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മറുപിറവി | Marupiravi
ചരിത്രവും കഥയും ഭാവനയും സമകാലികസംഭവങ്ങളും ഇഴചേർന്ന് ഒരു മറുപിറവി സംഭവിക്കുകയണിവിടെ. സ്വന്തം ദേശത്തിന്റെ സ്വത്ത്വസംസ്കാരങ്ങൾ തേടിക്കൊണ്ടുള്ള ഒരു നോവലിസ്റ്റിന്റെ അന്വേഷണയാത്ര. നോവലിനുള്ളിൽ മറ്റൊരു നോവൽ പിറവിയെടുക്കുന്ന ആഖ്യാനസൌകുമാര്യം.
- GenresFiction
374 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
22 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Sethu
59 books63 followersA. Sethumadhavan, popularly known as Sethu, is a Malayalam fictional writer. He has published more than 30 books
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 27, 2020
Muziris holds a special fascination for me. My mother is from Paravur, Aluva (Alwaye), where the Muziris Heritage area is situated. Reading The Saga of Muziris, I thought back to all those visits to my mother’s ancestral house without a clue that such a wealth of history was right next door.
In the book, Aravindan is also on a similarly reminiscent journey. After many years, a call from Perumal, one of his childhood friends, brings Aravindan and his school friends together. They meet in the village where they grew up and Perumal talks to them about the excavations in Pattanam, which throws light on the mysterious Muziris. Mysterious because hardly anything is known of its existence except that it disappeared in the destructive, 14th century flooding. Aravindan then goes on to reimagine the port, its people, and its character, weaving a story around the evolution and eventual disintegration of Muziris.
The embedded narratives within the Saga of Muziris cannot be contained to the narrowing constraints of a novel. It’s part documentary, part novel, and a part mini encyclopaedia all rolled into one.
“It was not just the story of Muziris, but that of a period, of a people.”
Sethu sets sail on the Arabian sea to explore this multi-layered story by interspersing fragmented facts, real interviews, and fictitious characters. They come together in a surreal blend of magical realism that both fascinates and informs.
The book begins with Aravindan’s own story – his family consisting of his wife Vasanthi, his sons, and his friends. Through Perumal, we learn about how the Greeks docked at Muziris, giving rise to a roaring trade and imagines the effect of their presence on the locals. Here, we are introduced to the fictional but mesmerising, resplendent characters of Thanka, Kunkamma, Kichan, and Adrian. Woven around them are some of the real stories like that of Eliahu Bezalel “the man who went from India and made a garden of the desert.”
Marupiravi is the original Malayalam title and it means ‘rebirth’ and that happens in different ways in the book. Aravindan reconnects with his past and his friends, Muziris is reborn from the excavations, and Kichan finds a new life with the coming of the Greeks like Adrian and his crew, to name a few.
There are places where I got lost in the book, completely transported to a different time. And then there are places where I felt the weight of time as the story became heavy with too many musings and suppositions.
But in a heavily textured narrative such as this it’s well-nigh impossible to maintain the same pace for the multiple stories. There are no neatly tied conclusions, either. Instead, what we get is a magnetic tale of a lost civilisation, and of people in the present who are trying to make sense of their own pasts. Prema Jayakumar's translation is wonderful, giving life to the voices and the worlds within the book.
Sethu’s story mirrors the vastness of Muziris itself and it’s impossible to touch upon everything it says in a single review. Muziris occupies multiple spaces, and that demands as many reviews. Muziris and Sethu both deserve it.
In the book, Aravindan is also on a similarly reminiscent journey. After many years, a call from Perumal, one of his childhood friends, brings Aravindan and his school friends together. They meet in the village where they grew up and Perumal talks to them about the excavations in Pattanam, which throws light on the mysterious Muziris. Mysterious because hardly anything is known of its existence except that it disappeared in the destructive, 14th century flooding. Aravindan then goes on to reimagine the port, its people, and its character, weaving a story around the evolution and eventual disintegration of Muziris.
The embedded narratives within the Saga of Muziris cannot be contained to the narrowing constraints of a novel. It’s part documentary, part novel, and a part mini encyclopaedia all rolled into one.
“It was not just the story of Muziris, but that of a period, of a people.”
