TheMalayalam novel is an important part ofMalayalam literature. This article focuses on novels, written inMalayalam language, aDravidian language spoken predominantly in the Indian state ofKerala and theLakshadweep islands.

Fulmoni Ennum Koruna Ennum Peraya Randu Sthreekalude Katha (Phulmōni ennuṁ kōruṇa ennuṁ pērāya ranṭu strīkaḷuṭe katha), a translation of Rev. Joseph PeetHana Catherine Mullens's Bengali novelFulmoni O Korunar Biboron, is a novel printed and released in Malayalam in 1858.Ghathakawadham (Ghātakavadhaṁ, 1877) by Rev. Richard Collins was the first novel printed and published in Malayalam with a story based inKerala and aroundMalayalis. However, it was not originally conceived in Malayalam but was a translation ofThe Slayer Slain (English, 1864–1866) by Mrs. (Frances) Richard Collins and Rev. Richard Collins.Pathminiyum Karunayum, another translation ofFulmoni O Korunar Biboron, came out in the year 1884 (author unknown). world-famous novels like Ameer Hamza, Gulsanober, etc. were also translated to Malayalam and published in Arabi-Malayalam script during the same era.

The first novel conceived and published in Malayalam wasAppu Nedungadi'sKundalatha (1887).^[1] ThoughKundalatha is not considered a major novel, it gets the pride of place as the first work in the language having the basic characteristics of a novel. It was also the first novel to be written by a Malayali Keralite and the first novel published inMalabar region. It had a historical narrative centred on Kundalatha, the daughter of the king ofKalinga.

O. Chandhu Menon'sIndulekha was the first major novel in Malayalam language. It was a landmark in the history of Malayalam literature and initiated the novel as a new flourishing genre.^[2] The title refers to the main character in this novel, a beautiful, well educated Nair lady of 18 years. The novel was written at a time when there was an emerging class of upper caste men (mostly Nairs) who received a Western style education, and were achieving prominent positions in British India. The response toIndulekha was so good, that Menon felt encouraged to write another novel. Thus he started writingSarada and completed writing the first eight chapters in 1892. He released the first volume of the book but the author could add only three more chapters before his death in 1899.C. V. Raman Pillai'sMarthandavarma (1891) had many distinctions: it was the first historical novel in any South Indian languages, first novel fromTravancore, first Malayalam novel to be a part of a trilogy and the first Malayalam novel to have a masculine title.Marthandavarma was completed even beforeIndulekha but could not be published until 1891, owing to lack of finance. The novel recounted the history ofVenad (Travancore) during the final period ofRajah Rama Varma's reign and subsequently to the accession ofMarthanda Varma. The novel had afilm adaptation of the same name in 1933 and was the first Malayalam novel to be adapted into film.

The first Malayalam novel that dealt with the socially backward classes wasSaraswathy Vijayam by Kunjambu in 1892.Kochuthomman (1892) written by "Kocheeppan Tharakan" was one of the earliest novels on Christian life in Kerala.

During early 20th century, Malayalam received outstanding novels, either as translations or adaptations of Western literature. Important among them include Kerala Varma Valiya Koi Thampuran'sAkbar (translation of Van Linberg Broaver's Dutch novel of the same title, 1894), independent translations ofSamuel Johnson'sRasselas by Pilo Paul (1895) and Kanaran (1898),Robinson Crusoe by C. V. Raman Pillai (1916, translation ofDaniel Defoe's English novelRobinson Crusoe),Satyakirticharitam by P. N. Krishna Pillai (1930, translation ofThe Vicar of Wakefield byOliver Goldsmith),Rajasimhan by K. Govindan Thampi (1930, translation ofThe Count of Monte Cristo byAlexandre Dumas).Pavangal (1925), a translation ofVictor Hugo'sLes Misérables byNalappat Narayana Menon, was a milestone in the history of Malayalam literature and it set off a social reformation of sorts in Kerala. Despite being a translation, it gifted Malayalam a new prose style. Literary criticM. Leelavathy notes: "The translation was an extraordinary phenomenon as it prepared the ground for the Communist movement to take roots in Kerala. With its philosophy of human equality, the heart-wrenching tale of the oppressed left a profound impact in our society. For E.M.S. Namboodiripad, this was Nalapatan's best work. Its influence was both sociological and philological."^[4]

