Sample Book Review
Title: Muna Madan
Author: Laxmi Prasad Devkota
Publisher: Sajha Prakashan,
Kathmandu, Nepal
Publish Year: 2008
Edition: Twenty-fifth Edition
Genre: Nepali Poetry
Language: Nepali
Muna
Madan is a folk epic narrating the tragic story of Muna and Madan written in
poetic version in 1935 by a Nepali poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota. It is a most
popular work of art in Nepali literature. Just before his death in 1959,
Devkota made a heart touching statement on his epic ballad, "I wouldn’t
bear any complaint against anybody even if you burnt all my writings, but Muna
Madan." It is the most commercially successful Nepali book ever
published. It is composed on the Jhyaurey folk tune.
The book vividly depicts the life of a man (Madan) who leaves his wife (Muna) and
goes to Lhasa to earn his living. Madan represents all the youths of Nepal who
go abroad to earn money to support their families. The wife of Madan, Muna is a
devotion of love and sacrifice. She loves her husband unconditionally and so
she becomes quite upset as she has to send him foreign land, Lhasa, where there
are lots of obstacles and risks. However, she finally accepts this challenge
and stays in the country in the care for her mother-in-law aging and sick.
While
returning home, Madan badly falls sick on his way. Selfish and indifferent, his
friends leave him in the lurch and come back home assuming his death. But fortunately,
he is rescued by a man who is tagged as an outcast in the then Nepali society.
That is why it is said that a man is said to be great not by caste or race but
by a heart full of love and humanity.
When
Madan returns to Kathmandu after regaining his health, to his utter dismay, he
discovers that his mother and his beloved wife had already passed away. Madan
comes to realize that money is of no value at that point. The story also shows
the life of a poor woman who suffered much without her husband and later dies
because of grief. In this ballad, Devkota has written about the biggest
problems of the then Nepalese society.
Through
the story of Muna and Madan, Laxmi Prasad Devkota wants to convey the bitter
facts of traditional societies, unscientific beliefs, and the consequences of
unemployment and poverty in Nepali society. The poet has wonderfully defined
love by writing about the relationship between Muna and Madan. The book has proved
to be a great piece of art in the realm of Nepali literature. I find Muna Madan a-must-read book in Nepali
literature. (411 Words) Source: CDC, Nepal
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