ലന്തൻബത്തേരിയിലെ ലുത്തിനിയകൾ (2003)
by
N S Madhavan
Book Read: 29-31 January 2016
Note Written: 12 February 2016
This book is definitely one of the finest novels to come out of Malayalam. It follows the life of Jessica, a young girl, residing in the island of Lanthan Bathery (Dutch Battery or Bolgatty Island) in Kochi. The novel is great fun to read and has an adventurous feel to it. The stories and legends of Jessica's parents, grandparents, relatives, and the people of the area told in a light and witty manner, combined with the socio-political ambience of Kerala and India at the time, providing for great entertainment and evoking a sense of awe in us.
A factor which strikes out while reading is its closeness to the Bible and its stories, mainly the parallels between the life of Jesus Christ and Jessica. The chapters denote various stages of Jessica's life. The elements regarding the oft ignored and almost extinct art form 'Chavittunadakam' and the reasons for its slow decline are woven seamlessly into the story, bringing in a sense of nostalgia in us for lost gems such as Chavittunadakam.
The novel shows us how legends are made up, borrowing from snippets of stories heard and from other outside influences, blended with some local flavour. Jessica's story tells us a lot that we know about inherent nature of people around us - judgmental, fault-finding, blaming, silencing, adventurous, caring, nostalgic, jovial, artistic, fun, persecutive, mob-minded, religious, devout, fanatic, regressive, progressive, aggressive and much more. Have to read the English version and draw a comparison soon. A great read.
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