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Thanthanathom
Travel to Arayapatti and meet Dharma, the idiot of the village. What is he up to now?
The pious priest of a temple in Kumbakonam has a busy weekend coming up.
And a District Collector has to preside over a wedding. He buys garlands and sweets and heads to the venue.
Speaking of which... have you heard about the Flower Factory?
Thandanathom is an anthology of four short stories set in rural India.
The book is suitable for anyone aged 14 and above.
The pious priest of a temple in Kumbakonam has a busy weekend coming up.
And a District Collector has to preside over a wedding. He buys garlands and sweets and heads to the venue.
Speaking of which... have you heard about the Flower Factory?
Thandanathom is an anthology of four short stories set in rural India.
The book is suitable for anyone aged 14 and above.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 200
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 27, 2020
A delightful and engaging collection
Thanthanathom is a delightful collection of stories from the Tamil heartland. There are references only a Tamil can relate with and chuckle. Though I have read one of the stories, it was nostalgic and tickling to read it all over again. I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories.
What I liked:
-Plot and characterization
-Freshnesd of the stories
-Effort by the author to engage her readers
I would recommend this little book to everybody. If you are looking for fresh content, give this a shot. I promise, you wont be let down.
All the best to Nithya. :)
Thanthanathom is a delightful collection of stories from the Tamil heartland. There are references only a Tamil can relate with and chuckle. Though I have read one of the stories, it was nostalgic and tickling to read it all over again. I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories.
What I liked:
-Plot and characterization
-Freshnesd of the stories
-Effort by the author to engage her readers
I would recommend this little book to everybody. If you are looking for fresh content, give this a shot. I promise, you wont be let down.
All the best to Nithya. :)
December 29, 2020
Nice reminder of back home. Felt like a mini version of malgudi days. Easy read.
May 11, 2020
Week 13 Book 6
Thanthanathom by Nithya Rajagopal
Rating: 4/5
A perfect book for the quarantine life! A short and sweet compendium of 4 stories set in rural South India, Thanthanathom (which is the opening phrase of the Villu Paatu, the traditional story telling practice in Tamil Nadu) is a perfect title to this book.
A quick read that will transport you to the sounds, sights, and smells of rural Tamil Nadu.. there's laughter and emotion and cleverness all rolled into one! A fantastic debut by the author, and a must read!
Thanthanathom by Nithya Rajagopal
Rating: 4/5
A perfect book for the quarantine life! A short and sweet compendium of 4 stories set in rural South India, Thanthanathom (which is the opening phrase of the Villu Paatu, the traditional story telling practice in Tamil Nadu) is a perfect title to this book.
A quick read that will transport you to the sounds, sights, and smells of rural Tamil Nadu.. there's laughter and emotion and cleverness all rolled into one! A fantastic debut by the author, and a must read!
March 24, 2020
Than-Thana-Thom, a book of four short stories by Nithya Rajagopal is an amazing little book on Amazon Kindle.
The highlight of the book is how Nithya has created characters that stand out and stay with you long after you have finished reading the book. The second highlight is her felicity with enunciating the local flavour of Tamil Nadu through her language and through her focus on customs and traditions that are typical to the state.
The stories are peopled with interesting main and supporting characters and Nithya has carefully chosen appropriate settings to showcase them.
Each of these stories holds a secret which leaves the reader in a 'feel good' factor state after the unraveling. To say anything more would be a spoiler and therefore I would stop with one line descriptions of each of the stories.
The Idiot of Arayapatti is a story of promise and discovery.
The Pious Priest is a tongue in cheek title and is my favourite.
A Wedding in Kovilpatti unfolds a surprise wedding.
Flower Factory is an endearing tale.
I wish Nithya the best in her writing journey and eagerly look forward to more of her writing.
The highlight of the book is how Nithya has created characters that stand out and stay with you long after you have finished reading the book. The second highlight is her felicity with enunciating the local flavour of Tamil Nadu through her language and through her focus on customs and traditions that are typical to the state.
The stories are peopled with interesting main and supporting characters and Nithya has carefully chosen appropriate settings to showcase them.
Each of these stories holds a secret which leaves the reader in a 'feel good' factor state after the unraveling. To say anything more would be a spoiler and therefore I would stop with one line descriptions of each of the stories.
The Idiot of Arayapatti is a story of promise and discovery.
The Pious Priest is a tongue in cheek title and is my favourite.
A Wedding in Kovilpatti unfolds a surprise wedding.
Flower Factory is an endearing tale.
I wish Nithya the best in her writing journey and eagerly look forward to more of her writing.
March 27, 2020
Thanthanathom is a delightful collection of short stories, written by Nithya Rajgopal. The title is the opening phrase of Villu Paatu, the opening phrase of Villu Paatu, the traditional storytelling practice in Tamil Nadu. Storytellers use an upturned bow as an instrument, and a mix of song and speech to tell their stories.
These stories will make you feel happy and good. They have little surprises in them, that make you cheer for the protagonists - who are often the underdogs in a situation.
I cannot decide which is my favourite:
‘The Idiot of Arayapatti’ is amusing and heartwarming, ‘The Pious Priest’ has a few unexpected twists, ‘A Wedding in Kovilpatti’ is an “only in India” type of tale, and “Flower Factory” is a true story of conquering life’s obstacles in pursuit of something better.
This is a great #socialdistancing read: one that makes us smile more than anything else.
These stories will make you feel happy and good. They have little surprises in them, that make you cheer for the protagonists - who are often the underdogs in a situation.
I cannot decide which is my favourite:
‘The Idiot of Arayapatti’ is amusing and heartwarming, ‘The Pious Priest’ has a few unexpected twists, ‘A Wedding in Kovilpatti’ is an “only in India” type of tale, and “Flower Factory” is a true story of conquering life’s obstacles in pursuit of something better.
This is a great #socialdistancing read: one that makes us smile more than anything else.
March 24, 2020
Read this book in one sitting and so amazed with what the author has created. The stories are so visual that they made me imagine the setting like a picture frame. Pretty much like how RK Narayan used to do in his books. That genre that immediately takes you back to your rustic village, amidst the social hobnob and warm gestures. Further, the use of local dialect is a fresh breeze. It is as if the author wants to transport the reader to her village setting, exactly how it is supposed to be. Very, unadulterated.
Extremely heart warming and touching. This anthology of short stories is a rainbow of varied emotions, most of which may take a while to re-identify.
Strongly recommended.
Extremely heart warming and touching. This anthology of short stories is a rainbow of varied emotions, most of which may take a while to re-identify.
Strongly recommended.
April 14, 2020
Thanthanathom transported me right back into my childhood and the monthly Chandamama that I used to devour. And devour i did! Each story enriched with different characters with subtle layers was a pleasure to read.
I've never been a part of rural Tamilnadu and I went in being skeptical but the background and scenarios have been etched so well that it could be a story situated in rural West Bengal! I was completely entrapped with Dharma's wastrel-ness, Sambu Mama's cunningness, Beema's simplicity and my favourite of them all Susheela's dreams.
Kudos to the author for giving us a delightfull read! Waiting to read more from her!
I've never been a part of rural Tamilnadu and I went in being skeptical but the background and scenarios have been etched so well that it could be a story situated in rural West Bengal! I was completely entrapped with Dharma's wastrel-ness, Sambu Mama's cunningness, Beema's simplicity and my favourite of them all Susheela's dreams.
Kudos to the author for giving us a delightfull read! Waiting to read more from her!
March 20, 2023
Thanthanathom by Nithya Rajagopal
Anthology of 4 short stories
Loved the Idiot of Arayapatti and A wedding in Kovilpatti the most. Nithya doesn't go to greater extents to describe the rural landscape; instead, she brings in the grounded nature through small cultural depictions that give us the larger picture. The turmeric-tinted face with purple-colored December flowers that Susheela wears; the sounds of birds and cows in the backyard; the scent of incense sticks—these short descriptions that complement the mood of the stories are enough for us to have a vivid visual of the scenes and settings.
Funny, witty, quirky, and moving tales.
p.s. Love the book cover (a little Picasso is emerging).
Anthology of 4 short stories
Loved the Idiot of Arayapatti and A wedding in Kovilpatti the most. Nithya doesn't go to greater extents to describe the rural landscape; instead, she brings in the grounded nature through small cultural depictions that give us the larger picture. The turmeric-tinted face with purple-colored December flowers that Susheela wears; the sounds of birds and cows in the backyard; the scent of incense sticks—these short descriptions that complement the mood of the stories are enough for us to have a vivid visual of the scenes and settings.
Funny, witty, quirky, and moving tales.
p.s. Love the book cover (a little Picasso is emerging).
April 11, 2020
This book was just a breath of fresh air ! Nithya weaves some lovely stories into the carpet that is Tamizh Nadu . The heartwarming, sly and loveable characters in each story starting from Dharma, sambu uncle , beema Rao and Susheela will stay with me for some time to come.
This is a brilliant first attempt and I can't wait to read more from Nithya !
This is a brilliant first attempt and I can't wait to read more from Nithya !
May 13, 2020
I fell in love with the Tamil references the moment I started reading. The dented shombu in the first story is some thing all Tamilian are familiar with. I had a giggling fit as I read those lines. The stories pack a punch and are full of delightful local idiosyncrasies. Loved it.
May 7, 2020
Thanthanathom is a refreshing set of short stories with humanity at its heart.
The stories have been written in lucid prose with eye on details set in Tamil land.I would strongly recommend it to all for the unusual themes that the stories offer which pull the heartstrings mildly along with giving deep insights into human nature.
The stories have been written in lucid prose with eye on details set in Tamil land.I would strongly recommend it to all for the unusual themes that the stories offer which pull the heartstrings mildly along with giving deep insights into human nature.
May 26, 2020
Adorable stories but twisted!
July 28, 2020
feel good. Easy read but rough flow.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews