''Fero'' ( gu, ફેરો) (English: ''The Trip'') is a Gujarati novel written by

Radheshyam Sharma Radheshyam Sharma (5 January 1936 – 9 September 2021) was a Gujarati language poet, novelist, short story writer, critic and compiler from the state of Gujarat, India. He is known in Gujarati literature for his experimental novels ''Fero'' ( ...

. It was published in 1968 by Rekha Prakashan in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

. It is acclaimed in

Gujarati literature The history of Gujarati literature ( gu, ગુજરાતી સાહિત્ય) may be traced to 1000 AD, and this literature has flourished since then to the present. It is unique in having almost no patronage from a ruling dynasty, othe ...

for its experimental nature and is considered a literary milestone among modern Gujarati authors. It was followed by Sharma's similarly exploratory novel, '' Swapnatirtha''.

Plot

A couple, who have a mute, only-child, take a long journey to the

Sun temple A sun temple (or solar temple) is a building used for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, dedicated to the sun or a solar deity. Such temples were built by a number different cultures and are distributed around the ...

with the hope that the gift of speech is granted to their child. The trip is an attempt to appease their God. The mother is hopeful at the start of the journey, but the child is lost as the train pulls out of the final station before the destination. In an attempt to stop the train, the father raises his hand to pull the chain but hesitates before doing so. The story is written from the father's perspective, and the reader is only privy to his observations and reactions. The novel is narrated in the first person, beginning with the family's departure and ending before the journey's completion.

Theme

The story reflects the predicament of a man of modern times. The novel is centred on the theme of human consciousness. It delves into the complexity of thought and awareness as the family struggles to complete their journey. There is repeated mention of ennui and boredom in the novel.

Reception

Chandrakant Sheth Chandrakant Sheth (born 3 February 1938) is a Gujarati poet, essayist, critic, translator and compiler from Gujarat, India. His pen names include Aryaputra, Nand Samavedi, Balchadra and Daksh Prajapati. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujara ...

, a

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

critic, considers the prose of the novel too

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word's ...

in nature. The name of this novel is referenced in the title of

Suman Shah Suman Shah (Gujarati:સુમન શાહ) is a Gujarati language critic, short story writer, novelist, essayist, editor and translator from Gujarat, India. He won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2008 for his short story collection ''Fatfatiyun'' ...

's critical work ''Chandrakant Bakshi Thi Fero'' (1973).

References

{{reflist

External links

''Fero''
at Ekatra Foundation 1968 novels Gujarati-language novels Fiction set in the 20th century Existentialist novels Modernist novels 1968 Indian novels 1968 debut novels Novels set on trains First-person narrative novels