Weekend readings

Indulekha (1889), Translated by Anitha Devasia
A historical background into the classic malayalam novel by O. Chandumenon gave me an insight into the dynamics of Kerala Nair society. A matrilineal society, Marumakkathyam law of inheritance, The Malabar Marriage Commission intervention, informal marriage alliances(Sambandams), and conflict of tradition with modernity forms the backdrop to this interesting novel. I liked the dramatic dialogue based narrative (like reading a play) useful in bringing out the nuances and interplay between the characters. Chandumenon himself had mentioned that Indulekha would never be read in English, I felt the Malayalam work is the classic. I felt the same while reading Legends of Khasak (Khazakinte Ithihasam) by O. V. Vijayan. Thanks, to the translator, English literature gets to know that there are better classics. The romance between the protagonists, Indulekha and Madhavan has depth and meaning. I was very disappointed with Namboodiripad's character. An english dialogue just cannot replicate the accents, and thus the humor in the character falls flat.

Now Reading..
A Demon In My View, by Ruth Rendall
I found this preface interesting, but the story very boring. It had an interesting premise. A story of a psychopath who has never know how to talk with women. He stays with a scholar who is doing his PhD in psych analysis. The author fails to bring out any nuances, or suspense. The writing is verbose, but foggy. Bore!
Hope to do some reading before the term starts, and I go back to Software Engineering Research. I have hit the writer's block, so moved to reading.