BOOK REVIEWS
JEWEL–LESS
CROWN: SAGA OF LIFE
By B. S. Murthy, Self imprint, F9, Nandini Mansion, 1-10-234, Ashok Nagar,
Hyderabad. 238 pages. Price Rs. 150/-.
The novel is
in two parts, Book I and Book II. Each book has catchy sub-titles : Artha and
Kama, Dharma and Moksha. The sub-titles, in essence, reveal the theme of the
novel. The novel deals with the saga of life. Man tries to reach the top of the
ladder for the crown. But there are snakes, big and small, that pull him down
to the bottom. Life, after all, is a game of ladders and snakes.
Gautam, the
ambitious engineer, chooses to climb the ladder of life using the despicable
but profitable way through flesh to wash off the vestiges of his humble
beginnings. He involves his beautiful wife Sneha in the detestable game. Their
only son, Suresh, grows up developing Oedipus complex. He witnesses his
mother’s sexploits in a clandestine manner and desires her. Spoilt child as he
is and a rapist, he rapes and murders a young girl, Shanti. He is imprisoned
for life. Sneha commits suicide out of remorse to gain retribution for her
guilty life. The crown which the Gautams manage to snatch in high society is
devoid of jewels!
In Book II
repentance converts Gautam into ‘guruji’ in an Ashram run by ‘swamiji’ at
Annavaram. Guruji now spends his vast and ill gotten money in establishing
Shanti Sadan for destitute women. Suresh gets reformed in jail and is released
after seven years for good behaviour. He meets his father at the Ashram as also
Vidya, a beautiful dancer who manages the Sadan efficiently. The young things
naturally fall in love. They have the blessings of ‘swamiji’ and ‘guruji’ to
lead a sensible and useful life. They leave for Delhi to live in Misty Nest,
the posh and sprawling residence of the Gautams of their hey day. Misty Nest of
the murky days now houses the Kuchipudi Dance School run by Vidya.
In Gautam’s
rise and fall resulting in his enlightenment the dramatic twists and turns keep
the interest of the readers. Gautam encourages kama to attain artha which
in turn makes him to discern dharma leading him towards moksha. A
saying goes that unless one is a kami, one cannot turn into a mokshakami.
The novelist strikes a balance between the carnal and the spiritual in the
novel with ingenuity. Gautam is transformed into ‘guruji’, Sneha wins peace for
her soul at the price of her life and their son, Suresh the prodigal, plays the
good Samaritan at the end. The message is clear. True repentance has its
rewards.
The novelist
introduces a lot of sex, psychology, legal wranglings, skills of
entrepreneurship, maneuverings and such other ingredients in this
materialistically spiritual novel offering good reading experience.
In the choice
of words and expressions the novelist leans towards the uncommon for the simple
which makes the style affected. The too frequent use of expressions like ‘in
time’, ‘nevertheless’ etc. and the errors of different types, particularly in
Book II, mar the narration.
The
attractively designed illustration on the cover page is imaginative and
symbolical.
D. Ranga Rao
Tejolinga Rahasyam :Dr. KRK Mohan; Srimukha Publications,
101 Kanchi Residency, 11-19, P&T Colony, Dilsukh Nagar, Hyderabad; + 151 pp; Rs.80/-.
Dr. KRK Mohan
is a well-accomplished, versatile, and highly ranked writer of our times
respected for his literary work in both Telugu and English. He has numerous novels, children’s stories,
short stories, and more significantly science fiction… a theme rarely attempted
by Indian authors, to his credit.
‘Tejolinga
Rahasyam’ is Dr. Mohan’s latest work on science fiction. The book comprises
two short novels: ‘Tejolinga Rahasyam’ and ‘Antharikshamlo
Anthardhanam’.
The story is
expertly built around science, espionage, and adventure. A secret agent,
Jayanth, is assigned with an exciting mission, deep in the Brazilian jungles,
to explore a mysterious object known to be rendering all physical matter in its
vicinity invisible for the human eye. The primitive natives are superstitious
and attribute the phenomenon to the divine powers of the object, which they
believe is a manifestation of God. But the secret agent, well educated and
fully trained, is conversant with the ‘Kinetic theory of matter’ and the
phenomenon of ‘Optical illusion’ of Physics…. The scientific aspects behind the
‘mysterious’ behavior of the object. He finally procures the object and
succeeds in his hazardous mission.
The author
sounds his valuable message loud and clear to the young reader in favour of
rational thinking against all superstition.
Antharikshamlo Anthardhanam:
The body of
an ancient alien from a far off planet that got totally destroyed millions of
years ago, is discovered in a blasted cave. The alien was the foremost
physicist of his planet that was technologically far more superior and
sophisticated than our own. He wakes up from his ‘programmed’ sleep and
narrates his tragic ancient past. At the end he explicitly expresses his
unhappiness over the tension-some international situation on our planet, and
takes off in search of another planet where he can, hopefully, find total peace
and genuine brotherhood.
The story is
clearly a satire on our ultra modern advancements in science and technology. It
stresses on the mindless rivalry, mutual suspicion, and hatred between our
nations, eventually leading to warfare involving liberal usage of deadly
hi-tech weaponry, with consequent irreversible disaster and mass devastation.
The author conveys a highly relevant and timely message of peace to the young
reader of our nuclear era.
As is usual
with Dr. KRK Mohan’s stories, ‘Tejolinga Rahasyam’ is yet another
suspenseful and thoroughly enjoyable work of science fiction. Undoubtedly the
book will be a welcome addition to the young reader’s library.
- Kambhampati Krishna Prasad