r/kannada_pusthakagalu

You are free to mention books of any language.

I was browsing an independent bookstore and randomly stumbled upon this book called ಅತಿರಿಕ್ತೆ. I picked it up and just started reading. This is her first novel.

Have you read any Kannada books of Sudha Murthy? If yes, which ones do you recommend?

Yaad Vashem is a powerful historical novel that explores the horrors of the Holocaust through a deeply personal story. A very unique and probably only attempt in Kannada. Nemichandra combines careful research with emotional storytelling to bring history alive.

The novel follows Hannah, a young Jewish girl who escapes Nazi persecution and finds refuge in Bangalore with a compassionate Indian family. After losing her father, she grows up as Anita in India and the events which follows later are the main crux of the story.

Beyond the personal story, the book provides rich insights into Jewish history, culture, and the impact of World War II. It also connects global history with Indian contexts, making it especially relatable for Indian readers. The author’s extensive research is evident, I would like our other novelist follow this while writing historical fiction.

Overall, This is a thought-provoking and emotionally heavy read that blends history and storytelling. It may not fit neatly into purely social or purely historical genres, but it is a must-read for serious readers and an important story to remember and share.

Nayaz has written a good review for this book do check it out on Goodreads -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22363867-yad-vashem

Link: https://anil.battalahalli.me/kali

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWgoeJ7gaSu/

ಪುಸ್ತಕ: ತಾಯಿ - ಮಕ್ಸೀಂ ಗೋರ್ಕಿ, ಕನ್ನಡಕ್ಕೆ ಅನುವಾದ - ನಿರಂಜನ

ಪ್ರಥಮ ರಷ್ಯಾ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ(೧೯೦೫-೧೯೦೭) ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ರಚಿತವಾದ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ, ಶೋಷಣೆಗೊಳಗಾದ ಶ್ರಮಿಕರ ಕ್ರಾಂತಿಕಾರಿ ಚಳುವಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಸಿಹಿದ ಯುವ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ಅವನ ತಾಯಿಯ ಕುರಿತು. ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಇವತ್ತಿಗೂ ಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರು ನಮ್ಮ ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳಿಂದ ವಂಚಿತರಾಗಿದ್ದೇವೆ (working more than 8 hours in many factories and IT companies).

ಪುಸ್ತಕ: ಅಪಾರ ಅವರ ಸರಿಗನ್ನಡಂ ಗೆಲ್ಗೆ

ಪೂಚಂತೇ ರವರ ಚಿದಂಬರ ರಹಸ್ಯ ಒದುತ್ತಾ ಗಮನಿಸಿದ ವಿಷಯ ಭಾರತದ ಎರಡು ಸಮುದಾಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿರುವ ವಿಷಮ ತುಂಬಿದ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ.. ೧೯೮೫ ರಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಪೂಚಂತೆ ರವರು ಇದನ್ನು ಬರೆದರೂ.. ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿ ಸುದಾರಿಸಿಲ್ಲ .. ಮುಂದೆ ಎಂದಾದರು ಸುಧಾರಿಸಬಹುದೇ? ಕೇವಲ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪಕ್ಷದವರೇ ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಕಾರಣವೇ?

Why he always repeats things so many times ,

And includes future things as the character doesn't know this at the present time .

ಪುಸ್ತಕ: ವಸುಧೇಂದ್ರ ಅವರ ಹಂಪಿ ಎಕ್ಸ್ಪ್ರೆಸ್

"A Good Idea, But Could Have Been Better"

This book is about Santhosh, an IT guy with a respectable salary and position, but he is always lonely and worried. A total introvert, made no friends, and he even stays away from his family. One day, he gets so fed up with life & decides to end it by hiring a killer from the dark web. But when the killer starts coming after him, Santhosh panics and tries to escape his own death trap. This leads to many unexpected and messy situations.

The writer, Vivekanandan Kamath, tries to mix social issues, suspense, and some philosophy into the story. The idea is interesting, but the book feels slow and boring at times. Even though there are twists, you can guess what will happen next. A 240-page book shouldn't feel this long!

Overall, it's an okay read, nothing great, nothing too bad. The story had potential, but it didn't turn out as exciting as it could have been. A missed chance!

I really enjoyed the book, it’s a gripping suspense thriller that kicks off with the shocking public murder of criminal lawyer Santhosh. The story spirals into a chilling series of killings by a serial killer with a hidden motive, all unraveled by the quirky investigator Vikarna. What starts as a mystery unfolds into a dark tale of a 17-year-old grudge and brutal revenge.

