In The Hindu K.K.Gopalakrishnan argues that: 'O.V. Vijayan did not become as well known as Gabriel García Márquez due to a lack of timely translation into English', in (sigh) Lost in translation.
Gopalakrishnan argues that Vijayan's The Legends of Khasak could have been similarly successful and influential as the García Márquez mega-success with which it shares many elements, One Hundred Years of Solitude -- but for the delays in getting it translated into English:
Which isn't to say that Vijayan isn't a grossly under-read and under-appreciated author -- check out The Saga of Dharmapuri, too -- but ... let's keep a bit of perpective.
Gopalakrishnan argues that Vijayan's The Legends of Khasak could have been similarly successful and influential as the García Márquez mega-success with which it shares many elements, One Hundred Years of Solitude -- but for the delays in getting it translated into English:
Both novels are not historical fiction but real incidents and characters find a place in the stories. Both writers are hailed as magical realism's best practitioners for blending the everyday life of humans with fiction.But:
Vijayan paid a heavy price due to the lack of a timely English translation. Within a week of its publication, thousands of copies of One Hundred Years of Solitude were sold out. Khasakinte Itihasam took some time to establish itself even though it was hailed by the critics. Malayali readers then believed that fiction meant romance. Vijayan, who started writing in 1953, had to face political allegations when his magnum opus clicked. The undercurrents in Khasakinte Itihasam were beyond the communist comprehension of literature.That's a bit muddled, but also gets to the root of the 'problem' -- García Márquez's work was a transformative one before the English language translation appeared (the 1967 work only appeared in English in 1970); its influence had also already spread beyond the (huge) Spanish-language world via translations into, for example, French (1968). The original of The Legends of Khasak (sadly) had nowhere near the resonance or reach -- and quicker translation into English likely would not have helped much (especially given how unreceptive to Indian-language literature English-speaking readers beyond the sub-continent were (and, sadly, remain to this day)).
Which isn't to say that Vijayan isn't a grossly under-read and under-appreciated author -- check out The Saga of Dharmapuri, too -- but ... let's keep a bit of perpective.