‘Anti-Clock’: A complicated man’s complicated relationship with religion – and with revenge

Anti-Clock by V.J. James is a portrait of a grief-stricken man through the lens of his occupation. The novel, translated from the Malayalam by Minithy S, tells the story of Hendri, a coffin maker. In this novel, James demonstrates the way in which religion messily permeates the life of his protagonist.

Each chapter begins with a verse from the Bible, and the book itself begins with Hendri’s explanation of his ritual around Biblical verses – a ritual he associated with his father. He says that his father instructed him to always skip seven lines and then begin reading the Bible, which he did even on the day his father died, in accordance with his wishes.

Almost immediately after this explanation, we are told that Hendri’s daily habit of reading these Biblical verses means little to his actual piety and religious soundness. This sets the tone for the rest of the novel. What Anti-Clock does masterfully is trace the lines of living in close proximity to religion and the cracks that form along the way.

Wicked intent

Hendri almost immediately admits to us his religious fault lines when he says, “I have a wicked intent that goes against the teachings of the Scriptures,” going on to talk about his…

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