Sethu sets sail on the Arabian sea to explore this multi-layered story by interspersing fragmented facts, real interviews, and fictitious characters. They come together in a surreal blend of magical realism that both fascinates and informs.
The book begins with Aravindan’s own story – his family consisting of his wife Vasanthi, his sons, and his friends. Through Perumal, we learn about how the Greeks docked at Muziris, giving rise to a roaring trade and imagines the effect of their presence on the locals. Here, we are introduced to the fictional but mesmerising, resplendent characters of Thanka, Kunkamma, Kichan, and Adrian. Woven around them are some of the real stories like that of Eliahu Bezalel “the man who went from India and made a garden of the desert.”
Marupiravi is the original Malayalam title and it means ‘rebirth’ and that happens in different ways in the book. Aravindan reconnects with his past and his friends, Muziris is reborn from the excavations, and Kichan finds a new life with the coming of the Greeks like Adrian and his crew, to name a few.
There are places where I got lost in the book, completely transported to a different time. And then there are places where I felt the weight of time as the story became heavy with too many musings and suppositions.
But in a heavily textured narrative such as this it’s well-nigh impossible to maintain the same pace for the multiple stories. There are no neatly tied conclusions, either. Instead, what we get is a magnetic tale of a lost civilisation, and of people in the present who are trying to make sense of their own pasts. Prema Jayakumar's translation is wonderful, giving life to the voices and the worlds within the book.
Sethu’s story mirrors the vastness of Muziris itself and it’s impossible to touch upon everything it says in a single review. Muziris occupies multiple spaces, and that demands as many reviews. Muziris and Sethu both deserve it.
November 26, 2021
Book that is essential in indian history
In different parts the book portrays lives of people of Kerala round the muziris at various times - present, before the spice trade, the evolution to the ages of fall in the spice trade, and some recent previous generations.
History is narrated by the lives of the people including the relocated people including of these ages.
In different parts the book portrays lives of people of Kerala round the muziris at various times - present, before the spice trade, the evolution to the ages of fall in the spice trade, and some recent previous generations.
History is narrated by the lives of the people including the relocated people including of these ages.
October 16, 2012
What do we talk about when we talk about history ? The most obvious things jump to my mind : culture, language, government, agriculture...things that your history lessons in school taught you in short ! Think of the landscape where you live, how would your town have been a millenium ago ? Not many of us think about it and to the les industrious of us who do, the answers prove elusive. Very few among us embrace that history and welcome it into the humdrum of our daily routine. Marupiravi is the story of how the history of a town in Cochin washes over the life of one man Aravindan.
The word Marupiravi in my understanding translates to the other birth. The second birth of a trading post named Musiris is what it all comes down to. Musiris was a port in Cochin which served as a significant point on the navigation map for the Romans when the trade for black pepper was at its peak. With the fading of the Romans from the center stage, Musiris also lost its glory and slowly dropped off the map. Decades later an archaeological dig turns up artifacts that establish the relation of trade that existed all those years ago. Musiris of present day is situated close to the town of Chennamangalam which happens to be the home town of the protagonist, Aravindan. A retired white collar worker and a resident of Mumbai, Aravindan heeds the call of his home town and returns for a short visit. The plot then is mostly about how he gets enveloped in the history and gives it an outlet through his writing. Through a lot of character anecdotes, I walked through the history of social upheavals in Kerala and how they leave an indelible mark in the history of a landscape. The second birth of Musiris comes in the form of the up and coming Vallarpaadam container terminal in Cochin and the novel closes on a note that a path that once closed down will again reopen to the world.
The novel is well strcutured and written for Sethu is a veteran writer in the field of Malayalam literature. He writes with control and is aided by tremendous amounts of research into the topic. As befits a historical novel on a broad canvas, the flow is not hinged on one character alone. They appear and disappear in the story like boats against a misty horizon. Characters real and imagined tell us their stories and all of it add to the appeal of the tale. I only had one point that rubbed me off the wrong way : the narration at some points reminded me of an old man. An old man who laments that the generation of agriculture and living with nature was the real life and that the present generation is shallow in its grasp of life. I can understand it coming from one character but then it is reiterated at a few points in the tale. The fact that there are no English translations for this work also will be a deterrant to a wider reading audience.
