പുറം മറുപുറം | Puram Marupuram

by ‌‌N.S. Madhavan

Collection of essays and literary criticism by renowned writer N S Madhavan. Puram Marupuram is the first book of nonfiction by Madhavan. It has write ups on writers like Vaikam Muhammad Basheer, Changampuzha, VKN, O V Vijayan, Madhavikkutty, Anand, C V Sreeraman, Zacharia, TR etc.

136 pages, Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 201

About the author

Madhavan was born in the port city of Kochi . where he attended the Sree Rama Varma High School. After graduating in economics from Maharajas College, Ernakulam he moved to Thiruvananthapuram to study for his masters at the Department of Economics, University of Kerala. During this period he began writing, and in 1970 won the top prize for his first published short story 'Sisu', in a contest organized by the Malayalam literary magazine Mathrubhumi. In 1975, Madhavan joined the Indian Administrative Service

n the 1980s, Madhavan went through a decade-long period of writer's block, until the release of his story 'Higuita' in 1990. In this work, Madhavan models his protagonist, priest Father Geevarghese, on Higuita, the 1990 FIFA World Cup goalkeeper for Columbia. Higuita's unconventional playing style whereby he would often abandon his goal and try to score goals, occupies the priest's imagination. Likewise, he temporarily abandons his cassock and saves a tribal girl Lucie from the clutches of the trafficker Jabbar. The short story was adjudged the best in hundred years of Malayalam literature. Since then he has published four collections of stories, a novel and one collection of plays. Madhavan's works of short fiction are:

* Chulaimedile Savangal (Corpses of Chulaimed)
* Higuita
* Thiruth (Blue Pencil)
* Paryaya Kathakal (Stories about Names)
* Nilavili (The Cry)

Madhavan's contribution to the short story genre, which is dying in most parts of the world, is reckoned by critics to be unique and noteworthy. As a short-fiction writer, his art gives importance to minute details and exemplifies the manifest skill and compact craft that writing short fiction demands. In Madhavan's works the subtle connections of criss-crossing dialogs and interlacing plots ultimately reveal an integrated narrative continuum.

Reviews

[Kandachamy Vijayakumaran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was late to read many authors. Reading literature was not my priority during my research service days. I felt I missed a lot due to late start when I read this book. N S Madhavan underlined how reading could influence writing in a wonderful way. His essays also opened widely the way to further reading. It is inspiring to read this book. Enlightening too. T R was a new find for me.