Goat Days

Goat Days (original title: Malayalam: ആടുജീവിതം Aadujeevitham) is a 2008 Malayalam novel about an abused migrant worker in Saudi Arabia written by Bahrain-based Indian author Benyamin (born Benny Daniel).[4][5]

"Aadujeevitham" redirects here. For the Malayalam film based on this novel, see Aadujeevitham (film).

Goat Days
First edition (Malayalam)
AuthorBenyamin
Original titleAadujeevithamm
TranslatorJoseph Koyippally[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
GenreNovel, fiction
PublisherPenguin Books (English)[2]
Green Books (Malayalam)
Publication date
15 July 2008
Published in English
1 July 2012[3]
Pages255
ISBN978-01-4341-633-3 (English), 978-81-8423-117-5 (Malayalam)
Preceded byAbigeesan (Malayalam) 
Followed byManjaveyil Maranangal (Malayalam) 

The novel is based on real-life events and was a best seller in Kerala.[6] According to media, Benyamin became an "overnight sensation" with the publication of this "hard-hitting story" and is currently one of the top sellers in Malayalam.[2] The original Malayalam version of Goat Days has gone through over 100 reprints.[7]

The novel depicts the life of Najeeb Muhammed, an Indian emigrant going missing in Saudi Arabia. Najeeb's dream was to work in the Persian Gulf states and earn enough money to send back home. But, he achieves his dream only to be propelled by a series of incidents into a slavelike existence herding goats in the middle of the Saudi desert. In the end, Najeeb contrives a hazardous scheme to escape his desert prison. Penguin Books India's introduction describes the novel as "the strange and bitter comedy of Najeeb’s life in the desert" and "a universal tale of loneliness and alienation".[1][8]

The English translation of the novel appeared in the long list of Man Asian Literary Prize 2012 and in the short list of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2013. It also won the Kerala Literary Academy Award for Benyamin in 2009.[9]

The book is banned in UAE and Saudi Arabia.[10]

Plot summary

The book is divided into four parts (Prison, Desert, Escape and Refuge).

Najeeb Muhammad, the protagonist of the novel, a young man from Arattupuzha in Haripad of the Kerala state, is newly married and dreams of a better work in any of the Persian Gulf states. After several endeavours, he finally sets foot in Saudi Arabia. However, at the King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh he gets trapped and is taken away by a rich Arab cattle farm supervisor to look after his farm. He is being used as a slave labourer and shepherd and is assigned to tend goats, sheeps and camels for almost three and half years in the remote deserts of Saudi Arabia. He is forced to do backbreaking work, kept him half-hungry and is denied water to wash and suffers unimaginably. The farm's brutal supervisor keeps Najeeb in control with a gun and binoculars and frequently beats him with a belt.

In a country where he doesn't know the language, places or people, he is far away from any human interaction. Najeeb steadily starts to identify himself with the goats. He considers himself as one of them. His dreams, desires, avenges and hopes starts to become one with them. He talks to them, eats with them, sleeps with them and virtually lives the life of a goat. Still he keeps a ray of hope which will bring freedom and end to his sufferings some day.

Finally one night with the help of Ibrahim Khadiri, a Somalian worker in the neighbouring farm, Najeeb Muhammed and his friend Hakeem escapes from the horrible life to freedom. But, the trio fumbles across the desert for days, and young Hakeem dies of thirst and fatigue. Finally, Ibrahim Khadiri and Najeeb manage to find their way to Al-Bathaa , Riyadh, where Najeeb gets himself arrested by the civil police in order to get deported to India. Najeeb gets detained in the Sumesi Prison for several months before being deported to India by the Saudi Arabian authorities.

Main characters
  • Najeeb Muhammed (Prisoner Number 13858 at Sumesi Prison, Saudi Arabia), the protagonist of the novel, spent three and half years (4 April 1992 – 13 August 1995) in a remote farm in the Saudi Arabian desert. Originally a sand miner from Arattupuzha in Haripad,[11] he is given the visa by a Karuvatta-based friend for ₹30,000 (equivalent to ₹190,000 or US$2,600 in 2019) as a helper in a construction company in Saudi Arabia. Najeeb Muhammed is a real life character.
  • Hakeem is a young man, who got trapped under another Arab and lives a life similar to Najeeb. He joins Najeeb to elope from the desert, however, surrenders before death due to hunger and thirst in their perilous journey through the Arabian Desert.
  • Ibrahim Khadiri
  • Arab owner
  • Hameed
  • Kunjikka
  • Sainu

Meeting real-life Najeeb Muhammed

Recounting his meeting with the real-life Najeeb, Benyamin reminisces:

But when I heard his tale, I knew this was the story I was waiting to tell the world and I knew this had to be told. Usually we only hear of stories of success from the Gulf. But I wanted to talk about the many who lead lives of suffering and pain.

The reluctant Najeeb who wanted to forget his past had to be coaxed to recount his story.[2]

Translations

The original book was published by Green Books Private Limited, Thrissur on 15 July 2008. The English translation of the novel for Penguin Books was carried out by Joseph Koyippally, a literature professor in the Central University of Kerala.[2][12][13]

Other translations
Language Title Translator Year Publisher ISBN
Arabic ايام الماعز
Ayyāmu l-māʻiz
 Suhail Wafy 2015 Maktabat Afāq 9789996659812
Nepali खबुज
Khabuja
 Dinesh Kaafle 2015 FinePrint Books 9789937893169
Odiya ଛ୍ହେଳି ଚରେଇବାର ଦିନ
Chhēḷi carē'ibāra dina
 Gourahari Das 2015 Friend's Publication 9789937893169
Thai มนุษย์แพะ
Manut phæ
 Nawara 2012 Bō̜risat Sansakrit Čhamkat 9786167356501

The translations into Tamil, Kannada and Hindi are due for release.[4]

Film adaptation
Main article: Aadujeevitham (film)

Director Blessy had announced that he would be making a film based on the book, titled Aadujeevitham. However, the author noted, "We are still in the discussion stage. Our plans for a film had to be postponed when we realised that its production cost would not be feasible for a Malayalam film. Now we are planning something on a larger scale and Prithviraj Sukumaran will play Najeeb's role.[2] "

However, in late 2017, Blessy had confirmed the eponymous film adaptation of the book as a Malayalam film. After months of speculation, in January 2018 composer A. R. Rahman confirmed in a press conference that he is making a comeback to Malayalam cinema as a composer with the film.[14][15]

See also

References
  1. AllTimeBooks.com or Indianbooks.co.in. "Goat Days By Benyamin (translated by Joseph Koyipally) - Second Hand Books - from AllTimeBooks.com or Indianbooks.co.in and". Biblio.co.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  2. Saraswathy Nagarajan (12 September 2012). "Arts / Books : 'I write for my satisfaction'". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  3. "Goat Days". Caravanmagazine.in. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  4. Anandan, S. (6 December 2012). "Three Malayalis on the Man Asian longlist". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  5. "aadujeevitham". Indulekha.com.
  6. "Words in Migration". outlookindia.com. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  7. Ghoshal, Somak (27 January 2013). "Beastly tales: A conversation with Benyamin". livemint.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  8. "Goat Days". Penguin Books India. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 22 August 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  9. "Literary Awards". Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  10. December 27, Trisha Gupta New Delhi; January 6, 2019 ISSUE DATE; December 27, 2020UPDATED; Ist, 2019 18:12. "Books: Fiction should prophesy the future". India Today. Retrieved 18 December 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. "From Saudi slave to inspiration: Meet Najeeb, the real life hero of 'Aadujeevitham'". thenewsminute.com. 13 January 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  12. "Book review: Goat Days - Lifestyle - DNA". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  13. "Koyippally's Benyamin, an intelligent work of translation- IBN Live". ibnlive.in.com. 14 August 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  14. "After 25 years, AR Rahman to return to Malayalam film industry with Prithviraj's Aadujeevitham". indianexpress.com. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  15. "Confirmed! A R Rahman to compose for Aadujeevitham". newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
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