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nahiyan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
vigneswara_prabhu's review against another edition
5.0
I must confess, for a self proclaimed Bibliophile, the pilgrimage that was reading this book was a long time in coming. When the final page and paragraph of the book was read and done, i wished to go back 10 years to those days in high school; when a good friend, had first urged me to give it a try.
He a fellow reader who got drunk on good literature; the typical think tank character, who went on to live a prolific political career in college.
But me at the time; the snob that i was got kicks out of authors that were more or less Anglican. Even today, it took considerable self persuasion to get lost in this novel. i struggled at first, the language of my ancestors, seeming almost ancient for one who had lost use to them.
But then i was assaulted. with remembrance. of the lush, engaging and complex heritage that i hail from. where the stalwarts of literature and art had dared to tackle issues considered uncomfortable even in today's open era.
There is a term that is often thrown around in association with realistic depictions of people. "പച്ചയായ മനുഷ്യരുടെ കഥ" I fathom whether it bears birth from this seminal work in literature.
The novel bookends at the same place it began. at a modest, sometimes decrepit bus Stand to a almost Phantasmic village, kept leagues removed from the world as we know, or knew.
It were as if, Vijayan master took all the various shades of humanity he came across, during his prolific life, and made a home for them. where they loved and lived and died, and became the sprites; much like the legend Sheikh Thangal.
We are reminded of the time that was once a reality. It was indeed to those of us still graced by the blanketing grace of our elders. As a literary time capsule, the metaphorical city of Kandor. unchanging; eternal.
it is often said, that a writer is most uninhibited when he writes a story for one reader. That is quite apt here. We are aquainted with characters who do not feel belong in a page. they are people, living breathing, and human.
They are not perfect, by any stretch of the word. Some actions they take seem to have no rational thought behind them. Yet for the same reason they are, so Human.
Same can be said to our Protagonist, Ravi. And Individual who by no stretch of the word embodies the unsaid qualities as required by a leading man; often times his words and action made me uncomfortable.
Which is only natural, as more times than none, the protagonist is the vessel which the reader embodies. To be reminded of his shortcomings and failings, makes us look inside and ponder.
Ravi is a wanderer. Some may call him a coward, running away from suffering and perhaps the reality of his father's mortality. He is a voyeur who indulges in several vices, perhaps to detach himself from the thoughts. Those that whisper to him, from the depths of the swamp, the canopies of the old tree, in form of the goddess in the temple; In The call to prayer Athan and Iqamah.
Ravi is running. from one thing or another. Yet for every step he takes the distance only seems to shorten by four.
His sexual promiscuity and other habits, make me worry for the children that he is to serve as a role model to. Then again perhaps this is just the Mirror of my mind, speaking the truth. But that is the point, a Work of literature that makes me question my place and existence. the way in which life is, and was; it is truly something magnificent.
I would recommend, to those who can, to read the original work in Malayalam. The translations I found quite lacking; Having lost the bite and depth of the native tongue. Either way a story worth Knowing.
He a fellow reader who got drunk on good literature; the typical think tank character, who went on to live a prolific political career in college.
But me at the time; the snob that i was got kicks out of authors that were more or less Anglican. Even today, it took considerable self persuasion to get lost in this novel. i struggled at first, the language of my ancestors, seeming almost ancient for one who had lost use to them.
But then i was assaulted. with remembrance. of the lush, engaging and complex heritage that i hail from. where the stalwarts of literature and art had dared to tackle issues considered uncomfortable even in today's open era.
There is a term that is often thrown around in association with realistic depictions of people. "പച്ചയായ മനുഷ്യരുടെ കഥ" I fathom whether it bears birth from this seminal work in literature.
The novel bookends at the same place it began. at a modest, sometimes decrepit bus Stand to a almost Phantasmic village, kept leagues removed from the world as we know, or knew.
It were as if, Vijayan master took all the various shades of humanity he came across, during his prolific life, and made a home for them. where they loved and lived and died, and became the sprites; much like the legend Sheikh Thangal.
