The Blog of Small Things

  Name :  Ponniyin Selvan : Vivadhangal Author :  Jeyamohan     Year of Publication : 2024     Genre : Non-Fiction, Cinema     Rating : ***  1/2 ( Three and a half stars out of 5) Jeyamohan utilizes the social media debates during the release of "Ponniyin Selvan" movies in 2022 to bring out his erudition in analyzing the dimensions of Chola history, film criticism and caste. While it may seem that the author's  tone is condescending towards half-baked virtual warriors, he emphasizes the importance of studying a subject before proffering opinions. An important voice making some valuable arguments and hence, it is worth reading.

Name :  Banned : A Social Media Trial Author : Boria Majumdar     Year of Publication : 2024     Genre : Non-Fiction, Cricket     Rating : **  ( Two stars out of 5) In 2022, the seasoned sports journalist Boria Majumdar was banned by BCCI for two years in relation to charges of intimidating the national player Wriddhiman Saha in Whatsapp for not giving an interview to him. Thus, the book is basically a defence statement from Majumdar wherein he pleads not guilty. What makes this book worth reading is that it throws light on the impact a social media trial and the vicious cycle of virtual abuse can have on the mental health of a person and his family.

  Name :  The Ministry of Utmost Happiness Author :  Arundhati Roy     Year of Publication : 2017     Genre : Fiction, Novel     Rating : ***  ( Three stars out of 5) While Arundhati Roy's non-fiction works have the imagination and lyricality of a novel, this particular work is the opposite : it feels like a mishmash of all the political essays she has penned since 1998 with some curious characters thrown in to gain the tag of a novel. Those who follow the author will tread familiar ground while the uninitiated will be confused with the purpose of it all. Despite such problems, the book is still recommended because it traverses multiple avenues of despair only to culminate in hope. A middling sophomore novel but considered as an entry in the continuum of Arundhati Roy's political works, it passes muster.

Name :  Battleground Bengal Author :  Sayantan Ghosh     Year of Publication : 2026     Genre : Non-fiction, Politics     Rating : ***  ( Three stars out of 5) Sayantan Ghosh's book is a well-researched primer on West Bengal's tumultuous electoral politics. It traces the journey of the major political players in West Bengal from the early days up to the present giving an overview of every factor that matters - caste,  religion, class struggles etc. What reduces it's sheen is that the author gets into Rajdeep Sardesai mode of "On one hand, On the other hand" balancing tricks so that he is seen to be neutral. A good introduction to the subject, nonetheless.