Degree Coffee by the Yard

by Nirmala Lakshman

This is a tale of two cities—Madras and Chennai. In this book, the author braids together the essential aspects of Madras and Chennai to give us an exquisite portrait of the iconic city on the Coromandel Coast. The story of Madras, founded by the British almost four hundred years ago, gives way to that of Chennai in 1996, but the two are so intertwined that it is impossible to tell them apart. The history of the city is populated with fascinating characters—writers, builders, thinkers; British traders, luminaries and rogues; freedom fighters and political leaders who changed the city’s political milieu. In independent India, the political life of Madras was marked by battles for equality, the demolition of unjust caste structures, and a remarkable spirit of secularism, all of which the author brings to vivid life.
But the city’s unique flavour is not limited to its history and politics, it owes much to its rich cultural, religious, gastronomic and sporting heritage—highlights of which include the largest classical music festival in the world, a remarkable array of cuisines, both native and imported, from the crisp dosai to spicy Chicken 65, a passion for cricket, tennis and chess and the best filter coffee on the planet. Sharply observed, yet meditative and personal, Degree Coffee by the Yard brings a great city to rare and refreshing life.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Brian Stoddart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving low ratings to books - being a writer, I try to remember the effort that has gone in to making any work.

The problem with this book on Chennai now called Madras is that the effort is not readily apparent. Big slabs of material and ideas appear in more than one place, and the book comes across as a piece of stream of consciouness. It starts with a recitation of the author's famous family and somehow that sets the tone.

The first couple of chapters rehears an already well known story, drawing heavily on works by authorities like S. Muthiah Madras Rediscovered: A Historical Guide to Looking Around, Supplemented with Tales of 'Once Upon a City' and A.R. Venkatachalapathy Chennai, Not Madras: Perspectives on the City but does not draw on great earlier books such as J. Chartes Molony's A Civilian's South India.

This is a reminiscence, then, and a restricted one that goes nowhere near explaining how the city has changed, or why.

There are patches that are good, as on the famous December classical music scene, but for the most part the book lies at the superficial. In that sense it is rather like but probably not as good as Biswanath Ghose's Tamarind City which in itself was somewhat disappointing.

So there is still a great book to be done on Madras/Chennai

[Girish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine you start reading a great blogpost about Chennai(or your hometown). You live in the moment with a warm glow and love that encompasses all things that form your version of the city. 

And then you realise the blogger is a historian and starts going into a brief lecture which you weren't prepared for. You say ok, then the author starts name dropping and it's not a collective memory anymore.

That's what happened with me and the book. Neither is it an authoritative biography of the city not is it an populist echo (even calling out Rajnikanth or Coffee). 

I did get a bit upset when the author - a self professed coffee lover got the history of degree coffee wrong. But then the contrast between Chennai and Madras was dealt with better. Every 90s kid will know what changed.

A few good chapters but the book on the whole doesn't  do justice to the spirit and the people of the city. Watch CSK theme song video to get a better coverage of what make Chennai and Madras.

Luke warm coffee!

[Keerthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the author's privileged vantage point, both in the elite intellectual circles of the city and with their own The Hindu archives, I expected a book that went beyond the typical upper middle-class, Tambrahm narrative of idlies, coffee, and katcheri. Although she briefly touches upon other issues (and is reflexive, thank goodness), it isn't enough and the book goes back to detailing what we now stereotype as Chennai. Instead of focussing on the mental Madras/Chennai binary, I'd have appreciated an account of how the different "oorus" or areas came about. Perhaps, living in the city, one is too familiar to be bored by the romanticising.

I loved the Bangalore book from this series, and maybe, I should revisit it to see if it also suffers from similar shortsightedness.

[Savir Husain Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was relocating to Chennai, and at that i was searching for the book that can give me the glimpse of what Chennai is and how it came into formation and some historical facts regarding the city not the deep knowledge.
This book happened to be the perfect choice as per requirements.
This books tells you how madras pattam become madras , madras become Chennai and various accounts related the city.
This is a perfect book for the person who is new in the city or planning to move to city.

[NiranjanYoga_The_Baller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminds me that I am a TAMIZHAN first
And then an Indian.

[Raksha Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

As strong and aromatic as a cup of degree coffee!

[Sukanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this time and age, where your attention span seems to be lesser than even that of a goldfish, this is exactly how non-fiction should be: peppy yet full of first rate information, giving out a message yet not pedantic. And who better than to write about 'SennaiMetross' (as the social media generation lovingly calls Chennai/Madras) than someone associated with a publication that has grown along with the city? Degree Coffee by the Yard is a short yet splendid reading experience. More so because I spent a year in Madras [as well as Chennai] for studies. To my much younger mind then, the city was an enigma, and maybe still is today. But this book by Nirmala Lakshman narrates the story of Madras and all that matters to it in such a loving way, that one can only smile at the end. Lined with robust information and splendid anecdotes, Degree Coffee by the Yard is a must read for those who want to know Chennai/Madras on the go as well as for city history enthusiasts in general.

[Treez Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story of the city of Chennai with a nostalgic evocation of one's hometown.

Nirmala Lakshman tries to balance the traditional gunpowder(those who love dosa will get it) town of Madras with the now cosmopolitan city Chennai in this very descriptive yet non-documentary type cultural portrayal of the southern capital of TamilNadu. There are stories bordering on folklore and anecdotes to let us readers, know the city from its birth as founded by the British four hundred and fifty years ago to gifting the world with freedom fighters, writers, poets, ingenious filmmakers and path breaking businessmen. 
It's like being in a time machine where Lakshman keeps taking you to and from vintage Madras and the cosmopolitan Chennai. After you read you will definitely want to reach out for a filter kaapi and a dosa!   

[bhavani · Rating 1 out of 5]

maybe i expected more, maybe i compared with the few other books about cities i have read (correct that to one other book)... but this was not as good as i expected it to be. it rambled on, and didnt leave me saying hey i know so much more about the city. some sections were so banal... especially the food one... i hardly know chennai and even then this book didnt surprise me much!

[Samyuktha jayaprakash · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely book to reminisce Chennai with. not the best introspective book but a loving nostalgic note brilliantly written. covers the fabulous history, temples , cinema , political movement , culture, arts , food . and special mention to filter coffee <3

[Uday Kanth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars for the two chapters out of five that I found interesting.

The first chapter is the best, offering a comprehensive history of how Chennai came to be. It was mostly on point, economical prose with just the right amount of memoir-y additions. Once you're past that, it's a slippery slope.

At a certain point, I wondered who the target audience was for this book. And that's because you quickly find out that the rest of the chapters turn into a sort of a brief summary and listicle of everything Chennai. But most people know this already. Even if you're a total stranger to Chennai, there's not much here to recommend. The book never really digs deep into the heart of the city, rather it seems content with repetitively underlining the obvious dichotomy.

The writing too, is a bit off. It didn't draw me into the narrative, and it also doesn't help that apart from telling the reader that she is a chennaivasi, there's not much for the reader to warm up to the narrator. Would it have helped had she recounted some experiences from her sprawling career at The Hindu? We would never know.

[Vaishnavi Jayakumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dont think I'll ever be able to view "Madras" as the old name for Chennai....
The author's passion for the city and it's culture is impeccable. You can see it through her writing which was soo satisfying to read.

As a Tamilian who was born in Chennai and not brought up in the same city, I felt happy to be connected to all the elements that makes the city unique. Starting from history, politics to popculture and coffee... the author has compiled a wide variety of interesting facts.

If you want to take a peek at Chennai/Madras through a person who loves it, over a cup of coffee.... then pick this book up <3

[Poornima Srinivasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick fun read of a city that I am very familiar with, but still able to discover some small surprising factoids about the history. Reads more like a travelogue - like “read before you visit this city”. Interesting, fast paced read, but not if you are looking for some deep insights. It is informative, and filled with a warm, happy nostalgia from the author’s personal vantage point. She clearly steers away from controversies or political statements beyond the ones with broad consensus, and instead offers glimpses of the best of Madras/Chennai.

[A-Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

An endearing tribute to the city by a chennai-vasi, manages to put history, culture and people in perspective. The initial chapters are much the same as other books on Chennai, but later the author manages to add personal flourishes relatable to readers of The Hindu

[Rajesh Pankaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple but excellent explanation about Madras & Chennai. How are they same or different is explained well. It talks about the history of the city. Music programs, movie industry, food habits, festivals, temples etc are covered well in detail.

[Akhnaten Mallya · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting take on Chennai. Bits that I knew of, but tons I wasn't aware of. Take your time reading through it, with lots of filter coffee.

[Sundarraj Kaushik · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Chennai like me, you will like the book. It starts with the history of how Chennai began as Chennapatinam and Madraspatinam and how it has metamorphosed into the city it is now. Somewhere cosmopolitan, but retaining its traditional aspects just under the surface. Scratch the surface and one can see this.

Extensive research and emotion has gone behind the book. If one has lived in the city when it was called Madras, one will definitely get a feeling of nostalgia even of one continues to live in the city.

The book derives from the fact that in some places, Chennai, the coffee is referred to by yards/length an coffee is a culture in Tamil Nadu.

Lovers or Madras and Chennai read the book.

[Sumithra Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a hectic week and a party hard Saturday, how does a quite Sunday afternoon with a light drizzle feels while inhaling the aroma of a freshly brewing filter coffee wafting from kitchens. That's exactly how it feels. While the people in Chennai will be relate to it in all way, it would sure kindle a slight curiosity for all non-chennaites. I was marked more than half a pages in the book so that I can revisit the places that I usually pass by without giving it much thought. I have always enjoyed reading historical fiction but this is the first time I enjoyed a non-fiction through and through. For all those who cherish a affection for this city, you can go ahead and drench yourself with little yet lovable facts about the place. And I can promise one thing, once you read this you will see Chennai through different eyes.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this while I was in Chennai and wish I had had more time in the city to seek out some of the places mentioned in the book. It would have been fascinating to see them through the author's eyes. I loved the book and could feel her love of the city in every paragraph (alongside her occasional frustrations with the city, and its changes over the years). A wonderful introduction to the history, culture and life of a city that I found compelling in the very short time I was there.

[Vasav Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

About the City I couldn't stop myself falling in love with ' For what I receive here, what I am given' .

[Krish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely easy read. If you're from Madras, you'll like this book. I doubt it'll hold much charm for people from elsewhere.

[Vidya Ganapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

heart.warming ...a simple but deeply cultural and intelligent city.can relate to the narration despite never having been a chennai vasi

[Siddharth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a smooth flowing historical account of Madras for present day Chennaites. The absence of some negativity and politically incorrect statements gave a slightly odd touch to it. Overall good book.

[Ramaswamy N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent attempt on the City, but not very cohesive / flowing.

[Saju Pillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Book. A quick, light read. Will appeal to you if you spent time in Madras.

[foolscap · Rating 1 out of 5]

How predictably boring!