The word Marupiravi in my understanding translates to the other birth. The second birth of a trading post named Musiris is what it all comes down to. Musiris was a port in Cochin which served as a significant point on the navigation map for the Romans when the trade for black pepper was at its peak. With the fading of the Romans from the center stage, Musiris also lost its glory and slowly dropped off the map. Decades later an archaeological dig turns up artifacts that establish the relation of trade that existed all those years ago. Musiris of present day is situated close to the town of Chennamangalam which happens to be the home town of the protagonist, Aravindan. A retired white collar worker and a resident of Mumbai, Aravindan heeds the call of his home town and returns for a short visit. The plot then is mostly about how he gets enveloped in the history and gives it an outlet through his writing. Through a lot of character anecdotes, I walked through the history of social upheavals in Kerala and how they leave an indelible mark in the history of a landscape. The second birth of Musiris comes in the form of the up and coming Vallarpaadam container terminal in Cochin and the novel closes on a note that a path that once closed down will again reopen to the world.
The novel is well strcutured and written for Sethu is a veteran writer in the field of Malayalam literature. He writes with control and is aided by tremendous amounts of research into the topic. As befits a historical novel on a broad canvas, the flow is not hinged on one character alone. They appear and disappear in the story like boats against a misty horizon. Characters real and imagined tell us their stories and all of it add to the appeal of the tale. I only had one point that rubbed me off the wrong way : the narration at some points reminded me of an old man. An old man who laments that the generation of agriculture and living with nature was the real life and that the present generation is shallow in its grasp of life. I can understand it coming from one character but then it is reiterated at a few points in the tale. The fact that there are no English translations for this work also will be a deterrant to a wider reading audience.
February 21, 2024
മുസിരിസ് പൈതൃകത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് ഒരു നോവൽ. ചരിത്രവും കഥയും ഭാവനയും സമകാലിക സംഭവങ്ങളും ഇഴചേർത്ത് എഴുതിയിരിക്കുന്നു. സ്വന്തം ദേശത്തിന്റെ സ്വത്വം തേടുന്ന നോവൽ.
November 25, 2024
I would give a 3 stars for this book. It's an excellent piece of work by Sethu . He has done an extensive research which is evident by the vividness of each chapter that tells how Chendamangalam in Ernakulam was once a famous maritime port known for its fame as a hub for ancient Greco - Roman -Indian spice trade and its descent into lesser importance down the tides of history. And yes the re emergence of the same civilisation into Cochin which is the meaning of the title " Marupiravi "- rebirth .
The story is divided into three parts . It begins with Aravindan , who returns to his native in Chendamangalam a town for a break from his routine boring life. In the current scenario , archaeology dept has unearthed remains of the then prime time . This , with his backing of friends leads him to write a story on the history of Chendamangalam, the magnificence of business and trading , the Jews who lived there , their culture , life . The second part of the book is the story he writes about which kind of ends abruptly only to reappear in the third part ( which leads to confusion as the dialogues make us feel as if they are living in the present) . The third part is more interesting as Aravindan visits his friends and other celebrated people of Chendamangalam who tell him the life and times around 1947 and how it affected the history of Chendamangalam. All which he puts down as beautiful write ups .
The book as a whole is lengthy and took me long to read and finish. The language though fluent is tough and requires deeper understanding . But it's a must read as it throws light into the essential history of spice trade route and the lives of people who made it possible .
One important message the book gives is in every era or millennium, life of humans would be the same especially emotions , thinking , strategy , hunger for expansion , money and wealth and lust . It remains the same even as the world we live in is getting smaller and nearer with ever growing science and technology , the changing clothing style , food patterns and climatic transformations. Man is ultimately the same as he is born , lives , dies and is reborn and changes his design of the world that he lives in and adapts to the evolution.
The story is divided into three parts . It begins with Aravindan , who returns to his native in Chendamangalam a town for a break from his routine boring life. In the current scenario , archaeology dept has unearthed remains of the then prime time . This , with his backing of friends leads him to write a story on the history of Chendamangalam, the magnificence of business and trading , the Jews who lived there , their culture , life . The second part of the book is the story he writes about which kind of ends abruptly only to reappear in the third part ( which leads to confusion as the dialogues make us feel as if they are living in the present) . The third part is more interesting as Aravindan visits his friends and other celebrated people of Chendamangalam who tell him the life and times around 1947 and how it affected the history of Chendamangalam. All which he puts down as beautiful write ups .