More than translations, what influenced Malayalam novels of this era was the works of "C. V. Raman Pillai" and "Chandhu Menon". This era saw many pioneering works in Malayalam literature. Important social novels of the period includeVirutan Sanku by Karat Achutha Menon (1912) and Balikasadanam by Kocheeppan Tharakan. Appan Thampuran'sBhuta Rayar (1923) along with six novels bySardar K. M. Panicker, four based on Kerala history and two based on Indian history, were the significant historical novels of the time. There also have been some attempts to write detective novels, most of them deriving inspirations from popular fictitious detectives in English. The first was that of Appan Thampuran, whoseBhaskara Menon was published as early as 1905. Another novel of the detective genre,Kaalante Kolayara, was written by O. M. Cheriyan in 1918. The first political novels were written by K. Narayana Kurikkal—Parappuram (three parts, 1908) andUdayabhanu (four parts, 1905). The late forties was the time of Progressive literature in Kerala which gained momentum after India's independence in 1947.

The post-independence period saw a fresh start in the history of longer fiction in Malayalam as in many other Indian languages, parallel to the evolution of post-world war fiction in other parts of the world. It was both a break and a continuation.P. Kesava Dev, who was a Communist in the thirties and forties turned away from diehard ideologies and wrote a symbolic novel calledArku Vendi? (For Whose Sake?) in 1950, challenging the philosophy of Stalinist liquidation of political enemies. It had a special significance in the context of the 'Calcutta thesis'. After portraying the class struggle of farm labourers inRandidangazhi (Two Measures) in 1949,Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai turned away from party politics and produced a moving romance inChemmeen (Shrimps) in 1956. ForS. K. Pottekkatt andVaikom Muhammad Basheer, who had not dabbled in politics, the continuity is marked in the former'sVishakanyaka (Poison Maid, 1948) and the latter'sNtuppuppakkoranendarnnu (My Grandpa had an Elephant, 1951). The non-political social or domestic novel was championed byP. C. Kuttikrishnan (Uroob) with hisUmmachu (1955) andSundarikalum Sundaranmarum (Men and Women of Charm, 1958).

In 1957 Basheer’sPathummayude Aadu (Pathumma’s Goat) brought in a new kind of prose tale, which perhaps only Basheer could handle with dexterity. The fifties thus mark the evolution of a new kind of fiction, which had its impact on the short stories as well. This was the auspicious moment for the entry ofM. T. Vasudevan Nair andT. Padmanabhan upon the scene. It was recognised that politics often reduced the larger concerns of life to mere ideological issues, while the life of the individuals constituting the entire population has many other interests and perspectives. Any reductive over-simplification of life results in the emaciation of literature. The trend away from social realism interpreted in a narrow sense led to the growth of the Malayalam novel in the post-independence era. With the phenomenal success ofChemmeen as a novel and as afilm made Thakazhi turn to write on a larger canvas the inclusive accounts of the people around him. The mature works of Pottekkatt, Basheer, Dev, Thakazhi and Uroob make the third quarter of the 20th century one of the brightest periods of the novel in Malayalam. Pottekkatt'sOru Theruvinte Katha (The Tale of a Street) andOru Desathinte Katha (The Tale of a Locale) gave the author ample canvas to narrate the stories of a number of individuals and groups. The day-to-day lives of this common humanity is the stuff of great fiction and Pottekkatt got theJnanpith Award for his magnum opusOru Desathinte Katha. Thakazhi took up the portrayal of generations of families inOuseppinte Makkal (Children of Ouseph) and extended it further to write a brihad akhyayika or grand narrative covering the lives of hundreds of characters and dozens of families and several generations. He was writing an entire era and entire region in his magnum opusKayar (Coir), which procured him the Jnanpith Award. Pottekkatt was perhaps the first to experiment with the writing of an entire region; Thakazhi added the historical dimension by bringing in centuries and generations. In Kayar the life of a whole community in the village complex ofKuttanad covering two centuries and a half, beginning with the land settlement and ending with the land legislation under thefirst Communist government in Kerala, is narrated. The central concern of the novel is the relation between man and the earth he cultivates. Already Uroob had developed the concept of an extensive canvas inSundarikalum Sundaranmarum.

The grand narrative found its rightful place in Malayalam fiction during the period after independence. Kesava Dev, inAyalkar (Neighbours), used the large-framed novel to recount the intricate relationships between different castes and communities. TheNairs,Ezhavas and Christians figure dominantly in the complex and involved story of the people who live in any Kerala village as neighbours. These novelists were holding a mirror up to life in all its diversities, without identifying individual heroes and heroines or villains.M. K. Menon (Vilasini, 1928-93) attempted the biggest novel in Malayalam, perhaps also in any Indian language, inAvakasikal (Inheritors), probably motivated by the desire to write the grand narrative centering around a family. His other novels likeInangatha Kannikal (Unfit Chains) andChundeli (Mouse) were also experimental.Unnikrishnan Puthoor (b. 1933) reveals his control over fictional material with remarkable narrative skill inBalikkallu andAanappaka. K. L. Mohana Varma (b. 1936), author of novels likeChambal, Ohari (Share) andCricket, extended the thematic range of fiction, bringing in urban concerns. Another tendency that could be found during this period is the attempt to retell puranic episodes.P. K. Balakrishnan set the trend with his popular redaction of theMahabharata from the point of view ofDroupadi: she is reflecting on the circuitous course of her life during the last night of thebattle of Kurukshetra (Ini Njan Urangatte). M. T. Vasudevan Nair'sRandamoozham (The Second Turn) recounts the story ofBhimasena, supposed to be the son ofVayu; this is demystified or demythified in the novel. Other writers have also tried to retell other classics in the form of the novel, since the novel has become the most popular form of the narrative in Malayalam. Some of the novels ofKovilan (V. V. Ayyappan, b. 1923) are region-based like his masterpieceThattakam, but some others are located away from Kerala, in theHimalayas as in his military tales. His works have a remarkable philosophical insight and are written in an answerable style, unique to himself.K. E. Mathai (Parappurath, 1924-81), who also served in the army, is well known for his popular novels such asPanitheeratha Veedu (Unfinished House)Aranazhika Neram (Half an Hour). His friendK. Surendran (1922-97) authored several popular novels likeThaalam (Rhythm),Maya andKattukurangu (Wild Monkey).

The post-independence novel has been enriched by the contribution of writers living outside Kerala. The pravasi novel has added a fresh chapter, bringing in new landscapes and new characters. Thenagaratinai (city landscape) has provided the milieu for some of the best novels in Malayalam.Kakkanadan,O. V. Vijayan,M. Mukundan,Anand and others have annexed these new areas to the concern of the Malayali fiction readers. Not that all of them have located the action in all their writings outside Kerala, but they have brought a new perspective or sensibility, as the pravasi poets have done of late. Kakkanadan (George Varghese, b.1935), once attached to leftist ideology, turned away from it to write one of the most powerful narratives based on that experience in his novelUshnamekhala (The Tropics). O. V. Vijayan (1931-2004), having spent a number of years in Delhi, locates his classic novelKhasakkinte Itihasam (The Legend of Khasak) in the remote village in his nativePalakkad. It has a simple plot but the inlaid narration invests it with a metaphysical or even mystical aura, which marks it out among the works of fiction attempted by Malayalis during the post-freedom period. It may be said that in novelettes likeKhasakkinte Itihasam andGurusagaram, he was turning away from the grand narrative in the realistic mode in favour of metaphorical or allegorical fiction, which was the forte of narratives in ancient India. To suggest a symbolically large design with a short physical frame, in other words to use a microscope as a magnifying glass, is the kind of technique that Vijayan resorted to. It was perhaps better suited to his world vision. Anand also seems to take a cue from Vijayan, but moves away from it so as to make fiction read less like fiction and more like pseudohistory, without abandoning the allegorical element. HisJaivamanushyan and later works follow this pattern, although his first novel 'Alkkoottam ' (The Crowd) had all the ingredients of normative fiction. After a stint at the existentialist novel a laSartre andCamus, M. Mukundan is a front runner in the post-modern trend with such works asMayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil (On the Banks of Mayyazhi),Daivathinte Vikruthikal (God’s Mischief) andKesavante Vilapangal (The Lamentations of Kesavan). He had also written a critique of modernism much earlier, calledEnthanu Aadhunikata? (What is Modernism?). But he has apparently moved on from that position.N. P. Mohammed (1928-2003) too tried his hand at political allegory inHiranyakasipu high-lighting the horrors oftotalitarianism, but moved on to the social novel as inEnnappaadam (Oilfield) andMaram (Tree), which are very sensitive portrayals of the life of the Muslim community, different in style from that of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. The novel is perhaps the best-seller in the consumerist book market today, and hence there are a large number of writers catering to that trend.

