The Thinnai by Ari Gautier, originally in French, tells the story of a curious tramp, Gilbert, who upturns life at the working-class district of Kurusukuppam.
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The Thinnai by Ari Gautier, originally in French, tells the story of a curious tramp, Gilbert, who upturns life at the working-class district of Kurusukuppam.
Delivery: We are a small, independent bookstore and shipping times may be slightly longer than usual.
Please allow 2-4 business days for your order to be processed and shipped. We appreciate your patience.
We will notify you by email as soon as your order ships.
Print on demand publications require additional preparation. See the shipping section below for details.
The working-class district of Kurusukuppam is not the Pondicherry of tourist brochures. Here, French soldiers, Tamil activists, Creoles and communists all live in boisterous and comical equanimity.
But life in Kurusukuppam is upturned by the arrival of a curious tramp, Gilbert Thaata, a wizened Frenchman who has clearly seen hard times. Settling down on the narrator’s verandah, his thinnai, Gilbert Thaata begins to earn his keep by recounting the tale of the rise and fall of his family’s fortunes as the custodians of a mysterious diamond, the Stone of Sita. The fanciful story that unfolds is one that stretches across centuries and encompasses the history of France’s colonial legacy in India. His entranced listeners cannot help but ask – just who is this old man and how did he fall on such misfortune?
Masterfully translated from the French original by Blake Smith, Ari Gautier’s The Thinnai offers a panoramic view of Pondicherry’s past and the whimsical eccentricities of its present, and shines a light on the quirks of history that have come to define us.
Author:
Ari Gautier
Translator: Blake Smith
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
200
Year of Publication:
2021
Publisher:
Hachette
Edition:
First
Condition:
New
Country of Origin:
India
About the Author
Born in Madagascar, Ari Gautier has spent many years living in both India and France. He now lives in Norway, where beside his writing he is actively involved in the artistic and cultural milieu of Oslo.
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