I’m genuinely impressed by the author’s debut effort; crafting a 600-page novel with a sprawling cast of interconnected characters and a cinematic, high-stakes climax is no small feat.

The storytelling feels almost visual like watching a movie, with a seamless blend of linear and non-linear narrative. The depth of research and the way each new character is introduced is truly commendable.

However, there’s one aspect that left me deeply uncomfortable. I met the author, Divakar Azad, at a book exhibition. He was standing alone, and I bought his book purely to support Kannada literature, without any thought to his background or identity. But the book itself takes a troubling turn by singling out and targeting a specific community and color, much like how politics exploits divisions for votes. The author seems fixated on the idea that all wealthy individuals are entitled brats perpetuating caste hierarchies, while the poor are eternally oppressed victims of historical injustice. This reductionist perspective feels lazy and one-sided.

*There’s a particular scene where a noble but poor teacher, witnessing injustice, strikes a student, only for the narrative to frame this as symbolic of "centuries of oppression by Savarnas." It’s an oversimplification that rings hollow and feels forced.*

Despite these reservations, I genuinely loved the book and believe in encouraging new authors without judging their backgrounds.

That said, I hope the author’s success isn’t overshadowed by such divisive ideologies. It’s possible to tell powerful stories without resorting to hatred or stereotyping, here’s hoping his future works reflect that growth.

ಬಾಲ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ತುಂತುರು, ಬಾಲಮಂಗಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಡಿಂಗ, ಶೇರು ತರಹದ ಚಿತ್ರಕಥೆಗಳು ತುಂಬಾ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗಿದ್ದವು. ನಂತ್ರ ಗಂಭೀರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ಓದಲು ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಆ ಪ್ರಕಾರದಿಂದ ದೂರ ಸರಿದಿದ್ದೆ.

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಪರ್ಸೆಪೊಲಿಸ್ ಎನ್ನುವ ಗ್ರಾಫಿಕ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಇದೆ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿದ ಮೇಲೆ ಇದನ್ನು ಓದುವ ಮನಸ್ಸಾಯಿತು. ಇದು ಮೂಲತಃ ಫ್ರೆಂಚ್ ಭಾಷೆಯದ್ದು . “ಬಾಲ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಯೌವನದ ಕಥನ” ಅನ್ನೋ ಉಪಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಯಡಿ ಅನುವಾದಗೊಂಡಿದೆ.

ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಸರಳವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳೋದಾದರೆ — ಇರಾನ್‌ನ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಬದಲಾವಣೆಗಳು , ಬಾಲಕಿಯ ಜೀವನದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಪರಿಣಾಮ ಬೀರುತ್ತವೆ ಅನ್ನೋದನ್ನ ಹೇಳುತ್ತದೆ. (ಇದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಹೇಳಿದ್ರೆ spoiler ಆಗುತ್ತೆ ) ಅನುವಾದದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಳ್ಬೇಕಂದ್ರೆ — ಕೆಲವು ಕಡೆ ಸಂಭಾಷಣೆ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಅಸಹಜವಾಗಿ ಅನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. (ಅನುವಾದ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣೋ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ ಇದೇ ಅನಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.)

ಸುಮಾರು 348 ಪುಟಗಳಲ್ಲಿ, ಆ ಬಾಲಕಿಯ ಆಂತರಿಕ, ವೈಚಾರಿಕ, ದೈಹಿಕ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆಯನ್ನ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ವಿವರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಜೊತೆಗೆ ಇರಾನ್‌ನ ರಾಜಕೀಯ/ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಬದಲಾವಣೆಗಳನ್ನೂ ಓದಬಹುದು.

Overall: ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಪುಸ್ತಕ. ವಿಭಿನ್ನ ರೀತಿಯ ಓದಿನ ಅನುಭವ ಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ — especially ಗ್ರಾಫಿಕ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಓದಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದ್ರೆ definitely try ಮಾಡ್ಬಹುದು .

A heartfelt thank you to u/through_manvith_lens & u/Willing-Squirrel-386 for attending this week's meet & holding the fort. Because of unforeseen health emergencies, some of our regular members couldn't attend the meet.

u/through_manvith_lens has attended every one of our Writers Meetups at Cubbon Park, even though his primary interests are editing & cinematography. We appreciate his constant support & participation.

This week's exercise was on writing a profile of a close friend. Unfortunately, the New Yorker reference links couldn't be accessed on the phone. I should have provided web archive links instead.

We will do a better job of organizing & co-ordinating the future meetups. Cheers!