Muttathu Varkey (1918-89) has a number of popular novels to his credit, such asInapravukal (A Pair of Doves), andPadatha Painkili (The Bird that Doesn’t Sing). These works set a trend in story-telling, involving simple domestic characters in their everyday life with their joys and sorrows told in a rather sentimental melodramatic language. No wonder it attracted a vast number of readers and considerably helped to promote the popularity of the novel form. Today it commands the largest readership of all literary forms. It is even said that it contributed to the growth of literacy. They probably dominate the field of serial fiction in the pulp weeklies and magazines and areKanam EJ (E. J. Philip, 1926-87), Pulinkunnu Antony,Kottayam Pushpanath, P. V. Thampi,Mallika Yunis, M. D. Ratnamma, etc. etc. It is not easy to list the novelists in this category; their name is a legion. Among the more serious and gifted of these novelists areSarah Thomas (b. 1934, author ofNarmadipudava), P. R. Syamala (1931-90, author ofShyamaranyam among other works), K. B. Sreedevi (b. 1940, author ofYajnam),P. Vatsala (b. 1938, author ofNellu,Agneyam), S. K. Marar ( b. 1930, author ofSharapolimala), G. N. Panikker (b.1937, author ofIruttinte Thazhvara) andGeorge Onakkoor (b. 1941, author ofIllam,Ulkkadal).Perumbadavam Sreedharan (b. 1938) has several novels to his credit, the best known among them beingOru Sankeerthanam Pole (Verily like a Psalm), based on the life ofDostoevsky. Among those who have explored the regional novel with an intense flavour of the local language and local social fabric may be mentioned G. Vivekanandan (1923-99, author ofKallichellamma) andU. A. Khader (b.1935, author ofThrikkottoor Peruma). Several writers are there who portray the decline of the feudal system and of the old order of the joint family, among whom easily the most gifted is M. T. Vasudevan Nair (b.1933), author of a large number of popular favourites likeNalukettu (Four-chambered House),Asuravithu, etc. The landscape and ethos of theValluvanad region and the transformations undergone by them in the course of the century, involving relics of the tarawad and the communal tensions provide a challenging theme for the highly evocative style of Vasudevan Nair’s narrative art. The novels ofV. K. N. (Narayanankutty Nair, 1932-2004) belong to the small subgenre of satirical fiction, not largely explored afterC. V. Raman Pillai’sPremamritam. HisPitamahan andGeneral Chathans take us to the rarefied world of spoofs, giving us occasions for guffaws of laughter.Malayattoor Ramakrishnan (1927-97) wroteVerukal (Roots), depicting the story of his family or community, but he also fictionalised his experience as a senior civil servant inYanthram (The Machine). Something of the latter kind we find inChuvappunada (The Red Tape) byE. Vasu (b. 1939), exposing and denouncing the stranglehold of officialdom in the life of the average citizen.C. Radhakrishnan (b. 1939) is a prolific writer of both novels and short stories, with a wide variety of themes and experimental in the narrative mode.Narayan (b. 1939), perhaps a late entrant in the field, came up with his own account of tribal life, otherwise not adequately presented in Malayalam fiction. His short stories as well as his novelettes likeKocharethi have their own special narrative mode and flavour.

Punathil Kunhabdulla (b. 1940) is rightly famous as the author of popular novels likeSmarakasilakal (Memorial Stones) andMarunnu (Medicine).Madampu Kunjukuttan (1941–2021) authored a few very powerful novels, includingAshwathamavu andBhrashtu (Ostracism). Among the younger generation of novelists born after independence, there are many who have proved their mettle and may yet spring surprises in the years to come.N. S. Madhavan (b. 1948), in his short stories as well as his novels, chooses unfamiliar themes or unfamiliar treatment, as may be seen inChoolaimettile Savangal (The Corpses of Chulaimedu) andHiguita.U. K. Kumaran (b. 1950) is indefatigable in his search for new themes and plots.C. V. Balakrishnan (b. 1952) is the author ofAyussinte Pustakam and T. V. Kochubawa (1955-99) that ofVriddhasadanam (Old Age Home), both eager to explore new areas of experience.Akbar Kakkattil (b. 1954) keeps widening his canvas from time to time.Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu (b. 1963) is a rising novelist and short story writer. Young novelists today are deeply interested in experimentation both in theme and technique, taking long strides in the post modern direction.

Twenty-first-century Malayalam littérateurs includeT. D. Ramakrishnan (Francis Itty Cora),Benyamin (Aadujeevitham),K. R. Meera (Aarachaar),T. P. Rajeevan (Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha),Subhash Chandran (Manushyanu Oru Amukham),Khadija Mumtaz (Barsa),Susmesh Chandroth (Paper Lodge) andV. J. James (Nireeswaran).

• മലയാള നോവൽ സാഹിത്യം (in Malayalam).Calicut University

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