Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan: To Read or Not to Read?

Posted On February 21, 2026

Hi Readers! Almost two months into the year and this is the first book review! Things sure have slowed down for me reading wise, but I am so happy that I was able to read this book and immediately write the review. So, here we go!

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

Fire Bird is a masterfully crafted tale of one man’s search for the elusive concept of permanence. Muthu has his world turned upside down when his father divides the family land, leaving him with practically nothing and causing irreparable damage to his family’s bonds. Through the unscrupulous actions of his once-revered eldest brother, Muthu is forced to leave his once-perfect world behind and seek out a new life for himself, his wife and his children.

In this transcendental novel, Perumal Murugan draws from his own life experiences of displacement and movement, and explores the fragility of our fundamental attraction to permanence and our ultimately futile efforts to attain it. Translated from the nearly untranslatable Aalandapatchi , which alludes to a mystical bird in Tamil, the titular fire bird perfectly encapsulates the illusory and migratory nature of this pursuit.

Fire Bird is a thought-provoking and beautifully written exploration of the human desire for stability in an ever-changing world.

~~THOUGHTS~~

When Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan, translated by Janani Kannan won the JCB Prize for Literature in 2023, I had bought the book. As my mood reading would have it, I have now completed reading it in 2026. There are a lot of books which call out to you. Whenever I used to look over my physical TBR, Fire Bird was that book for me. There was a pull to read it. Yet, like a lot of other self-destructive things, I ignored that feeling. But now that I was in a slump for months, I had to give in. And, I probably won’t learn anything from this, but I really liked the book.

Fire Bird is the story of Muthu, the youngest born in a family of farmers based in the southern India. Part of a big family, with 3 brothers and 2 sisters, he was always adored being the youngest. But, that was only till the land and assets were divided among the family and he was left with next to nothing. This persuaded his wife Peruma to force him out of the family in search of a land where they could have their own life. In a nutshell, that’s all the book is about. Muthu and his farm hand Kuppanna travelling from village to village in search of land until they finally find one. If I would have read the blurb, I might not have even bought the book, let alone read it. That’s why I find reading blurbs very unsuitable for my reading preferences.

There were several aspects which I enjoyed reading. Muthu’s search for something better was certainly the highlight of the book. The brother who used to carry him on his shoulders basically brought him down to his feet. When he had nothing, he had Peruma, who pushed him. People usually love a rags to riches story, but this story is dependent rags to independent rags. It’s a search not just for land, but for hope and a better tomorrow. It’s a story of not settling for less and for never getting used to undeserving circumstances. It’s a story of having faith in yourself and in the universe. And most importantly, it’s about seeing it through.

I also loved Peruma. For a story set in rural Tamil Nadu, perhaps 50 to 70 years ago, she comes across as very outspoken. She’s the one people refer to as the fire bird or Aalandaapatchi. If it weren’t for her, Muthu would have probably stayed with his family accepting his fate. Whatever went on in Muthu’s mind was not clearly called out, so we don’t see when the change happens in him, but it certainly wouldn’t have happened without his wife.

Lastly, the writing style was so simplistic yet captivating. For someone living in urban cities doing a corporate job, it was fascinating to read something so outside of my periphery. Whether it was how realistic yet unfair the land division was, or how despite the poverty, people were still prideful and chose their dignity, or how people ration their food or have the same food day and night every day, or just about how despite the unknown, there is an intent to do better. There were a lot of mini stories to keep the reader interested throughout the book. These were really special and brought out the true flavour of the region and the people even more.

If there was anything missing, I have to say, I thought the last few pages were quite technical in terms of farming and the end was sudden too. Sure, life goes on and Muthu found what he was looking for, but a good closure would have been ideal. I have rated Fire Bird by Perumal Murugan, translated by Janani Kannan at 3.5/5 stars!

Until next time,