Ramalkhuna

by G.A. Kulkarni

The book has two short novellas, "Pravasi" and 'Iskilar" a recreation of legendary characters. They are written in G.A.'s distinctive parablle and situation-story style.

Genres: Marathi, Fiction

140 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

G.A. Kulkarni or simply "GA” was a legendary Marathi writer of short stories.

GA, who bought new strength and vitality to the Marathi short story, is admittedly the most distinguished exponent of that genre. He did not subscribe to the cause of modernism in literature. He charted his own separate course and cultivated new acuity and taste for a class of faithful readers.

GA created a world of his own in his short stories where his characters are in pursuit of the unknowable destiny. A dark mode reflects the inscrutable ways in which destiny shadows his characters. His use of symbolism, allegory and irony provides his stories a unique texture and ethos. His world encompasses a wide diversity of locales, situations, characters and experiences. The mythic, allegorical experiences make it difficult to sort out the realities from the dreams, themes, and meditations. Yet, it is possible for the reader to identify with is characters, places, and experiences because of his keen observation of human, animal, and social worlds in their beauty and deformity.

Critics observe that characters in GA’s world are multifaceted, but they are not independent. They lead their lives as if they are puppets guided by an unseen hand are unable to change the direction. Why they follow that path to their demise or why they cannot change it by their volition is not known. In that sense, his work is a reversal of direction fostered by the modernist short story in Marathi. GA's earlier short stories depicted the tragic and cruel aspects of human situation.

Reviews

[Heramb · Rating 4 out of 5]

सेरिपी इस्कहार एली

[Tejas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing!!! Made up of two Novellas- Pravasi and Eskilar. G.A. is certainly a top notch short storyteller. It had all the content of fantasy and mystery and the underlying touch of philosophy.
The protagonist might be same in both the stories- an adventurer travelled the whole world in search of his destiny or maybe running from it.

[Shailesh Sonar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book by GA that I read around 5 years back. I was so mesmerized by the language and the narration. Till then I had read about him and heard from readers about GA. But, when I experienced it myself, I felt why I did not read him before. Thereafter I have read RaktaChandan (रक्तचंदन),Sanjshakun (सांजशकुन). I feel that I have missed so much by not being able to read his books for so long and at the same time, I feel so enriched after reading Ramalkhuna. His writing is nonesuch.

[Aniket Patil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book which I purchased for my personal library after reading kajalmaya . Two stories are fantastic. General theme is traveler. Although two stories are in different scenarios but traveler in both the stories travel in search of something. Sometimes in search of meaning of life, sometimes for lust, sometimes for unknown reason he keeps traveling and keep on learning new kind of wisdom .

If considered only stories they are fantastic as portrayed and conveyed by G.A. but if we go deeper in it then it also underlines deeper meanings of life. sometimes darker, sometimes common sense, philosophical and many more meaning and moods are covered in these two stories. This book just pulls you in different kind of Mental cobweb, wherein you are pushed to think and related about your life (provided you are G.A. fan and love G.A.Kulkarni kind of literature and you love philosophy as well)

Right from suspense, thrill, sometimes partial realism, magical realism, flashback, darkness, different kind of travel, different moods , time and places. everything can be visualized easily.

I felt the story is sometimes abstract (1st one) and and sometimes more imaginative (2nd one). reminds me 2 stories from other book Kajalmaya are Ratna (abstract) and Vidushak (imaginative , philosophical ).

book Name ramalkhuna is perfect one signifies things which points to the events which helps to predict or visualize things which are about to happen in near future, things which are inevitable.

This one is definite and more than fantastic read for me. I will try to read other books of GA when ever they will be available for me.

[Riya Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Ramalkhuna’ being my first G.A.Kulkarni book, I went into it with a clear slate. The book was recommended to me by my partner (as he had read G.A’s Sanjshakun) and I couldn’t be more grateful!

The book consists of two novellas-‘Pravasi’ and ‘Iskilaar’-both similar in their ethos and yet very different in treatment. In both the stories, the protagonists are in pursuit of finding an escape from their destinies, whose dark shadow lingers over them.

