MANJU (THE SNOW)- MALAYALAM

MANJU (THE SNOW)
-M.T.VASUDEVAN NAIR

M.T.Vasudevan Nair one of the most celebrated writers in Malayalam is best known for his indigenous themes in writing. This multi- faceted personality is a teacher, news editor, story writer, novelist, script writer and film director. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards. In 1996 he was awarded Jnanpith Award and in the same year he received the honorary D.Litt from Calicut University. In 2004 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan.

‘Manju’ is a novella by M.T. of a different genre. It is set in the hill- station of Nainital and maintains a musical note across its narration. With minimal characters and few conversations the novella narrates the story of Vimala, a school teacher. Despite having a family comprising father, mother, brother and sister, she is kept aloof from them. She spends her vacations in the loneliness of mist laden Nainital. She hates the company of her family and enjoys solitude.

The watchman of the school Amarsingh is her only company there. She often makes trips in the Naini Lake in her favourite boat Mayflower. Buddhu or Gora Sahib is the boatman who believes he is the son an Englishman. He is eagerly waiting for the return of his father. Here Vimala finds a company in Buddhu as she is also in a similar position waiting for her long lost friend, Sudhir Kumar Mishra. Another character which makes an appearance in the novella is a Punjabi man who is visitor to Nainital and stays at the school. He is a person who effortlessly comes in, makes his presence and moves out of the novella.

M.T. has wonderfully portrayed the picturesque beauty of the hills, mist, snow and the mountains. Silence and solitude play a very important role in the novella. The novelist remarks that silence does not mean the absence of sounds but the presence of even the minutest sound. Moreover, the solitude of Vimala is filled with memories of Sudhir and the unending wait for him.


The novella is a poetic piece of work with the use of imageries and the innocence of the nature. It is incomplete and ambiguous in itself, but traverses through the pat and the present. The snow seems to be melting away in the hearts of persons. The everlasting wait of people and nature is the essence of the novella.

A SUITABLE BOY

A SUITABLE BOY
- VIKRAM SETH

Vikram Seth is one of the most celebrated Indian writers in English. Seth was born to Leila and Prem Seth in Calcutta (now Kolkata).Vikram Seth attended St Michael's High School in Patna, Welham Boys' School and The Doon School in Dehra Dun. He is renowned as a poet and a novelist. His first novel ‘The Golden Gate’ is written in verse. ‘A Suitable Boy’ is the second novel by Seth.
The government of India has honoured Vikram Seth with the Padma Shri in 2007. Also in 2005 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.


The novel ‘A Suitable Boy’ narrates the story of a mother’s search for a suitable match for her daughter. The mother is Mrs.Rupa Mehra and the daughter Lata. There is no single character to be considered as the protagonist as each character has his own role to play. The novel opens with the wedding of Savita Mehra, elder sister of Lata Mehra and Pran Kapoor. The novel is divided into 19 parts each part laying its focus on a different theme or character. The novel is set in the post- independence period in the imaginary town of Brahmpur. References are also made of Delhi, Calcutta, etc. Apart from telling the story of a few families and its members, the novel also provides an overview of the society and the customs and taboos prevalent during the period.

Mrs. Rupa Mehra had lost her husband. She has four children, Arun, Savita, Varun and Lata. Arun is married to Meenakshi Chatterjee (against the will of his mother) and has a daughter, Aparna, who is her granny’s darling. They are staying in Bengal. Arun is very arrogant and short tempered person .Savita’s husband Pran Kapoor is the faculty of English in the Brahmpur University where Lata is studying. He is described as a weak man with repeated attacks of asthma. Varun is staying with his brother in Calcutta and is studying Mathematics. He is rather a timid character. Lata the youngest of the Mehra family is good in studies and is very much controlled by her mother. Her best friend is the bold, smart and outspoken Malati. We also have Veena Tandon, the sister of Pran Kapoor, married to the shoe merchant, Kedarnath Tandon. She has a son Bhaskar who is a genius in Mathematics. There is Maan Kapoor, brother of Pran, doing business in Benaras and is soon to be married.

In the course of the story, Lata’s acquaintance with Kabir Durrani, a student of history and the son of a faculty member of mathematics, creates problems. Kabir is a cricketer and their relation soon develops into a love and they decide to marry. But Lata is damn sure that her mother will not accept the proposal of a Muslim boy. Thus, Kabir emerges to be the first suitor of Lata. The response of Mrs. Rupa Mehra towards a Muslim friend of her daughter clearly shows the wide gap existent between the Hindus and Muslims of the period. The people of the times believed that the two communities were totally different with respect to their believes and customs. The fact remains that things have not changed much in this 21st century. The paradox emerges when we find that the cook at the Hindu family is a Muslim.

During the days of festivities another character comes into light. Saeeda Bai Firoshbadi the gazhal singer, who has a lot of fan following. She is invited to the Mr. Kapoor’s house for singing and soon Maan Kapoor becomes a admirer of Saeeda Bai. Thereupon, Maan’s life takes new turns. The chapters describing the life and ways of Saeeda Bai, presents a picture of the luxurious life led by the Maharajas and the rich class of the society during that period. The world of alcohol, singing, dancing and other luxuries unravels.

Another social scene is one of the partition and its impacts. Kedarnath Tandon used to be a resident of Karachi and he often remembers with horror the last days spent in Pakistan. They had to face lot brutalities before reaching India. He also remembers the difficulties faced in establishing a livelihood in India. The political scenario also gets a space in the novel with Mr. Kapoor and his friends. Also the Kapoor’s have a good relationship with the family of Nawab Khan. In fact, Nawab’s son Firoz Khan is the close friend of Maan Kapoor. They enjoy each others company more than anything else.

As of Lata, two more suitors are in line. One is Meenakshi’s brother, novelist, Amit Chatterjee and another is Haresh Khanna, a shoe businessman. Finally, towards the end of the novel Mrs. Rupa Mehra is successful in finding an ideal match for her daughter. Also there has been a change in the career graph of Varun Mehra, resulting in a great change in his character also.

According to Leila Seth, as remarked by her in the autobiography, all the characters in the novel are a composite of various persons, but for Haresh Khanna, who she believes is the true depiction of her husband, Prem Seth.

‘A Suitable Boy’ is among the longest novel written in the English language in a single volume. This four family saga (Mehras, Kapoors, Chatterjees and Khans) runs more than thousand pages. Despite being long it was one of the best sellers in the Indian English literature. A sequel to this work, ‘A Suitable Girl’, wherein Lata is in search of a girl for her grandson is expected to be released in 2013.

ANGELS AND DEMONS

ANGELS AND DEMONS
-DAN BROWN

Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for his bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts, set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories. Brown's novels that feature the lead character Robert Langdon also include historical themes and Christianity as recurring motifs, and as a result, have generated controversy.
The novel ‘Angels and Demons’ discusses the conflict between religion and science which is continuing for centuries. Brown in his usual twenty four hour narrative filled with suspense, twists and turns, and an ever enthralling plot takes the readers on a journey through Rome and Vatican. Dan Brown provides a vivid description of the Vatican churches, the conclave; St. Peter’s Basilica and acquaints the readers with the customs and tradition of the Vatican. Moreover, CERN and the scientists there arouse the curiosity of man in matter and antimatter.
The American symbologist and cryptologist, the Harvard fellow, Robert Langdon is the protagonist. He is called on in the middle of the night by the director of CERN, Maximilan Kohler, to come over to the CERN immediately. Langdon reaches Switzerland in an extraordinarily fast aircraft. At CERN Langdon is faced with the dead body of a senior scientist at CERN, Leonardo Vetra, with a brand on his chest ‘Illuminati’ written in illuminati ambigram. Also they realize that one of the retinas of Vetra has been removed. From Kohler Langdon comes to know of the adopted daughter of Vetra, Vittoria Vetra, their secret lab and their experiments. Kohler also informs that the murder of Vetra has been kept a secret from fellow CERN scientists and the authorities.
Soon Vittoria who has been on a scientific venture arrives hearing the news of her father’s demise. On insistence of Kohler she shows them the secret laboratory protected accessible only by the father- daughter duo. Soon they are come to know of the antimatter, opposite of matter, which essentially is a great source of energy. Leonardo Vetra believed that this invention will definitely bridge the gap between religion and science. At this point Langdon is forced to believe that Vetra’s murder is very much related to their invention and he also anticipates the resurrection of the illuminati.
Vittoria is not prepared to accept this as she asserts that the only people who knew of the antimatter were she and her father. Soon to the horror of Vittoria it is realized that the specimen of anti-matter has been stolen. A call from the Vatican demanded the presence of a CERN representative there. Vittoria Vetra and Robert Langdon fly to Vatican. They are received by the Swiss- Guard. It is the day of conclave at Vatican and there is huge crowd of tourists and media at St. Peter’s Basilica square. Though antimatter is in Vatican its exact location in unidentifiable as the antimatter is immune to all possible weapon detectors, the advanced security system of the Vatican was unable to locate the antimatter.
A phone call to the chamberlain worsens the situation as the caller informs that the four missing cardinals, the prefereti, are with him, and they are soon to be murdered. Also he claims to have murdered the pope and Vittoria’s father Leonardo Vetra. Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra suspect it to be the illuminati and with the permission of chamberlain they enter the secret vaults of Vatican library. They find the clue to their puzzle in the ‘Digrammia’ by Galileo. The four pillars of illuminati cult are identified as earth, air, fire and water. In their venture they realize that Bernini is the master behind illuminati architecture. But in each of their attempts they miss the hassassin by a fraction.
In the meanwhile, a BBC reporter, Gunther Glick and his camerawoman Mecri also gets involved. Thereafter all the happenings are aired live. Towards the end of their quest, Vittoria is kidnapped by the Hassassin and taken to the church of illumination which is the St. Angelo’s church under the Vatican. the shortcut to Vatican, the Passetto is also traced.
At Vatican, Kohler has arrived and eventually the readers conclude that Kohler is the illuminati leader Janus. The chamberlain is branded with the illuminati diamond, and Kohler is shot dead. The trail for antimatter begins and the chamberlain soon has a heavenly revelation as to where the antimatter is. The chamberlain saves the Vatican and manages to escape the antimatter explosion whereupon he is believed to be representing the god on earth, but Robert Langdon goes missing.
In the meantime, Langdon in a hallucinated state of mind remembers how he had been abandoned by the chamberlain to be burnt to ashes with the antimatter. He by the decree of god reaches a hospital and recovers soon. He moves to St. Peter’s Basilica with the recorder and there unveils the truth behind all the happenings.
Finally, Mortati, the officer in charge of the conclave is made the Pope and the revelations of the eve are kept a secret between the cardinals, Langdon and Vittoria for the sake of the church. Langdon and Vittoria are happy that they are part of this quest and Vittoria is relieved to have found the murderer of her father.
The novel provides a beautiful and serious discussion of the relation between science and religion. It mocks at the claim of science to be all powerful. It also questions the strength of the supreme power. At one point in the novel it is said that today science is trying to solve the problems of man which has been caused by science itself. The characters in the novel have been given a space to develop by brown, by not limiting them within the boundaries laid by the novelist.
The novel has been made into a movie in 2009.

RUSSIA (MALAYALAM)

RUSSIA
-M. MUKUNDAN

M.Mukundan is one of the most prolific novelists of Malayalam literature. He is most remembered in the Malayali minds for his ‘Mayyzhipuzhayude Theerangalil’. Mukundan, native of Kannur district in Kerala is settled in the National Capital Territory of New Delhi.

Russia is novella by M. Mukundan which narrates the life of Govindan. The novella shuttles between the youth, middle age and old age of the protagonist. Govindan, in his youth was very much attracted into the communist and socialist movement. During the early years of his fruitful life he had shun away all the conventions of life. He found satisfaction in an independent life free of chains laid by the relationships. In his prime age Govindan migrates from his native place, Kerala to the capital city, Delhi. There he meets Rusi who soon becomes his lone companion. Govindan is at first astonished that an Indian girl be adorned with the name of an alien country. But eventually he is very much attracted by the skin tone of the lady. Their meetings become frequent and they discuss about everything under the sun. They also make trips together into the deserts and to the forests.

Once Govindan’s friend Balakrishnan reminds that it is time for marriage and he should consider marrying Rusi. But Govindan mocks the stereotype life of a middle class Delhi Malayali, managing to get a job, save for a future day, marrying a traditional Malayali girl, buying a DDA flat and so on. He denies the proposal.

Govindan makes repute as a writer, and begins to be recognized by the people. He enjoys the fame and name. During the course of life he regrets that he was not able to be actively involved in the socialist movement. He also retorts on the paradoxical turn of his life, that he has moved away from socialism, which was once his breath.

At present, Govindan is an old man waiting at the railway platform for Rusi, who never arrives. He has decided to end the ten year long wait for her. Finally, he manages to recollect Rusi’s address but is disappointed not to find Rusi there. With the help of an old friend Rusi is traced and the duo meets.

During the course of story telling the critic often interferes. One of the points raised by the critic is on the title of the novella. Despite being haunted by traces of pessimism, the novella ends with an optimistic note, which gives the readers the strength to move on in life.

DHARMAPURANAM (MALAYALAM)

DHARMAPURANAM (THE SAGA OF DHARMAPURI)
O.V.VIJAYAN

Ootupulackal Velukkuty Vijayan (July 2, 1930 – March 30, 2005) was an Indian author and cartoonist, who was an important figure in modern Malayalam literature. He was born in Palakkad. Best known for his first novel Khasakkinte Itihasam, Vijayan has six novels, nine short-story collections, and nine collections of essays, memoirs and reflections. He is well versed in both Malayalam and English writing and has translated many of his works into English. Vijayan has been honoured with a number of awards. The government of India has awarded him with the Padma Bhushan.

O.V.Vijayan’s Dharmapuranam has gained a lot of critical acclaim. The book is a political and social satire. It narrates the story of Dharmapuri and mocks at the atrocities of the ruler the Parajapati. The Prajapati is stationed at the capital Santhigramam. Every mob of Dharmapuri considers Prajapati as the ultimate soul and his commands, service and presence are all considered to be auspicious. The work criticizes the capitalistic and socialistic patterns of development. Vijayan’s views support an autocratic form of government.

Another major character in the novel is Siddharthan, who is modeled on Gautham Buddha, though not a replica of the enlightened one. He is symbolized as Guru and provides valuable advices to act against the atrocities of the ruler. It is under Siddhartha that the revolt against the existing system is organized under the leadership of Parasharan, who used to be the commander in chief of the Prajapati.

There is also the Rashtrapitavu, referred to as Gosayiammavan, who is jailed. Other major characters in the novel are Lavanya the wife of Vatasenan and their son, Sunandana, who take refuge with Siddhartha. Also there is Hayavadanan, a male prostitute who eventually becomes a minister.

The readers have at first rejected the novel as a dirty work because of the open use of words like excreta of the Prajapati (Teettam). Moreover, sex plays a very important role in the novel. The novelist uses it to bring home the fact that everything is being commercialized in this world. When the ruler enjoys with the wives of his officers, his own wife is with some higher parties. This narration do not find place in the hearts of the common man. But gradually, the essence of symbolism was recognized by many.

There is an instant in the novel, when Dharmapuri goes into war with the neighbouring nation of Smarkhand. But it is soon revealed that the leaders have no enmity but only the nations. No one wins the battle, as each one makes the people believe that their motherland has won. Thus, the real looser in the battlefield are the poor soldiers who loose their lives, family and everything. This throws light on the meaninglessness of the battles fought across the world.

Reference is also made of the human trade of the period, the degeneration of the coming generations which is attributed to the ill mannered ways of the present generation. The children of the so called prostitutes are all born blind, as everything is extracted completely out of them.

Thus, the novel stands out as a piece of satire on the international system. It poses criticism on the existing political, economic and social systems. Viewed critically, the piece stands out as an example of symbolism. This novel has been translated into English by O.V.Vijayan himself.