The Creator of Legends

OV Vijayan was indeed a phenomenon and Legends of Khasak must truly be recognized as one of the finest pieces of world literature of the last century........like for so many others, reading LoK was a discovery for me, of a whole world that I`d been unaware of- Indian regional writing....Rushdie discredited no one but himself by not including it in his collection of the best Indian writing since independence....I for one know that LoK, even in translation, is far superior to the experience of Midnight`s Children, and i have read and loved Midnight`s Children
....the other surprise in reading the translated LoK is knowing that the english translation was done by the author himself....i can only imagine what the original must have felt like....interestingly, the translation actually disproves Vijayan`s assertion on co-Keralite Arundhati Roy`s GOST release- that powerful fiction can only be communicated in one`s native language!

...regarding Vijayan`s turning away from communism to spirituality, i think it was an understandable and sensitive evolution....and not really a conversion to Hindutva, like Rajeev Srinivasan in his rediff columns occasionally tried to make us believe

I`ve been a huge fan of OV Vijayan since I was a little girl - at first because my parents admired him and then because I fell in love with his writing. The connection you draw with Marquez is particularly apt, I feel, because both of them gave me similar feelings when I read them in English - as if the language had something new to say.

Thank you for this obit.

nice reading.In india there must be many good people,writers,etc.here in spain we know not much of india

I have been an admirer of Vijayan`s cartoons but have been remiss in not having read his novels. I have read short stories by him and Ravi Shankar.

There was a tribute in Deccan Herald. Did not know that a Chowkie wrote it.
``O V Vijayan, 74, who passed away in Hyderabad on Wednesday morning was a master satirist, story-teller and cartoonist who took his readers to dizzying heights of creativity.

Hailed as the pioneer of modern Malayalam fiction, he leaves behind an immortal collection of novels and short-stories marked by philosophical insights and historical interpretations.

The Legend of Khasak (Khasakinte Ithihasam — 1969) went on to become an interregnum in modern Malayalam literature dividing it into pre and post-Khasak. It unleashed a set of characters picked from his home district Palakkad and foisted onto the imaginary settings of a village called Khasak. ``

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#3:

success has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan jfk - i think

b4 i animadvert

do you want a long or a short answer that a long or short standing and proud self confessing mensa member who needs a valve job can easily decipher?

take your time and let me know by tomorrow...

...t

t (short for temporal),

A q (short for question)..

y did u venture into this thread? Explain in detail.

rgs (short for rgds (short for regards)),

kaka (short for your baap)

Sunil K Poolani

Your tribute to Vijayan is acute. Nonetheless you ignited a spark: a comparison between Marquez Kundera and Vijayan : could you kindly elaborate and interweave on their commonality, in terms of style and themes, sharing with a wider audience the similitude you observe in their various works ?

I concur completely with thyself that Vijayan, though cremated, will have a candle flickering in the light of eternity. His ashes should inspire us all to unleash our souls into the flames of creative expression. No matter what the odds.

Vijayan, a much beloved satirist and story-teller took his booklovers to Himalayan heights of creativity. Rightly hailed as the pioneer of modern fiction, “Khasakinte Ithihasam” changed the face of Malayalam literature. Our initiate stamps an immortal collection of novels glistened by philosophical insights and historical interpretations.

”Khasakinte Ithihasam” spring-boards an interregnum in modern Malayalam literature dividing it into pre and post-Khasak, unleashing a set of unforgettable characters foisted onto the imaginary settings of Khasak.

Dabbling then into political satire and spirituality like “Dharmapuranam” “Gurusagaram” and “Pravachakante Vazhi” seems a well-fathomed follow-up.

sunil:

thank you...

...obviously, this is straight from the heart...

rgds

t