NAMESAKE

• NAMESAKE by Jhumpa Lahiri

I had read two times this novel when i was in Third year B.A. What i like the most about this novel is its emotinal touch. As a reader we feel emotinally connected with the characters. And Ashima is brilliantly drawn, my favourite character. While reading it looks like as if things are happening in front of my eyes.

• For the first time, i came to know about diasporic sensibility. Indian's desire for America, and after settling there their craving for motherland is a brilliant study of human psyche which is captured in the novel.

• Beginning of the novel is striking ........ Ashima living in Kolkata, doing job of teacher. Then their engagement with Ashok  etc is beautiful description to read.

• Ashok and Ashima, after living so many years in America, loves,  remembers and occasionally also  visit India. whereas their children dont think and feel so. Because their upbringing was in totally different environment.The way parents looks towards India and Motherland is totally different than their children's way of looking.

• Because of failure of arriving letter of granny suggesting the name of the child, Ashok registers his name Gogol. when child grew up he dislikes his name. This angst and alienation is beautifully presented in the novel. The clash between Indian culture, morality and American freedom is also visible in the novel.

Moby Dick

Moby Dick

Oh my god!!! How can i forgot Moby Dick.

It was the first novel i had read, and then cultivated interest in literature- especially novels. I still remember sitting myself in the library of the Shamaldas Arts College, and reading Moby Dick with smile, excitement and pleasure on my face.

I still remember the very first line of the novel....CALL ME ISMAEL!! and then the beautiful narrative begins.

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale (1851) is a novel by Herman Melville considered an outstanding work of Romanticism and the American Renaissance. A sailor called Ishmael narrates the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaler Pequod, for revenge on Moby Dick, a white whale which on a previous voyage destroyed Ahab's ship and severed his leg at the knee.

 The most striking quality of the novel is its description of wild sea and the great fish Moby Dick. The novel gives boundless aesthetic delight.

Ismael tells the story of adventure of catching great fish named Moby Dick.

D. H. Lawrence called it "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world", and "the greatest book of the sea ever written".

"Call me Ishmael." is one of world literature's most famous opening sentences.

Karnbharam by mahakavi Bhas

Karnbharam is written by mahakavi Bhas. This play is originally based on epic Mahabharata. Bhas has chose an incident from that epic and with few changes created a seperate play.

"Karnabharam" title itself suggests its meaning that "Karnasya bharam iti Karnabharam". Word Karna has two meaning- First it mean EAR, and second it is the name of the protagonist. 'Bharam' means weight, pressure. So, it connotes two meaning that Ear's weight because of "KAVACH & KUNDAL. and second  KURUKSHETRA WAR is going on. and Karna was the newly elected Senapati of Kauravas. so, its pressure.

★Myth of Karna's birth & Kavach Kundal:-

it is said that Karna was born to Kunti by reciting Mantra before her marriage.

When Kunti was young girl at that time she had done good service to a Rishi Durvasa. Impressed by her service he asked her for boon. She denied and told that i am princess right now. I have everything. But you can look into future, so give me the thing which i may require in future. so he gave her Mantra of God, by reciting it she can have son of that god. Unmarried Kunti tried this in curiousness that whether it works or not. it worked and Karna-son of God Sun was born. Afraid of society Kunti left Karna into basket and then into river. But he was son of god sun- so god gave him Kavach & Kundal and a boon that untill he wear this he will be never killed in war.Kavach & Kundal were attached to his body naturally or we can say it was inborn.

For Pandavas it was inevitable to kill Karna. so God/ lord Indra comes to help them.

The play begins by Indra entering as Brahmin, where Karna was doing his morning pooja.Every morning Karna donates to Brahmins whatever they ask. so this was the morning before the war & Indra takes disadvantages of it.

In the play there is beautiful conversation between Karna and Indra. Karna offers so many things to Brahmins like cows, horses, golds, jewellery, entire kingdom and at last even his head. But Brahmin dont accet his offer. This conversation is very interesting with high seriousness. At last Indra demands for his Kavach Kundal. Karna knew very well that it is trap of Indra, because his father Suryadev (God Sun) had already informed him about this previous night, then even Karna gives it to him. Karna was aware that without it he may be defeated in war.

But at last he speaks very good dialogue that ".........Huttam cha dattam cha tathaiv tishthati". means whatever one has given that remains for ever.

KADAMBARI by Banbhatt

Kadambari is a Mahanavalkatha (long novel) by Banbhatt. This is one of my favourite book. The story of this book is very interesting. 
Kādambari is a romantic novel in Sanskrit. It was substantially composed by Bāṇabhaṭṭa in the first half of the 7th century CE, who did not survive to see it through completion. The novel was completed by Banabhatta's son Bhushanabhatta, according to the plan laid out by his late father. It is conventionally divided into Purvabhaga (earlier part) written by Banabhatta, and Uttarabhaga (latter part) by Bhushanabhatta. 



In fact, here 3 lives of protagonist are described in a single plot. Hero and heroine dies and borns three time.

Chandrapeed and Mahashweta are the hero & heroine. One major difficulty in reading this book is that because it is too long, narrated by many narrator and is full of cliches. there are several competing subplots; indeed, the heroine does not make her appearance until past the midpoint. Many of the characters appear in multiple incarnations, some as humans and some as demigods or animals. The narration proceeds in a succession of nested frames; a large part of it is a retelling by a parrot of a story which was told to it by a sage. The latter story also contains several instances of one character relating a sub-story to another character.

The way two monologues of Dr. Faustus, soliloquies of Hamlet & Temptation scene in Paradise Lost are very famous, similarly here a friends preaching/ guiding to his friend Pundarik is very popular.

its title is " Dhairyadhanahi Sadhavah" can be translated as Gentlemans are full of patience. It happens in the story that Pundarik- the protagonist in his third birth was in his student / Brhammacharya age. They were moving in jungle. At that time he saw a beautiful girl Mahashweta. Mesmorized by her beauty Pundarik forgets everything.

So, his friend tells him very good lines that " O my dear friend Pundarik ! this is not good for you. That is a path choosen by ordinary people & you are not so. How can you be so impatient that you dont realise falling of 'Yaksha mala' from your hand. Where is your sense and understanding? It looks like all your education goes in vain. Dhairyadhan hi sadhav.

Reading this kind of books gives understanding of the great Indian tradition, value system and morality. Here a friend is also ideal example of friend that he stops his friend from going to wrong path.

Work cited:-
Wikipedia contributors. "Kadambari." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

HITOPDESH

Hitopdesh is written by Narayan Pandit. It is largely based on "Panchtantra", a similar kind of book by Vishnusharma. Title itself suggests that what is the book all about.In this book all characters are animals and they deliver story and moral message at the end of the story. It is allegorical book, not just story of animals but intentionally written to teach people.

The book is devided into four sub sections - Mitrabhed, Mitraprapti, Labdhapranashan, and Aparikshitkarak.

The background of the story is like that There was a king and he has a four son. But all of them were dumb / fool. so king declared that whoever takes responsibility to educate his sons in four months will be rewarded by king. and then through this story their education begins. and he successfully makes all sons wise in given time.

Narayana says that the purpose of creating the work is to encourage proficiency in Sanskrit expression and knowledge of wise behaviour . This is done through the telling of moral stories in which birds, beasts and humans interact. Interest is maintained through the device of enclosed narratives in which a story is interrupted by an illustrative tale before resuming.

वज्रादपि कठोराणि मृदूनि कुसुमादपि ।

लोकोत्तराणां चेतांसि को नो विज्ञातुमर्हति॥

Vajraadapi kathhoraani mridooni kusumaadapi

Lokottaraanaam chetaamsi ko nu vijnaatumarhati.

The hearts of the best of men who are a cut above the ordinary people are harder than diamond (when facing obstacles or enemies ) and softer than flowers (towards the less privileged and the miserable). Who can understand the hearts of such men?

ज्ञानं भारः क्रियां विना

Jnaanam bhaarah kriyaam vinaa

Without action knowledge is a burden (knowledge, not put into practice, is sheer waste)

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GHASIRAM KOTWAL by Vijay Tendulkar

GHASIRAM KOTWAL

Ghasiram Kotwal is a play by Vijay Tendulkar. It is about power politics. It is frightening that Ghasiram gives his daughter Gauri to Nana Phadanvis to become a Kotwal.

The play is written in simple language but its satire, dark humour, concept and content are miraculous.

How Ghasiram had came there to find his fortune but situation ruins everything. Ghasiram's suffering and poor condition creates sympathy for him but after becoming Kotwal what he did is terrific.

Vijay Tendulkar himself  was a Brahmin, and in this play he bitterly criticizes/ satirizes the Brahmins. This is ideal example of self criticism. You cannot praise your so called tradition, which in real sense is rotten.

This kind of books actually helps to make society better. It raises awareness that everything is not well, we've to overcome our pitfalls and shortcomings.

I still remember one line from play that " There are no Donkeys in Nana's kingdom?". this sentence is ironical. Means state was full of people like this.

play also throws light on other aspects like how Brahmins were going to visit prostitute at night on the name of Pooja /  worship in Temple. Their wives alone at home waiting for them. there is also reference that This women visited by other men.

Nana Phadanvis has also so many wives, and theneven he lusts Gauri, who is just fourteen years old. This also shows the typical lude nature of kings. How female body was just an object for men is presented here. Ghasiram uses it to gain power and Nana uses it for pleasure.

FAR FROM MADDING CROWD by Thomas Hardy

FAR FROM MADDING CROWD

Hardy took the title from Thomas Gray's poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751).

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strifeTheir sober wishes never learn'd to stray;Along the cool sequester'd vale of lifeThey kept the noiseless tenor of their way."Madding" means "frenzied" here.

Far from Madding Crowd is a novel by Thomas Hardy.  It is about love triangle between Bathsheba- a beautiful girl and Gabriel Oak, Boldwood and sergeant Troy.

In the beginning of the novel, Gabriel Oak proposes Bathsheba for marriage, but she denies because of Oak's poverty and lefts the place. After sometime Oak looses his everything, so he has to move to other place. on the way he saves a farm from fire. coincidentally it was farm of Bathsheba. so he lives there and works for Bathsheba.

At this juncture Bathsheba was in love with Boldwood. But Oak, forgets his past and works sincerely there. He was not jealous of anyone. Later on , Sergeant Troy comes in Bathsheba's life. Boldwood thought that it is because of Troy Bathsheba is away from him. so Boldwood shoots Troy and he has to go in jail. After few time Bathsheba realizes love of Oak, and he marries her.

This novel also like other novels of Hardy set in the "Wessex".  Reading book like this gives boundless aesthetic pleasure.

Hardy's Wess

Far from the Madding Crowd offers in ample measure the details of English rural life that Hardy so relished.

Weatherbury Church (Puddletown)(Wikipedia)

Hardy first employed the term "Wessex" in Far from the Madding Crowd to describe the "partly real, partly dream-country". (Wikipedia)








Work Cited:-


Wikipedia contributors. "Far from the Madding Crowd." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Jan. 2016. Web. 6 Feb. 2016.

DR.JAKYLL AND MR. HYDE by R.L. Stevenson

• DR.JAKYLL AND MR. HYDE

• Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson first published in 1886. The work is commonly known today as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde. It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde.

It is very interesting scientific fiction about two sides of a person. Dr. Jackyll was a well reputed person in society. Everybody respected him. In the novel many bad incidents takes place at night. But at the end of the novel the mystery reveals that all this were done by Mr.Hyde. Who is Mr.Hyde?? Mr Hyde was no one but Dr. Jackyll.  it was done by someone called Mr. Hyde. 

Dr. Jekyll is a "large, well-made, smooth- faced man of fifty with something of a slyish cast",  who occasionally feels he is battling between the good and evil within himself, thus leading to the struggle between his dual personalities of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde. He has spent a great part of his life trying to repress evil urges that were not fitting for a man of his stature.

 He creates a serum, or potion, in an attempt to mask this hidden evil within his personality. However, in doing so, Jekyll transforms into the smaller, younger, cruel, remorseless, evil Hyde. Jekyll has many friends and has an amiable personality, but as Hyde, he becomes mysterious and violent. As time goes by, Hyde grows in power. 

After taking the potion repeatedly, he no longer relies upon it to unleash his inner demon, i.e., his alter ego. Eventually, Hyde grows so strong that Jekyll becomes reliant on the potion to remain
conscious.He ended the letter by saying, "I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end." With these words, both the document and the novella come to a close.