What do you think?
Rate this book
Malayali Memorial And Other Stories
The latest collection of Unni R’s short stories in translation shines with the tone of self-critique so characteristic of his earlier writing, gentle and penetrating at the same time. His world still comprises mostly the rural and peri-urban areas of Kottayam, his birthplace. It emerges through his words as a place with layers of life that lie beyond the merely human—the birds, animals, spirits, Jesus, Satan and even inanimate things have their role and place in it.
The stories feature a whole range of situations and characters, who are forever assailed by an awareness of their own vulnerability. In ‘Malayali Memorial’, the protagonist is a low-lying, wily and seemingly powerless man in a stridently casteist family; the young man in ‘Boy and Girl’ is the weepy sort, yet his powerless tears seem to have the power to soften the resolve of a confident young woman. Further, this collection includes Unni’s experiments with the short story form. Overall, these stories break open the hardened shells of our existence, so that empathy and compassion may find their way out.
The stories feature a whole range of situations and characters, who are forever assailed by an awareness of their own vulnerability. In ‘Malayali Memorial’, the protagonist is a low-lying, wily and seemingly powerless man in a stridently casteist family; the young man in ‘Boy and Girl’ is the weepy sort, yet his powerless tears seem to have the power to soften the resolve of a confident young woman. Further, this collection includes Unni’s experiments with the short story form. Overall, these stories break open the hardened shells of our existence, so that empathy and compassion may find their way out.
- GenresFiction
232 pages, Hardcover
Published July 15, 2025
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Unni R.
20 books197 followersUnni is a short story writer and screen writer in Malayalam. He is known for his stories like Leela, Kottayam 17 etc.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 25, 2025
A collection of 17 stories that are worth reading. Well written and translated stories.
August 5, 2025
My messy style and disorganized thoughts must have plunged anyone facing me right now into confusion. That's how I am.”
- Unni.R, Malayali Memorial and other stories (transl. J. Devika)
’Malayali Memorial and other stories’ originally written in Malayalam and deftly translated by J. Devika is an experimental work of fiction. Unni R, the author was awarded the Kerala State Film award for penning down the screenplay of the Malayalam movie Charlie, where I got to witness a glimpse of his creativity.
What stood out for me in this anthology was Unni's ability to extract stories from inanimate objects. The moving narratives often have an open ending inviting the reader to linger in their ambiguity and reflect on the quiet, often overlooked emotions embedded in the everyday. His ability to churn out thought-provoking stories derived from the mundane, gave the objects a life of their own. No one is spared from Unni's watchful eyes as they all are characters who have a distinct role to play in his tales. The imaginative mind is given free rein to travel in different directions, sifting through the ordinary by giving it an extraordinary dimension.
’End a Story? No, No...’ is one of the instances where creativity takes the centre stage blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
J.Devika's translation endeavours preserve the soul and essence of the stories. While leafing through the pages, the fables feel authentic as some of original Malayalam words and phrases are retained.
- Unni.R, Malayali Memorial and other stories (transl. J. Devika)
’Malayali Memorial and other stories’ originally written in Malayalam and deftly translated by J. Devika is an experimental work of fiction. Unni R, the author was awarded the Kerala State Film award for penning down the screenplay of the Malayalam movie Charlie, where I got to witness a glimpse of his creativity.
What stood out for me in this anthology was Unni's ability to extract stories from inanimate objects. The moving narratives often have an open ending inviting the reader to linger in their ambiguity and reflect on the quiet, often overlooked emotions embedded in the everyday. His ability to churn out thought-provoking stories derived from the mundane, gave the objects a life of their own. No one is spared from Unni's watchful eyes as they all are characters who have a distinct role to play in his tales. The imaginative mind is given free rein to travel in different directions, sifting through the ordinary by giving it an extraordinary dimension.
’End a Story? No, No...’ is one of the instances where creativity takes the centre stage blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
J.Devika's translation endeavours preserve the soul and essence of the stories. While leafing through the pages, the fables feel authentic as some of original Malayalam words and phrases are retained.
March 6, 2025
I have a strange relationship with Malayali Literature (focus on the word strange)
Before reading this, I had read these three books and one thing that was common among them was - they were so strange!
Strange in the form of storytelling and complex with its themes and hidden meanings, which are left for the readers to decipher. Also, most of them have open endings, which adds up to that. And this book is no exception.
Malayali Memorial by Unni R., translated from Malayalam by J. Devika is a collection of 17 stories written over more than a decade. Through them, he explores complex relationships, patriarchy and casteism and with the inclusion of magical realism, the stories become more and more experimental.
And to be honest, I have not understood every story, and I hope that I will be able to do so in future. But the ones that I did, I enjoyed them.
So if you are looking for some experimental short stories, this book might end your search.
Before reading this, I had read these three books and one thing that was common among them was - they were so strange!
Strange in the form of storytelling and complex with its themes and hidden meanings, which are left for the readers to decipher. Also, most of them have open endings, which adds up to that. And this book is no exception.
Malayali Memorial by Unni R., translated from Malayalam by J. Devika is a collection of 17 stories written over more than a decade. Through them, he explores complex relationships, patriarchy and casteism and with the inclusion of magical realism, the stories become more and more experimental.
And to be honest, I have not understood every story, and I hope that I will be able to do so in future. But the ones that I did, I enjoyed them.
So if you are looking for some experimental short stories, this book might end your search.
January 23, 2025
I can not comment it as an excellent book. This could probably be because it is a collection from his original series or could be as the translator couldn't do full justice or something else.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews