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Diary of a Malayali Madman
A research scholar whose notebook reveals a surreal pig farm...A psychologist in search of the truth about one of his clients...An aspiring writer who emulates Gogol...The unforgettable men and women in N. Prabhakaran's stories have an uncanny ability to expose the fault lines between the real and the unreal, the normal and the mad, as they explore their own inner worlds and psychic wounds.A pioneer of the post-modern aesthetic turn, N. Prabhakaran weaves the nitty- gritty of everyday, small-town lives into his stories - all set in northern Kerala - that are steeped in folklore, nature, factional politics, and the intricacies of human relationships.Brilliantly translated by Jayasree Kalathil, Diary of a Malayali Madman marks the very first time this major Indian writer's work is available in English.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2013
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185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 8, 2019
|3,75 stars|
A collection of 5 short stories about everyday characters and their way of leading their otherwise normal life is what ‘The Diary of a Malayali Madman’ has to offer.
Each story starts with a brilliant description of a character and his social standing, followed by the aspect of life we are taking a microscopic look at. I liked the writing, right from the start. It was engrossing, fluid and enveloping. The characters are eccentric and their actions and emotions are truly dramatic, even though mediocre is what the author wanted to achieve.
But the plot is what I failed to grasp. I understand the myriad of tiny events the author wanted us to look at, but I didn’t see the point (maybe there wasn’t one). As a reader, I always look for closure and this book didn’t have one. It’s open-ended and could mean anything, depending on the reader.
There’s probably only one story that I liked and that’s the last one. And that is because the translator told the world how it helped him deal with grief and I see that. The actual short story ‘The Diary of a Malayali Madman’ is chaos at its worst and inspiring at its best.
The book also comes with insights and exclusive interview that strangely puts a lot of my thoughts into perspectives and for that I grateful to Barsha @booktalesanddonuts. She is the one who suggested me to read these ‘extra’ materials.
Maybe a tiny bit of the essence was lost in translation, but this book has left me at a conclusion I am truly uncertain about. Maybe, read it for yourself and find out?
‘The Diary of a Malayali Madman’ is a contemporary and abstract collection of otherwise insignificant events and stories, that is looking for its best-fit. The stories are contrasting and its actually fun reading them provided they resonate with you.
A collection of 5 short stories about everyday characters and their way of leading their otherwise normal life is what ‘The Diary of a Malayali Madman’ has to offer.
Each story starts with a brilliant description of a character and his social standing, followed by the aspect of life we are taking a microscopic look at. I liked the writing, right from the start. It was engrossing, fluid and enveloping. The characters are eccentric and their actions and emotions are truly dramatic, even though mediocre is what the author wanted to achieve.
But the plot is what I failed to grasp. I understand the myriad of tiny events the author wanted us to look at, but I didn’t see the point (maybe there wasn’t one). As a reader, I always look for closure and this book didn’t have one. It’s open-ended and could mean anything, depending on the reader.
There’s probably only one story that I liked and that’s the last one. And that is because the translator told the world how it helped him deal with grief and I see that. The actual short story ‘The Diary of a Malayali Madman’ is chaos at its worst and inspiring at its best.
The book also comes with insights and exclusive interview that strangely puts a lot of my thoughts into perspectives and for that I grateful to Barsha @booktalesanddonuts. She is the one who suggested me to read these ‘extra’ materials.
Maybe a tiny bit of the essence was lost in translation, but this book has left me at a conclusion I am truly uncertain about. Maybe, read it for yourself and find out?
‘The Diary of a Malayali Madman’ is a contemporary and abstract collection of otherwise insignificant events and stories, that is looking for its best-fit. The stories are contrasting and its actually fun reading them provided they resonate with you.
May 25, 2024
3.5
Enticed by the book title and cover, this had been on by tbr since a couple of years.
An experimental read, with a good amount of experimental writing as well.
It's a collection of 5 mini novellas, written across decades, ranging from 1987 to 2015. Each delving into the eccentricities of the mind, and diary entries as the central narrative medium.
What I loved:
1. The theme - depicting various elements of human psyche, ranging from alienation, societal norms, stigma, mental turmoil.
2. The illustrations on each chapter title.
3. Characters like Anniechechi, Georgeootty, Appachan, Varkichettan, Kunjukunju, Ouseppachan.... that Malayali aroma keeps hanging between the smooth English prose!
4. Especially loved the last two novellas - Invisible forests, and the title story. Notable mention to the Pigman.
What i didn't like:
1. Abstract and abrupt endings. But i guess that was intentional given the nature of this work.
Overall:
If you're someone who wants to explore a mix of contemporary and classic regional translation, go for it.
Enticed by the book title and cover, this had been on by tbr since a couple of years.
An experimental read, with a good amount of experimental writing as well.
It's a collection of 5 mini novellas, written across decades, ranging from 1987 to 2015. Each delving into the eccentricities of the mind, and diary entries as the central narrative medium.
What I loved:
1. The theme - depicting various elements of human psyche, ranging from alienation, societal norms, stigma, mental turmoil.
2. The illustrations on each chapter title.
3. Characters like Anniechechi, Georgeootty, Appachan, Varkichettan, Kunjukunju, Ouseppachan.... that Malayali aroma keeps hanging between the smooth English prose!
