FK Readers CLUB

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Thapomazhiyude Achan

Among many things, Thapomazhiyude Achan is a book where you get the traces of two distinct styles of writing - the literary fiction style of the old and the 'storytelling' pattern which the new age authors mostly adopt.


Much like Jnanabharam, the novel is told entirely through flashback and is set outside Kerala ( New Delhi) and includes non-malayalee characters except for the narrator.


The story unravels when the narrator who heads the CSR wing of a Company notices a medical prescription that carries some codes ( an old lipi) on his table. He decodes the information and understands that it has been misplaced by Thapomazhi, the person who heads an NGO for Refugees in Delhi named Shelter and is constantly in touch with the CSR department for funds.


He realizes that the information in the prescription was a funny message which Thapomazhi's father wanted to convey to his regular visting doctor.


This amazing ability of Thapomazhi's dad and the strange setting of his residence where greenery and development co-exist draws the narrator to their world as he quickly forms a bond with Thapomazhi's father, Gopal Barua.


Like how the narrator peeled away the layers behind Kailash Patil in Jnanabharam, here too the narrator peels away the layers around this old man who used to be part of the intelligence wing of the militry deparment.


Eventually, the narrator ends up with a prized possesion of Gopal Barua which holds some uncomfortable truth about the past life as a Refugee surrounding the border areas as well as Kolkata.


The novel is sprawling in its scope and at least in the initial half the scattershot narration and deviation towards the sub-plots overpowers the core element in the narrative.


Among the traumatic refugee stories, it is the flashback of Gopal Barua presented to as the content in the diary ( an overused trope) which resonated the most with me.


In these portions, the above mentioned shift in the language style occurs and the narrator seamlessly adopts a literary fiction style which works well to convey the emotions around Thapomazhi, his longing to be with his childhood lover who is forced to be married to a kind, helpful man who takes care of the family after her father's death.


This human drama unfolding in the backdrop of refugee crisis is the core of the novel which the writer takes a lot of time to arrive at.


E Santosh Kumar also succeeds in some of the light hearted moments. The playful yet caring bond between the doctor and Gopal Barua is well etched. The home nurse character who is willing to trade everything except for Gopal and his mentor Colonel Santhanam's possessions also adds to the fun.


Though I was a tad underwhelmed by the lack of a captivating core through the halfway mark, the latter portions and the final twist though predictable turned out to be engrossing.


At least in parts, Thapomazhi reminded me about how the masters of the prime used to hold us in thrall with their impeccable hold on the language and the style that constantly wowed. So much so that, no other lipi seemed to matter.

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Delhi Gaathakal

This masterful epic by M Mukundan was back in the limelight few weeks back while the clamour for war and blood was going on. This made me take up the 495 pages long book again which ultimately proved to be a richly rewarding experience as expected of the stellar writer.


The book unfolds from the perspective of Sahadevan a youngster who arrives in Delhi in 1959 seeking better job prospects and help his family bail out of the debt trap.


Sahadevan quickly forms a bond with Sreedharanunni, a Chaprasi in Secretariat ( the person responsible for his arrival), his wife Devi, son Sathyanathan and daugther Vidya.


The happiness in their lives is cut short after the untimely demise of Sreedharanunni during the outbreak of Indo-Sino war ( he has a heart attack while reading this information from a newspaper ).


Mukundan understands the thin line between melancholy and melodrama and the detached yet impactful storytelling shines while depicting the struggles of Devi.


Probaly Mukundan's most finely etched female chatacter, Devi draws us towards the novel and gives it its beating heart.


The sight of her visiting a market around midnight in cold weather with her son by her side to buy grocery at a cheaper rate is likely to leave a lump in your throat. So does the grit she shows when a group of thugs knock on her doors late night.


More misery awaits the chracters as they are forced to cope up with the wrath of the devastating India - Pakistan war which also led to the influx of migrants who still reside in the shaggy corners of the capital city.


Even here, the focus on human drama continues to be the pivotal point as it has to be in fiction and the events are depicted from the point of view of characters.


There is an ironical scenario where a sikh character accidentally falls into the trench that had been dug for easy escape during the time of war. Mukundan perceives his burst of anger as a staunch criticism against the initiation of war which makes for great dark comedy much in tune to these times.


There is an insanely funny moment at school where Sathyanathan takes part in a pissing competition emerging victorious with the lunch box of entire class by his side. But right after that a profound statement on discovering one's abilities is underscored.


The detached, keenly observant and markedly un-melodramatic narrative style continues to be the pattern even as the book goes on to depict more incidents such as the declaration of emergency and vasectomy, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the harrowing anti sikh riots which left the capital city in a pool of blood.


Each tragic sight that the devastating Turkman Gate demolition leaves us with is fabulously foreshadowed. The fate of a burqa clad woman who never reveals her face to the world has to be seen to be believed.


Alongside such incidents and the passage of time, the characters and relationships gracefully evolve in our minds.


The protagonist Sahadevan ( he has a habit of talking to himself) is that good hearted guy who can only do so much. He is an aspiring novelist, a humanitarian, more importantly the right channel through which we feel everything - the never-ending wait of devi for her daughter who elopes with her boy friend, the love that binds Kunjikrishnan and Lalitha even as they remain poles apart, Utham Singh's guilt of marrying off his daughter without any dowry and the humiliation he has to face from his relatives who cut off their ties with him, the dreams of Barber Dasappan which gets shattered like the mirror ( where Sahadevan observes the differences timr has on him) in the small shop under the Jamun Tree, the desire of Rosly the prostitute to be Rosykutty, the lover.


The saying that the most profound lines comes from the most unexpected of places is nicely illustrated through Vasu, son of a collector from whom nothing else matters other than art until a bunch of blood mongers grab hold of his long hair mistaking him for a Sikh.


"Why is there a need for a prison when the whole world is one "Vasu asks as he spots the Thihar Jail from a distance. But one only wished his release from the actual prison was less painful.


As in all Mukundan's epic novels, Delhi Gaathakal teems with characters but his inimitable criss-cross narration ensure that each one gets the space they deserve.


The readers should also acclaimatize with the abrupt yet organic segues to the past to savour the true brilliance of the novel. The conventional forms are disurpurted for once and the craft emerges. So much so that the drama stays consistently compelling across 4-5 days I took to complete the 495 pages long novel.


Delhi Gathakal is a Mukundan masterpiece where a string of significant events in the nation's history (1959-1985) serve as a fitting backdrop for an emotionally resonant narrative.

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The Small Town Sea

After reading this poignant book, I can vouchface for the fact that the remarkably talented Anees Salim is an author you must read at least once.


Like all good authors, Anees is more interested in psychology of the characters than tethering it to an unremarkable plot


In doing so, he takes into the headspace of a teenage boy who is coping up with the harsh circumstances around him.


While his father's last wish, transplants him from his town he much loved to a home by the sea. His expected but sudden passing has more grief in store.


The protagonist's longing to be with his mother who is forced to shift to Saudi Arabia after her second marriage, truly resonates with you.


So does the bond that he shared with both Bilal and Sivan, two of his closest friends whose memories offer him much needed support in difficult times.


Alas the sea has its own plans...


Never for once succumbing to easy manipulation, the book is a testament of top notch fiction writing.


It is not often you see an author in absoulte control shift attention to a sunglass of all things when a character passes away.


The sunglass finally gets libreated he says, from all sorts of imageries of happiness and sorrow it was bound to reflect. We can't help but nod in agreement.


Novels with a tinge of melancholy always soak you in and this is one such.


Not to be missed.

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Jnanabharam

Jnanabharam begins with an excerpt from Raymond Carver's story 'Feathers'. The portion highlights the irony of a person acquiring maximum knowledge during his lifetime only to succumb to an accidental death.


It also poses an interesting question - When a well-learned person dies what occurs to the vast volume of knowledge that he/she has acquired all through the life-time? Can it be transported/ stored?


The novel begins in a posh residential locale in Mumbai, where the narrator who nurtures aspirations of being an author befriends an old man in the neighborhood named Kailash Patil.


The accuracy with which Kailash Patil speaks about diverse subjects ( the Parsi cemetry in Mumbai to the history of Tea) and vast knowledge he posses astonishes the author as he decides to know more about the person who is more than just a clerk of an advocate.


Gradually as the story unravels, we understand the source of knowledge is a collection of encyclopedia and the emotional reason behind this relentless acquisition of knowledge.


The initial portion of the novel written in a fairly straight forward manner is engaging and moves at a brisk pace.


But the sailing is not as smooth when the attention diverts to the other sub plots in the narrative including the exposé of a rigged system and a botched up attempt to assasinate an advocate. It takes the attention from the emotional father-son relation which is the crux of the story.
(The new breed of authors are struggling with the middle phase of novels, Pacha Manja Chuvappu too plumetted as flash back starts to unravel)


It does gather some steam in the last quarter as there are some unexpected revelations and a satisfying turnrounds in the plot.


The sight that Jnanabharam that leaves you with is that of a man who dedicates his entire life to reading 12 volumes encyclopedia published before the first world war and is extremely content with the kmowledge gained, so much so that he refuses to know more about anything that has occured afterwards.