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Book Review
TELUGU
Anthology of stories
AMBIKA ANANTH
KUTRA — Short Stories: Jathasri; pub. by Sahiti Sravanthi, Khammam. Copies available at Prajsakthi Book House, 1-1-187/1/2, Chikkadapally, Hyderabad-500020. Rs. 50.
EACH ONE in this collection of 10 stories is unique. They are markedly human and reveal the author’s rootedness in today’s average man’s world of woes. The material is human, the experience human but in the context of a dehumanised background where exists a deep conspiracy, which operates in the lives of less privileged ones. In the title story “Kutra”, two disparate images collide to give insight: images of the invasion of the “steel era” and that of the tribulations of the lives of carpenters in rural areas, who are daily wage earners. The creative energy of Nagamuni ebbs away, a carpenter who earlier lived a life of content; he is deprived of any work due to steel furniture gaining an upper hand over his laborious craftsmanship. His son Kotilingam joining as a helping hand in a shop where steel ware is sold, forms the ironic ending of the story. The handling of the story “Vontari” seems routine till the final twist where the reader comes to know the simple truth of the protagonist’s absentmindedness. The story build up and the imagery is at its best in “Marana Vaangmoolam” where the author depicts how some mindless atrocities can be committed in society and how shallow humans can be. “Valasa”, “Amaanusham” are impressive.
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