Aadujeevitham novel: Complete aadujeevitham book review 2024
Aadujeevitham (goat days) is a famous Malayalam novel written by Bahrain-based Indian author Benyamin in 2008. This novel is about an abused migrant worker in Saudi Arabia which is published by Green Books. The aadujeevitham novel is based on real-life events and was a bestseller in Kerala. The original Malayalam version gone through over 100 reprints. Malayalam novel adujeevitham also won the Kerala literacy academy award for Benyamin in 2009. aadujeevitham novel is one of the best Malayalam novel
The Author Adu Jeevitham: Benyamin
Table of Contents
Benyamin aadujeevitham The real name of Benyamin is Benny Daniel. He was born in 1971 at Njettur, near Pandalam of the south Indian state of Kerala. He used to live in the Kingdom of Bahrain from 1992 to 2013. The Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham is his notable work. aadujeevitham novel used as a textbook at Kerala University, Calicut University, Bahrain University, and also in the 10th standard for Kerala state syllabus. He won India’s richest JCB prize for literature for the translation of his other novel ‘Jasmine Days’.
benyamin aadujeevitham
He also won the Kerala Sahithya Academy award (2009) for adu jeevitham novel, longlisted in Man Asian literacy price (2012) and short-listed in DSC price for south Indian literature for Goat Days. The other awards include Padmaprabha Literary Award (2015), Crossword Book Award (2018) for Indian language translation for his novel Jasmine Days, and also Muttathu Varkey Award (2019).
Aadujeevitham Novel Summary
Najeeb, the main character of this aadujeevitham novel is a poor laborer living in Kerala. He was involved in a sand – quarrying job. Just like all other Malayaliees who wish to go abroad and earn more money to lead a better life, Najeeb also dreamt of such a life. After many trials, he got a visa and decided to start his gulf life. He landed in Saudi Arabia in April 1992. His Arab employer never turns up to receive him.
From the international airport, he was kidnapped by a cruel Arab and forced to work as a shepherd on his farm. Along with Najeeb, his friend Hakeem is also trapped there. That Arab seized his passport. Both of them were clueless about what to do next. Because they were first time at Gulf country and don’t have any clue about their Arbab and the job they will get there.
An Arab man take them away in his vehicle and they thought that it is their Arbab. That Arab took them into his cattle farm which was in the middle of a desert. They were unknown about the way to the cattle farm and become afraid of the type of place. And then, Arab handed over Najeeb to the supervisor of the farm.
Life of Najeeb at Farm
The job of Najeeb was to shepherd goats, sheep, and camels on the farm. He was treated as a slave laborer there. For almost three and half years Najeeb lived in the desert of Saudi Arabia. The life of Najeeb was just like the worst nightmare there. He didn’t get the opportunity to bath, have good food, and take enough rest. The supervisor of the farm was also a cruel man just like the Arab and didn’t give him any freedom. Najeeb was forced to do back-breaking work there.
The character of the supervisor was unimaginable. He used to watch Najeeb always with his binoculars and gun in his hand. That made Najeeb fearful throughout the day. The brutal supervisor frequently beats Najeeb with his belt without any kindness. He wasn’t fed enough. A piece of bread and row milk was the only food that Najeeb got from there. That never filled his stomach and Najeeb was left hungry always.
How Najeeb Used to Survive?
Najeeb used to live in the desert for almost three years without speaking to anyone. He was far away from human interaction in a country where he doest knows the language, places, or people. The only companions Najeeb have was goats and camels. As time goes he starts to identify himself with the goats. He started to identify himself as one among the goats. His identity fade away eventually and his mindset eventually becomes similar to that goat. He named all of them and started to interact with them just like friends.
Najeeb lives the life of goats by talking to them, eating with them, sleeping with them, and sharing all the events of his life with them. Najeeb never loses his belief in Allah during all these difficult times. He tried to escape from there two or three times and get caught by the supervisor. That supervisor punished Najeeb for trying to escape from the farm by denying him food and water. Physical abuse was also continued throughout the years.
Once, when Najeeb tried to escape from the farm, he saw a skeleton buried in the sand. That was the skeleton of the shepherd of the farm before Najeeb. That made Najeeb afraid of running away from there and he decided to survive there as long as he can. Even though the living situation on the farm was very bad, Najeeb never lose hope. He keeps a ray of hope in mind which will give freedom. He used to pray every day to Allah and believes that his sufferings will end one day.
Escaping From the Farm
There was a Somalian worker on the neighboring farm of Najeeb. He helped Najeeb and Hakeem to escape from the desert one night where the supervisor went for a marriage function. That night was the perfect time they got to run away from there. Three of them traveled a lot through the desert for this without having food and water with them. Hakeem dies of thirst and hunger on the way and without losing hope, Najeeb and his Somalian companion continued their journey to life.
On the way, they found an Oasis and take a rest there for a few days. That gave them enough energy to continue their journey. But, on the way, Najeeb lost his friend and become alone in the desert. But he used to manage and find the highway road nearby. A kind Arab give a lift to Najeeb to Al-Bathaa and he became the refugee there. A Malayali fellow named Kunjikka helped Najeeb from there to come back to health. Najeeb calls back to his hometown after three years with their help and was arrested by civil police in order to get deported to India.
aadujeevitham book review
That farm was in the middle of the Saudi desert and Najeeb doesn’t have any way to escape from there. There were hundreds of goats, sheep, and camels there on the farm. And also a cruel supervisor and his Arab. He doesn’t have any companions there to share his feelings. They left him hungry, thirsty, humiliated, and also threatened. He was not even allowed to wash. Exposed to the harsh climate of the desert Najeeb spends his days and nights in the open space. With one khubus (bread) and raw milk, he lived there almost for three years.
With immeasurably deep faith in Allah and undying hope Najeeb standby by there in the middle of cruelty and injustice. The adu jeevitham novel clearly explains the endless patience of Najeeb during that time. He befriends the goats and bonds with them. Najeeb was watched always with a binocular and a gun in his supervisor’s arm. So, he gives up all hope of escape from the desert prison.
The turning point
After, almost three years of suffering, Najeeb decided to escape from the farm along with his friend Hakeem and a Somalian co-worker of hakim Ibrahim Khadiri. Both of them were working in the neighboring farm of Najeeb. That was a night when their masters leave to attend a wedding. They run for days and nights through that desert and Hakeem dies because of hunger and thirst during the way. Finally, Najeeb escaped from the desert and reached near some kind-hearted Keratitis in Saudi Arabia. They treated him well and after surrendered to the police and a short period of prison life, he reached safely in his land.
Buy Aadujeevitham Book
- Publisher : Green Books
- Language : Malayalam
- Paperback : 232 pages
- ISBN-10 : 8184231172
- ISBN-13 : 978-8184231175
- Reading age : 7 – 14 years
- Item Weight : 210 g
- Dimensions : 13.97 x 1.22 x 21.59 cm
- Country of Origin : India
You can by the Aadujeevitham novel by Benyamin, Adujeevitham Malayalam edition online. Link to buy the book,
Aadujeevitham Movie – The Goat Days Movie
The Aadujevitham movie is in the Malayalam language which is a biographical survival drama film based on aadujeevitham novel. The casting of other stars in the film is like following,
In 2017, after 9 years of the publication of the original book, film director Blessy had announced that he would be making a film based on the aadujeevitham book. He decided to title the film the same as ‘aadujeevitham’ (Goat Days). This is a large-scale film where famous Malayalam actor ‘Prithviraj Sukumaran’ plays the center role of, Najeeb an Indian immigrant worker in Saudi Arabia. Rasool pookkutti is the sound engineer. The film score and soundtrack are composed by A.R Rahman. aadujeevitham movie release date is still Officially published but it will be published in march 2024. The audience are very happy and waiting for the movie based on aadujeevitham novel
The Actors in the movie “Aadujeevitham”
- Prithviraj Sukumaran as Najeeb Muhammed
- Amala Paul as Sainu
- Lakshmi Sharma
- Santhosh Kezhattoor as Hamza
- Lena as Aisha
- Aparna Balamurali as Rupa
- Vineeth Sreenivasan as Maher, and also
- Ashish Vidhyarthi as Adhiram.
Other works of Benyamin
Benyamin wrote many other books in the Malayalam language. Some of them are given below. alchemist is one of the best Malayalam novels by Paulo Coelho
- Abeesagin (a name from the old testament)- Novel
- Pravachakanmarude randam pusthakam ( The second book of prophets)- Novel
- Akkapporinte irupathu Nasrani Varshangal (twenty years of Christian quarrels) –Novel
- Manjaveyil Maranangal (yellow lights of death)- Novel
- Al Arabian Novel factory, Mullappo niramulla pakalukal- Novels
- Euthanasia (mercy killing)- a collection of short stories
- Anubhavam, Orma, Yathra (experience, memories, and travel)
- Panmarattam (Ladies sex)- a collection of short stories
- Iratta mukhamulla nagaram- travel
- EMS and the Girl- a collection of short stories
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Adujevitham English Adaptation (Goat Days)
One of the best translators Dr. Joseph Koyippally translated aadujeevitham novel into the English language and named ‘Goat Days’. Aadujeevitham literally means ‘a goat’s life’ in Malayalam, but Koyippally chooses the title ‘Goat Days’(adujeevitham novel). It is a highly acclaimed English translation. The Goat Days (adu jeevitham) published by Penguin India in 2012. The translator is a teacher at the Central University of Kerala who teaches, comparative literature. He has preserved the essence of the original text without compromising on the stylistic nuances of either Malayalam or English languages.
Koyippali’s translation assumes great significance chiefly because goat Days is a novel of less privileged, non-English speaking characters. Goat Days novel explores the indirect effects of colonialism and neo-colonialism in the world ruled by cruel capitalists. Benyamin portrays the pain and adaptation of the Indian diaspora in adu jeevitham novel. The translation also humanism and respect for human resilience spreading in Benyamin’s Adujeevitham novel.
Adujeevitham Najeeb and his family
aadujeevitham Najeeb photo and adujeevitham Najeeb family from the Adu jeevitham (Goat Days) novel has touched the heart of all the readers of this Malayalam novel written by Benyamin. The central character Najeeb is not an imagination of the author, he is a real person.
benyamin aadujeevitham real najeeb. Read the News article about his speech at Thiruvananthapuram, when he comes as a delegate of Loka Kerala Sabha, the state government’s program which involves Keralites living across the globe.
aadujeevitham Najeeb’s words about his escape
“After running for one and half days, I saw a road. I stood there for hours trying to stop one vehicle. Many vehicles passed by and finally one stopped. An Arab was driving it. He was good-hearted and dropped me in Riyadh. I finally landed in the capital city of Saudi Arabia and managed to find a Malayali restaurant. They gave me food and a new dress. Finally, after two years, I was able to take a bath, shave and cut my hair. I was reborn”.
My feeling after reading aadujeevitham novel?
I have heard many stories of people working in Arabian countries, especially Muslim family men. But what this tale reveals is something beyond our imagination. Humans are being treated like animals by cruel supervisors and Arab Lords. Without any bestowment of basic needs, they are living in deserts like goats. Initially, I was wondering why Najeeb mentioned being in prison as the safest and best place than life in the desert. But then after reading the character of the supervisor, and his attitude towards Najeeb I realized his problem there.
Throughout the aadujeevitham novel, I had a hard time putting myself in his shoes. Goat herding in scorching heat and piercing cold of the desert is not an easy task with the feeling of being trapped. No one can even imagine being lashed for using water for sanitation purposes. The availability of food and water was also limited to him. Najeeb only got a piece of bread to eat. He used to wet it with row milk and eat to survive. Even though he had faced lots of problems, he never lose hope in Allah. He believed that Allah will definitely save him one day.
Najeeb was locked there with the supervision of a cruel supervisor who have a gun in his hand all the time. He was watched by the binoculars in the hands of the supervisor. Najeeb was even denied food and water and was locked in the ‘masara’ as punishment which lead him to eat the wheat and water from the Goat’s pail and sleep with them. Slowly Najeeb began to identify himself as one among them.
aadujeevitham novel malayalam pdf
aadujeevitham novel pdf has been found on many websites for download. We never promote it. aadujeevitham novel was released in 2008 as a paperback and is available on online reading platforms such as the amazon kindle edition. aadujeevitham pdf Publishing online without the permission of the author and publisher is a crime and we do not encourage it
What kind of book is Benyamin aadujeevitham?
He was treated like a slave and the brutality he faced there is not negotiable. Alienation is one of the themes of the novel. Immigration, slavery, confinement, violence, suppression, and the role of religion are all explained well in this novel.
How many copies of Aadujeevitham novel sold?
Who translated aadujeevitham to English?
Who is the main character in the Aadujeevitham novel?
Goat Days is a true story of Najeeb Ahammed who like every other Keralites migrates to Arabian countries to fulfill his dream of a good life for his family. The story is narrated in the first person which makes the readers feel Najeeb himself is sitting behind them and telling his dreadful and gruesome story of survival.
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