About amaraavati kathalu (part 2)
V. Chowdary Jampala (cjampala@quark.dayton.net)
Thu, 20 Nov 1997 14:32:21 -0500 (EST)
About amaraavati kathalu - 1
(Continuing from part- 1)
muLLapooDi, who is clearly bowled over by this series says in the
introduction, "...telugulO mallaadi raamakRUshNaSaastri, Sreepaada
subrahmaNya Saastri, viSvanaadha satyannaaraayaNa vanTi mahaneeyula
racanala sarasana peddapeeTa vEsi gouravincadaginavi..." This is not
the obligatory flattery that we commonly see in introductions; this
unusually long (sixteen pages) introduction details the pleasures
this veteran writer experienced from reading these stories. muLLapooDi
was impressed by the universality, simplicity, brevity, sensitivity,
and evocativeness of these stories and thought very highly of satyam
Sankaramanchi's linguistic craft (padavinyaasam, vaakyalaasyam in his
words) too.
Was muLLapooDi wrong in his assessment of this work? Or was this
really overrated "diddly stuff"? I happen to share muLLapooDi's
enthusiasm for this work. I realize that tastes differ and that the
aavakaaya pacchaDi that I cherish will not be enjoyed by most people
inhabiting this earth. But, I thought that I would take a little time
to understand and explain why this tattered volume never fails to fill
my heart with the kind of joy reserved for reading a true masterpiece.
(The easier thing probably would have been to transcribe muLLapooDi's
introduction; to state the obvious, he is a much better writer.)
Vasu said that Sankaramanchi's plots are plotless. I have to
disagree. The 100 stories in the series share the same background: the
historical temple village of amaraavati situated on the banks of the
river Krishna. Despite this common background, these stories are very
diverse in their nature and cannot be described as belonging to one
particular genre. Some are based on local lore and the background of
amaraavati was essential for these stories (aakhari venkaTaadri
naayuDu, dharmapaaluDu, gunDe SivuDikicukO etc). Other stories could
have been from any village in India. Some of them are about love and
other relationships (tulasi taamboolam, dhaavaLee chirigipOyindi,
naaveLLipOyindi). Some are about the impact of societal changes on
individuals (adgadgO bassu, EDaadikOrOju puli, bhOjanaantE). Some are
about the inequalities in life and injustices in the society (bangaaru
donga, sudigunDam`lO mukkupuDaka, baakeesantati). Some of them are
about colorful, memorable characters (bhOjana chakravarti, tRUpti),
though one exceptional story is about a totally colorless individual
(oka rOjeLLipOyindi). Some take a small incident and address a
universal truth (neeru nilavadu, varada). Some are purely descriptive,
and some of the best stories are only about experiential states (renDu
gangalu, stambhana).
The style in which these stories are told also varies from story
to story. Most of these are narrated by the author who is not part of
the story. The pace of narration often depends on the subject and
mood. Sometimes, it flows like a stream falling off a precipice; other
times, it is almost still like a pond on a lazy afternoon. Some of the
stories feel like the repetition of old fables; others have the
construction of the modern story.
The quality of the stories also varies. Many of these stories
individually would merit inclusion among the best short stories in
Telugu. Some are not that great. But, when read together, they paint a
vivid portrait of the village life of the early part of this century
and the influence of time on that life. The reader gets a feel for the
pulse of the village and its people and an insight into the workings
of the world. I wanted to take a few of the stories as examples to
explain why I think of this as good writing. Once I opened the book to
select my examples, I knew that this is not something that I could do
easily or adequately. So the following is not a selection of the best
stories in the series, but my impressions of some of the stories.
(To be continued)
Regards -- V. Chowdary Jampala