Ponniyin Selvan

I just finished reading Ponniyin Selvan for the second time. I read it for the first time 6 or 7 years before when I was at my engineering college. Now, once again, amazed at the plot, characterisation and the way the author connects various characters and events. At no point of time, I felt the story is being elongated just for the sake of it. Often there are repetitions, but it helps one to remember what happened and helps to connect with the present.

One should remember that this is a historic novel and cannot take things as granted. Where there is a clear proof of character and incident, the author needs to adhere to it and when the picture is not so clear, he is free to ignite the imagination - this is a tight rope walk. Amarar Kalki says the same sentence in the conclusive part. I guess the conclusive essay must have come a few weeks after the story ended. Author addresses the concerns of the readers and answers their queries.

There are many characters in the novel. Some characters are given good characterisation and some are given only build ups. The brilliance of characters comes out in Vandhiyadevan, Adiyan, Anirudhha Brahmarayar. Poonkuzhali and Manimegalai will stay on in the mind of the readers for ever. Both have many similar qualities, the striking difference being Manimegalai is so innocent whereas Poonkuzhali is not. The greatest built up is given for Kundavai. But there are not enough incidents or decision making circumstances which validate the build-ups. Though Anirudha Bramharayar comes relatively only in a few scenes, the character's intelligence is clearly portrayed in almost all the scenes.

I heard that the original hero of the novel was supposed to be Arul Mozhi Varmar himself, but Vandhiyadevan is so interwoven with the story that the author could not dethrone him from the hero's pedastal even after the introduction of Arul Mozhi Varmar early in the story. The incidents that happen after Arul Mozhi jumps into the sea to save Vandhiyadevan get a supersonic speed. I feel that is the point when Vandhiyadevan becomes the hero of the novel.

One character which gets you stumped is Nandini. One never knows when she speaks the truth and when she does not. She displays cunningness with a "cool attitude". She is very determined and does not get tensed whatever the situation be.

I read the entire story this time on my laptop - the pdfs from Project Madurai. The pdf of the fifth part contained many missing lines. So, I had to go to wikisource for reading whole of the 5th part. While I was reading, I made a pdf of the 5th part and uploaded under GDL.