4. Especially loved the last two novellas - Invisible forests, and the title story. Notable mention to the Pigman.
What i didn't like:
1. Abstract and abrupt endings. But i guess that was intentional given the nature of this work.
Overall:
If you're someone who wants to explore a mix of contemporary and classic regional translation, go for it.
Read
April 3, 2023My thanks to Deep Vellum for a review copy of this book via Edelweiss.
Diary of a Malayali Madman by N. Prabhakaran and translated by Jayasee Kalathil is a collection of 5 short stories (one of which is about novella length) initially published in 2014 and via Deep Vellum in 2023. These were originally written at different points of time in the 1990s and 2000s as the inscription with each story indicates.
These are stories that certainly push the boundaries in terms of structure, all told in the form of a collection of vignettes, which are connected yet not quite in a flow. Most do not have that traditional neatly (or otherwise) tied up ending, and so lack that feeling of completeness. And this is where I felt an observation of the author himself in an interview with the translator at the end of the book seems rather apt
Derrida, Deleuze, Guattari, Foucault, Badiou and others are common subjects of literary discussions here. But when a genuinely different work appears, it takes months to form an opinion.
On similar lines it is the case that when writings are outside of a familiar frame in terms of structure or approach, they cause readers that discomfort, that feeling of being less than satisfied; it takes time (and effort) to get one’s head around the structure.
While it is only the titular story that refers to ‘madness’ in its title, all the stories (and I was happy to get confirmation of this in the translator’s interview with the author) deal with madness in some form or other, but this is madness in the sense of not fitting in with the commonly accepted state or structure of things, of how life is ordinarily supposed to flow. Some of these characters live in a sense apart from these structures, others are part of them, yet maintain their distance in their involvement and as observers.
In ‘Wild Goat’, Georgekutty, youngest of a wealthy family (and on the verge of being committed to treatment for mental illness, as we learn right at the start) tries to eschew all that he has learnt. Observing that those around him, whether it is his only surviving older brother Babychayan (who is running the family plantations and enters politics), or Pappachan (Baby’s driver) or even his own father when alive, live in ways that disgust him at different levels, finds some solace in the forest. In ‘Tender Coconut’ a young counsellor and psychologist tells the story of a tender-coconut seller Mohanan who arrives at his clinic for treatment and presents a puzzle at different points in time while alongside telling us of his own life and practice. In ‘Pigman’, a researcher makes over to the reader, notes left by a hostel neighbour, Sreekumar whose job in a pig farm exposes him to increasingly unsettling and horrifying experiences. ‘Invisible Forests’ is the story of Krishna who is unmarried and about thirty, working as a teacher of history. At home she witnesses the strained relationships between various members of her family, whether her parents’ marriage while her mother was alive, and now both her sisters who each suspect their husbands of infidelity. Alongside the violent politics of the small village plays out in the background, and we are also shown how a number of people over the years have committed suicide making it what is termed a ‘suicide village’. The final and titular story is ‘Diary of a Malayali Madman’, where the narrator Aagi (short for Aagni which translates to ‘fire’) inspired by Gogol writes his own story, again being a person who is unable to fit in to the ‘normal’ structures of life, which leads him to varying degrees of what we would see as trouble.
The stories attempt to look at numerous aspects through the perspectives of these characters who fall beyond the category of ‘normal’ (in the translator’s words, who are able to access a ‘non-consensual reality), whether it is morality, human relationships (love or marriage), authority structures, gurus, and much else. Much of the ways people live are acknowledgedly far from ideal (in fact, the opposite), yet these are the patterns seen as ‘normal’ and accepted.
Politics is another aspect that runs through all of the stories, in some more prominently than others, and we see a reflection of the rather violent turn this takes in Kerala, an issue of particular concern in the state. Clashes, murders and assaults as also hypocritical standards are reflected.
The author also, as we see again in the interview, wishes to highlight the loss of ‘ideological vigour’ the ability to think critically, to really engage in literature or even philosophy or serious discussions about them, mostly following one path or the other on a mechanical level rather than based on any serious faith (politics in the state for instance, as he says sees families with certain party sympathies continuing to follow them as a tradition, rather than even understanding the philosophies that underlie that inclination). Perhaps in this light, his stories are intended to get his readers to think and rethink life and its various facets, what they really believe in, and what philosophies underlie their beliefs.
The translator has done a wonderful job with what are (as she admits) challenging works to translate and capture the essence of, and it was interesting to see that she’s managed to work in some of the accents and pronunciations of the region in the text as well.
These aren’t stories one can ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ but ones that are certainly thought provoking and that are I think meant to get you to question the ‘normal’ and see that there can well be other frames and different ways to assess and think through them.
Diary of a Malayali Madman by N. Prabhakaran and translated by Jayasee Kalathil is a collection of 5 short stories (one of which is about novella length) initially published in 2014 and via Deep Vellum in 2023. These were originally written at different points of time in the 1990s and 2000s as the inscription with each story indicates.
These are stories that certainly push the boundaries in terms of structure, all told in the form of a collection of vignettes, which are connected yet not quite in a flow. Most do not have that traditional neatly (or otherwise) tied up ending, and so lack that feeling of completeness. And this is where I felt an observation of the author himself in an interview with the translator at the end of the book seems rather apt
Derrida, Deleuze, Guattari, Foucault, Badiou and others are common subjects of literary discussions here. But when a genuinely different work appears, it takes months to form an opinion.
On similar lines it is the case that when writings are outside of a familiar frame in terms of structure or approach, they cause readers that discomfort, that feeling of being less than satisfied; it takes time (and effort) to get one’s head around the structure.
While it is only the titular story that refers to ‘madness’ in its title, all the stories (and I was happy to get confirmation of this in the translator’s interview with the author) deal with madness in some form or other, but this is madness in the sense of not fitting in with the commonly accepted state or structure of things, of how life is ordinarily supposed to flow. Some of these characters live in a sense apart from these structures, others are part of them, yet maintain their distance in their involvement and as observers.
In ‘Wild Goat’, Georgekutty, youngest of a wealthy family (and on the verge of being committed to treatment for mental illness, as we learn right at the start) tries to eschew all that he has learnt. Observing that those around him, whether it is his only surviving older brother Babychayan (who is running the family plantations and enters politics), or Pappachan (Baby’s driver) or even his own father when alive, live in ways that disgust him at different levels, finds some solace in the forest. In ‘Tender Coconut’ a young counsellor and psychologist tells the story of a tender-coconut seller Mohanan who arrives at his clinic for treatment and presents a puzzle at different points in time while alongside telling us of his own life and practice. In ‘Pigman’, a researcher makes over to the reader, notes left by a hostel neighbour, Sreekumar whose job in a pig farm exposes him to increasingly unsettling and horrifying experiences. ‘Invisible Forests’ is the story of Krishna who is unmarried and about thirty, working as a teacher of history. At home she witnesses the strained relationships between various members of her family, whether her parents’ marriage while her mother was alive, and now both her sisters who each suspect their husbands of infidelity. Alongside the violent politics of the small village plays out in the background, and we are also shown how a number of people over the years have committed suicide making it what is termed a ‘suicide village’. The final and titular story is ‘Diary of a Malayali Madman’, where the narrator Aagi (short for Aagni which translates to ‘fire’) inspired by Gogol writes his own story, again being a person who is unable to fit in to the ‘normal’ structures of life, which leads him to varying degrees of what we would see as trouble.
The stories attempt to look at numerous aspects through the perspectives of these characters who fall beyond the category of ‘normal’ (in the translator’s words, who are able to access a ‘non-consensual reality), whether it is morality, human relationships (love or marriage), authority structures, gurus, and much else. Much of the ways people live are acknowledgedly far from ideal (in fact, the opposite), yet these are the patterns seen as ‘normal’ and accepted.
Politics is another aspect that runs through all of the stories, in some more prominently than others, and we see a reflection of the rather violent turn this takes in Kerala, an issue of particular concern in the state. Clashes, murders and assaults as also hypocritical standards are reflected.
The author also, as we see again in the interview, wishes to highlight the loss of ‘ideological vigour’ the ability to think critically, to really engage in literature or even philosophy or serious discussions about them, mostly following one path or the other on a mechanical level rather than based on any serious faith (politics in the state for instance, as he says sees families with certain party sympathies continuing to follow them as a tradition, rather than even understanding the philosophies that underlie that inclination). Perhaps in this light, his stories are intended to get his readers to think and rethink life and its various facets, what they really believe in, and what philosophies underlie their beliefs.
The translator has done a wonderful job with what are (as she admits) challenging works to translate and capture the essence of, and it was interesting to see that she’s managed to work in some of the accents and pronunciations of the region in the text as well.
These aren’t stories one can ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ but ones that are certainly thought provoking and that are I think meant to get you to question the ‘normal’ and see that there can well be other frames and different ways to assess and think through them.
May 30, 2019
This is my second translated versed novel for this month. N. Prabhakaran is known for short stories, essayist and a popular columnist in Malayalam. This book was translated to English by Jayasree Kalathil. There are total five stories of different characters and they know they’re mentally unwell and incapable to adapt themselves into this society. Each story taken from different diaries. They are completely unable to understand the fine line between reality or immaterial sight. There has only hollowness simultaneously they are losing the rope of hope from their lives.
.
.
The first story is “Wild Goat," the story is about Georgootty, who is completely failing to analyze and characterize between good or bad. His unruly soul is always screaming, but no one can understand it. Second story and one of my favorites are “Tender Coconut," the story is about psychologists Vivek, who met with a coconut seller Mohanan, and he came as a patient to him. How the story turned with temple, priest, Chithra and ended with Mohanan again was quite interesting. The next story is "Pigman." The story is about Sreekumar, who is working in a popular Pig Farm. Pigs are starting to die due to an unknown virus, and then he started seeing so irrelevant dreams about pigs. Fourth story is “Invisible Forest," it’s a story about Krishna, who is a lecturer in a college. How her family starts facing the same turbulence as her mother faced before dying and how she stayed unmarried and alone. The last story is “Diary of a Malayali Madman “, this is the best story so far and some small information in this part has drawn my attention. The story continues with Agni, who met with some different characters from the city and started analyzing their activities.
.
.
I guess I have picked the best book, as May's month is the mental awareness month. Every single story has got their own perspectives and contents that enlightened a relevant conscience of our daily life. Every character is a madman, but equally powerful in this society. Topics that emerged to the brain and awaken the secrecy, desolation and insanity. It’s a complete read for anyone who loved to read books on Mental Awareness.
Ratings : 4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
.
.
The first story is “Wild Goat," the story is about Georgootty, who is completely failing to analyze and characterize between good or bad. His unruly soul is always screaming, but no one can understand it. Second story and one of my favorites are “Tender Coconut," the story is about psychologists Vivek, who met with a coconut seller Mohanan, and he came as a patient to him. How the story turned with temple, priest, Chithra and ended with Mohanan again was quite interesting. The next story is "Pigman." The story is about Sreekumar, who is working in a popular Pig Farm. Pigs are starting to die due to an unknown virus, and then he started seeing so irrelevant dreams about pigs. Fourth story is “Invisible Forest," it’s a story about Krishna, who is a lecturer in a college. How her family starts facing the same turbulence as her mother faced before dying and how she stayed unmarried and alone. The last story is “Diary of a Malayali Madman “, this is the best story so far and some small information in this part has drawn my attention. The story continues with Agni, who met with some different characters from the city and started analyzing their activities.
.
.
I guess I have picked the best book, as May's month is the mental awareness month. Every single story has got their own perspectives and contents that enlightened a relevant conscience of our daily life. Every character is a madman, but equally powerful in this society. Topics that emerged to the brain and awaken the secrecy, desolation and insanity. It’s a complete read for anyone who loved to read books on Mental Awareness.
Ratings : 4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 11, 2019
From the title itself we can make out that this Dairy must either be a story about someone who maybe abnormal or a collection of stories about people who are abnormal. In fact after reading this Dairy of a malayali madman, one can make out that this Dairy in reality is about people who have the ability to access Non- consensual reality.
The book also contains interview between Jayashree Kalathil who has translated the original works of Author N. Prabhakaran. The interview gives us a more clear aspect as to what this dairy exactly speaks to us. Author has created a character Aagi who is a very serious diarist and who is a reader's Malayali Madman.
One can explore the cultural construction of what is deemed normal through what one might call everyday madness, especially in relation to politics, spirituality and spiritual life.
Author has beautifully raised a question: What is madness if not the inability to communicate?
This book along with 5 unique stories also contains insights, interviews and more with the author.
These 5 stories about people who mix fantasies with reality and politics has eye catching titles and before every chapter a graphic description has been given.
✅ Every character of this story speaks about their love for the forest, how loneliness haunts them and how they yearn for company and how they see their surroundings differently as compared to others.
✅Brilliantly Written.
✅Gripping read and a deep one.
✅ Powerful stories that challenge notions of what a story should read like. Here lies madness, politics, love and obsession. Handle with care.
The book also contains interview between Jayashree Kalathil who has translated the original works of Author N. Prabhakaran. The interview gives us a more clear aspect as to what this dairy exactly speaks to us. Author has created a character Aagi who is a very serious diarist and who is a reader's Malayali Madman.
One can explore the cultural construction of what is deemed normal through what one might call everyday madness, especially in relation to politics, spirituality and spiritual life.
Author has beautifully raised a question: What is madness if not the inability to communicate?
This book along with 5 unique stories also contains insights, interviews and more with the author.
These 5 stories about people who mix fantasies with reality and politics has eye catching titles and before every chapter a graphic description has been given.
✅ Every character of this story speaks about their love for the forest, how loneliness haunts them and how they yearn for company and how they see their surroundings differently as compared to others.
✅Brilliantly Written.
✅Gripping read and a deep one.
✅ Powerful stories that challenge notions of what a story should read like. Here lies madness, politics, love and obsession. Handle with care.
September 4, 2019
If you have come across this book, then, do not hesitate for a moment. Pick it up. Turn the pages. And read. Read. Read.
You wouldn't be disheartened.
You wouldn't be disheartened.
March 4, 2019
💫Diary Of A Malayali Madman By N. Prabhakaran💫
💫Category: Short stories
💫Publisher: Harper Collins
.
Introduction: A research scholar whose notebook reveals a surreal pig farm, a psychologist in search of the truth about one of his clients, an aspiring writer who emulates Gogol, etc are some of the amazing characters of Prabhakaran's stories, who have the ability to expose the fault lines between the real and the unreal, the normal and the mad, as they explore their own inner worlds and psychic wounds.
.
My Opinion: when I picked this up, firstly I thought it's either a diary about a malayali person who is called mad may be due to his dedications to his works! But, lol, it's neither a diary nor about any madman, it's a collection of short stories having some weirdo characters who will blow up your mind. The book consists of short stories which are not really short though, they are mid length but yeah still are they divided into segments may be just to change the on going scenario. La la la, each story is different & too much irrelevant with the other stories. The best part of the book is, it has strong characters & the characters have it all. Though, it's a translation but I guess according to me the book hasn't lost any essence but original is original anyways! The cover is too confusing but looks tricky all together. The book is composed of some beautiful people captured with their own lifestyle.
.
Pros: The narration was too good to leave the books. Though, the book has a vast diversity of names that at times you may get confused, haha! The characterisation is lovely & the so are the stories. It's a short book, could be done in a single sitting. I have not read something like this before, language is easy but the narration is tricky at times! I would definitely recommend it to everyone. I loved it personally.
