Around 10,000 copies of ‘Yaana’ have already been sold

Yaana (journey), the new novel by Saraswathi Samman recipient writer S.L. Bhyrappa, was released across the State on Tuesday. According to G. Raja of Sahitya Bhandara, which published the novel, around 10,000 copies have already been sold.

Yaana has an unconventional theme. The 291-page novel deals with the transformation of human moral values when astronauts undertake a journey beyond the solar system. The writer researched the subject for two years, including discussions with professors of the Indian Institute of Science, before writing Yaana. The price of the book is Rs 190.

Mr. Raja told The Hindu that there is a huge demand for the novel online as well and there are a significant number of pre-release orders from book sellers.

His previous novel Kavalu, which saw over eight editions, was criticised because it was viewed as an attack on the concept of feminism.

Avarana, a controversial novel by Mr. Bhyrappa, saw over 35 editions and has been translated in Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and English.