We are reminded of the time that was once a reality. It was indeed to those of us still graced by the blanketing grace of our elders. As a literary time capsule, the metaphorical city of Kandor. unchanging; eternal.
it is often said, that a writer is most uninhibited when he writes a story for one reader. That is quite apt here. We are aquainted with characters who do not feel belong in a page. they are people, living breathing, and human.
They are not perfect, by any stretch of the word. Some actions they take seem to have no rational thought behind them. Yet for the same reason they are, so Human.
Same can be said to our Protagonist, Ravi. And Individual who by no stretch of the word embodies the unsaid qualities as required by a leading man; often times his words and action made me uncomfortable.
Which is only natural, as more times than none, the protagonist is the vessel which the reader embodies. To be reminded of his shortcomings and failings, makes us look inside and ponder.
Ravi is a wanderer. Some may call him a coward, running away from suffering and perhaps the reality of his father's mortality. He is a voyeur who indulges in several vices, perhaps to detach himself from the thoughts. Those that whisper to him, from the depths of the swamp, the canopies of the old tree, in form of the goddess in the temple; In The call to prayer Athan and Iqamah.
Ravi is running. from one thing or another. Yet for every step he takes the distance only seems to shorten by four.
His sexual promiscuity and other habits, make me worry for the children that he is to serve as a role model to. Then again perhaps this is just the Mirror of my mind, speaking the truth. But that is the point, a Work of literature that makes me question my place and existence. the way in which life is, and was; it is truly something magnificent.
I would recommend, to those who can, to read the original work in Malayalam. The translations I found quite lacking; Having lost the bite and depth of the native tongue. Either way a story worth Knowing.
vigneswara_prabhu's review
5.0
I must confess, for a self proclaimed Bibliophile, the pilgrimage that was reading this book was a long time in coming. When the final page and paragraph of the book was read and done, i wished to go back 10 years to those days in high school; when a good friend, had first urged me to give it a try.
He a fellow reader who got drunk on good literature; the typical think tank character, who went on to live a prolific political career in college.
But me at the time; the snob that i was got kicks out of authors that were more or less Anglican. Even today, it took considerable self persuasion to get lost in this novel. i struggled at first, the language of my ancestors, seeming almost ancient for one who had lost use to them.
But then i was assaulted. with remembrance. of the lush, engaging and complex heritage that i hail from. where the stalwarts of literature and art had dared to tackle issues considered uncomfortable even in today's open era.
There is a term that is often thrown around in association with realistic depictions of people. "പച്ചയായ മനുഷ്യരുടെ കഥ" I fathom whether it bears birth from this seminal work in literature.
The novel bookends at the same place it began. at a modest, sometimes decrepit bus Stand to a almost Phantasmic village, kept leagues removed from the world as we know, or knew.
It were as if, Vijayan master took all the various shades of humanity he came across, during his prolific life, and made a home for them. where they loved and lived and died, and became the sprites; much like the legend Sheikh Thangal.
We are reminded of the time that was once a reality. It was indeed to those of us still graced by the blanketing grace of our elders. As a literary time capsule, the metaphorical city of Kandor. unchanging; eternal.
it is often said, that a writer is most uninhibited when he writes a story for one reader. That is quite apt here. We are aquainted with characters who do not feel belong in a page. they are people, living breathing, and human.
They are not perfect, by any stretch of the word. Some actions they take seem to have no rational thought behind them. Yet for the same reason they are, so Human.
Same can be said to our Protagonist, Ravi. And Individual who by no stretch of the word embodies the unsaid qualities as required by a leading man; often times his words and action made me uncomfortable.
Which is only natural, as more times than none, the protagonist is the vessel which the reader embodies. To be reminded of his shortcomings and failings, makes us look inside and ponder.
