the independent reviewer

The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction (vol II), is a collection of short stories by various authors. Translated by Pritham K. Chakravarthy, edited by Rakesh Khanna and published by Blaft Publications, Chennai (2008)

Pritham K. Chakravarthy continues her interest in exploring the various roles played by a woman in the Tamil literature through the stories selected for this volume. The stories are woman centric, and shows all her ‘avatars’, an anxious mother, a brave girlfriend, the victim, the saviour, etc.

The stories revolve around theft, robbery, murder and occult. What’s interesting is how a love story seems to be woven into the plot and finds its relevance as the story progresses. It generates a medley of emotions within the readers mind. As you read, curiosity rises and one finds himself experiencing, fear, thrill, disgust, hope and longing… and most importantly, romance.

Most stories revolve around family traditions, legends surrounding royal families, religious rituals, superstition and science fiction. Of how superstition prevails through generations, and how faith and determination eventually finds a way out. It however does not attack individual beliefs in the occult. The reader may feel lost initially and find it difficult to keep up with numerous characters springing up, with names that are difficult to pronounce. But it is a matter of getting used to the Tamil names and relations.

Power is another aspect which is explored to the fullest in the stories. Be it power of the cult, the man, the woman, or be it political power, but it strongly shows the human need to control. Most of the actions emerge from the characters’ urge to fulfil this side, no matter what form it takes. The fear (thrill/suspense ) factor remains constant throughout making the book even more gripping. You eagerly await the next incidence, and yet do not want to lose the sense of the present happenings in the story. The narration is brilliant, for you feel you are watching a movie rather than reading a book. The scenes flash before your eyes, and the fear grips you and plays on your imagination. This is a must read for all those who enjoy experiencing a sense of awe, wonder and even horror. Most of the incidences are self explanatory as you will realise at the end of every story. Everything falls into place. The details are beautifully scattered everywhere and you can’t help smiling at the cleverness of the narrator. The description of the characters and the places is detailed enough to make the journey through these stories extremely vivid. The narration by each author is superb and that proves to say that the translation has been excellent. You are immediately transported into the Tamil culture and the bygone days. Though the words are in English, you kind of get the feel of Tamil dialect. The relations are described quite aptly through the terms of address (of which there is a detailed glossary in the end), helping you build a mental family tree.

Though one may not be able to read the original version, it still is the translation which has made all difference. You get a glimpse of the Tamil culture and the essence is not lost through translation. You are simply experiencing in English what originally was written in Tamil. This book is definitely worth a read.

- Prarthana Patil

A Bachelor of Science with a Diploma in Fashion, Prarthana is currently pursuing her studies in Indian Aesthetics. Having been in the teaching profession for more than 10 years, books have become a part of her daily life. She enjoys traveling and reading. Besides books on design, she read fiction, literature (English and Marathi), philosophy, folk tales and poetry.