Composed in the mid-sixteenth century, The Sound of the Kiss, or The Story That Must Never Be Told, could be considered the first novel written in South Asia. Telugu, the language spoken in today's Andhra Pradesh region of southern India, has a classical literary tradition extending over a thousand years. Suranna's masterpiece comes from a period of intense creativity in Telugu, when great poets produced strikingly modern innovations. The novel explodes preconceived ideas about early South Indian literature: for example, that the characters lack interiority, that the language is formulaic, and that Telugu texts are mere translations of earlier Sanskrit works. Employing the poetic style known as campu, which mixes verse and prose, Pingali Suranna's work transcends our notions of traditional narrative. "I wanted to have the structure of a complex narrative no one had ever known," he said of his great novel, "with rich evocations of erotic love, and also descriptions of gods and temples that would be a joy to listen to."
The Sound of the Kiss is both a gripping love story and a profound meditation on mind and language. Shulman and Rao include a thorough introduction that provides a broader understanding of, and appreciation for, the complexities and subtleties of this text.
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Note on Pronunciation
- Introduction
- THE BEGINNING
- Chapter 1
- Dvaraka City, Where the Story Begins
- Kalabhashini on the Swing and Rambha in the Sky
- Chapter 2
- Narada Studies Music
- Enter Manistambha
- Manikandhara’s Pilgrimage
- Chapter 3
- Rambha Entices Manikandhara
- Kalabhashini Flies off with the Siddha
- The Temple of the Lion-Riding Goddess
- Kalabhashini Returns
- Rambha Meets Rambha
- Nalakubara Meets Nalakubara
- Chapter 4
- The Story of Salina and Sugatri ]
- Enter Alaghuvrata. Kalabhashini Is Sacrificed
- Manistambha Tours the World with His Wife
- Chapter 5
- The Baby Who Talks
- Sarasvati Decodes Brahma’s Story
- Manistambha and Sumukhasatti Exchange Genders
- A Lecture on Yoga
- Svabhava and Madasaya at Srisailam
- Chapter 6
- Manikandhara Fights the Porcupine Demon
- The Story of Alaghuvrata and His Sons
- Satvadatma’s Question
- Madhuralalasa Comes of Age
- Chapter 7
- Kalapurna in Love
- The Wedding of Kalapurna and Madhuralalasa
- Abhinavakaumudi Becomes Jealous
- Chapter 8
- Kalapurna Conquers the World
- Homecoming
- The Story of the Necklace
- Invitation to a Second Reading
- Guide to Pronunctiation and List of Characters
- Index of Names and Technical Terms
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