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D
Novel by Susmesh Chandroth. 'D' is Susmesh's first novel and it won him many recognitions including D C Books Novel Carnival Award. New edition.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
25 people want to read
About the author
സുസ്മേഷ് ചന്ത്രോത്ത് | Susmesh Chandroth
24 books22 followersകേന്ദ്ര സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമിയുടെ പ്രഥമ'യുവപുരസ്കാര്'ഈ വര്ഷം ലഭിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്.കഥകള് സംസ്ഥാന സര്ക്കാര് നാലാം ക്ലാസിലും എം.ജി.സര്വ്വകലാശാലയിലും പാഠ്യപദ്ധതിയില്.2009ലെ കേരള സര്ക്കാര് ടെലിവിഷന് അവാര്ഡ് തിരക്കഥയ്ക്ക്(ആതിര 10 സി) ലഭിച്ചു.കേരള സാഹിത്യ അക്കാദമിയുടെ ഗീതാ ഹിരണ്യന് എന്ഡോവ്മെന്റ്,അങ്കണം അവാര്ഡ്,സാഹിത്യശ്രീ പുരസ്കാരം,കെ.എ.കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂര് കഥാപുരസ്കാരം,തോപ്പില് രവി അവാര്ഡ്,ഇടശ്ശേരി അവാര്ഡ്,ഈ പി സുഷമ എന്ഡോവ്മെന്റ്,ജേസി ഫൌണ്ടേഷന് അവാര്ഡ്,പ്രൊഫ.വി.രമേഷ് ചന്ദ്രന് കഥാപുരസ്കാരം, ഡിസി ബുക്സിന്റെ നോവല് കാര്ണിവല് അവാര്ഡ്(2004-ല് ആദ്യനോവലായ 'ഡി'യ്ക്ക്.)എന്നിവയാണ് ലഭിച്ച മറ്റ് പുരസ്കാരങ്ങള്.9 മാതൃഭൂമി ആഴ്ചപ്പതിപ്പിലും പേപ്പര് ലോഡ്ജ് മാധ്യമം ആഴ്ചപ്പതിപ്പിലും ഖണ്ഡശ്ശ പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ചു. 2006-ല് 'പകല്' സിനിമയ്ക്ക് തിരക്കഥയെഴുതി.തുടര്ന്ന് ആശുപത്രികള് ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്ന ലോകം,ആതിര 10 സി എന്നീ ഹ്രസ്വ സിനിമകളും. കൃതികള് -ഡി,9,പേപ്പര് ലോഡ്ജ് ,മറൈന് കാന്റീന് (നോവലുകള് )നായകനും നായികയും(നോവെല്ല)വെയില് ചായുമ്പോള് നദിയോരം,ആശുപത്രികള് ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്ന ലോകം,ഗാന്ധിമാര്ഗം,കോക്ടെയ്ല് സിറ്റി,മാമ്പഴമഞ്ഞ,സ്വര്ണ്ണമഹല് ,മരണവിദ്യാലയം,ബാര് കോഡ്(കഥാസമാഹാരം)
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 12, 2015
In 1991, after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, politics in India changed forever. For the first time, a politician without a popular base, P. V. Narasimha Rao, became Prime Minister: and he installed a an academician, Dr. Manmohan Singh, as his Finance Minister. The popular rhetoric of socialism quickly gave way to the pragmatic doctrine of capitalism. Very soon, America became acceptable as a political ally, profit ceased to be a dirty word, and the Indian economy was thrown open to private capital.
The major towns immediately started to show the effects – the middle class grew richer, there were more goodies to go around, and the purchasing power of people increased tremendously. But soon, the negative effects also began to be felt, in the villages especially. Farmers accumulated debt and started committing suicide; marginalised groups were marginalised still further; and because of government withdrawal from the public sphere, welfare went for a toss. The GDP increased, and so did the gap between the rich and the poor.
The impact of India’s liberalisation was not confined to the material field. The cultural sphere underwent a tremendous makeover. The left-leaning post-colonial ethos was replaced by the culture of instant gratification. The general public, especially the youth, became largely apolitical. Everything was weighed on the scales of material benefits: the question was not whether it was good or bad, but whether it would sell or not.
Kerala is a bit different from other Indian states in the sense that we don’t have large cities, in the real “metro” sense – nor do we have the quintessential Indian village, removed from all the amenities of civilisation. It is rather difficult distinguish between a town and a village in Kerala, so that a stranger travelling by train could be excused for thinking that he is traversing one long city. So liberalisation and globalisation revolutionised Kerala in toto: suddenly, the state with a strong communist sentiment was singing paens to consumerism.
It is in this context that one has to view “D”, Susmesh Chandroth’s novel about a fictitious city of the same name. It could be any city in Kerala: the details are left purposefully vague. The story also lacks a central focus, with a plethora of characters moving around in unnumbered chapters, carrying out various activities ranging from prostitution to terrorism. It is evident that the author has aimed at a kaleidoscopic effect, rather like Paul Haggis’ movie Crash.
The novel starts with an unnamed rescue worker recovering an unfinished manuscript from the ruins of D – a manuscript which purports to create a mythical city built on the same lines as D. The narrative then gives us an account of the genesis of D, from myth to legend to history, to its chaotic present.
What we encounter here is a city without a soul, given totally over to consumerism. However, it is peopled by real men and women, many of whom are full of soul. A myriad of topics is touched upon then, ranging from child abuse to sexual exploitation, and from environmentalism to terrorism. This cacophony of narratives is held together somewhat as a coherent story only by Damu, the penurious reporter working in a newspaper which still has not sold its soul to Mammon. Ultimately, everything culminates in the disaster foreshadowed in the first chapter.
--------------------------------------------------------
This novel is a brave attempt to tackle the modern world of capitalism run riot – and it succeeds in creating the jarring feel of a city given to the mad rush to earn money during the day and the equally insane pursuit of pleasure in the night. But the positives end there. None of the characters are interesting enough for us to feel anything for them – the storylines are too short and jumbled to make any sense of – and the book too short to explore in detail any of the issues it broaches. I forgot the book the moment I closed its covers – which is not a good thing to recommend it!
The major towns immediately started to show the effects – the middle class grew richer, there were more goodies to go around, and the purchasing power of people increased tremendously. But soon, the negative effects also began to be felt, in the villages especially. Farmers accumulated debt and started committing suicide; marginalised groups were marginalised still further; and because of government withdrawal from the public sphere, welfare went for a toss. The GDP increased, and so did the gap between the rich and the poor.
The impact of India’s liberalisation was not confined to the material field. The cultural sphere underwent a tremendous makeover. The left-leaning post-colonial ethos was replaced by the culture of instant gratification. The general public, especially the youth, became largely apolitical. Everything was weighed on the scales of material benefits: the question was not whether it was good or bad, but whether it would sell or not.
Kerala is a bit different from other Indian states in the sense that we don’t have large cities, in the real “metro” sense – nor do we have the quintessential Indian village, removed from all the amenities of civilisation. It is rather difficult distinguish between a town and a village in Kerala, so that a stranger travelling by train could be excused for thinking that he is traversing one long city. So liberalisation and globalisation revolutionised Kerala in toto: suddenly, the state with a strong communist sentiment was singing paens to consumerism.
It is in this context that one has to view “D”, Susmesh Chandroth’s novel about a fictitious city of the same name. It could be any city in Kerala: the details are left purposefully vague. The story also lacks a central focus, with a plethora of characters moving around in unnumbered chapters, carrying out various activities ranging from prostitution to terrorism. It is evident that the author has aimed at a kaleidoscopic effect, rather like Paul Haggis’ movie Crash.
The novel starts with an unnamed rescue worker recovering an unfinished manuscript from the ruins of D – a manuscript which purports to create a mythical city built on the same lines as D. The narrative then gives us an account of the genesis of D, from myth to legend to history, to its chaotic present.
What we encounter here is a city without a soul, given totally over to consumerism. However, it is peopled by real men and women, many of whom are full of soul. A myriad of topics is touched upon then, ranging from child abuse to sexual exploitation, and from environmentalism to terrorism. This cacophony of narratives is held together somewhat as a coherent story only by Damu, the penurious reporter working in a newspaper which still has not sold its soul to Mammon. Ultimately, everything culminates in the disaster foreshadowed in the first chapter.
--------------------------------------------------------
This novel is a brave attempt to tackle the modern world of capitalism run riot – and it succeeds in creating the jarring feel of a city given to the mad rush to earn money during the day and the equally insane pursuit of pleasure in the night. But the positives end there. None of the characters are interesting enough for us to feel anything for them – the storylines are too short and jumbled to make any sense of – and the book too short to explore in detail any of the issues it broaches. I forgot the book the moment I closed its covers – which is not a good thing to recommend it!
April 4, 2013
Excellent in concept and poor in execution, D disappoints a lot. Conceptwise it is a hell of imagination. All applauds. The author sharpen his knives against all possible evils of the society. He uses a lot of symbols and characters to express the point of view. Then, the narration was not leading the reader in me to push pages. The much needed focus for a novel is missing in this book. In an attempt to say too much through too many characters and symbols the narration and story telling gets too complicated.
I had read Paper Lodge by the similar author and liked it to a great extend. Even when D doesn't reach to my expectation, I am happy that the author has improved a lot in his writing since.
The author says in the introduction that he was attempting to write something different and definitely it is different. While I endorse most of the author's view I really felt that the novel lack a central thread to hold it all.
I had read Paper Lodge by the similar author and liked it to a great extend. Even when D doesn't reach to my expectation, I am happy that the author has improved a lot in his writing since.
The author says in the introduction that he was attempting to write something different and definitely it is different. While I endorse most of the author's view I really felt that the novel lack a central thread to hold it all.
June 28, 2014
It describes all the evil faces of a society/ community...with all facets of urban culture. It was a hell of imagination, but I cudn't digest it...sorry....Becoz I got bored..sometimes...
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September 7, 2023സുസ്മേഷിന്റെ ആദ്യ രചനകളിലൊന്ന്.
ശിൽപ പരമായി ഒരുപാടു ശൈഥില്യങ്ങളുണ്ട്
ശിൽപ പരമായി ഒരുപാടു ശൈഥില്യങ്ങളുണ്ട്
March 25, 2017
വായനയുടെ തുടക്കം തന്നെ മടുപ്പ് ഉളവാക്കി. ഒരുമാതിരി വട്ട് പിടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന പോലെയുള്ള ഭാവന. 23 പേജുകളിൽ കൂടുതൽ താണ്ടാൻ സാധിച്ചില്ല. ക്ഷമിക്കണം. എന്റെ type നോവൽ അല്ല.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews