My Perception of Juino

I had a concept that 'Great tragedy makes Great novel' until I read this book named "Juino" by Binita Baral. (Baral is a renowned actress of Nepal. She debuted Nepali film industry with a movie ‘Chapli Height’ was also called Chapali Girl after the character in the movie. She is also an agricultural entrepreneur. Juino is her first novel.). And this must be normal as I was familiar with Aristotle's theory of tragedy (of a play).  But, Juino proved me wrong about my conception about the ending of a novel that even a happy ending can make a novel great.

Okay, forget it...

Let's focus on my perception of Juino.

Front Cover of Juino.

In my view, Juino is motivational novel for emerging youths.
You may confuse with the motive of this novel whether it is trying to inspire you to fall in Love or emphasise agriculture or both. This is up to people and their choices.  Some people may enjoy the beautiful scenario of the love affair of Ashok and Katha (lead characters) while others may be inspired by Katha's agricultural ideas. And very few people, like me, get both ideas.
From the beginning of the novel, I found it interesting and worth reading.

The journey of Juino begins with the first meeting of the lead characters Ashok and Katha where Ashok falls in love with Katha at first sight. This is when Ashok steals a glance of the beauty of Katha. Katha comes into Ashok's world out of nowhere. Ashok can not even realise that he is in love with a girl who he has just met and who was unknown to him. He has to wait for a month to find out her name. Destiny seems to play its role as he finds out Katha is a niece of the headmaster of the same school where he was employed as an English teacher and where Katha was about to begin her dream project. This is where their love evolves. Katha, too, accepts Ashok's love and they happen to disappear in love.

A moment comes in their love life which tests their love. Their love takes a different mode. But they fail this trial and the same fate separates them which connected them. Ashok finds himself guilty that he was unable to hear his brother's last words while making love with Katha. He blames his love for his misery and decides to leave (dump) Katha. A disaster comes into their love life.

You know, I secretly wanted Ashok and Katha to be together which happens at the end. I assimilate myself with Ashok that he is neither a too bad character nor a too good person, very life-like.

Love changes all, so does Ashok and Katha. The love turns Ashok into an optimistic, patriotic and hard-working person and it adds some energy for Katha to achieve her dream. Katha represents a role model of energetic, brave, optimistic, confident women. Though the characters like Katha are very few in our society but their effort can really make a difference. Her hard work made her achieve success in agricultural revolution. You can do whatever you want to, you just have to put your time and effort to it.

Characters like Headmaster Surya Prasad Baral are the motivators of the society. He inspired not only Ashok to do something for our country but every single youth of Nepal. He motivated us to build a better Nepal. He represents a positive character of the society. We're not that lucky to have many persons like him who encourage young people nowadays. Each village should have such a headmaster. He tells us that the youths today basically inactivated their own vitality, so youth should encourage themselves to move forward. Youth has great power to change the nation, they just need to use it for good. Youths have the courage to fight against injustice.

The writer is trying to make a call for the youth to stop looking for happiness in foreign countries when happiness can be found in our own backyard. The death of Ashok's brother is an example that the life in other countries is not easy as we think, but worse. The main theme of this novel is that it will be a great contribution to the country if you can spread the message that we can do something here. Youth should not seek to escape abroad. If you have the courage to do something, you don't need to seek opportunity in any other country but you can create one in your own country.

I really enjoyed reading this novel.
And, Congratulations to the writer for this successful novel.

Binita Baral, author of a novel 'Juino'.