Indulekha

Indulekha is the first completed Malayalam Novel by O. Chandumenon. The story revolves round Indulekha, Madhavan and an old Namboori who comes to Indulekha'a Mansion to trap Indulekha in a Bandavam. It is equally serious and humorous. I had read the Malayalam version when I was young.

The Age of Siva- Manil Mansuri

Couldn't complete the 'Night Train to Gibson' but finished reading Manil Suri's "The Age Of Siva". I liked the simplicity of his language and originality of his story. It was as if he was writing a diary about his characters, being a witness to their day-to-day life. He tells his long story in simple chapters without losing our curiosity even though it is all about a middle class woman's struggle to live her life well.
As an woman mislead in all her life; first by her sister, then father and then husband and in the end, she clings to her only son for support. But when the relationship between the mother and son becomes so possessive and distructive, the boy himself finds a solution by staying away from his mom for a while, in a boys hostel.

She at first finds it difficult to come to terms with her son's departure and tries to commit suicide. She finds her life is worthless without her son. But in the end, with the help of her girl friend, she comes to terms with the life and accepts her life as it is. She join in an institution to further her studies, making her eligible to get a better job but still finds it difficult to come out from the world of her son' teenage life... like Radha contemplating her Krishna, she contemplates on her Son.

I think the author tries to show the stupidity of Indian women who put their own life at the mercy or on the hands of others to decide their future, by simply forgetting what their real dreams are or totally neglecting their own strengths.

Night train to Lisbon- Pascal Mercier

Now reading. I am with the author in Lisbon.. alone.. with out any purpose.. moving with the fate.

[May be because of the lonely life of the hero and the loneliness of me together haunted me much and made me lonelier still, when I got a much more lively book, I just went inside, to be with the life of that lively people. But I will come back and finish this book later for sure...]

One Hundred Years Of Solitude

Ursula's hundred years and the sprouting up of a civilization from nothing. It flourishes it to its maximum and then perishes after 100 years, leaving behind nothing.

I couldn't concentrate on any other stories after I read this Novel. I think I am still mesmerized my the life portrayed in it. Life of many people interconnected and in the end, all of them leave from the world, leaving no marks behind.

All our lives are like that. We create, build, expand our territories and rule our world but in the end, there would be nothing.. Only an empty space will remain.

Love in the time of cholera

This is another book by Gabriel Garcia Marques, the author of 'One hundred years of solitude'. I enjoyed the book very much. Each page is hidden with abundant treasures of life.

The main theme is the natural affinity between men and women and the life of ordinary people in general as it is. He projects the otherwise hidden side of people's characters like, weakness and follies in sex, love, and relationships while they try to lead a normal life in society.

Now, I am going to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez' 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'. As I have failed to concentrate on its Malayalam translation, I have a little fear but the beginning so far is ok. It is so smooth...

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success- Deepak Chopra

This is really a useful book. There are 7 simple ways (practices) to make our life meaningful, purposeful and peaceful.

I read 'The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success' long before and got enlightenment and gave the book to somebody to save them from depression and so the book was not with me for the past 2 years. Now I bought a new copy from India.

Here are the Seven Spiritual Laws

SUNDAY
The Law of Pure Potentiality
Take time to be silent, to just BE. Meditate for 30 minutes twice a day. Silently witness the intelligence within every living thing. Practice non-judgment.
MONDAY The Law of Giving
Today, bring whoever you encounter a gift: a compliment or flower. Gratefully receive gifts. Keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving care, affection, appreciation and love.
TUESDAY The Law of Karma
Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. Choosing actions that bring happiness and success to others ensures the flow of happiness and success to you.
WEDNESDAY
The Law of Least Effort
Accept people, situations, and events as they occur. Take responsibility for your situation and for all events seen as problems. Relinquish the need to defend your point of view.
THURSDAY
The Law of Intention and Desire
Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment. Make a list of desires. Trust that when things don’t seem to go your way, there is a reason.
FRIDAY The Law of Detachment
Allow yourself and others the freedom to be who they are. Do not force solutions—allow solutions to spontaneously emerge. Uncertainty is essential, and your path to freedom.
SATURDAY The Law of Dharma
Seek your higher Self. Discover your unique talents. Ask yourself how you are best suited to serve humanity. Using your unique talents and serving others brings unlimited bliss and abundance.

The Mistress- Anitha Nair

In Mistress, Anitha Nair narrates a rich lady's fickleness and her desire to get true love as she was trapped in a loveless marriage and the resulting controversies.

I like Anitha nair's style of writing. After reading her story, "The Better Man", I was an ardent fan of hers, thirsty to read more, just because she used the exact translations of Malayalam thoughts in English. I felt like I was reading some great Malayalam novel itself. She narrated Kerala and its nature and life in the village all so vividly that I could not enjoy even a real Malayalam novel with such a longing.

A grain of sand (Chokher Bali)

A Novel by Sri. Rabindranath Tagore. The main character is a widow named Binodini (Chokher Bali) who finds it hard to live normally in the world with others and her fickle mind tries to intrude in other peoples heart and lives and in the end the divinity in her leads her throught the correct path by correcting all the mistakes she has done and she gives up worldly life and goes to Kasi with her old aunt.

May be Rabindranath Tagore is giving us the chaos a widow has to go through to live a normal life and he points out that it is a fruitless attempt to live like a normal person rather than becoming a Sanyasin.

The story takes place in the previous century. Now women are more independent and society also is broad minded. Now women have every opportunity to live independently without losing their nobility. (This Novel was adapted into a film named 'Chokher Bali', starring Aiswaria Rai as Binodini.) Tagore's Githanjali is indeed a balm to our soul. I have a Malayalam version of Githanjali with me.

Midnights Children- Salman Rushdie

This book was awarded as the 'Booker of the Booker's ' Prize. The story revolves the time of the 'Partion of India' ( at midnight on 15th August 1947) and how it affect the narrator Saleem Senai and all the children born at that exact time (between 12 AM and 1PM, on August 15, 1947 ) and how they are indirectly involved in the Partion and affected by the Partition and how their relations fall apart as the country itself fall apart...

The story made me nostalgic for many days.