The book as a whole is lengthy and took me long to read and finish. The language though fluent is tough and requires deeper understanding . But it's a must read as it throws light into the essential history of spice trade route and the lives of people who made it possible .
One important message the book gives is in every era or millennium, life of humans would be the same especially emotions , thinking , strategy , hunger for expansion , money and wealth and lust . It remains the same even as the world we live in is getting smaller and nearer with ever growing science and technology , the changing clothing style , food patterns and climatic transformations. Man is ultimately the same as he is born , lives , dies and is reborn and changes his design of the world that he lives in and adapts to the evolution.
August 23, 2020
A fascinating journey into the lives and times of our ancestors in Kerala, when the port of Muziris existed and flourished as the spice trade route opened up and first, the Arabs landed up, followed by the Greeks.
The port vanished one day, taking away with it, its residents, its culture, its trade, its history. It is believed that the River Choorni, now Periyar had chosen to change its course suddenly contributing to the sudden disappearance of the port just how the eruption from Mt Vesuvius caused lava flow to cover the entire city of Pompeii.
This novel explores those days when trade flourished, when new people merged in Muziris aka Muchiripattinam and blended into the culture of the place.
The ending could have been much better. I felt that it was pretty cliched.
A fascinating read. Thanks to Ms Prema Jayakumar without whose translation, we would not have been able to enjoy the beauty of Marupiravi.
My rating - 3.5/5
The port vanished one day, taking away with it, its residents, its culture, its trade, its history. It is believed that the River Choorni, now Periyar had chosen to change its course suddenly contributing to the sudden disappearance of the port just how the eruption from Mt Vesuvius caused lava flow to cover the entire city of Pompeii.
This novel explores those days when trade flourished, when new people merged in Muziris aka Muchiripattinam and blended into the culture of the place.
The ending could have been much better. I felt that it was pretty cliched.
A fascinating read. Thanks to Ms Prema Jayakumar without whose translation, we would not have been able to enjoy the beauty of Marupiravi.
My rating - 3.5/5
May 28, 2023
I am a history lover and and loved historical fictions too. I'm particularly interested in Muzaris, though in the beginning of the book writer said he spent considerable time to find the history of Muzaris and understood little are actually findable, even the small amount of history and facts he might have found, is not present in this book. This book is essentially a nostagic travel of a old and ailing Malayalam man to his places of childhood which is near Pattnam, where some excavation was done and believed that Muzaris was probably here. I'm not really fascinated by the narrative here which is mostly nostalgic and some historical stories of much latter time than the best times of Muzaris. I don't whether it is what was in the head of the writer that did not came to his pen or it's a lost in transaction case, but I'm disappointed.
November 24, 2020
എഴുന്നൂറിനു മേല് വര്ഷങ്ങളിലൂടെ ഒരു പ്രദേശത്തിന്റെ കഥ , അവിടെ നടന്നു വന്നിരുന്ന വാണിജ്യ-വ്യവസായങ്ങളും കൃഷിയും, അധിനിവേശങ്ങളും കുടിയേറ്റവും കുടിയിറക്കവും, നാനാ ജാതികളുടെ നവോത്ഥാന സാമൂഹിക മുന്നേറ്റവും ഇതള് വിരിയുന്ന നോവല്.
ആ പ്രദേശത്ത് ജീവിച്ചിരുന്ന എല്ലാ ജനവിഭാഗങ്ങളെയും അവരുടെ ജീവിതരീതിയെയും പ്രതിപാദിക്കുന്ന നോവല് .
കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെക്കാളുപരി കച്ചവടത്തിലൂടെയാണ് ഈ നോവല് സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത്.
മുച്ചരിയിലും കൊച്ചിയിലും ഇസ്രായേലിലും!!
ആ പ്രദേശത്ത് ജീവിച്ചിരുന്ന എല്ലാ ജനവിഭാഗങ്ങളെയും അവരുടെ ജീവിതരീതിയെയും പ്രതിപാദിക്കുന്ന നോവല് .
കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെക്കാളുപരി കച്ചവടത്തിലൂടെയാണ് ഈ നോവല് സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത്.