Ravi is a wanderer. Some may call him a coward, running away from suffering and perhaps the reality of his father's mortality. He is a voyeur who indulges in several vices, perhaps to detach himself from the thoughts. Those that whisper to him, from the depths of the swamp, the canopies of the old tree, in form of the goddess in the temple; In The call to prayer Athan and Iqamah.
Ravi is running. from one thing or another. Yet for every step he takes the distance only seems to shorten by four.
His sexual promiscuity and other habits, make me worry for the children that he is to serve as a role model to. Then again perhaps this is just the Mirror of my mind, speaking the truth. But that is the point, a Work of literature that makes me question my place and existence. the way in which life is, and was; it is truly something magnificent.
I would recommend, to those who can, to read the original work in Malayalam. The translations I found quite lacking; Having lost the bite and depth of the native tongue. Either way a story worth Knowing.
He a fellow reader who got drunk on good literature; the typical think tank character, who went on to live a prolific political career in college.
But me at the time; the snob that i was got kicks out of authors that were more or less Anglican. Even today, it took considerable self persuasion to get lost in this novel. i struggled at first, the language of my ancestors, seeming almost ancient for one who had lost use to them.
But then i was assaulted. with remembrance. of the lush, engaging and complex heritage that i hail from. where the stalwarts of literature and art had dared to tackle issues considered uncomfortable even in today's open era.
There is a term that is often thrown around in association with realistic depictions of people. "പച്ചയായ മനുഷ്യരുടെ കഥ" I fathom whether it bears birth from this seminal work in literature.
The novel bookends at the same place it began. at a modest, sometimes decrepit bus Stand to a almost Phantasmic village, kept leagues removed from the world as we know, or knew.
It were as if, Vijayan master took all the various shades of humanity he came across, during his prolific life, and made a home for them. where they loved and lived and died, and became the sprites; much like the legend Sheikh Thangal.
We are reminded of the time that was once a reality. It was indeed to those of us still graced by the blanketing grace of our elders. As a literary time capsule, the metaphorical city of Kandor. unchanging; eternal.
it is often said, that a writer is most uninhibited when he writes a story for one reader. That is quite apt here. We are aquainted with characters who do not feel belong in a page. they are people, living breathing, and human.
They are not perfect, by any stretch of the word. Some actions they take seem to have no rational thought behind them. Yet for the same reason they are, so Human.
Same can be said to our Protagonist, Ravi. And Individual who by no stretch of the word embodies the unsaid qualities as required by a leading man; often times his words and action made me uncomfortable.
Which is only natural, as more times than none, the protagonist is the vessel which the reader embodies. To be reminded of his shortcomings and failings, makes us look inside and ponder.
Ravi is a wanderer. Some may call him a coward, running away from suffering and perhaps the reality of his father's mortality. He is a voyeur who indulges in several vices, perhaps to detach himself from the thoughts. Those that whisper to him, from the depths of the swamp, the canopies of the old tree, in form of the goddess in the temple; In The call to prayer Athan and Iqamah.
Ravi is running. from one thing or another. Yet for every step he takes the distance only seems to shorten by four.
His sexual promiscuity and other habits, make me worry for the children that he is to serve as a role model to. Then again perhaps this is just the Mirror of my mind, speaking the truth. But that is the point, a Work of literature that makes me question my place and existence. the way in which life is, and was; it is truly something magnificent.
I would recommend, to those who can, to read the original work in Malayalam. The translations I found quite lacking; Having lost the bite and depth of the native tongue. Either way a story worth Knowing.
wandering_zero's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
juneandorange's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
bfmermer's review against another edition
4.0
Büyülü bir kitap Khasak Efsaneleri. Kendisinden yalnızca 2 sene önce yayınlanan Yüzyıllık Yalnızlık ile yapılan karşılaştırmalar gayet haklı, Marquez'in Latin Amerika kültürüyle yaptığını Vijayan da Hindistan'la yapmış. Kitap Ravi isimli bir gencin yeni açılan devlet okulunda öğretmenlik yapmak için Khasak'a gelmesiyle başlıyor. Khasak isminde bir yer yok aslında, Hindu ve Müslümanların -çoğu zaman- barış içinde yaşadığı bu küçük Hint kasabası Vijayan'ın hayal gücünün bir parçası. Kitap boyunca Ravi'nin geçmişini, Khasak'ta yaşadıklarını ve geçirdiği değişimi görüyoruz ancak kitabın Ravi'den başka birçok kahramanı var. Khasak'ın yeni okula karşı çıkan mollası Allah Pitcha, mollanın yetiştirdiği ve komünistlikten işkence gördükten sonra din yolunu seçen Kadı Nizam Ali, istediği zaman Hindu istediği zaman Müslüman olmasına izin verilen papağan çocuk Appu Kili, Chand Umma, Kuppu Acchan, Madhavan Nair... 200 sayfalık bir kitaba göre Vijayan o kadar çok karakter ve hikaye oluşturmuş ki hayranlık duymamak elde değil. Bu hikayeleri okurken bir yandan da 60'ların Hindistan'ına tanık oluyoruz.
Kitabın başlarında karakterlerin art arda ortaya çıkmasından dolayı biraz bocaladım. Ama birkaç bölümün ardından hem karakterlere hem de Vijayan'ın diline alıştım ve kitap su gibi aktı gitti. Vijayan'ın anlattığı her bir hikaye içime işledi, her bir karakterle bağ kurdum. Khasak tuhaf bir yer; festivaller, lanetler, büyü yapan astrologlar, Tanrılar ve Tanrıçalar var. Ve en önemlisi çok fazla acı, ölüm var. Keşke daha uzun olsaydı, Vijayan başka başka hikayeler anlatsaydı bize.
Güney Asya'nın en çok satan romanlarından biri olsa da sadece Türkiye'de değil bütün batıda hak ettiği ilgiyi görememiş Khasak Efsanaleri. Kitabın İngilizce çevirisinin ancak 1994'te yayınlanmasının bunda payı büyük. Büyülü gerçekçilik deyince akla genellikle Latin Amerika geliyor ama Vijayan birçoğumuzun sadece filmleriyle tanıdığı uzak topraklarda da buna mükemmel bir örnek vermiş, eğer az da olsa ilginiz varsa siz de bu başyapıta bir şans verin.
Kitabın başlarında karakterlerin art arda ortaya çıkmasından dolayı biraz bocaladım. Ama birkaç bölümün ardından hem karakterlere hem de Vijayan'ın diline alıştım ve kitap su gibi aktı gitti. Vijayan'ın anlattığı her bir hikaye içime işledi, her bir karakterle bağ kurdum. Khasak tuhaf bir yer; festivaller, lanetler, büyü yapan astrologlar, Tanrılar ve Tanrıçalar var. Ve en önemlisi çok fazla acı, ölüm var. Keşke daha uzun olsaydı, Vijayan başka başka hikayeler anlatsaydı bize.
Güney Asya'nın en çok satan romanlarından biri olsa da sadece Türkiye'de değil bütün batıda hak ettiği ilgiyi görememiş Khasak Efsanaleri. Kitabın İngilizce çevirisinin ancak 1994'te yayınlanmasının bunda payı büyük. Büyülü gerçekçilik deyince akla genellikle Latin Amerika geliyor ama Vijayan birçoğumuzun sadece filmleriyle tanıdığı uzak topraklarda da buna mükemmel bir örnek vermiş, eğer az da olsa ilginiz varsa siz de bu başyapıta bir şans verin.
aleena123's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
beetroot17's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
snufflesxx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
o.v vijayan has a beautiful way with words. even though translated his writing style shines bright throughout the text. the story is complex with every character adding another layer of intensity.
there are parts that i didn't enjoy, but considering i had extremely low expectations, this was a surprisingly lovely read.
there are parts that i didn't enjoy, but considering i had extremely low expectations, this was a surprisingly lovely read.