Showing posts with label chemmeen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemmeen. Show all posts

Friday, 1 January 2016

Top 10 Books that I have read in 2015

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10.  THE WHITE TIGER (ARAVIND ADIGA)

The whole book is a letter to the Chinese Premier from Munna alias Balram Halwai alias the White Tiger. The letter tells the story of how Balram Halwai, a halwa maker becomes an entrepreneur. Munna murders his humane master and betrays him by stealing money meant for corrupt politicians and escapes to Bangalore to start a new life.

       

                         
 9. IN YOUR SIGHTS (ELIZABETH KRALL)
"In Your Sights " revolves around the life of Caroline Bready, a widow who tries to bury her past and moves on with her life. When Caroline finds a brutally attacked woman, she is drawn into a tangled up mess of crimes. Soon, Caroline realises that a photography class and a blog may even pave way for the attacker to find her. Things go from bad to worse when she couldn't trust the people whom she trusted and when faith brings her into this web of deep trouble. 


 8. PAPER TOWNS (JOHN GREEN)                                "Paper Towns" is about a boy named Quentin "Q" Jacobsen and his search for Margo Roth Spiegelman; who goes missing after an adventurous night of revenge. Following some unintentional clues, Q and his friends manage to find Margo in a paper town. Slowly, Q realises that Margo is nothing like he imagined.                      
  
 7. THE LOST SYMBOL (DAN BROWN)

This one is another adventure of Harvard professor Robert Langdon. Robert encounters a strange symbol at the venue of his presentation and when Peter Soloman, Langdon's mentor and a great friend, is known to be in serious trouble, Langdon finds himself drawn to a chain of events. Secrets unknown to mankind is at the verge of unveiling. Robert along with Katherine Solomon must decide whether to reveal the secrets or let them bury deep down far from human's reach.

 6. THE GOLDFINCH (DONNA TARTT)

In a nutshell, Theo Decker is a devoted son of an equally devoted mother who is admired by everyone. When Theo loses his mother at a terrorist attack in an art gallery, he manages to gain the painting of Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch which draws him to a series of events and into a complex stressed lifestyle. The journey of Theo through these events gives him the definition of life and living.


5. CHEMMEEN (T.S PILLAI)

The story revolves around Karuthamma, a fisherman's daughter destined to marry a fisherman of her same caste and religion. When Pareekutty, a Muslim fisherman helps her family, Karuthamma couldn't help herself from falling into the forbidden love. Little did Karuthamma know that fate had other plans for her. "Chemmeen" is a story about hope and hopeless love.


 4. ANGELS AND DEMONS (DAN BROWN)

This book by Dan Brown belongs to the genre mystery-thriller and describes a day in the life of Robert Langdon, a Harward professor of religious iconology. When Langdon learns of the rise of the secret brotherhood Illuminati whose vendetta against their sworn enemy the Catholic Church and the mysterious past, things start to become bitter and gruesome. Along with Vittoria Vetra, a renowned scientist, Langdon tries to stop the greatest invention from becoming the greatest cause for destruction.

3. THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS (DIVAKARUNI)

A historical fictional book, 'The Palace of Illusions' is a recreated version of Mahabharata with its mythological characters. The peculiarity of this book is that the story of the Mahabharata is narrated by Panchaali, the wife of the five Pandava brothers. Her fiery birth and lonely childhood makes her an independent lady who creates an everlasting bond with her brother and a complicated friendship with Krishna, her best friend. When Panchaali marries the Pandava brothers, her destiny unfolds to reveal dark secrets and she creates a torturing blot on humankind which was beyond reversible.


 2. OKTOBER HEAT (DORIS DUMRAUF)

"Oktober Heat" is about Walter Hofmann, a German policeman who encounters a murdered woman which is the starting line for the plot. When Walter comes to know that his best friend Jeff Preston, an American soldier is accused of that murder, he decides to find the real killer and clear his friend's name. In the long run to solve the case, Walter endangers the lives of his friends and family.

1. THE POWER OF NOW (ECKHART TOLLE)

Author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle emphasis the power of 'Now'. According to him, we can unleash the power of consciousness by being completely aware of the present. Through consciousness and surrender, we end the suffering. We accept suffering to enter a place of inner peace which is often veiled behind the egoistic mind. Pain and suffering takes us a step closer to enlightenment. Acknowledgement and acceptance of pain body can take us to a higher level of consciousness away from mind modulated thoughts. According to him, we are the key to enlightenment.




Saturday, 18 July 2015

[Book Review] Chemmeen

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T. S Pillai's masterpiece "Chemmeen" is a mesmerising seaside story. "Chemmeen" is a realistic fictional tragedy which focuses on the lifestyle of early fishermen folk in Kerala, the southern part of India. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's "Chemmeen" is the first Malayalam novel to win Sahitya Akademi award. The English version has been translated by Anita Nair and the translation is simple yet beautiful to read.
This book had been made into a Malayalam movie by the same name. The cover page of the book is still from the "Chemmeen" movie. The malayalam actress Sheela who portrays the character 'Karuthamma' is seen holding earthen pots on a sea shore. She is in her fisherwoman dress and she seems to gaze at someone or something.

The story revolves around Karuthamma, a fisherman's daughter destined to marry a fisherman of her same caste and religion. When Pareekutty, a Muslim fisherman helps her family, Karuthamma couldn't help herself from falling into the forbidden love. Little did Karuthamma know that fate had other plans for her. "Chemmeen" is a story about hope and hopeless love.

The vivid description of seashore is striking and the story takes us through the life of the fisher folk. It also elicits how the caste division affects the people. The characters often question the ethics and norms set by the society. The novel has been translated into many languages over the world and is one of the best translated works of Malayalam. Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai brings out the simple story in its brief detailing, but manages to enthral readers from all over the world. I would definitely recommend this book as a one time read. Eventhough this belongs to the tragedy genre and the ending seemed to pull a sudden brake, the plot unfolds beautifully which is guaranteed to entertain all readers.