മുച്ചരിയിലും കൊച്ചിയിലും ഇസ്രായേലിലും!!
May 2, 2023
I have trying to read more and more of Indian authored books. Malayalam books in particular, because it's my mother tongue and I can sadly, read and comprehend the translated versions better. I am a history buff and this book was quite interesting. I felt a lot was lost in translation though. Not the technical aspects, just the beauty of the book. A good read nevertheless, for anyone interested in the history of the Muziris and the lost port of Cranganore.
November 14, 2017
വേരുകൾ തേടി പുതിയ പിറവിയിലേക്ക് ആഴന്നിറങ്ങുന്ന നോവൽ. കേട്ട ചരിത്രത്തിലൂടെ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെ സൃഷ്ടിച്ച് കാൽപനികതയും കൊർത്തിണക്കി. കാലം മാറിയാലും മനുഷ്യ മനസ്സുകൾക്ക് പരിണാമം സംഭവിക്കുന്നില്ല മറിച്ച് കച്ചവട തന്ത്രം തേടുന്നത് ഒരേ മനസ്സുകളെയാണ്.
October 12, 2019
മുചിരി പട്ടണം..!!!
നമ്മളൊക്കെ സ്ഥിരം പോയിവന്നുകൊണ്ടിരുന്ന കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര് - പറവൂർ ഇടങ്ങളെ കുറിച്ച് ചരിത്രവും കാൽപനികതയും ഇടകലർത്തിയ ആഖ്യാനം.
നമ്മളൊക്കെ സ്ഥിരം പോയിവന്നുകൊണ്ടിരുന്ന കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര് - പറവൂർ ഇടങ്ങളെ കുറിച്ച് ചരിത്രവും കാൽപനികതയും ഇടകലർത്തിയ ആഖ്യാനം.
June 9, 2017
The Saga of Muziris
Lost in this land of myriad cultures and communities there are some stories which carry within them a narrative of an era which is similar to our present day yet different in so many ways. They show us a mirror image of what our country truly was – a collage of religions and beliefs and a nation that had lived in harmony with communities with different identities through centuries. I have often wondered where did those communities disappear to ? Is it possible that we only visit them in our books or do we find remnants of their buildings and artefacts around us – something that we can touch and feel and maybe hear voices from many generations ago.
The Saga of Muziris, written by Sethu in Malayalam under the name Marupiravi, and beautifully translated into English by Prema Jayakumar is a book that delves into a lost civilisation in Kerala, a maritime port which drowned under the same water which had earlier been it's lifeline. The book traverses between the present day lives of the residents of the Chendamangalam, the village of our protagonist Aravindam.
The blurb of the book states that “it is a tale of the glory and declined a major port, a hub of maritime trade in Kerala, which had mysteriously disappeared from the face of earth during the fourteenth century. Historians, archaeologists and academics, from the world over, had been looking for the lost Muziris, ever since.” Using this as the basis of the story, Sethu has woven a tale which traverses centuries yet does not take on the shape of a historical book. In the beginning itself Perumal, one of the main storytellers speaks about going to the village “To recall a place, a time, to regain it, to awaken history again.” We are drawn into the Saga of Muziris through the tales recited by the main characters – each one having his own story to tell .
What I loved most about this book is not only that it is a story within a story, but the fact that the author does not place you within a certain time frame. He takes you on a journey spanning the history of the Muziris without you realising that many centuries have passed as you read about the story. Azad’s statement about Egypt as a “ a land of bodies that never decay” summarises that beautiful country so well. When Perumal tells you the story of the Muziris the author says that “Some forms slid into the room from beyond the smoky curtains of history. Shapes that had not been seen before, words that had not been heard before”. The migration of the Jews of Chendamangalam reminds you of the fact that here was a community where many religions thrived together and that “ the story of mankind can be narrated in terms of great exoduses and migrations. A never ending search for greener pastures; a journey to find new places to feed oneself ; a journey to save one’s life”
The story is about the excavations at Pattanam, and how they encourage Aravindam to meet his friends and delve into their past history. Rambhadran and Appukuttan, Azad and Josa (and his eaglet) and “beyond generations…beyond centuries “ Kunkamma and Kichan they all are integral characters in the story.
