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ചാത്തൻസ് | Chathans
- GenresFiction
162 pages, Paperback
5 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
വി കെ എന് | V.K.N.
54 books112 followersV.K.N.' or VKN (abbreviated from his full name Vadakkke Koottala Narayanankutty Nair) (6 April 1932 - 25 January 2004) was a pathbreaking and celebrated Malayalam writer, noted mainly for his high-brow satire. Apart from novels, he wrote short stories and political commentaries. A native of Kerala in south India, his works are considered distinctive for their multi-layered humour, trenchant criticism of the socio-political classes and uncanny ability to twist the meanings of words contextually, thus lend a touch of magic to his language (which, at times, was English too).
VKN's works call for an attentive and informed reader who can recognise his allusions and follow his changes in language, where he shifts between English, Hindi, Malayalam and a distinctive variety of Tamil spoken by the Iyer community in Palakkad. In most cases, the use of language other than Malayalam is immediately followed by a translation (in parentheses), but these translations have little do with what they stand for in the original.
Born on 6 April 1932, in Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district, VKN, after completing his matriculation, joined the Malabar Devaswom Board and worked there for 9 years. Like a good number of modern Malayalam writers like O. V. Vijayan, VKN spent many years in New Delhi (from 1959 to 1969) as an English journalist. The experiences he gained during these years that also coincided with the nascent post-independent India finds a recreation in one of his most heralded work, Pitamahan (The Great Grandfather). He entered Malayalam literature in 1955.
VKN is considered as a genius, for his knowledge in philosophy, history, art, politics, literature (both Indian and Western; ancient and modern), social issues, ethnicity, agriculture, astrology and sport. It merits some acquaintance with his writing style and deep understanding of language and politics to really comprehend and appreciate his wit and insight. Due to this reason, it is near impossible to convey his brilliance in translations and it is very difficult even for those who understand Malayalam to fully grasp his multi-dimensional wizardry.
His humour comes from inverting his own language to expose both the inner workings and shortcomings of our languages as a means of communication. In certain stories/narrations, the characters of the story/narration comment about the author. Malayalam critics have yet to understand him well, and a proper study about his works and style is yet to happen in the language. VKN served as vice-chairperson of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Thrissur. He had also chaired the Kunchan Smarakam at Killikkurussimangalam near Ottappalam.
More Details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._K._N.
VKN's works call for an attentive and informed reader who can recognise his allusions and follow his changes in language, where he shifts between English, Hindi, Malayalam and a distinctive variety of Tamil spoken by the Iyer community in Palakkad. In most cases, the use of language other than Malayalam is immediately followed by a translation (in parentheses), but these translations have little do with what they stand for in the original.
Born on 6 April 1932, in Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district, VKN, after completing his matriculation, joined the Malabar Devaswom Board and worked there for 9 years. Like a good number of modern Malayalam writers like O. V. Vijayan, VKN spent many years in New Delhi (from 1959 to 1969) as an English journalist. The experiences he gained during these years that also coincided with the nascent post-independent India finds a recreation in one of his most heralded work, Pitamahan (The Great Grandfather). He entered Malayalam literature in 1955.
VKN is considered as a genius, for his knowledge in philosophy, history, art, politics, literature (both Indian and Western; ancient and modern), social issues, ethnicity, agriculture, astrology and sport. It merits some acquaintance with his writing style and deep understanding of language and politics to really comprehend and appreciate his wit and insight. Due to this reason, it is near impossible to convey his brilliance in translations and it is very difficult even for those who understand Malayalam to fully grasp his multi-dimensional wizardry.
His humour comes from inverting his own language to expose both the inner workings and shortcomings of our languages as a means of communication. In certain stories/narrations, the characters of the story/narration comment about the author. Malayalam critics have yet to understand him well, and a proper study about his works and style is yet to happen in the language. VKN served as vice-chairperson of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Thrissur. He had also chaired the Kunchan Smarakam at Killikkurussimangalam near Ottappalam.
More Details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V._K._N.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 4, 2024
This is yet another book by V.K.N. which is a satire and makes us laugh and think at the same time. Communism, the working class, politics, and farmers are shown from different angles in this book.
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June 19, 2012
Ah ! Chathans ! The prototype of the working class in Kerala. So common yet so uncommon thou art the stuff that revolutions are made of !
The political history of India has this interesting aspect that the phenomenon of Communism has made a lasting impact in only two states of the sub continent. The first of these is Kerala & the next is Bengal. Stunning every political observer, the first elected communist government came to power in Kerala in 1957. Ever since then, this political ideology has held sway over the general populace of Kerala. Go to even the smallest of village hamlets and even the oldest denizens there will regale you with detailed dissections on the rising threat of religious fanaticism or the social ostracization faced by leftist parties these days. I have had my lower jaw hanging open listening to such piercing insights into the intellectual dimensions of politics in the most unlikely of places like barbershops and roadside eateries. Such is the wide portrait that is Kerala and in the time that the novel was written, the state was much more politically charged than what it is now. For a master wordsmith like VKN, all that remained was to dip his quill in this societal situation and make few deft strokes on the canvas and out jumps Chathan.
He is an epitome of the agricultural society and the working mass of the state. One of the cogs that make up the machine or so he muses but the reality is a far cry from this. Chathan wastes not one opportunity to protest against exploitation ( even if it is about doing an hour or two of work in a day !) and offers eloquent explanations as to why this would cause the ultimate humiliation of servitude. VKN shoots sharp arrows at pseudo communists and each one of the arrows find their marks. This book had the material that made me laugh and also think on how much a well meant ideology could be warped into something to attain selfish ends.
Hats off VKN ! You were,are & will continue to be the big daddy of satire in Malayalam literature.
