Religious Sins

Book Review

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There are two types of religion: one which enables us to see the divine in others and the other which is about power, bullying, self-delusion, expediency and psychological consolations.  What we usually see around us is the latter type.  Such religion destroys the genuine religion.  M P Baby’s novel, The Snake Crucified, shows us both the types with a brilliant plot. 

Chacko is a Pulaya (low caste) Roman Catholic living in Karuvankode, a primitive village in Kerala.  Though he is Catholic officially, Chacko practises the ancient religion of his caste.  He is a sorcerer and there is a snake which helps him in sorcery.  The snake reveals the truths to him.  The snake is a kind of god for him.  He does not hesitate to give the Holy Communion (the sacred bread and wine from the church) to his snake.

It is Father Sebastian Maliyekkal who assists Chacko to give the Communion to the snake.  Father Sebastian is an “oversexed” priest who enjoys sexual relationships with nuns as well as lay women.  He has a motive in assisting Chacko to fulfil his desire to give the Communion to the snake.  He will get Chacko’s help in return when he needs it. 

Father Sebastian is a popular Charismatic preacher and counsellor too.  He has led hundreds of Charismatic retreats, healed the sick, performed miracles in the name of Jesus, and counselled hundreds of people to sound health of body and mind.  But there is a devil within him.  Chacko, on the other hand, is a more honest human being.  His religion may be primitive and serpentine but his spirituality is genuine: he won’t harm anyone, he won’t do what his conscience knows is wrong. 

Sister Ajitha cannot accept Chacko’s religion.  She asks Chacko to mend his ways and be a good Christian.  She will, however, come to know more shocking secrets about Father Sebastian soon which will cost her her very life.  The plot moves to a climax of many murders.

Davis Jacob, Chacko’s son who is also a prominent journalist, along with his fiancée Nisha, is on an investigation to find out who killed his father and what led to his mother’s death.  Davis and Nisha move in and out of the narrative seamlessly bringing the various elements and characters together into a gripping narrative.

The plot is immensely captivating.  However, the novel suffers from a very serious drawback.  The language is atrocious.  There are too many grammatical and spelling mistakes and occasionally the reader is left baffled by what the sentences mean.  There are many infelicitous expressions too.  Taste a sample:

“But she (Sister Ajitha) used her step strong to Father Sebastian.  She decided to resist the bond of her orbit…. He bathed in an ocean of sweat…. Face went perfect grotesque. Eyes were pools death swam in.”

A good editor would have made the novel really brilliant.

PS. The novel was given to me for reading by a colleague of mine who is a friend of the author.