S. L. Bhyrappa’s ‘Mandra’: A Study
The novel ‘Mandra’ by S. L. Bhyrappa which appeared in 2002 is unique in several respects. It is woven around music and musicians. It is not only a tour de force as novel-writing goes; it is in a class by itself because of the high degree of its sensitivity, multi-layered structure, richness of insight and extra-ordinary narrative skill. The work is a great deal more than mere story-telling; its portrayal of characters and its thematic intensity are of epic dimensions. The dialogues have a lyrical quality one seldom expects in a work of fiction. (More about this later).