G.A threads the narrative in such a brilliant way that you’ll find yourself woven into the stories without realising it. There is a timelessness to his writing that gives it a dreamy feel. His use of allegory and metaphors cuts through like a dagger. His imagery will land you on the path alongside the protagonist. His characters are so well-chiselled and realistic that you can feel them moving around you in flesh and bones. His understanding of the world and human nature makes the characters multifaceted- yet, they are but puppets of destiny.

Although, G.A’s genius lies in his minimalism with the language. His writing is crisp and sharp. His minimal use of words doesn’t hamper the complexity of his thoughts. He depicts the truth of life, as he found it, in his writing. He portrays life as it is-unpredictable and out of our control.

[Sujay Sawant · Rating 4 out of 5]

आपलं भविष्य (रमल) कोणाकडूनतरी जाणून सोप्यामार्गाने हवे ते मिळवायला निघालेल्या दोन नायकांची कथा. G A न्नी घडणाऱ्या सूक्ष्म गोष्टी देखील इतक्या गोष्टी विस्तृत करून सांगितल्या आहेत कि वाचता वाचता आपण ह्या प्रवासात सामील होतो आणि नायकासारख्या अनुभवू लागतो. इतकं काही एक लेखक कसं लिहू शकतो हे थक्क करणार आहे. दोन्ही कथेचा शेवट काहीसा अनाकलनीय पण संबंध प्रवासाचा पिळवटून टाकणारा अनुभव देतो.

[Pranav Sakulkar]

सगळ्यांना पेलवेल असं हे काही पुस्तक नाही. मी वाचलेलं जीएंचं हे प्रथमच पुस्तक आणि किंबहुना शेवटचंच. दोन्ही कथा या गूढ, चमत्कारिक आणि काल्पनिक जगातल्या होत्या. मलातर पहिली कथा पूर्णपणे असंबद्ध वाटली. काय चाललं होता काही कळलं नाही. दुसरी तरी त्यातल्या त्यात कळेल अशी होती. पण त्यातदेखील गूढ प्रसंग आणि संवाद वापरून फिलॉसॉफी पेरली होती. मी कसंबसं संपवलं पुस्तक. कुठलाही आनंद मिळाला नाही.

[Kiran Gavhane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapter was good but ended with an unfaithful way. The second chapter was not up to mark.

[Austin Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was reading this book back in 2007 or 08
Still one of my favorite book
Great story telling
So much thrill, suspense
Higley recommended

[Amogh Pendse · Rating 4 out of 5]

खुण

[ARVIND PATIL · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this book Back in 2007 or 2008
Great book to read
Suspense,thrill, mystery and adventure
Complete piece of fiction

[अनिकेत · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAs books are not regular, you feel that same concept about destiny & her cruelty had been presented differently, when you read his stories, you question yourself each time as is this the same language I use in my routine life, is it really so beautiful & new & effective that it mesmerizes you through each page. Each of his stories is a PHD material & if anyone wants to see/experience the magic of real marathi & her literature, he/she should read GA once at least. Thanks to my uncle (Sangamda) who recommended him to me, else I would have lost somewhere in typical, regular & tasteless literature.

[Harshad Lamrood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this book Pravasi & Iskilar convey a very deep and significant message, in Pravasi it gives a message of death, which is inevitable and nothing is permanent. And in iskelar how one is bound to his own destiny and fate, no matter how one tries to run from it.
Till date, many have explained this in their own ways and words. But GA has gone out of the way to explain the same philosophy through these two dark tales.
PRAVASI & ISKELLAR

[Vaishali Kondhare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner! And beautiful at that!

[Nitesh Malap · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Only 2 stories in this book. If you are a real reader, don't bookmark any story, just read it completely! No breaks! Pravasi and Seripi tell you truth of your life, what you are doing and what you are meant to do!

[Aniket Ganoo]

One of the best book i ever read....