Alpha

by Ramakrishnan T D

118 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[Thushara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 rounded up to 4
It's been years since I read a book in my mother tongue Malayalam and I am glad that this was the one I chose to restart my journey exploring Malayalam Literature.

This is Lord of The Flies -esque but with anthropology enthusiasts.

While I enjoyed the tension the writing had, I wish the story was more character-driven and showed us the psychological conflict & slow degradation of the characters into anarchy.The writing gripped me instantaneously (has Malayalam lit ever disappointed me in the writing department? no!)

Includes brief mentions of rape, sexual violence, incest, suicide, murder.. and a lot more..

Near perfection to me, since this was structurally and conceptually well done.

Short and crisp read.
English Translation also available by the same name 😊

A Book A Week Challenge, Week 34, 2022.

[Akhil · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good experimental book.

[Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens if a group of people from different stages and spaces of life deicide to abandon the societal norms and formalities, to live like our ancestors, to be a raw human? By the guidance of the archeological scientist Upalendu Chaterji to know about the potential of complete freedom.

This books deconstruct and reconstruct our ideas about humanity and eternal freedom while raising a hundreds of question about the hypocrisy of culture and identity of sapiens.

[Bharat Narayan · Rating 3 out of 5]

ഒരു വിചിത്രമായ ഒരു പരീക്ഷണത്തിന് ഇറങ്ങി തിരിക്കുന്ന ഒരു നരവംശ ശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞന്റെയും വ്യത്യസ്ത മേഖലകളിൽ നിന്നുള്ള 12 പേരുടെ യും കഥയാണ് Alpha
ഒരു വ്യത്യസ്തയുള്ള വായന അനുഭവമാണെങ്കിലും
പല ഭാഗങ്ങളിലും അവർത്തന വിരസത
ശക്തമായ കാര്യകാരണങ്ങളുടെ അഭാവം കഥയെ സാരമായി ബാധിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്
എന്നാൽ പോലും ചിന്തകൾ കൊണ്ട് ഒരു മസ്തിഷ്ക വ്യായമത്തിനുള്ള വലിയ സാധ്യത കഥാക്കാരൻ വായനക്കാരന്റെ മുമ്പിൽ തുറന്നിട്ടുണ്ട്

[Ayana Gangadharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alpha delves into an experiment led by Professor Upalendhu Chatterji and his 13-member team on a secluded island, forsaking their material wealth and language. Initially, I found the abandonment of language harsh, particularly for characters who cherished communication. Their struggle to express themselves was palpable. Initially, I thought language was discarded to revert to primal roots and discover new means of communication. However, I soon realized language was humanity's most potent tool, essential for passing down knowledge through generations. The subsequent generation, deprived of parental guidance, exhibited limited mental capacity, hindering their brain development. This underscored the importance of intergenerational knowledge transfer in shaping our intelligence.
When the chains of love and humanity loosened as part of experiment , man himself started behaving nothing less than an animal.And people who realised this fact committed suicide as they couldn’t survive the change. There are incidents where men realise that he is no more bound to any laws of the society and could torn away women who is physically weaker for his sexual desires.This was the point where I realised how important it was for a composed society to protect women from men .And I started to believe that there is nothing called universal freedom!
Despite relinquishing material possessions, the 15 participants couldn't erase the accumulated knowledge of humanity. Their attempt to revert to a primitive state proved futile; the vast knowledge they possessed prevented them from becoming like ancient ancestors. The experiment, while lacking positive outcomes, revealed the innate animalistic nature within humans. Society and its laws serve as constraints, shaping human behavior. The book, captivating from start to finish, left me engrossed in its narrative.Alpha was a different read and it held my thoughts for many days

[Quirky Booklover Booklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever come across a book's premise that surprised you or made you wonder if such a narrative could exist? If you haven't already done so, ALPHA is a must-read.

This debut novel by award-winning novelist T.D Ramakrishnan, translated from Malayalam by Priya K Nair, is one of a kind. I decided not to give this book a rating because I have mixed feelings about it.

When I originally picked up this book, I had no idea what to anticipate, but the first few chapters stunned me with how the experiment was presented. Even in my wildest dreams, I would never wish to see such an experiment come to fruition.

13 people moved out to an unknown island to test their hypothesis about humanity by giving up everything they owned, including their names, education, careers, social standing, family, and language. Yes, to be accurate, they were not allowed to speak and had to communicate solely through sign language. The project, which will last 25 years, will investigate how the human mind evolves after societal conventions are abandoned.

This experiment tries to determine the genuine behaviour of humans in a constrained setting after thousands of years of evolution from primitive man. Was the experiment's outcome, and everything that went into it, truly worth it? Love, lust, grief, and loss have all been heavily emphasised, and I'm afraid I can't say much more.

It's a short book with brief chapters that may be read in a single sitting. I would strongly advise you to read this if you are interested in anthropology.

[Deotima Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that intrigued my brain cells and left me with a lot of questions. In an anthropologic experiment Dr. Upelendu Chatterjee takes himself and twelve other individuals panning different professions, religion, caste and economic backgrounds, most brilliant in their fields and having settled lives onto an unmapped island of the western coast of India.
.
Why?
He believed that living there away from norms of accepted society and going back to being ancient would result in an evolved state of mind and generation. Why did these other dozen join him - they questioned society or shunned it in their own ways and begeted the freedom this island of unknown would give them.
.
Was not it kind of crazy to leave a lived life to go to live in pretend forgetfulness onto this island with a set of rules to start at zero - alpha?
.
I am not yet certain what this book taught me but it s making me think and I want you all to read this one and think too!
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It brings to front in quitness actually many a farce our society forces on to elevated souls, how good hearts are tried to bought with money and how we are prisoners to our own developed brains. We make complex things by ourselves.
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The cover is brillaint.

[Madhav Raja · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an unconventional read. The story arc would want us to sit and think about the lives we all lead. I thought the book was of the horror genre ( misled through the opinion about the book on the online platforms), but to my surprise, it was far from it. The story and the characters invoked the deep philosophical thoughts about life that we all ignore. The character of Dr. Upalendu will enlighten us all with his deep thoughts, especially the notes he had kept in store for us towards the end of the book. Apart from that, every character who goes to the island of Alpha has a deep story to tell and how they individually dealt with the nothingness of the Island. I was reminded about the concept of the 'Original Position' detailed by John Rawls in his idea of justice, wherein we all shed all the knowledge and perceptions that we have garnered throughout our lifespan and then think about the concept of justice to produce the purest form of justice. This book certainly will be celebrated in the coming times, as I sternly believe that T D Ramakrishnan has produced a philosophy through his story that goes beyond the current timeline.

[Mehul Shinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being told that you have to live on a deserted island with a group of people. But here's the catch: you can't use any language to communicate, and you can't rely on the social knowledge you've learned all your life. Instead, you must live like primitive humans did thousands of years ago. And this unusual experiment will go on for a whopping 25 years!

This is the intriguing premise of a story called "Alpha" by T.D. Ramakrishnan. The story revolves around an experiment conducted by Dr. Upalendu Chatterjee, an anthropologist, and 13 other individuals from different backgrounds who willingly participate for their own reasons.

You might wonder why anyone would agree to live like a "beast" in the 21st century for such a long time. The author explores this question and others that come to mind as you read on. The tale takes us on a journey of these 14 people as they leave all forms of modern society behind and embrace a primitive lifestyle on the secluded island.

Living without language and social knowledge poses significant challenges. How will they communicate? How will they survive without modern tools and technologies? These are the questions that captivate our curiosity as readers.

As the years go by, the experiment becomes a fascinating mix of emotions and experiences. Lust, love, and loneliness all blend together into a unique way of living. But amidst the captivating narrative, some questions remain unanswered, and some facts seem unexplained, leaving readers a bit frustrated but eager to know more.