Cons: One or two stories were dull at places, the translation was losing the spark in them.
.
Rating: 3.75🌟
💫Category: Short stories
💫Publisher: Harper Collins
.
Introduction: A research scholar whose notebook reveals a surreal pig farm, a psychologist in search of the truth about one of his clients, an aspiring writer who emulates Gogol, etc are some of the amazing characters of Prabhakaran's stories, who have the ability to expose the fault lines between the real and the unreal, the normal and the mad, as they explore their own inner worlds and psychic wounds.
.
My Opinion: when I picked this up, firstly I thought it's either a diary about a malayali person who is called mad may be due to his dedications to his works! But, lol, it's neither a diary nor about any madman, it's a collection of short stories having some weirdo characters who will blow up your mind. The book consists of short stories which are not really short though, they are mid length but yeah still are they divided into segments may be just to change the on going scenario. La la la, each story is different & too much irrelevant with the other stories. The best part of the book is, it has strong characters & the characters have it all. Though, it's a translation but I guess according to me the book hasn't lost any essence but original is original anyways! The cover is too confusing but looks tricky all together. The book is composed of some beautiful people captured with their own lifestyle.
.
Pros: The narration was too good to leave the books. Though, the book has a vast diversity of names that at times you may get confused, haha! The characterisation is lovely & the so are the stories. It's a short book, could be done in a single sitting. I have not read something like this before, language is easy but the narration is tricky at times! I would definitely recommend it to everyone. I loved it personally.
Cons: One or two stories were dull at places, the translation was losing the spark in them.
.
Rating: 3.75🌟
March 11, 2019
The book consists of five short stories. Each story has different content. Majority stories are based on rural areas. The first story is named as “Wild Goat” I love the description of surroundings. The words and sentences are written so beautifully that makes you want to read more of it.
The second story is “Tender Coconut” and that one is my favourite. It’s about the psychiatrist Dr. Murukaran. He started his clinic in the hillside village. And in those days, people did not took psychiatric treatment in cases of madness. I love this story because I also work in rural area and in medical field. And till now there are lots of areas that needs awareness. The number of people who need help of psychiatrists are increasing day by day due to our lifestyle patterns and stress. And till today majority people still think that only “mad people” need treatment of psychiatrists. While in many cases, a little help of psychiatrists can play important role.
The third story is “Pigman” and it’s in form of diary entries. But this one is really emotional and heat touching. The last story is “Diary of Malayali Madman” in reference to which title of the book is given. And I loved the way preface is given at the beginning of this story and how the author has created the book. I had very little knowledge regarding regional writers and authors. I loved to read about Gogol.
Overall I loved the book. It is translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil and she has done wonderful job. Because many times, if the book is translated, it might not be as good as it was in the regional or author’s own language. But I never felt loosing interest at any point while reading. Wonderfully chosen vocabulary and language and nice word play. The whole time I was enjoying the book as I am reading a poetry. I loved the content of every story. Different than usual ones and all the stories took courses and ended with good twists unexpectedly. Overall good one. Definitely recommended.
Click the link below to read detailed reviews
https://drruchipatel.wordpress.com/20...
The second story is “Tender Coconut” and that one is my favourite. It’s about the psychiatrist Dr. Murukaran. He started his clinic in the hillside village. And in those days, people did not took psychiatric treatment in cases of madness. I love this story because I also work in rural area and in medical field. And till now there are lots of areas that needs awareness. The number of people who need help of psychiatrists are increasing day by day due to our lifestyle patterns and stress. And till today majority people still think that only “mad people” need treatment of psychiatrists. While in many cases, a little help of psychiatrists can play important role.
The third story is “Pigman” and it’s in form of diary entries. But this one is really emotional and heat touching. The last story is “Diary of Malayali Madman” in reference to which title of the book is given. And I loved the way preface is given at the beginning of this story and how the author has created the book. I had very little knowledge regarding regional writers and authors. I loved to read about Gogol.
Overall I loved the book. It is translated from the Malayalam by Jayasree Kalathil and she has done wonderful job. Because many times, if the book is translated, it might not be as good as it was in the regional or author’s own language. But I never felt loosing interest at any point while reading. Wonderfully chosen vocabulary and language and nice word play. The whole time I was enjoying the book as I am reading a poetry. I loved the content of every story. Different than usual ones and all the stories took courses and ended with good twists unexpectedly. Overall good one. Definitely recommended.
Click the link below to read detailed reviews
https://drruchipatel.wordpress.com/20...
March 8, 2019
2019: 28
#whatisdelhifamreading ~ A Translated Work
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🍁
.
Diary of a Malayali Madman
N. Prabhakaran
Harper Collins India
2014/ 2019. Pp- 254.
.
.
.
"Love is a want, a privation. One can love another person only as long as that person is in some way or the other inferior to oneself... The only reason people enact friendships or closeness to one another is to overcome some sense of deficiency within them."
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Diary of a Malayali Madman is not just a collection of stories, but a series of arguments, presented to us in different lights.
Prabhakaran has a unique writing style. There's a strange calmness in his style of narration. And the visualisation it leads us on to! The stories are easy, but not simple, almost surreal.
