The Perplexity of Hariya Hercules by Manohar Shyam Joshi

The Perplexity of Hariya Hercules Reviews

• 
  Tucker

  The "Slumdog Millionaire" remix of The Alchemist. A simple man discovers philosophy--as much as he needs, at least. The investigation of the psychic double. The mystical meaning of the word "Goomalling." Leans toward the surreal and nonsensical, without obvious resolution, but how much more do you want from a book? Awesome.
• 
  Rajiv Choudhary

  पहले 'ट-टा प्रोफेसर' और अब 'हरिया हरक्यूलीज़ की हैरानी'. एक हफ्ते में मनोहर श्याम जोशी के दो रचनाओं से गुज़रना हुआ. 'ट-टा' के रूप में षष्टीवल्लभ पंत हो या 'हरिया हरक्यूलीज़' के तौर पर हरिहर दत्त तिवारी दोनों पात्र कहीं न कहीं लेखक के करीब रहे होंगे. दोनों रचनाएँ 1995 और 1994 में प्रकाशित हुई. इन दो किताबों में इन दोनों पात्र को केन्द्र में रखकर लेखक ने उनके जीवन के इर्द-गिर्द से जो विषय-वस्तु उठाया है और प्रस्तुत किया है वह 'कॉमिक' या व्यंग्यात्मक तो जरूर हो सकते है लेकिन उनके पीछे की त्रासदी गौर करने वाली है. जो गुदगुदाने वाले क्रम में पाठक को अन्ततः हीट करती है. कि अरे यह क्या... दोनों के जीवन दर्शन और जीवन के प्रति उनका आचार-व्यवहार हमारे जीवन के आसपास के किरदारों के भांति तो है. जरूरी है कि हम उन्हें कितना समझ पाते है. इन हंसी-मजाक के बीच...
  
• 
  Manish

  I wonder if its the translation that made it a bit drab.
  The plot was too quirky and and hypothetical for me to appreciate.
  
  Hariya is a devoted son who takes care of his constipated father, even in the face of a constant barrage of ridicule and insults from his father and relatives. His father's sudden death and discussions with a cousin convinces him of the existence of a parallel world in another part of this world where there exists a similair Hariya undergoing the same experiences as of him. The contents of a box which gets opened only on the father's death further adds to the intrigue. The book is written through the narrator as a quest to settle the multiple narrations existing on Hariya's tale among the different relatives.
• 
  Mukesh Kumar

  The more I read Manohar Shyam Joshi, the more I realise what a genius writer he was. He used to weave complicated, convoluted themes and storylines in such slim novels, mixing science and philosophy and puritanism and celebration of sexuality, with good dose of biting satire and quirky characters, all at once. Though this book didn't work that much for me, as its 'philosophical' core was way too quirky, way too abstract for me. Still, it was supremely well crafted narrative, with amusing characters as usual. And again I was amazed by his ability to say so much in such limited space.
  हैरानी केवल हरिया को नहीं हम आम पाठकों को भी है, जोशी जी की इस काबिलियत पर।
• 
  Gita Madhu

  While a work can lose much in translation, it is still rather unidimensional. One sees nothing, hears nothing, smells nothing - nothing comes to life at any point.
• 
  Subha

  I understood within few pages of reading that it is not my type of a book. It was a little weird and I could not connect with any of the characters.
  
  But still you may give it a shot, for its quirkiness and total lack of perplexity.
• 
  Satyajit

  Great Book By Manohar Joshi.....The way the story of Hariya is being told z d difference...