கணையாழியின் கனவு [Kanaiyazhiyin Kanavu]

by Kalki Krishnamurthy

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Tamil language Novel Writer, Journalist, Poet & Critic late Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy also known as ‘Kalki’. He derived his pen name from the suffixes of his wife name Kalyani and his name Krishnamurthy in Tamil form கல்யாணி and கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி as Kalki (கல்கி). His name also represents “Kalki avatar”, the tenth and last avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu.

His writings includes over 120 short stories, 10 novelettes, 5 novels, 3 historical romances, editorial and political writings and hundreds of film and music reviews. Krishnamurthy’s witty, incisive comments on politics, literature, music and other forms of art were looked forward to with unceasing interest by readers. He wrote under the pen names of ‘Kalki’, ‘Ra. Ki’, ‘Tamil Theni’, ‘Karnatakam’ and so on.

The success that Krishnamurthy attained in the realm of historical fiction is phenomenal. Sixty years ago, at a time when the literacy level was low and when the English-educated Tamils looked down on writings in Tamil, Kalki’s circulation touched 71,000 copies – the largest for any weekly in the county then – when it serialised his historical novels. Kalki had also the genius to classify the historical and non-historical events, historical and non-historical characters and how much the novel owes to history.

Reviews

[B. BALA CHANDER · Rating 3 out of 5]

A compilation of several short stories ...but for his story telling techniques, nothing great in the book .

[Rekha Madhavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's full of short stories...I am not a big fan of short short collection... Read half of the book, but later lost interest .. not an usual Kalki writing... Just okish !!!

[Praveen Kuttuva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stores with 'Kanaiyazhiyin Kanavu' as the titular story. (I'm unsure about this edition). Stories include : 'Puli Raja', 'Kamalaavin Kalyaanam','Thappili Cup', 'Deivayaanai', 'Saaradhaiyin Thandhiram' and a few more...
These stories were published in various magazines between 1925 and 1931.
Quintessential Kalki humour includes overall funny plot, roundabout and slight exaggeration of events, and a socially progressive message to boot. And this collection provides all of them - Most of the stories were to discourage alcohol consumption and a few others were about abolition of child marriages, and against horse-racing and betting in general.
I enjoyed these stories as they give an insight into the life an times of people around 100 years back.

[Prabakaran.S]

i want to read this book

[Paraasakthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book