He speaks of dark, sensitive themes in such a beautiful manner- a delight for any reader. His words shatter the shared reality, and brings into light a side of things less explored. He questions the norms of normalcy and abnormality, only to create more dispute in our minds.
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A well deserving 4 on 5!
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A part of the Harper Perennial series, this is one of the reputed works of Indian literature.
Translated works are always my favourites, they bring in a new perspective, a breath of fresh air, an unknown yet familiar touch :" I thank the lovely people at Harper Collins for this wonderful book- a true value addition to my shelf.
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🍁
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#bookstagramindia #bookstagrammer #review #bookreview #readdreamrepeat #blogger #bookblogger #delhibookstagrammer #indianblogger #igreads #delhiblogger #unitedbookstagram #indianauthor #february #februaryreads #slaythattbr #translatedworks #translatedbook #translation #indianfiction #shortstories #malayali #malayalibooks
28 down @htbrunch #htbrunchbookchallenge #BrunchBookChallenge #htbrunch
#whatisdelhifamreading ~ A Translated Work
.
🍁
.
Diary of a Malayali Madman
N. Prabhakaran
Harper Collins India
2014/ 2019. Pp- 254.
.
.
.
"Love is a want, a privation. One can love another person only as long as that person is in some way or the other inferior to oneself... The only reason people enact friendships or closeness to one another is to overcome some sense of deficiency within them."
.
Diary of a Malayali Madman is not just a collection of stories, but a series of arguments, presented to us in different lights.
Prabhakaran has a unique writing style. There's a strange calmness in his style of narration. And the visualisation it leads us on to! The stories are easy, but not simple, almost surreal.
He speaks of dark, sensitive themes in such a beautiful manner- a delight for any reader. His words shatter the shared reality, and brings into light a side of things less explored. He questions the norms of normalcy and abnormality, only to create more dispute in our minds.
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A well deserving 4 on 5!
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A part of the Harper Perennial series, this is one of the reputed works of Indian literature.
Translated works are always my favourites, they bring in a new perspective, a breath of fresh air, an unknown yet familiar touch :" I thank the lovely people at Harper Collins for this wonderful book- a true value addition to my shelf.
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🍁
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November 11, 2023N. Prabhakaran's stories are unsettling (in more of a existential way than a spec-fic way), and not always easy to read. They have fitting endings that cannot be described as satisfying or resolutions. Particularly the way his characters express their desire for connection, and their sense of purpose. These two form the major themes and conflicts of the short stories, which are themselves formatted as diary entries, conversations, and other stories the characters tell themselves and each other. It's the kind of book where the beginning feels a bit strange and ambiguous, but you start getting an idea of what the author is accomplishing after the third or so story.
An interesting read, though "Invisible Forests" - the only one of the five to center women - started getting a bit navel-gazey at parts. Granted, it was in-character to the end, but said character read very much like an author-insert or ideological mouthpiece. And everything after that feels like an awkward first date with a philosophy major who's lost his sense of curiosity but gained a self-importance thinly veiled by self-deprecation in its place. Sure, there's some insight and/or humor here and there, and solid reading recommendations. But it's hard to engage with them because of everything else going on in the conversation. I suppose it very likely is satire, but it's a bit of an exhausting one - think American Psycho but in academia and less murder-y.
An interesting read, though "Invisible Forests" - the only one of the five to center women - started getting a bit navel-gazey at parts. Granted, it was in-character to the end, but said character read very much like an author-insert or ideological mouthpiece. And everything after that feels like an awkward first date with a philosophy major who's lost his sense of curiosity but gained a self-importance thinly veiled by self-deprecation in its place. Sure, there's some insight and/or humor here and there, and solid reading recommendations. But it's hard to engage with them because of everything else going on in the conversation. I suppose it very likely is satire, but it's a bit of an exhausting one - think American Psycho but in academia and less murder-y.
March 6, 2019
Diary Of A Malayali Madman
You know the best thing about short stories. They always give us a message to learn something at the end. Some messages you keep forever though out your life and some you will forget because it disappoint you.
When you see cover, title many questions will rise in mind. Is the story of malayani? Is the story of madman? What actually the book is about. Let me tell it's complete different than what cover and title says.
This book is collection of short stories with different characters, different names. When I say short stories it's doesn't mean 5,6 pages its more than 20 pages. There are total 5 stories with is divided with no. In it. (Like diary)
After reading this book I have mixed feeling. The theme of this book what is "normal".at first I'm damn confused about this book because it doesn't made any sense at first. But,
*"this book taught me who have look at differently every time you read something new"*
What is actually I learned from this to know more you have to read this. But, one thing make sure while reading this don't read as reader ""read as insane/abnormal person""
The characters and narration is all good no doubt about it. But, I believe the starting is not good then book looses it's point.
In a nutshell if you are weird and have patience definitely try this
You know the best thing about short stories. They always give us a message to learn something at the end. Some messages you keep forever though out your life and some you will forget because it disappoint you.
When you see cover, title many questions will rise in mind. Is the story of malayani? Is the story of madman? What actually the book is about. Let me tell it's complete different than what cover and title says.
This book is collection of short stories with different characters, different names. When I say short stories it's doesn't mean 5,6 pages its more than 20 pages. There are total 5 stories with is divided with no. In it. (Like diary)
After reading this book I have mixed feeling. The theme of this book what is "normal".at first I'm damn confused about this book because it doesn't made any sense at first. But,
*"this book taught me who have look at differently every time you read something new"*
What is actually I learned from this to know more you have to read this. But, one thing make sure while reading this don't read as reader ""read as insane/abnormal person""
The characters and narration is all good no doubt about it. But, I believe the starting is not good then book looses it's point.
In a nutshell if you are weird and have patience definitely try this
June 1, 2019
Pigman- this story reminded me a bit about Animal Farm however in this the research scholar writes a diary sequencing events of a farm called Gateway Farm where he is employed, rather builds a story about being employed there. The parallels that the author draws in terms of corporate life, the employees and their characters and the pigfarm is deep. There are times when an employee almost becomes the company and the company becomes the employee, the employee becomes the true representative of the product he or she sells and perhaps becomes an extension of the product itself. As the protagonist imagines himself to be the pigman, a man almost pig-like in features towards the end, and his world crumbles down with the farm, one may begin to understand what the author is trying to say. In fact, he is so engrossed in his new life as an employee that he forgets about his hobbies. He says, in a manner we all busy people understand, I picked up this pen, wanting to write something nice about life. I have failed, Words are the problem, If you are in possession of a good vocabulary, you will have a good life. Is that a fact?
https://itchingtoread.blogspot.com/20...
https://itchingtoread.blogspot.com/20...
March 12, 2019
Name- Diary of a Malayali Madman
Written By- N. Prabhakaran
Translated from the Malayalam by- Jayasree Kalathil
Published By- HarperCollins
Genre- Fiction
Pages- 229
Review-
One of the hyped book from which I had high hopes and expectations.
The title struck me as not only different but obscure.
The book contains 5 short stories. Each of the stories were unrelated and I felt each story is poles apart from the other. Though they share a similarity of dealing with some of the most discussed topics of the society and some of these are about mental health.
The story that I liked most is Diary of a Malayali Madman which also happens to be the title of the book. The endings rather left me more confused.
The other stories though had a voice of their own sometimes felt lost or were too obscure. The name of the stories were not relevant with them either.
The characters were much intense. There were some of the most debatable issues addressed in the stories. Though I couldn't connect with the characters on a personal level.
The book should be read with an open mind and I would advice the readers not to keep a pre-formed notion about the stories.
Written By- N. Prabhakaran
Translated from the Malayalam by- Jayasree Kalathil
Published By- HarperCollins
Genre- Fiction
Pages- 229
Review-
One of the hyped book from which I had high hopes and expectations.
The title struck me as not only different but obscure.
The book contains 5 short stories. Each of the stories were unrelated and I felt each story is poles apart from the other. Though they share a similarity of dealing with some of the most discussed topics of the society and some of these are about mental health.
The story that I liked most is Diary of a Malayali Madman which also happens to be the title of the book. The endings rather left me more confused.
The other stories though had a voice of their own sometimes felt lost or were too obscure. The name of the stories were not relevant with them either.
The characters were much intense. There were some of the most debatable issues addressed in the stories. Though I couldn't connect with the characters on a personal level.
The book should be read with an open mind and I would advice the readers not to keep a pre-formed notion about the stories.
March 29, 2021
This book was very hard to read and thus review. The book does not follow any pattern of normalness. Even after reading the book, you might be left pondering as to the point of it all. It tries to explore the world through characters, whom people would call “mad“. But what makes a person mad? Is the person mad because the person doesn’t fit into the mould set by society, or is it because their way of looking at the world is different? The book is quite an uncomfortable read. But sometimes, we become so used to linear narratives that we get trapped in them. We then need an uncomfortable book to jolt us, like this one. The book challenges our definition of “normal”. It explores the untouched areas of mental health. And then it makes the reader think.
In my frank opinion, “Diary Of A Malayali Madman” is not everyone’s cup of tea. The book might make you question the concept of sanity. However, the way the matter is presented in the book makes it difficult for the reader to understand the hidden nuances. The book requires mental fortitude and dedication to understand it completely.
In my frank opinion, “Diary Of A Malayali Madman” is not everyone’s cup of tea. The book might make you question the concept of sanity. However, the way the matter is presented in the book makes it difficult for the reader to understand the hidden nuances. The book requires mental fortitude and dedication to understand it completely.
September 7, 2019
I finally got over my reading slump with this wonderful collection of short stories. My favourite stories in this collection were Pigman and Invisible Forests. It explores the daily lives of the most ordinary people in Kerala and their conversations with themselves through their writings in their diaries. I found that a lot of the traits of these people were relatable.
June 11, 2023
A very interesting book by showing the highlights of what goes inside the head of the character in each subsection. Each story has its own twist but revolves back onto one central theme. Definitely takes a lot of patience to read this book, but if you are up for the challenge, I would highly recommend this as a good long read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2025
I really liked the way these stories are written, especially tender coconut and diary of a malayali madman, these were like story within a story, subtle existentialism which makes us brood over what is real or unreal actually? The characters are weird, they tell their own story but we also hear it in third person. Really enjoyed the book! Easily one of my favourite reads of the year.
January 29, 2025
A collection of 5 short stories. Georgootti in Wild goat and Aagney in Diary of a malayali madman hits differently. They see what others can't see . The world of them is insane. So the reader is.
February 26, 2021
Diary of a Malayali Madman is a gem of a work that disrupts the idea of a shared consensus reality - vividly visualising the life of the experienced. The books focuses on questioning the concept of normalcy and reality; is being mad reality or quite normal? What is madness? Who defines madness? Insanity is a conception of a slight deviation from the society's stereotypical mundanity. All the 5 characters Aagi, Sreekumar, Mohanan, Georgekutty, Krishna, they narrate the chronicles of their maddening lives; the possibility of traversing the gossamer-thin walls of reality and normality, each of them retain their own individuality.
Talking about the structuralism handled in the text, they reflect Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Guattari. Prabhakaran's work opens up an entirely different world, writing style, and grounds it on modernism besides existentialism.
Abnormalcy is our everyday normal according to N Prabhakaran - every idea of this stereotypical society needs freedom from all its clutches of preconceived notions.
If you're up for a bizzare novel, this is definitely it. I loved reading the short stories - Wild Goat and Tender Coconut, over and over again. I have never been this hooked with a short story compiled novel that too in an epistolary form ♥️
This was originally written in Malayalam by Prabhakaran, and translated by Jayasree Kalathil. Her translation seems to be top notch according to the reviews of Malayali readers who have read both the original and the English translation.
Rating - 5/5 ⭐
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnZOCPob...
Talking about the structuralism handled in the text, they reflect Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Guattari. Prabhakaran's work opens up an entirely different world, writing style, and grounds it on modernism besides existentialism.
Abnormalcy is our everyday normal according to N Prabhakaran - every idea of this stereotypical society needs freedom from all its clutches of preconceived notions.
If you're up for a bizzare novel, this is definitely it. I loved reading the short stories - Wild Goat and Tender Coconut, over and over again. I have never been this hooked with a short story compiled novel that too in an epistolary form ♥️
This was originally written in Malayalam by Prabhakaran, and translated by Jayasree Kalathil. Her translation seems to be top notch according to the reviews of Malayali readers who have read both the original and the English translation.
Rating - 5/5 ⭐
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnZOCPob...
March 22, 2023
Perspectives on Keralan life through the eyes of mad and eccentric characters. It's more a story collection than a novel in the usual sense.
March 6, 2019
‘Diary of a Malayali Madman’ is a hysterical collection of short stories written by N. Prabhakaran and translated from Malayalam by Jayashree Kalathil. There are five such stories, each written in the form of a diary entry, coming from the minds of ‘abnormal’ people. These delirious stories, characterized by illusions and fantasies of the human mind will not make sense to us, but it portrays how an acutely disturbed mind works. Out of all the five stories, I loved the last story of the book titled ‘diary of a malayali madman’, where the protagonist, Aagi, knows that he is a madman and so he thinks that his mind is superior to the rest. He thinks in a way that no one else does. For instance, he wants to win a lottery so that he can buy some fertile land where he could farm brahmi. Because apparently, he thinks that people are losing both intellectual and memory power and so brahmi farmers would conquer the world in future, and he would be one among them. The protagonist of this story is someone who has the ability to access what Jayashree Kalathil likes to call ‘non-consensual reality’.
All these stories contained in the book actually have a common ‘theme’. These stories are deviated from what is ‘normal’. I had the hardest time reviewing this book because the first half just went by trying to figure out the whole logic of this book. I later realised that I was going wrong the entire time. ‘Logic’ or ‘sense’ is not something that the book promises, because these stories are coming from people who are not ‘normal’ and looks at the World differently. If you keep this in mind while reading the book, you surely are going to enjoy it. I feel guilty for not understanding this sooner. However, I would still wish the narration could have been better. The essence of the stories might have lost somewhere during the translation.
There’s no doubt that this has been written by one of the most brilliant storytellers of our time, who can capture the madness and solitude of a human mind and portray it beautifully to his audience. You might wanna give this book a try but read the postscript before jumping into the stories to understand it better.
All these stories contained in the book actually have a common ‘theme’. These stories are deviated from what is ‘normal’. I had the hardest time reviewing this book because the first half just went by trying to figure out the whole logic of this book. I later realised that I was going wrong the entire time. ‘Logic’ or ‘sense’ is not something that the book promises, because these stories are coming from people who are not ‘normal’ and looks at the World differently. If you keep this in mind while reading the book, you surely are going to enjoy it. I feel guilty for not understanding this sooner. However, I would still wish the narration could have been better. The essence of the stories might have lost somewhere during the translation.
There’s no doubt that this has been written by one of the most brilliant storytellers of our time, who can capture the madness and solitude of a human mind and portray it beautifully to his audience. You might wanna give this book a try but read the postscript before jumping into the stories to understand it better.
June 12, 2020
I'm really glad that I ran into this book( I had not heard of the author before buying this). It is exquisite in its simplicity. There is a lyricism to the translation that makes the reading a delectable but thoughtful process. So far as I know, this is the first anthology of Prabhakaran's work in English. I am certainly buying many more, if and when they are published. A big kudos to the wonderful translator, Jayasree.This book, certainly, deserves to be read. I, for one, would recommend it to anyone without a sliver of doubt!
January 20, 2021
The author will make you to delve into the realm of the not so typical characters which quite alien to our typical view of life.
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