Gospel of yudas by K R Meera is a very interesting book. At times bizarre and as someone unfamiliar to her work I'm not sure if it is the best to begin with. Translated from Malayalam 'Yudasinthe Suvishesham' is Prema and Yudas's journey .
"‘The river is nothing like the lake. Its current is quite wild. There will always be something floating on it, come summer or monsoon, mostly tree trunks, coconuts, sometimes even animals. You can’t blame the river for the current. It’s the humans who ought to be blamed. They cut down all the trees on the mountains, let the soil go loose."
It started off slow with Prema reminiscing her tumultuous childhood with a abusive retired police officer as a father. She comes across Yudas, whom we come to know is a former Naxal 'Das' who was one among the many people tortured in a camp . Yudas retrieves dead bodies from the lake as his profession and also teaches the art of love to young boys.
Yudas lives a remorseful life for his past sins that is explored further in the story. Young Prema falls in love with the mysterious Yudas which continues throughout the story. Each time she tries to get close to him , he vanishes from the place leaving her frustrated.
Though this was a short story, it took me sometime to get into the book. I didn't completely understand it but it was poetic and had very vivid imagery. Prema's character I felt was shaped primarily by her dark childhood. We see her empathetic to the Naxal cause possibly out of her hatred for father and why he stood for. Yudas is different and she is drawn to him, which I felt rather than love was more of infatuation.Yudas burdened by his past deeds, mirroring Judas's betrayal runs away at every step though Prema manages to find him over the years.
I'm still unsure how I feel about the entire story. It was interesting ,left me feeling uncomfortable and unsettled . Maybe I will gather more thoughts on it in the coming days.
Rating: 3.75/5

The emergency was one of the darkest periods in the history of India.
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A 15 year old Prema madly falls in love with Yudas or 'Croc' Yudas who retrieves dead bodies from her village lake.
Prema yearns to escape her despotic father, who was in the police force and had scourged Naxalites during the Emergency. Prema is drawn towards Yudas's Naxalite ideology.
Yudas is a recluse and has secrets of his own and has seen the worst days in life.
Yudas, much like his biblical namesake, has a burden of betrayal over him.
The story is set in the Naxalite period in Kerala and it's corollary effects. The Naxalites faced many trials and tribulations during the movement.
This is a novel of love and longing. I loved the imagery used in the book. A slightly bizzare book which is worth every minute of your reading time.
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I absolutely love how KR Meera writes about love in its most strange forms. Malayalees who have read the original, 'Yudasinte Suvisesham' will feel that something's are lost in the translation but for Non Mallus like me, the translation is just fine. The cover is beautiful and you admire it more after reading the book. Characterization is amazing and even minor characters like Sangeeta stay with you. Highly highly recommended ♥️ KR Meera is a genius.
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It's not easy to forget this book and it stays with you for days. I finished this book in a single sitting.

" The Gospel of Yudas in Dead Body. When the body, bitten by fish into a human coral, arrives at a bank, one would have to stay awake in order to drape the dead in white clothes and burn incense sticks."

Writing style of the author and story backdrop of emergency era and naxalism rise in Kerala along with police brutality are perfectly knitted. However, the obsessive love shown between the protagonists is deeply disturbing and somehow it gets difficult to connect to the story and the ending was just as sad as the beginning.

Not recommended for a faint heart in any case. Recommended only with abundant caution and if the reader knows where to the draw the line in interests of their mental health.

What does it mean to physically harm someone? To harm them with full understanding of your actions, to be brutal because you represent a certain authority, a state?
The Gospel of Yudas by K R Meera dwells on the brutality of the police force in Kerala as seen during the period of Emergency. Prema a daughter of a police officer who takes immense pride in his violence, is grappling with the consequences of his choices. Unknowingly or knowingly she is drawn to the victims of her father's actions.
The story follows her as she attempts to piece their history together, while her life falls apart.
Revolutions every where claim so many lives, some are successful and some revolutions are in vain. Governments that are to be for the people more often than not lose sight of their responsibilities. In the act of reminding them, scores of people become victims. Both the aggressors and the receiver are the victims of the state aren't they?
So many poignant thoughts packed in this short story, only K R Meera could do that.

Although I have tried reading K. R. Meera's works in the original language, Malayalam, I wasn't able to enjoy her writing style. I did however want to give her stories another chance so I read this one in English. This book was a decent read, although long-winded at times. I was not able to understand the protagonist's motivation but enjoyed seeing how the Emergency affects people and their lives even decades later. To be honest, except for the main character, I loved everything about this book. I also quite enjoyed the fact that the book looked at the Naxalbari revolution from not just the rebels' point of view but also the police force's. I don't think I'll ever read this book again but I also don't regret reading this one. It really did give me valuable insights into how the Naxal movement shaped lives in Kerala.

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Disturbing and agonizing tale of infatuation and revolution, The Gospel of Yudas takes you through the trials and tribulations faced by the members of the Naxalite movement that happened in India during Indira Gandhi's reign.

15 year old Prema falls in love with Yudas, an older guy who has seen bad days like no one. He suffers the loss of his loved ones and blames himself for their deaths. He has nothing to offer Prema other than stories of the times when his life went helter-skelter.
The characters are well written, and each character has a piece of their own hell. The story is narrated by Prema and her POV is driven by infatuation, lust and a life that she has indefinitely dedicated to Yudas, irrespective of his presence or approval.

The plot can get pretty disturbing at times. Yudas' stories of suffering and love exist as a constant shadow throughout the 150-page read.

Full review up on the blog soon.

Prema, daughter of a former policeman who tortured Naxalites during the Emergency is attracted to Yudas, nicknamed Crocodile Yudas. He earned his nickname because of his vocation – recovering dead bodies from the river. Yudas has secrets of his own that weigh him down from leading a normal life. Like his namesake,he is eaten away by theguilt of betraying his comrades when the was caught and brutally assaulted by the police force. Prema tries to free him from the burden of guilt that he carries and in doing so attempts to find for herself what freedom is.

Writing : This novella is a fast read(150 pages) so it is not very descriptive in nature. However in few sentences Meera brings alive the toture and guilt that plague both parties (the ex-Naxalites and the police force) post the Naxalite movement.

Translation : The translation does not disappoint. There are occasional places where a person well versed in Malayalam will be able to grasp the meaning but not someone who does not know the language.

I would recommend this emotional love story. 4/5 stars. You can read a more detailed review here - http://www.thebooksatchel.com/gospel-yudas-k-r-meera-love-allegiance-political-turmoil/


Disclaimer : Much thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own

In this novella Meera tells the story of Yudas--a man haunted by his past. Set against the communist movement, the story is a saga of betrayal, love and emancipation. The lines between right and wrong are blurred when a retired policeman recalls his time as a torturer and murderer. He asks whether he'd have done all that if he had a regular job. At the end it's all about the State and people who challenge its authority. The people are mere tools who are used at the behest of either powers. The book has a doomed love story in its heart but there's a lot more between the covers. This is just the second book by K.R. Meera that I've read and I'm already a fan. Looking forward to read more of her works.