Why do we enjoy reading a book? Because it takes you away into a world where fiction or fact blends into a story or a narration, where words are used to describe what you may have seen but have been unable to describe, where a fabric is woven using people, words, stories and unforgettable characters. The Saga of Muziris is one of those books where the author takes you through generations and centuries of Kerala history, enthralling you with deft sentences and gentle stories about his people. His words about the book describe it best -that it would not be a historical novel but “it would rather be a mix of history, fiction, myths and legend” .
Lost in this land of myriad cultures and communities there are some stories which carry within them a narrative of an era which is similar to our present day yet different in so many ways. They show us a mirror image of what our country truly was – a collage of religions and beliefs and a nation that had lived in harmony with communities with different identities through centuries. I have often wondered where did those communities disappear to ? Is it possible that we only visit them in our books or do we find remnants of their buildings and artefacts around us – something that we can touch and feel and maybe hear voices from many generations ago.
The Saga of Muziris, written by Sethu in Malayalam under the name Marupiravi, and beautifully translated into English by Prema Jayakumar is a book that delves into a lost civilisation in Kerala, a maritime port which drowned under the same water which had earlier been it's lifeline. The book traverses between the present day lives of the residents of the Chendamangalam, the village of our protagonist Aravindam.
The blurb of the book states that “it is a tale of the glory and declined a major port, a hub of maritime trade in Kerala, which had mysteriously disappeared from the face of earth during the fourteenth century. Historians, archaeologists and academics, from the world over, had been looking for the lost Muziris, ever since.” Using this as the basis of the story, Sethu has woven a tale which traverses centuries yet does not take on the shape of a historical book. In the beginning itself Perumal, one of the main storytellers speaks about going to the village “To recall a place, a time, to regain it, to awaken history again.” We are drawn into the Saga of Muziris through the tales recited by the main characters – each one having his own story to tell .
What I loved most about this book is not only that it is a story within a story, but the fact that the author does not place you within a certain time frame. He takes you on a journey spanning the history of the Muziris without you realising that many centuries have passed as you read about the story. Azad’s statement about Egypt as a “ a land of bodies that never decay” summarises that beautiful country so well. When Perumal tells you the story of the Muziris the author says that “Some forms slid into the room from beyond the smoky curtains of history. Shapes that had not been seen before, words that had not been heard before”. The migration of the Jews of Chendamangalam reminds you of the fact that here was a community where many religions thrived together and that “ the story of mankind can be narrated in terms of great exoduses and migrations. A never ending search for greener pastures; a journey to find new places to feed oneself ; a journey to save one’s life”
The story is about the excavations at Pattanam, and how they encourage Aravindam to meet his friends and delve into their past history. Rambhadran and Appukuttan, Azad and Josa (and his eaglet) and “beyond generations…beyond centuries “ Kunkamma and Kichan they all are integral characters in the story.
Why do we enjoy reading a book? Because it takes you away into a world where fiction or fact blends into a story or a narration, where words are used to describe what you may have seen but have been unable to describe, where a fabric is woven using people, words, stories and unforgettable characters. The Saga of Muziris is one of those books where the author takes you through generations and centuries of Kerala history, enthralling you with deft sentences and gentle stories about his people. His words about the book describe it best -that it would not be a historical novel but “it would rather be a mix of history, fiction, myths and legend” .
December 27, 2024
ക്ലിയോപാട്ര രാജ്ഞി, ജൂലിയസ് സീസറില് തനിക്കുണ്ടായ മകന് സീസറിയനെ രാജാവായിരുന്ന ഒക്ടേവിയനില് നിന്നും രക്ഷിച്ച് ഒളിപ്പിക്കാന് കണ്ട് വെച്ചിരുന്ന സ്ഥലം നമ്മുടെ കേരളതീരത്തെ മുസിരിസ് ആയിരുന്നത്രെ!!! വിശ്വസിക്കാന് പ്രയാസമുണ്ടല്ലേ..? സുഗന്ധവ്യഞ്ജന പാത നിലനിന്നിരുന്നപ്പോൾ തല ഉയർത്തി പിടിച്ച മുസിരിസ് അധവാ മുചിരി പട്ടണത്തിലൂടെയും അതിലൂടെ അഭിവൃദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ച നമ്മുടെ പൂർവികരുടെ ജീവിതത്തിലേക്കും കാലങ്ങളിലേക്കും ഒരു കൗതുകകരമായ യാത്രയാണ് മറുപിറവി. മുമ്പ് പറഞ്ഞത് പോലെ ചരിത്രവുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട കൃതികൾ എന്നും പ്രിയപെട്ടവയാണ്.
തൻ്റെ നാടുകൂടി ആയ കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂരിലെ പട്ടണം പ്രദേശത്തെ ഉത്ഖനനം കാണാൻ പെരുമാൾ എന്ന സുഹൃത്തിൻ്റെ നിർബന്ധം കാരണം വരുന്ന അരവിന്ദനിലൂടെയാണ് തുടക്കം. രാമഭദ്രനും അപ്പുക്കുട്ടനും ആസാദും ജോസയും പിന്നെ തലമുറകൾക്കപ്പുറം ജീവിച്ചിരുന്ന കുങ്കമ്മയും കിച്ചനും കഥയിലെ അവിഭാജ്യ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളാണ്. ഒരുപക്ഷേ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെക്കാളുപരി കച്ചവടത്തിലൂടെയാണ് ഈ നോവൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത്. ആര്ക്കും വേണ്ടാതെ കാട്ടില് യഥേഷ്ടം വിളഞ്ഞു കിടന്നിരുന്ന കുരുമുളകിനു ആവശ്യക്കാരേറിയപ്പോള് അതെങ്ങനെ ഒരു നാടിൻ്റെ സമ്പദ്ഘടനയില് മാറ്റം വരുത്തിയെന്നും, ആ കൊടുക്കല് വാങ്ങലുകള്ക്കിടക്ക് രൂപപെട്ട ബന്ധങ്ങളുടെ ഇഴയടുപ്പം എത്രയെന്നും സേതു നമ്മെ ഈ നോവലിലൂടെ ബോധ്യപ്പെടുത്തുന്നുണ്ട് .
വെസൂവിയസ് പർവതത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള സ്ഫോടനം പോംപൈ നഗരത്തെ മുഴുവൻ മൂടിയ ലാവ പ്രവാഹത്തിന് കാരണമായത് പോലെ ചൂർണി നദി മുചിരിയെ ഒരു നാൾ തുടച്ച് നീക്കുന്നു. പിന്നീട് നടന്നത് കൊച്ചിയുടെ ഉദയവും പാശ്ചാത്യരുടെ കടന്നു വരവും.
തൻ്റെ നാടുകൂടി ആയ കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂരിലെ പട്ടണം പ്രദേശത്തെ ഉത്ഖനനം കാണാൻ പെരുമാൾ എന്ന സുഹൃത്തിൻ്റെ നിർബന്ധം കാരണം വരുന്ന അരവിന്ദനിലൂടെയാണ് തുടക്കം. രാമഭദ്രനും അപ്പുക്കുട്ടനും ആസാദും ജോസയും പിന്നെ തലമുറകൾക്കപ്പുറം ജീവിച്ചിരുന്ന കുങ്കമ്മയും കിച്ചനും കഥയിലെ അവിഭാജ്യ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളാണ്. ഒരുപക്ഷേ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെക്കാളുപരി കച്ചവടത്തിലൂടെയാണ് ഈ നോവൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നത്. ആര്ക്കും വേണ്ടാതെ കാട്ടില് യഥേഷ്ടം വിളഞ്ഞു കിടന്നിരുന്ന കുരുമുളകിനു ആവശ്യക്കാരേറിയപ്പോള് അതെങ്ങനെ ഒരു നാടിൻ്റെ സമ്പദ്ഘടനയില് മാറ്റം വരുത്തിയെന്നും, ആ കൊടുക്കല് വാങ്ങലുകള്ക്കിടക്ക് രൂപപെട്ട ബന്ധങ്ങളുടെ ഇഴയടുപ്പം എത്രയെന്നും സേതു നമ്മെ ഈ നോവലിലൂടെ ബോധ്യപ്പെടുത്തുന്നുണ്ട് .
വെസൂവിയസ് പർവതത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ള സ്ഫോടനം പോംപൈ നഗരത്തെ മുഴുവൻ മൂടിയ ലാവ പ്രവാഹത്തിന് കാരണമായത് പോലെ ചൂർണി നദി മുചിരിയെ ഒരു നാൾ തുടച്ച് നീക്കുന്നു. പിന്നീട് നടന്നത് കൊച്ചിയുടെ ഉദയവും പാശ്ചാത്യരുടെ കടന്നു വരവും.
March 30, 2014
മുസ്സരിസ് എന്നാ പട്ടണത്തെ പറ്റി ചെറുപത്തിൽ കാരണവന്മാർ പറഞ്ഞുള്ള ഒരു ചെറിയ അറിവേ എനികുണ്ടയുല്ല് . എന്നാൽ മറുപിരവി എനിക്ക് ഒരു പുതു അറിവ് സമ്മാനിച്ച് . ഒരു നാടിൻറെ സംസ്കാരം, ചരിത്രം, വ്യാപാരo എന്നാ മേഘലകളിലൂടെ സേതുവിൻറെ ഇതുവരെ കനത്ത പുതാൻ ആഖ്യനശയിലി. ഗൃഹാതുരം നിറഞ്ഞു നില്കുന്ന കുറെ സന്ധരഭങ്ങൾ സ്വന്തം നാടിൻറെ വെരി തേടി പോകുന്ന ആ സംസ്കാരത്തിന്റെ നല്ല വിത്തുകൾ നന്മകൾ അടുത്ത തലമുറയ്ക്ക് കൈമാറ്റം ചെയ്യേപേണ്ട പ്രസക്തി, നോവലിനകത്ത് മറ്റൊരു നോവല തെളിഞ്ഞു വരുന്നത്തിന്റെ ഒരു സുഖം. ഒപ്പം ഭാവനയും കുറെ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളും സമകാലീക പ്രസക്തിയുള്ള സംഭവങ്ങളും കൂടി ചേർന്ന് മുസരിസ്സിനു ഒരു പുതുപിറവി നല്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുകയാണ് കഥകരാൻ-ചരിത്രകാരൻ.
August 1, 2015
മറുപിറവി .. അതിരില്ലാത്ത ഉള്ളടക്കത്തിന്റെ തിളക്കത്തിൽ കാലത്തെ കീഴടക്കുന്ന അത്യപൂർവ സൃഷ്ടി .. ചരിത്രം എന്നതിൽ മനുഷ്യന്റെ വികാരങ്ങൾ എങ്ങനെ കലരുന്നു എന്നും അതിലുപരിയായി ചരിത്രവും മനുഷ്യനും തമ്മിലുള്ള ബന്ധം ഏത് വിധത്തിൽ ആണെന് കാട്ടിത്തരുന്നു ഈ കൃതി .. ചരിത്രവും കാല്പനികതയും ഒരുപോലെ ഉപയോഗിക്കപ്പെട്ട സൃഷ്ടിയിൽ ചരിത്ര രേഖകളും കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളും മനസ്സിൽ തങ്ങി നില്ക്കുന്ന രീതിയിലാണ് അവതരിക്കാപ്പെട്ടിട്ടുള്ളത് .. കഠിനമായ .. മികവുറ്റ വായന സമ്മാനിക്കുന്ന ഈ പുസ്തകം മലയാള സാഹിത്യത്തിലെ നാഴികക്കല് തന്നെയാണ് ..
February 3, 2013
gr8 book
charithrathilekku oru ethinottam.To me ,not very much interesting,but good plot on history.I have read SETHU,s pandavapuram & adayalangal before.
both are about dreams ,myths etc.This book has a different plot and narrative style.I have felt the NOSTALGIA of the novelist(ARAVINDAN)
into my veins.
charithrathilekku oru ethinottam.To me ,not very much interesting,but good plot on history.I have read SETHU,s pandavapuram & adayalangal before.
both are about dreams ,myths etc.This book has a different plot and narrative style.I have felt the NOSTALGIA of the novelist(ARAVINDAN)
into my veins.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2017
a novel within a novel...it was a wonderful journey..it is also carrying a lot of historic informations about the place i was born and brought up..
December 13, 2015
I finally decided to abandon this book. I had expected great things from Sethu, but this book is just one boring history lesson. Maybe, I'm not the reader it is intended for.
October 19, 2014
must read who search for their history. beautifully written history of Muziris
February 25, 2015
Lucky to be a keralite where Muziris were existed
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews