Download or read book The Thinnai written by Ari Gautier and published by Hachette India. This book was released on 2021-08-25 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If there was anything our neighbours envied us, it was our thinnais. The working-class district of Kurusukuppam is not the Pondicherry of tourist brochures. Here, residents are a bewildering mix of Creoles, colonial war veterans, proud communists and French citizens who have never left India's shores. It is a place of everyday tragedies, melodramatic occurrences and stubborn, absurd hope. But life in Kurusukuppam is upturned by the arrival of a curious tramp, Gilbert Thaata, a wizened Frenchman who has clearly seen hard times. Settling down on the narrator's verandah, his thinnai, Gilbert Thaata begins to earn his keep by recounting the tale of the rise and fall of his family's fortunes as the custodians of a mysterious diamond, the Stone of Sita. The fanciful story that unfolds is one that stretches across centuries and encompasses the history of France's colonial legacy in India. As entranced as they are by the raconteur, his listeners cannot help but ask - just who is this old man and how did he fall on such misfortune? Masterfully translated from the French original by Blake Smith, Ari Gautier's The Thinnai offers a panoramic view of Pondicherry's past, the whimsical eccentricities of its present and shines a light on the quirks of history that come to define us.
Download or read book Katha Vilasam written by S Ramakrishnan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-10-24 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Katha Vilasam: The Story Within offers a path-breaking series of 50 articles by S. Ramakrishnan, published over the course of four years in the widely read Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, to a wider reading public through translation into English. The writing style is intentionally direct and compact to suit a magazine readership. Nevertheless, the prose is elevating, even lyrical at times. There are “Aha” moments aplenty. The author uses a unique device in these units. They are “stories within stories”. In each unit, he describes an incident from his own experience and relates it to a short story he has read by a particular eminent Tamil writer. He paraphrases/summarises the writer’s story, melds it into his own reminiscence, and allows the two to resonate and create a musical signature in the reader’s mind. Thus, 50 noted short story writers in the Tamil language are featured here. The avowed purpose of the author was to introduce the readers of Ananda Vikatan (who may have been readers of nothing but magazines) to also delve into the works of excellent Tamil short story writers. The series ran for four years and was very well received by readers. Each unit deserves to be read and re-read not only for the insights and information about writers in different genres, but for the word wizardry and imagery that flow effortlessly through the lines. It is hoped that this English translation will teleport these unique offerings to a wider reading public and bring the works of excellent Tamil writers into the lives of discriminating lovers of literature everywhere.
Download or read book VANCHIYOOR VIGNETTES written by Dr. Achuth Sankar S. Nair and published by Adithya Sankar. This book was released on 2021-04-15 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book covers the local history of Vanchiyoor ward in Thiruvanthapuram City. This book is organised into 23 chapters. Dr. Shashi Tharoor (Member of Parliment, India) has hailed the book as a breakthrough acheivement and a unique contribution. The book is divided into 23 chapters and start with a general overview of local Histoy and go on to cover the early and recent history of vanchiyoor, its place names and sketch important instituions in the area, which have crossed a century. Two famous agitations have taken place in Vanchiyoor (District court) which features in these chapters. the book also deals with thirteen Temples, Mosques and Churches some of which have are ancient. A brief study of communities is also portrayed in the books. In Chapter 17 , a study into 55 instutions having rich history of over 100 years can alos be seen. A biographical sketch of over 50 personalities can be seen in chapter 18. Chapter 19 is a unique one , it deals with flora, fauna and water bodies, a history of nature of sorts. The last chapter "Miscellany" is a confetti of nearly 50 brief notes on variety of matters, as varied as indigenous food like 'ada' and 'Seva', to noise pollution, to 'Kadathinna', to 'Hanuman Padaram'. "A minature picture of Travancore from collective memory, oral history and archival sources." - Manu Pillai
Download or read book Structural Studies Repairs and Maintenance of Heritage Architecture XVII Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures XIII written by S. Hernández and published by WIT Press. This book was released on 2021-07-26 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Structural Studies, Repairs and Maintenance of Heritage Architecture XVII The importance of retaining the built cultural heritage cannot be overstated. Rapid development and inappropriate conservation techniques are threatening many heritage unique sites in different parts of the world. Selected papers presented at the 17th International Conference on Studies, Repairs and Maintenance of Heritage Architecture are included in this volume. They address a series of topics related to the historical aspects and the reuse of heritage buildings, as well as technical issues on the structural integrity of different types of buildings, such as those constructed with materials as varied as iron and steel, concrete, masonry, wood or earth. Restoration processes require the appropriate characterisation of those materials, the modes of construction and the structural behaviour of the building. This knowledge can be gained through a series of material characterisation techniques, preferably via non-destructive tests. Modern computer simulation can provide accurate results demonstrating the stress state of the building and possible failure mechanisms affecting its stability. Of particular importance are studies related to their dynamic and earthquake behaviour aiming to provide an assessment of the seismic vulnerability of heritage buildings. Contributions originate from scientists, architects, engineers and restoration experts from all over the world and deal with different aspects of heritage buildings, including how to formulate regulatory policies, to ensure effective ways of preserving the architectural heritage. Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures XIII Papers presented at the 13th International Conference on Earthquake Resistant Engineering Structures form this volume and cover basic and applied research in the various fields of earthquake engineering relevant to the design of structures. Major earthquakes and associated effects such as tsunamis continue to stress the need to carry out more research on those topics. The problems will intensify as population pressure results in buildings in regions of high seismic vulnerability. A better understanding of these phenomena is required to design earthquake resistant structures and to carry out risk assessments and vulnerability studies. The problem of protecting the built environment in earthquake-prone regions involves not only the optimal design and construction of new facilities but also the upgrading and rehabilitation of existing structures including heritage buildings. The type of highly specialized retrofitting employed to protect the built heritage is an important area of research. The included papers cover such topics as Seismic hazard and tsunamis; Building performance during earthquakes; Structural vulnerability; Seismic isolation and energy dissipation; Passive earthquake protection systems.
Download or read book Madras Chennai and the Self Conversations with the City written by Tulsi Badrinath and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2015-01-29 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a metropolis where customs are paramount, humility essential, the evil-eye feared and showing-off considered distasteful, how do people navigate the streams of tradition and modernity? How does the self form a lasting equation with the city? Some do it with ease, some with effort, but they all have a special love for the city - for a tradition they find organic and lived; for the co-existence of various religions; for the distinct sense of community and neighbourhoods; for the spacious inner life. In Madras, Chennai and the Self: Conversations with the City, Tulsi Badrinath creates a layered image of Chennai by sifting through her memories, and by narrating the stories of those who call it home - the current Prince of Arcot, Dalit writer and activist P Sivakami, superstar Vikram and karate-expert K Seshadri, among others. In their words come alive key aspects of the city - the fine beaches along the Bay of Bengal, Fort St. George, coconut and mango trees, jasmine stalls, cricket fever, classical music and dance, the twin temptations of idli and dosai, temple crowds and radical political movements.
Download or read book Nocturne Pondicherry written by Ari Gautier and published by Hachette India. This book was released on 2024-06-17 with total page 103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A postman struggles to deliver the last letter on his last day of work. A prostitute elopes with the auto rickshaw driver who arranged clients for her. An inspector discovers the dead body of the boy he had an altercation with the previous evening. In seven riveting stories, Ari Gautier peels back the layers of human emotions until glimpses of greed, anger and lust can finally reveal themselves. Unsettling and irresistible, Nocturne Pondicherry is an all too realistic collection where mundane situations - featuring common people, ill-fated street dwellers and hapless immigrants - pull readers in and fling them into the abyss.
Download or read book Valiyachalai Times written by Deepa Balasubramanian and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2019-09-23 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Six eccentric siblings – Kris, Ganga, Thamba, Chaya, Balaji and Lakshmi find themselves caught in the trials of life during the pre-independence era under the shadow of their overtly disciplined father. In the backdrop of India in 1944, set in Trivandrum, the sons and daughters of a conservative South Indian Iyer family have so much to prove against cynicism and doubt, pursuing what they love. Join the rollercoaster ride of this crazy Iyer family, vying to survive the odds against the force of conservatism in the lost times.
Download or read book Colonial Visions Postcolonial Revisions written by Shanthini Pillai and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2008-12-18 with total page 135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers reflections of the representations of the Indian diaspora of Malaysia according to two spectrums, colonial and postcolonial. It takes seed from the belief that any engagement with the Indian diasporic experience in Malaysia must take into account the role of the pioneer Indian immigrants who carved the niche of existence for the overseas Indian on Malayan soil. It begins by tracing their presence within the terrain of colonial narratives to uncover, not only the ways in which they were subordinated to colonial ideological discourses but also, and more significantly, the suppressed story of coolie resistance that lies under the weight of such masks of conquest. It then moves on to show how postcolonial revisioning is able to reconstruct the Indian immigrants of Malaya as choreographers of the diasporic identity that they have left as the most significant legacy for contemporary Malaysian Indians. This book ultimately reveals the politics of Malaysian Indian identity from colonised to globalised grounds, and the ways in which the subaltern spaces of the former can be reclaimed and reterritorialised in the latter.
Download or read book The Art and Craft of Asian Stories written by Robin Hemley and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-09-23 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An all-in-one craft guide and anthology, this is the first creative writing book to find inspiration and guidance in the diverse literary traditions of Asia. Including exemplary stories by leading writers from Japan, China, India, Singapore and beyond as well as those from Asian diasporas in Europe and America, The Art and Craft of Asian Stories offers an exciting take on the traditional how-to writing guide by drawing from a rich new trove of short stories beyond the western canon which readers may never have encountered before. Whilst still taking stock of the traditional elements of story such as character, viewpoint and setting, Xu and Hemley let these compelling stories speak for themselves to offer readers new ideas and approaches which could enrich their own creative work. Structured around the themes encountered in the stories, such as race and identity, history and power, family and aspirations, this text is a vital companion for writers at all levels keen to develop and find new perspectives on key elements of their craft. Written by two internationally successful writers and teachers, each chapter contains complete short stories and writing exercises for practice and inspiration.
Download or read book The Great Banyan Tree written by Vimala Vasudeva Rao and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2016-02-29 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Great Banyan Tree is a collection of short stories from India. It captures the social milieu of life in the country in the early years after its independence from colonial rule as well as in the modern day. It also chronicles the emotions of Indians who decide to return to India after living abroad for many years in the Western world. It conveys the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of present-day Indians.
Download or read book The Mystery Repeats written by Kavitha Arjun and published by Notion Press. This book was released on 2019-09-09 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Those curves are killing! Can I see ‘them’?” Manish inquires a woman, blatantly with no embarrassment! “Those curves make your eyes outstanding!” Meet Manish, a makeup artist from the land of fashion, France. “James, wake up! Look, there’s police outside!” whispered Trilok. James jumped out of his sleep, awestruck! “Happy New Year, James! No police! Just to keep you awake!” chuckled Trilok. He then urged, “Get up now! Look there. Watch out closely! Do you see someone locked up in the outhouse?” “No, it’s dark, and the door is locked. How do I see?” “Come on! You should believe it if you can’t see!” remarked Trilok, the intuitionist. Never can one grasp what he means! In the middle of nowhere, two ‘incompatible’ men, Manish and Trilok—one who works on faces and one who works on minds—happen to stumble upon the mysteries at the ‘Five Finger Valley’. Will their polar world views attract or repel? Wait till The Mystery Repeats!
Download or read book Feeding a Thousand Souls written by Vijaya Nagarajan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-12 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every day millions of Tamil women in southeast India wake up before dawn to create a kolam, an ephemeral ritual design made with rice flour, on the thresholds of homes, businesses and temples. This thousand-year-old ritual welcomes and honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and alertness, and Bhudevi, the goddess of the earth. Created by hand with great skill, artistry, and mathematical precision, the kolam disappears in a few hours, borne away by passing footsteps and hungry insects. This is the first comprehensive study of the kolam in the English language. It examines its significance in historical, mathematical, ecological, anthropological, and literary contexts. The culmination of Vijaya Nagarajan's many years of research and writing on this exacting ritual practice, Feeding a Thousand Souls celebrates the experiences, thoughts, and voices of the Tamil women who keep this tradition alive.
Download or read book Dissonance and Other Stories written by Jeyakāntan̲ and published by Katha. This book was released on 2008 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Translated from Tamil.
Download or read book Cobwebs in the Sky written by Malati Jaikumar and published by Partridge Publishing. This book was released on 2014-12-18 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cobwebs in the Sky is a powerful narrative of four friends who evolve gradually from women with normal weaknesses and foibles into women of substance. Cutting across generations, the novel emphasizes that the basic sense of values has not changed over the years. The core of the problems and pitfalls of each succeeding generation continues to be love, sex, and marriage, which spawn emotions and actions that are universally similarlust, revenge, deceit, rape, and abuse. These have a great impact on ones destiny and can drive people to acts of great courage and compassion or degrade them to commit the most heinous of crimes. The strong bonds and unstinting trust and faith of family and friends alone provide the strength to cope with and rise above traumatic experiences in life. The harsh reality is that crimes against women have continued to flourish. The book is unique in content and format, the lucid language speaking to a very wide swath of English-reading population all over the world, lending itself very well to translations to reach readers in other countries. Surely, a book that must be read.
Download or read book Harihara the Legacy of the Scroll written by Nithyau Ramkumar and published by One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Harihara, as the name suggests, is a historic fiction that talks about how ancient science and arts have camouflaged in our day—to—day activities. The story revolves around a hamlet in South India in the Villupuram District of Tamil Nadu. The house hold of Sesha that has been a loof from the native village of Kodathur is suddenly brought back to the village after a series of unprecedented incidents happening in the village and their life, the birth of Sesha's grandson and an ancient scroll finds its way into Seshala family. As the scroll is unfolded, old secrets are unfolded that could haunt Hari and his sister Poorni, if left untouched. As per the scroll, the elder male child will always have the name Hari and he would possess the scroll. The scroll contains links to ancient secrets by means of the lineage. Poorni along with her brother Hari and the journalist Srikant travel through the South Arcot District and to Harihar to decipher the ancient secrets. As the journey begins, the mystery unfolds and ancient brother hoods become powerful."
Download or read book The Stomach That Chewed Hunger and Other Stories written by Bama and published by Zubaan. This book was released on 2022-12-10 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jealous of the ‘success’ of his hardworking farmhands, the rich farmer cuts off access to their land; a free gift won by a working-class family is appropriated by their rich employer who feels his status entitles him to such benefits, a teacher finds herself rendered speechless by the subtle, insidious ways in which caste operates around her, a pregnant woman dreams of clean toilets for her child. Hard hitting, often unrelenting, the twelve powerful stories in this slim volume have been selected by Bama, a Dalit writer who broke new ground by speaking out publicly against caste discrimination, particularly in the Church. Written in everyday Tamil and in regional dialects, and skillfully translated by Ahana Lakshmi, the stories are firmly rooted in the twin experiences of caste and gender and upend much of the received wisdom about what counts as ‘good’ literature.
Download or read book The War is Not Yet Over written by Jyothirllata Girija and published by Pustaka Digital Media. This book was released on with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mrs. Jyotirllata Girija, born in Chennai. She wrote her first story when she was at the age of thirteen. She has written in so many forms - Stories for children, novels, short stories, dramas etc. So far, she has written more than 600 short stories, 19 novels, 60 novelettes and 3 dramas. She has also written 25 short stories in English and she has written around 150 stories for children.
