Long interval...

The last post I did on this blog was in April! Like this one, that was an attempt to restart the habit of writing on this page!

During this period- I have been denied permission to enter into US once (you doesn't seem fit yet!), I have worked hard and have enjoyed it, some of my colleagues and roomies have left this place, I have moved one place forward in the family queue of unmarried eligible bachelors, another CAT year is over and I am probably thinking about a location change! But in totality, everything remains the same!!

I visited Kerala once during this time, just after three months of my last one making it the shortest duration I have been away from my home after coming here. Kerala has not changed much, except that now the ruling party is the one with red flag. I had thought I am becoming more and more ignorant about the state, but realized that it is not the case. I am not the only one who is not aware of the ministers ruling the state, people living there seemed to know little about them. All the projects announce by the dethroned Congress government seemed to be re-launched, some in another name altogether! And the yesteryear's hero as leader of opposition has become a zero in Kerala's chief minister. He was still trying to get into his old clothes, last heard was him blaming the UDF government for the spread of Chikungunya in Alappuzha.

I read some really good books in the meantime. Anne Frank's Diary, The Fifth Mountain, The Fountainhead, and To Kill a Mocking Bird being some of them. Latter is the one i liked most.

Google has done some really amazing things during this time. I have integrated my blogger account with my Google account while writing this, thus releiving from the hazzle of remembering one more id-password. I have started adding my documents to google docs, and have started reading blogs and news from my enhanced and not-anymore-beta Google reader. I would like to conclude this post here, hope to be more active on this page in future!

The God of Small Things

I completed the Booker prize winning novel "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. Finally, the second attempt became successful!

It is a very simple story told very cleverly with a great climax. No, I am not that stupid to review the book in this blog. Or is it, I am not that wise? Anyways, the best review about the book which I liked is the one which says that "the book finds a language for itself".

"Die-able viable age" and "Orangedrink Lemondrink Man" are not forgettable!! Then there are those repeated words: repeatedly repeated repeats for Roy! Nothing more to describe, you must read it!

Chevathar and Blue Mangoes

I just read The House of Blue Mangoes by David Davidar.

The story, starting in a period long before independence (1899) and ending when independent India was born, narrates the life of three generations of Dorai family. It has been told as three sections viz, Chevathar, Doraipuram and Pulimedu.

The first part set in Chevathar, an imaginary village which would fall in the present Tamil Nadu state, takes you through the era when British just came to India, and people began to convert to Christianity to escape caste system and for other economic advantages. The family of the landlord or thalaivar of the village, the Dorais, are among these converted christians. How the change of religion failed to change the mindset of the people is depicted through the thoughts and caste-based customs followed by Solomon Dorai, the baptised thalaivar. The part ends with the death of Solomon Dorai and Father Ashworth - the priest, in a caste war.

The second section is primarily for next generation Dorais Daniel and Aron, by the end of which Daniel becomes a famous Sidha doctor and Aron dies the death of an infamous criminal - for becoming part of an extremist organisation for the cause of independence. The third part is for Kannan aka Thirumoolar, the son of Daniel who becomes (un?)successful by the end of his life!

The first part is pretty much interesting and author has done a nice job in describing Chevathar. Other characters like Charity Dorai-the wife of Solomon, Younger brother of Solomon, Ashworth-the father of village church, vakeel Perumal- a rich man in the village have naturality and their part to play in the story. It would have been better if author had finished the novel with first part, instead of describing next and next generations in the subsequent sections, when there is nothing much innovative in the story line. Instead the story loses the natural touch and becomes more dramatical with instances like Charity Dorai becoming mad, Daniel's effort to take her to some Ashram of occult cure, Daniels India expedition for Mango research, and finally the Will of Daniel which describes how to make gold from his body(?). The third part also is dull except that it is set in Pulimed, a place in the present Kerala state. Again pages have been wasted for (another) story about (stupid?) Kannan hunting a man-eating tiger!

I feel the story could have been told in three books instead of three sections, which would have enabled the author to do more justice to every part and the readers to enjoy it more. Anyways the book is a good read (or good to read), especially(only?) the first part!!