Aravind Nattika’s Kadalpookal is an easy sailing in a turbulent sea where the reader will feel the waves and fell to the swings of it.
It is through the nostalgic outing in the memory lane of Mannan that we get introduced to this famous sea shore called Nattika. The author digs in the shores of history, politics and humanity and collects some genuine pearls. More than the story, it is the presence of the sea in each and every breath of the novels and in between which attracted me better to this novel.
The protagonist, Mannan is returning to his favorite sea shore with a woman and a child and later only we realise that he is coming with ash of somebody who lived happily with him in the sea shore, very close to him, as well. It is through the memories of Mannan we come to know about his lost love Karthu, the struggle by the people for survival. You will not find a winning hero who fight and win the race but you will feel the thoughts by a commoner. The book has a political stand and that is of communists. Well so, many a shores has been barged to communist port, thanks to the organised work by volunteers from the early 50s. Rightly, the book is biased to the poor, the condition people around the protagonist faces in the novel. You will feel the innocence of the people and their misery and how the administration and history cook things against them.
There are not many books published in Malayalam with real sea experience and Aravind Nattika’s Kadalpookal is a welcome relief. The novel may be not that great if you consider for its dramatic presentation or the story. However, no one can deny that the author painted an excellent background and the characters are projected as its bright reflections.
On the minus side, the emotional string is not strong, nor the drama. Some chapters could have been better trimmed and overall, an editor has a job to do in the book.
For the first timer, the book is far ahead in its depth. I only wish that the author keeps the same spirit and stick to the depth he is capable of.