Pyre is a concise work of Indian fiction translated from Tamil that hit me as a Recitatif meets Lord of the Flies. There's no point in ruining the plotline, the unanswered questions are where the power lies in this story (see my review of Recitatif for my thoughts on that experience!). I'm going to keep my reflections brief and unspoilery.

Saroja and Kumarestan don't realize their intercaste marriage will not only ostracize them from their communities but radicalize their detractors.

The prose is tight and spare, the cruel absurdity of their situation blatantly presented and left to linger without repose or resolve. And while caste is the main issue that causes offense, Murugan also delves into village v. town and economic disparities as well. Like it's all just a big fat pile of "how dare you."

It's through this simplicity that Murugan reveals both character and world with startling precision. For a short book I knew these two characters and the circumstances they navigated well. Yet I finished this tale feeling like I needed more, both conclusion and complexity. I was kind of just left reeling.