காலம்

by Vannanilavan

ஒவ்வொரு நொடியையும், குதிரைப் பாய்ச்சலில் தாவி ஓடிக் கடந்துகொண்டே இருக்கிறது காலம். ஒரு மனிதனின் வாழ்க்கை அதன் ஓட்ட நிழலில் கரைகிறது, அல்லது உயிர்க்கிறது. எல்லா உயிர்களின் ஆதி அந்தமும் தெரிந்த ஒரே சாட்சியமாக காலம் ஒன்றுதான் இருக்கிறது. அது ஒன்றுதான் சாசுவதம்.இந்த நாவலில், நீதிமன்றத்தில் குமாஸ்தாவாக வேலை பார்க்கும் ஓர் இளைஞனின் வாழ்க்கையில், சிறு பகுதியை விஸ்தாரமாக விவரிக்கிறார் வண்ணநிலவன். நெல்லையப்பன், அவன் குடும்பம், நீதிமன்றத்தில் அவன் சந்திக்கும் மனிதர்கள், உடன் வேலை பார்ப்பவர்கள், நண்பர்கள், தெரிந்தவர்கள், அவன் வேட்கை, காதல்... எல்லாவற்றையும், அதன் இயல்புத்தன்மை கொஞ்சமும் குறையாமல், அதே சமயம் வெகு அழுத்தமாக, வண்ணநிலவன் தொட்டுக் காட்டுகிறார்.எல்லா பாத்திரங்களும் ஏதோ ஒரு வகையில், ஏற்கெனவே நமக்கு நன்கு அறிமுகமானவர்களைப் போல இருக்கிறார்கள். அத்தனை பேரில் ஒருவரைக்கூட நம்மால் உதாசீனப்படுத்தவோ, உதறித் தள்ளவோ, வெறுத்து ஒதுக்கவோ முடிய-வில்லை. அவரவர்க்கான நிறை, குறைகளுடன் கதை மாந்தர்களை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளச் செய்யும் பக்குவத்துக்கு வாசகர்களைக் கொண்டு வந்துவிடுகிறது வண்ணநிலவனின் எழுத்து.பிரசார தொனியாக இல்லாமல், அமர்ந்த குரலில் மானுடத்தை நேசிக்கக் கற்றுத் தரும் எழுத்து. ‘காலம்’ காலம் கடந்து நிற்கும்.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Vannanilavan was born in Tirunelveli. His real name is U Ramachandran. He studied in Palayankottai, Tirunelveli and Sri Vaikundam and came to Chennai in 1973 in search of work. He worked for a short time in magazines like Kannadasan, Kanayazhi and Puduvaikural, and in Thuglak magazine in 1976 and later in 'Subhamangala' magazine. He has also worked as a dialogue writer for the Tamil film 'Aval Appadithaan' directed by Rudraiya. He married Subbulakshmi on April 07, 1977. They have a son named Anand Shankar and two daughters named Sasi and Uma. He currently lives in Kodambakkam, Chennai.

Reviews

[P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant bildungsroman in Vannanilavan's signature buoyant prose. He's the one to turn to if you're looking for light, immersive reads.

Here we follow the life of Nellaiyappan as a clerk in Tirunelveli district court. He is young, carefree, and enjoys his small town life. He likes the simple pleasures in life - going to the river, hanging out with his friends, second shows, novels and magazines, tea and coffee. We get the sketch of a young man's idyllic life in Tirunelveli in the 70s; it is very authentic and evokes nostalgia. Not many complications arise in his normal life, and when they do, they are easily resolved. He is sort of naive - someone who enjoys art with his heart and not his brain, and this very naiveté brings him joy. He is able to enjoy both highbrow and lowbrow literature, something that confounds his fellow friends. We get a sense of the 70s Tamil literary scenario through his reading, and his reactions to the novels and short stories were low-key funny and relatable. His guilt at taking fees from poor clients, his infatuation, his innocent fascination with the world - all the different aspects of his character are well conveyed.

All the characters are memorable though they aren't especially deep. Their intentions and feelings are mostly clear and this goes a long way in building our empathy for them.

The novel is mostly about the passage of time, told through a young, conventional man at a turning point in his life. There is also a subtle arc about the shift in power in women's lives pre and post marriage, which is further intensified if they give birth to a boy.

People looking for drama would be disappointed as nothing much really happens in the book. We just float around with the protagonist for a short period in his life. I did not like the casual usage of caste names, though it is probably a realistic depiction of how things were. As with many Tamil novels, regardless of their age, pronouns for female characters are always either "aval" or "adhu" and never "avar". I was disappointed that Vannanilavan still held to this regressive linguistic custom. For a novel mostly taking place in a court, there is not a single interesting case. The fact that the novel doesn't question patriarchy and goes to the extent of endorsing it does not sit well with me. I guess it is very "oriental" that way - in its reluctance to put individual freedom and happiness above blind adherence to traditions. The protagonist is quite happy to surrender his future to the decisions of his family without a rebellious thought. He is even encouraged by his progressive friend to do this. One would expect him to be more modern and take greater control of his life, but that would be a different novel altogether.

A realistic novel about the passage of time and life in Tirunelveli. Even though time passes and individual lives change course, very little changes in terms of social outlook. It can also be perceived to be about this stagnation of time despite an illusion of flow.

[Vignesh Asokan · Rating 4 out of 5]

வக்கீல் ஆபீசும், குடும்ப சம்பவங்களும்.

பிரதான கதாபாத்திரம் உட்பட எல்லா கதாபாத்திரங்களையும் வலுவாகவும் கச்சிதமாக படைத்திருக்கிறார் ஆசிரியர்.
எல்லாரையும் ஏதோ ஒருவிதத்தில் பிடித்து விடுகிறது.

ஒவ்வொரு காட்சியிலும் அவ்வளவு விவரங்கள்.
கதை இன்னும் தொடர்ந்து இருக்கலாம் என மனம் ஏங்குகிறது.

தரமான நாவல்.

[Senthilkumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical life in silent words