The Blog of Small Things

Name :  Kolayuthir Kaalam Author :  Sujatha     Year of Publication : 1981     Genre : Fiction, Novel     Rating : ***  ( Three stars out of 5) Sujatha is in fine form in this horror/crime thriller which oscillates between the occult and the rational. It is typical of  Sujatha that he has incorporated technical stuff like holography and laser barcodes into a novel way back in 1981. The character development of the protagonist Leena is a bit undercooked while Vasanth goes over the top in his "adult jokes". Overall, a heady mix of myth and science which stops short of clearly taking a side , thus adding more masala to a well made meal.

  Name :  Kolai Arangam Author :  Sujatha     Year of Publication : 1984     Genre : Fiction, Novel     Rating : * 1/2 ( One and a half stars out of 5) A Sujatha novel in the famed "Ganesh- Vasanth" series. The novel's plot is a hackneyed Agatha Christie template and the whodunit part is underwhelming. What keeps the novel going are the Vasanth witticisms. The Srilankan Eelam issue is just a topical one to add spice to the story as the novel was serialized in 1984. Overall, a below-par novel which still sells because of the author's reputation.

  Name :  What Women Want Author :  Ruhi Tewari     Year of Publication : 2025     Genre : Non-fiction, Politics     Rating : * 1/2 ( One and a half stars out of 5) The theme chosen for the book - understanding the female voter in Indian elections - is germane to the current political discourse but the author wastes the opportunity big time. The book is full of shallow generalizations, stray anecdotes (which the author somehow misconstrues as "research") and costly omissions. (There is no mention of Kerala at all which pioneers many women-led trailblazing local bodies). What women want is another thing, this book is not what Indian women voters deserve.

  Name :  White Hot : The Inside Story of England Cricket's Double World Champs Author :  Tim Wigmore & Matt Roller     Year of Publication : 2023     Genre : Non-fiction, Cricket     Rating : *** 1/2 ( Three and a half stars out of 5) Tim Wigmore, who recently authored a phenomenal book on Test Cricket, joins hands with Matt Roller to capture the journey traced by the England Men's white ball cricket team over a seven year period. In 2015, England plumbed new depths due to it's conservative approach towards limited overs cricket and the book evocatively traces the entire transition from also-rans to champions. The authors combine rigorous research with skilled writing to produce an enjoyable tome on a remarkable period in England's cricketing history.

  Name :  Tamizhaga Arasiyal Varalaru  Author :  R.Muthukumar     Year of Publication : 2026     Genre : Non-fiction, Politics, History     Rating : *** 1/2 ( Three and a half stars out of 5) R.Muthukumar plays three disparate roles of a storyteller, a historian and a Dravidian apologist through this hefty tome which covers the entire history of TN politics post-1947 in nearly 900 pages. The major themes of anti-Hindi imposition protests, Eelam issue, Cauvery river sharing, welfare politics are covered in a chronological manner while the main axis which drives the book is the electoral politics which threw up charismatic leaders from time to time. While the significant arcs are covered, the author's eye for interesting trivia needs a special mention. The book does not make any scholarly analysis of events but leaves such lofty tasks to the reader. Instead, it provides a kaleidoscopic view of events which are colorful enough to make for a...

Name :  The DMK years : Ascent, Descent , Survival Author :  R.Kannan     Year of Publication : 2024     Genre : Non-fiction, Politics, History     Rating : ** 1/2 ( Two and a half stars out of 5) The author needs to be lauded for his sweeping ambition of encapsulating the work of an era in nearly 500 odd pages. Every significant event associated with the history of DMK is covered. To avoid being called hagiographic, the book errs by moving to the other extreme - all it's criticisms of DMK are detailed while the deserved praise is rushed. The author eschews scholarship for chronological recollections and much needed analyses go missing. DMK is a remarkable institution and Kannan does not even come close to doing justice to it.