About
Celebrated Tamil author Jeyamohan brings The Abyss, a raw, tender and darkly comic novel about human suffering, exploitation and the search for liberation. Set in 1991 Tamil Nadu, it follows Pothivelu Pandaram, a seemingly respectable, God-fearing man whose wealth comes from the cruel trade of exploiting disabled beggars for profit. When an impulsive deal upends his carefully constructed life, the novel descends into a world of poverty, corruption and profound human suffering. Jeyamohan leads us on a journey to find unexpected wit, tenderness, humanity and wisdom among those most marginalized.
Raw, tender, and darkly comic, The Abyss is widely considered a masterpiece from Jeyamohan, a writer whose body of work has shaped modern Tamil literature.
Pothivelu Pandaram is known as a successful, God-fearing man about town: he has a loyal wife, three daughters, and money to pay for their dowries. However, it’s an open secret that his success is fueled by a trade that is as profitable as it is cruel: he owns—and breeds—a group of physically deformed beggars and places them outside temples to collect money.
There is Mangandi Samy, with just one arm, no legs, and “a little head on top,” who only speaks in divine songs he himself invents; Ahmedkutty, an intellectual whose testicles hang to the floor “like two great pumpkins”; Muthammai, mother to eighteen children.
Published by Transit Books
Dates & Times
Tickets
Under 30 $79
Under 30 $79
Under 30 $39
Excludes Masterclasses.
Under 30 $29
5-Day Festival Pass includes Barbara Kingsolver and East West Street: A Song of Good & Evil .
2-Day Weekend and 1-Day Passes do not include Winter Garden Theatre events.
Venue
Victoria College Chapel
91 Charles St W, Toronto, ON M5S 2C7
