Incantations over water

by Sharanya Manivannan

On full moon nights, from deep within the lagoons of Mattakalappu, Ilankai, mysterious sounds emerge. During the three decades of civil war, it is said, those sounds had ceased. The mermaid Ila, who has lived in those waters for a long, long time, speaks and sings about her world (and the worlds of mermaids everywhere). Her stories weave together cultural history, eco-consciousness, political reality and personal longing – and always, the magical.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Indian Literature

169 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Annie Zaidi]

Beautiful, unusual book. This is illustrated storytelling that breaks form and genre conventions, while exploring what a feminine water being/spirit/creature means to a coastal culture.

[Raisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, genre-bending graphic novel set in Batticaloa and grounded in folklore. Narrated by Ila, a half-woman, half-mermaid, with siren-like qualities, she goes by many other names, as does the island she lives in; Serendib, Tamrapani, Celião, Nagadipa, Palaisimondou and Ilankai, the last meaning ‘glittering’.

Focusing on water is appropriate given that this story is set in Batticaloa, the land of the singing fish. Those who have visited Batticaloa will recall that mermaids are a recurring motif throughout the town, particularly as statues. This was something the author noticed as well, recalling a passing remark from her mother about a mermaid who would sing in the Kallady lagoon on full moon nights. She was curious that there could be mermaids everywhere but folklore about mermaids was so absent.

The style of Incantations over Water is lyrical, recalling earlier days when storytelling was used to pass down histories. If you're looking for a linear plot, you're not going to find it here - this is more like a repository for multiple and overlapping narratives, all converging on a single place and covering a broad swathe of time, from colonisation to civil war to the tsunami.

Did I mention that the illustrations were beautiful? They're particularly striking as all the pages are a dark, inky blue, evocative of deep water, with the text and illustrations mostly superimposed in white.

I bought this book after I heard that Westland Books was shutting down, meaning this novel and its companion, a children's book themed around mermaids, would soon be going out of print. Getting it was quite the journey given Sri Lanka was grappling with an economic crisis, including a shortage of dollars and paper. Two or three messages to Indian bookstores were initially responded to and then went unanswered. I had almost given up when I found a local bookstore on Instagram that managed to source it just before Westland Books shut down. At a time when prices were already skyrocketing, they also were kind enough not to increase their prices. I received the book while the country was undergoing turmoil as people took to the streets to protest price hikes and shortages in fuel and medicine. For a while, I couldn't focus enough to read it - there was too much going on.

But last weekend I took some time off and started reading it again from the beginning and finished it in two days flat. It requires time and attention to be fully appreciated - it's not a fun beach read, but rather something to savour slowly on a day when you have no other plans. And it's full of fascinating titbits if you like mythology and folklore.

[Gorab · Rating 4 out of 5]

A combined review of both books of the Ila duology by Sharanya Manivannan

This is a mythical story around the sea creatures of Ilankai, the modern day Sri Lanka (Apt cover portrayal!)
Magical realism. Dark glossy pages. Art related to water life and water creatures, legends of Mermaids and Mermen.

Within this magical profound prose lies a touch of nature, turmoil, war, matrilinear society, rustic Tamil annotations.
At times profound, staying enigmatic throughout, words are crafted beautifully.

This is a unique duology - one part meant for kids, the other for adults.
Personally I felt the kids part has only 2 frame introductions to various mermaid myths across the globe.
It adds a dash of flavor to the adults book, but isn't that impressive as a standalone.

Overall:
An enjoyable read laden with charm, nuggets of philosophy, dipped in the salty shores of enigma.
Each frame is so glossy with shades of black and blue, I had trouble avoiding glares under a reading lamp!

Sharing a couple of sample quotes:

1. "Remember this: Curse and prayer are the same thing, born from the same intent, born from wanting. Like siblings made from the same seed who seem nothing alike, they are composed of identical elements.
Do not expect your curses to dissolve with your anger if you do not also expect your prayers to evanesce in the wind."

2. "Ask the silence. It and I, along with the spirits of all the love that is unlived and the afterglow of all that has ever lived, know this: that grief is like blood under the skin – the undercurrent of everything."


P.S.: We loooved "Ammuchi Puchi" as a family - yet again a kids illustrated book which strikes a chord with adults.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't read "Incantations over water", you experience it. Just holding the book in your hands is a joy- the deep indigo pages, with sensuous drawings and the words arranged so they are almost a part of the paintings itself. You don't just read the lyrical lines, you savour every word, hold it against the images, and see how each highlights and showcases the other.
The book is a collection of mermaid lore, especially from Sri Lanka, but it is so much more than just that. It is about the water, the water which connects us all. "All flowing water is a tapestry, tide tied within tide." It is about the voice of love and loneliness which is always there, if we choose to listen. It is about the feminine ability to love unconditionally. It is about a world that is often cruel, but where you still try to live with love. It is about how no matter how big we think we are, nature is always more powerful. It is about eco-consciousness. Most of all, it is about love and listening.
I always knew Sharanya Manivannan as a poet who could weave magic with her words. But she is also an artist with a style as unique as her written voice. Every painting is one you would love to frame and hang on your bedroom wall, where it is the last thing you see before you go to bed, and the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning. The words are magic, the paintings are magic. The book is magical.

[Deepika · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐
Poetic with beautiful illustrations, however found it bit hard to follow.

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book with poetic prose and eyecatching artwork. The story is divided into several intertwined chapters exploring magic realism, re-interpreted mythology with an undercurrent of historical stories based on childhood tales in the Eastern part of Sri Lanka. It explores the various parts of the ocean through the tales of mermaids.

The prose ebbs and flows like the waves of the sea both in terms of cadence and styling, all the while either adding depth to the story or moving it along to its conclusion. I loved the way the text and the artwork were blended. The tales of sea creatures and mermaids around the world were mesmerising.

[Kavita Jhala · Rating 5 out of 5]

- The book is so symbolically illustrated, I kept searching into each page; the pieces of what I was reading.
- Mythology, legends, folklore, folktales all converge into this book
- The lyrical element of the book is subtle with injection of philosophy
- Ila seems so real like you and me that I want to go meet her and talk to her
- War, history, people, places make a beautiful blend in the book.
- Puts forth the point that whether you believe or not; about mermaids or magic - sometimes having an open mind is easier than shutting off the wonders of the world

I totally recommend reading this book. Read it again and again. It won't sink at one go because there are so many stories to tell!!

[Samikshan Sengupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange strange book. Hard to understand, hard to leave as well. 😊

[Sneha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spellbinding, mesmerizing, and enchanting are the words that come to mind when you read Incantations over water but also leave you with intimacy, a form of knowledge that briefly alludes to other forms and ways of being and living and telling. Sharanya’s writing is sometimes flowing swiftly, at times static with deep ripples and undercurrents of tales left untold over decades.
This graphic novel is situated near Kallady lagoon in Mattakalappu, Ilankai (Batticaloa, Sri Lanka), but it is also beyond the concept of time and space. It is narrated in the voice of Ila,
a fiercely independent half woman, half mermaid, accusedly belonging to type of women who lure their lovers into their keep. Incantations is a novel that dwells within the multiplicity of names for places for beings, for tales that are not of the present or the future, they are not of the here and now.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book interesting.
The graphic novel (need to put the effort in reading text as well as visuals).
Brings out various aspects related to water - rivers, oceans, sea, and aspects around water both mythology, folklore that are built around water, creatures that live in water, etc., with description.
Human beings, identity, struggles, love, and emotions that explore the along with water is commendable and the visuals help in reading more into the text.

[Shom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous gorgeous book. Lyrical, devastating, haunting, melancholy, visually striking, lush, beautiful. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this book. It has a poetic rhythm to it that made me read the entire thing out loud, that was the only I could feel the weight of the words deep in my bones, the only way I could feel the intensity of the emotions on the page. This is a personal log, so I don't think anyone can see this review, but if you can I would also recommend you read it out loud to yourself.

[thedreamweaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheer poetry. I loved loved loved this book. You need to buy the physical copy (i own the paperback) as how can an ebook do it any justice. Each page is masterfully illustrated. Finishing this book felt like i just had a heart to heart with a mermaid. And emerged from her secret lagoon forever changed by the encounter. I believe this is one book i will re read and reread until the pages fall apart. I will dream of Ila.

[Flickering_ Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! This book was ethereal, magical, mythical and absolutely unforgettable. The art style was so intricate and beautiful. I was completely immersed in the flow of the story and the illustrations added layers of meaning to the words. One of the best graphic books I've ever read!😭💖💞

[Sreelakshmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breathtaking illustrations with misty stories and an unearthly narrator.

[Saranya Narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical, surreal and simply beautiful to look at!

[Swathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been waiting to read this book especially since the time I bought it when Westland was going out of business and had to wait until I could get to India and bring the book with me.

I'm SO glad I began reading this at this time.

The book is dreamy, mythical, magical and lyrical in ways you don't expect. It's everything all at once. I could smell the brine and the seaweed, understand the politics of one's "own land" and languished in the pain of those situations. I learned about Macchanu, the presence of avatars in mythology, got to know about makaras—every single page was epiphanic. The illustrations add a layer of richness to the personal story of Ila the mermaid.

This is not just a book—it's a wild, heart searing experience.