Naadan Premam, written by S. K. Pottekkatt, the legend.
What a wonderful story. I have read a few of Pottekkatt’s books, and the one thing I can always say about his writing is the way he takes the reader to the places he describes. It feels like actually going there, meeting each and every character in person. By the time you finish the story, all the characters leave behind a strange sense of familiarity.
If you are someone who feels nostalgic and wants to know how Kerala and its people looked, behaved, and spoke around 80 years ago, this book is a definite read. Before Instagram, before mobile phones, before almost everything we see today, there was a time when people truly lived. There was a time when love existed, cheating existed, sex existed.
It’s an amazing and funny ride from start to finish. The depiction of village life and city life, and the thought processes of village people about the city, is kind of heart-whelming.
There isn’t much literature that shows how Kerala looked 50–100 years ago. This book gives a clear idea of how Kerala and its people were back then, how different the language was, and how people communicated with each other.
This book is a perfect example of how writers like Pottekkatt can pull readers completely into the story, making them forget everything around them. It’s like watching a thriller movie, but with one big difference: while watching a movie, we are never really part of it. Here, we feel like we are part of the storyline. That’s how powerful the writing is.
I was about to give this book five stars when I reached the middle. As I moved towards the end, I decided on four stars. But after finishing the book, I found myself in a dilemma and ended up giving three stars. Not because of the beauty of the writing, but because of the climax. I feel it was almost mandatory in that era to give stories a tragic ending, and that might be the reason the author chose such an ending for an otherwise beautiful story.
“Betrayal can only happen if you love.”
— John le Carré