The Man who Never was

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky My rating: 3 of 5 stars Not the most engaging of Dostoevsky's works. But it has a certain sobering, melancholic, romanticism about it. As someone who is prone to taking long contemplative walks, especially at the early hours past midnight, this spoke to me. The way that our female character is written, one is also left to ponder, who exactly was it that hurt Fyodor's heart in such a callous way, that now they have the misfortune of having their legacy living in infamy in the annals of literature. Our main character is clearly a stand in for the writer himself. Who somehow managed to be the first simp in recorded literature (I assume), to get friend zoned by the object of his affection, with the good ol 'It's not you, it's me', and 'you're like a brother to me; we can still be friends, right?', one two punch to the gut, that most cohorts would empathize with, to this day. ...

കൂട്ടം തെറ്റി മേയുന്നവർ | Koottam Thetti Meyyunnavar by M. Mukundan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I've read several works from M. Mukundan's Biblography, and perhaps this is the first one, which I read that was not read in the author's beloved Mayyazhi (Mahe). Kootam thetti Meyyunnavar (Those who graze away from the flock), is written more in the vein of something that his contemporaries such as M T VASUDEVAN NAIR or Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai would've penned. Yet still, there is the spiritual signature of our writer evident. Whether it be in the cruel indifferent passage of time, or the hapless protagonist who is a victim of their own choices and ideals. One of the defining conflicts in the life of our protagonist, Prakashan, is poverty, something which she shares with protagonists written by most writers at the time. Whether this is a reflection of the dire, pitiable state of the Indian society at the time, or a common string which ins...

Kabuliwallah: Stories by Rabindranath Tagore My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Perhaps there is no other name which the Indians can instantly associate with the most beloved and acclaimed literary master Rabindranath Tagore, than the phrase Kabuliwallah. Even those who haven't read the story know of its premise, as it's one of those works that is deeply ingrained in the cultural zeitgeist. Like many of his other stories, such as  Mashi ,  ചാരുലത Charulatha , and  Chokher Bali , there is this underlying sense of melancholy and feeling of loss which pervades much of Tagore's works. The simple story of the innocent bond between the young girl and the Kabuliwallah is touching to say the least. A man who is living thousands of kilometers away from his own family and young daughter for his livelihood, finds some comfort in the innocent love of this stranger girl. In just a few scenes, Tagore is able to weave for u...

ഓട്ടോറിക്ഷക്കാരൻ്റെ ഭാര്യ | Autorikshawkkarante Bharya by M. Mukundan My rating: 3 of 5 stars In a series of short stories, M. Mukundan, the eminent writer of Mayyazhi, paints for us the day to day, slice of life fictionalized tales of the people in everyday lives. The tales he composed range from OK, to good, to head scratching, to thought inducing, a full cornucopia. But sad to say, there isn’t much meat to these stories, a collected anthology from the stories he’d penned in various news publications. Mukundan himself seems the most soulful and engaging, when delving into the semi fictional tales that he crafts about his beloved Mayyazhi; with its colorful history and ever more colorful coterie of characters. Out of all the collections of stories which are printed here, the one which connected with me the most, is the one titled ‘Malayali Daivangal’ (Malayali Gods). The tale is about a French tourist couple that come to visit Mayyazhi and Kerala ...