manianviews

 My Impressions: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Prophet Song is undoubtedly one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. It forced me to realize how relatively peaceful and comfortable our lives in India are by comparison. The novel is set in a near-future Ireland, though the specific political ideologies—be they left or right, religious or secular—are never explicitly mentioned. This ambiguity makes the terror feel universal. Why the Booker Prize? The book was awarded the Booker Prize last year, and I believe the reason lies in its urgent political relevance. In an era where people seem to lose sight of the importance of individual civil rights, this novel brings that struggle to the forefront. It meticulously describes the collapse of a family’s world when a nation suspends all civic liberties. The Plot: From Stability to Chaos The story follows a well-settled, urban family living happily in Ireland. Their lives are upended when the head of the household, a trade unionist, is t...

THE NARRATIVE IS SHOCKINGLY SIMILAR Recently, I attended a seminar on our country’s secularism. The keynote speaker was the writer Tamilselvan, a prominent functionary of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association—a well-known intellectual wing of the CPM in the state. Tamilselvan is the author of many books and a significant Left-wing leader. Surprisingly, he delivered his speech using a PowerPoint presentation, which I felt impeded his natural flow.  As one of the party’s most prolific orators, he is usually at his best when speaking spontaneously. By using a digital aid, he may have been trying to embrace modern technology, but in my view, it did not enhance his delivery. In a speech lasting about an hour and a half, he attempted to cover everything from human evolution and the historiography of races in the Indian subcontinent to contemporary Hindutva politics. His central theme was "Who We Are," which reminded me of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi’s book Who Am ...