What will be the final result of this daring 25-year experiment? Can humans truly adapt to such a drastic change? Will they thrive or struggle? These are the questions that keep us hooked to the story, eager to discover its conclusion.

One remarkable aspect of the book is how the author crafts the story. It feels so real that you might forget you're reading a work of fiction. The names and places seem as if they belong to a true incident, making the storytelling refreshing and engaging.

In a nutshell, "Alpha" is an absorbing read that takes you on a thought-provoking journey of human adaptation, survival, and the complexities of living without the comforts of modern society. It challenges our understanding of human nature and leaves us with a sense of wonder and curiosity about what it means to be human.

[Akash A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book stresses on some questions about human existence.
Will humans be able to evolve rapidly if we detach ourselves from the social norms and constraints?
What does it mean to be a human if we take out the social norms that are thrusted upon us?
What makes us human?

Though the theme itself was interesting, character development and world building could have been fairly improvised. You don't get the satisfaction of finishing a book on this because of the vague ending. But as a short science fiction Malayalam work from 2002, the author did a fairly good job.

[Almas Shamim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't understand what the point of the book was. Neither the characters nor the plot had any substance.

The book talks about an experiment which, frankly, I thought was pointless and mixed two completely different hypotheses -1. an already evolved brain learning and making progress with increased rapidity, 2. Morality etc hindering progress.

Lots of ideas have been thrown around to make the whole thing look very sophisticated and intellectual. Freedom, borders, emergency, some Indira bashing.

Anyway. Didn't like it.

[Aindrila Roy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not know how to explain this read,except that it was totally not my cup of tea. It was meh and overall,well,boring. I kinda left it halfway,though it being such a short book.

[K | aworldinpages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an intriguing tale, though not a fan of that ending.

[Varna Binu Sasidharan · Rating 3 out of 5]

En extra ordinary writing finished in a hurry

[Anusha Sathyanadh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very strange read. Quite interesting, but quite confusing. Didnt get the message the author wants to pass.

[Joby CHACKO · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very predictable and boring book. No thrill like other books of the same author. Felt that it is having a fully artificial language. Won't recommend to any

[Alejandro Gillick · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is TDR's first novel, so didnt had great expections and result was satisfying. nothing too great abut the book as it delivers what it is capable of with in the few pages.

[Athul Suresh · Rating 3 out of 5]

ഉദ്യോഗസ്ഥ,കല, ശാസ്ത്രം എന്നിവയിൽ വൈദഗ്ദ്ധ്യം നേടിയ ഒരു കൂട്ടം ആളുകൾ ഒരു നരവംശശാസ്ത്രജ്ഞന്റെ കൂടെ 25 വർഷത്തെ ഗവേഷണത്തിന്റെ ഭാഗമായി ഒരു ദ്വീപിൽ പുറപെടുന്നു, ഇത് മനുഷ്യരാശിയുടെ ആദ്യകാല നാളുകളിലേക്ക് ഉള്ള ഒരു സഞ്ചാരം എന്ന് പറയാം. 25 വർഷത്തിനുശേഷം മാത്രമല്ല അവർക്ക് ഇന്ത്യയിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങാൻ കഴിയും. പരീക്ഷണത്തിൽ 25 വർഷത്തിനു ശേഷം അവശേഷിക്കുന്നത് മൂന്ന് പേർ മാത്രമാണ് . കഥാസന്ദർഭത്തോടൊപ്പം വിഷയം നിങ്ങളെ അടുത്ത അധ്യായത്തിലേക്കുള്ള വിരൽത്തുമ്പിൽ നിർത്തുന്നതിനാൽ ഇത് പെട്ടെന്നു തന്നെ വായിച്ചു തീർക്കാവുനൊന്നാണ്. ആശയം നല്ലതായിരുന്നു, പക്ഷേ ആഖ്യാനം അതിനൊപ്പം എത്തിയില്ല എന്നാണ് വ്യക്തിപരമായി തോന്നിയത്.