Everyday life stories

December 18, 2014 04:46 pm | Updated May 25, 2015 04:52 pm IST

V.P. Achan Kripasanam’s compilation of stories, Mazhakkottu shows his unfettered love for nature and life. He mixes emotions in all their finery with fluid use of words to shape a sensitive world from seemingly daily occurrences.

The use of metaphors in the narration is a hallmark of the book. A sample for this is the way he describes a storm in the second story, which bears the title of the book. “Wind strikes huge trees like a black hawk would its prey,” he writes.

The imagery not only creates a profound impression of the storm but also lays the setting of the story – a man trading his wedding ring for a costly piece of garment. Through this, the author brings out the trait of humans who are fast losing the charm of life’s simple joys and embarking on a race to amass stuff “one would only need for a short part of the way”.

The first story is more subtle than the rest. A daughter's love for her father is told in a refreshing way. Niya Milaniya adores her father and her husband loves her enough to let her be. Life’s twists and turns are brought out in the story ‘An intimate stranger’. Jithu, the central character, has to battle his sanity when he hears the death of Anthony, a man he was close to. Through this discord in thoughts the author shapes a world and takes us through interesting alleys of life.

Every story seems a fresh flower in a beautifully done bouquet. This is not surprising from a man who was brought up by a storyteller father, who later paved the way for a love for the fading art of Chavittunatakam.

Mazhakkottu

V.P. Achan Kripasanam

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