The political history of India has this interesting aspect that the phenomenon of Communism has made a lasting impact in only two states of the sub continent. The first of these is Kerala & the next is Bengal. Stunning every political observer, the first elected communist government came to power in Kerala in 1957. Ever since then, this political ideology has held sway over the general populace of Kerala. Go to even the smallest of village hamlets and even the oldest denizens there will regale you with detailed dissections on the rising threat of religious fanaticism or the social ostracization faced by leftist parties these days. I have had my lower jaw hanging open listening to such piercing insights into the intellectual dimensions of politics in the most unlikely of places like barbershops and roadside eateries. Such is the wide portrait that is Kerala and in the time that the novel was written, the state was much more politically charged than what it is now. For a master wordsmith like VKN, all that remained was to dip his quill in this societal situation and make few deft strokes on the canvas and out jumps Chathan.
He is an epitome of the agricultural society and the working mass of the state. One of the cogs that make up the machine or so he muses but the reality is a far cry from this. Chathan wastes not one opportunity to protest against exploitation ( even if it is about doing an hour or two of work in a day !) and offers eloquent explanations as to why this would cause the ultimate humiliation of servitude. VKN shoots sharp arrows at pseudo communists and each one of the arrows find their marks. This book had the material that made me laugh and also think on how much a well meant ideology could be warped into something to attain selfish ends.
Hats off VKN ! You were,are & will continue to be the big daddy of satire in Malayalam literature.
April 19, 2013
മലയാളികൾക്ക് മാത്രം അറിയാവുന്ന ഒരു മലയാളി സ്റ്റീരിയൊടൈപ്പ് ആണ് ചാത്തൻസ് . ചൈനയിലും ക്യൂബയിലും എന്ത് സംഭവിച്ചു എന്നതിനെക്കുറിച്ച് ഗാഡമായി അവലോകനം ചെയ്യുന്ന ഒരു കർഷകതൊഴിലാളി കം ലോക്കൽ പാർട്ടി അസിസ്റ്റന്റ് നേതാവ് . ഭൂനയം പാസ്സായി പല വിപ്ലവകാരികളും ജന്മിമാരായി മാറിയ ആ കാലഘട്ടത്തിൽ അദ്വാനിക്കുന്ന ജനവിഭാഗത്തിനായി ചാത്തൻസ് നടത്തുന്ന പോരാട്ടങ്ങളാണ് ഈ പുസ്തകം.
July 3, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this novel (or collection of stories?). VKN has portrayed the hypocrisy of communists of Kerala in a way nobody else is able to do with his unique language and presentation. Many of the episodes from many years back are still upto date even in the days of "daily capsules" from the top to followers to justify their corruption at every level.
September 12, 2019
Chathans simply shows the talent of VKN to make us laugh not with the side splitting wit but with a thought provoking repartee only VKN is capable of.
December 22, 2021
ചാത്തന്സ് ഒരപാരസംഭവമാണ്. ആ പാത്രം സൃഷ്ടിക്കാന് വി കെ എന്നിനു മാത്രമേ കഴിയൂ. മലയാളഭാഷയുള്ളിടത്തോളം കാലം അവരിരുവരും ആഘോഷിക്കപ്പെടും.
September 20, 2013
Classic VKN. All the traits that make the VKN stories enjoyable -- the literal translation of English phrases, extensible quotes from Sanskrit classics, image-filled descriptions of nature etc. -- are present in abundance in this collection of stories.
The time period for these stories is right after the first Communist government came into power in Kerala, and then enacted the Land Reform Act. The landlords suddenly turned into the landless, the middlemen (the ones that used to lease the land from the landlords for agriculture) became the new landlords, but the lowest layer, the laborers, didn't find any improvement to their life - it still remained full of toil.
The protagonist, Chathans, belongs to this third stratum. With a keen eye, a sharp intellect, and an acerbic wit, he is more than a match for the societal norms. The stories here chronicle the ways in which he perturbs the status quo.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though the social milieu described in the book occurred before my time. The language was crisp, and the twists in the stories were Henry-esque most of the time.
The time period for these stories is right after the first Communist government came into power in Kerala, and then enacted the Land Reform Act. The landlords suddenly turned into the landless, the middlemen (the ones that used to lease the land from the landlords for agriculture) became the new landlords, but the lowest layer, the laborers, didn't find any improvement to their life - it still remained full of toil.
The protagonist, Chathans, belongs to this third stratum. With a keen eye, a sharp intellect, and an acerbic wit, he is more than a match for the societal norms. The stories here chronicle the ways in which he perturbs the status quo.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though the social milieu described in the book occurred before my time. The language was crisp, and the twists in the stories were Henry-esque most of the time.
August 5, 2015
Chathans simply a well crafted comic presentation of communism and it's ideologies through short stories. After the land division communism became an hot topic in our state . They were not ready to sacrifice ideologies and principles. the protagonist CHATHAN a hardcore follower of Communist , He has well knowledge about it's principles. VKN the master writer of Malayalam implements a mockery attitude against communism and he shows how they forget their principles when they get governing power. The Character Chathan shows that people is always important in the democracy, even a common man can govern if He has ability with Communist ideologies. Labours are more impressed with communism rather than Congress, here the writer pointing Masters in Communist parties are quite looking for the principles rather than natural while they approaching labours' problems .
I can easily rate this book as my all time favourite. Because VKN'S humour sense was fascinating. He was travelling through trends and words at the time of He writing these stories.
Chathans really a worth read and hilarious :)
I can easily rate this book as my all time favourite. Because VKN'S humour sense was fascinating. He was travelling through trends and words at the time of He writing these stories.
Chathans really a worth read and hilarious :)
January 25, 2023
Best of vkn
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews