| Language | Malayalam |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Sahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, Poorna Publications |
Publication date | 1980 (1980) |
| Publication place | India |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 3958 |
| Awards | Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award |
Avakasikal (The Inheritors) is aMalayalam-language novel byVilasini (M. K. Menon) published in 1980. It runs into 3958 pages, in four volumes, and is the second longest novel written in any Indian language afterJeymohan'sTamilepicVenmurasu.[1][2]
Avakasikal is Vilasini's fifth novel and was in the making for about 10 years. It was published bySahithya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society, world's first writers' co-operative,[3] in 1980 and was soon taken up by critics and readers as an exceptional work of art. It was soon named one of the finest works in Malayalam literature and is now considered as Vilasini'smagnum opus. It won numerous awards includingSahitya Akademi Award andVayalar Award. After remaining out-of-print for many years,Calicut-based Poorna Publications published the book in 2012.
Set inMalaysia, the novel deals with Velunni Kurup, a septuagenarian self-made millionaire and a host to his greedy relatives who try to defraud him of his wealth. Krishnanunni, a leading lawyer and a close friend of Velunni Kurup is the protagonist of the novel. The novel depicts the minds of about ten persons belonging to four generations with great insight.