Book Review- Literary Characters with Character- (Pun Intended!) by Deepthi Menon. 


Taken from Deepthi's eBook

 Introduction: 

Author Deepthi Menon's title preludes her intention that she means fun but is not interested in being funny. She is replenishing our memory of people that ruled the world of literature and still. I read her book eagerly and I loved it, and I appreciate her effort in doing it. 

I am a newcomer to the field of literature. I always valued it even though I showed partiality to my main subjects-Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, in my college days, for the sake of life. As a result, my acquaintance with Macbeth, Shakespear, Ulysses, Homer, Dickens, and Keats ended prematurely, and I never got a chance to refresh it in the way I wished. Deepthi's eBook afforded me a homestay with them, and I remain obliged to her for that. 

Here I am writing as a literary author. I followed my passion for stories, characters, and literature later in my years. I was naive about how to structure a story and develop characters until I pursued a course in creative writing. Where I learned that character development is giving a character the personality, depth, and motivation to take the plot forward. The definition is the theory --the practical is how the authors have created famous characters that live through the critiques and find relevance at any time. 

Whether ideal, quirky, or funny, they live the destiny their authors have provided them. They transport the readers to the past, present and future, invoking a sense of curiosity, imagination, and life lessons.  

If the authors craft them as round, they live like the characters depicted in the books mentioned in the eBook. Jane Austine's Pride and Prejudice is set in England in the eighteenth century when social and class distinctions had a role in human relationships. The conflict between diverse types of people, the pride, and the prejudices they develop that influence their understanding of other people they come across. It concludes that cordialness and love in relationships are possible when you understand who the people are. That message of the story is relevant in the present time too. 

We see the Couplets and the Montagues in Romeo and Juliet every day or every hour happening in the present day in certain cultures. The characters also had to bear the blame for how their destiny turned out to make them suffer a tragic end. The rash, impulsive nature of Romeo and the more thoughtful approach of Juliet didn't help them to avoid the tragedy is a message the story gives. 

And Chandu Menon's intention in writing Indulekha is interesting. Indulekha and similar characters might have impacted the mindset of Kerala's oppressive social system that allows expropriating the land rightfully belonged to the majority by employing the birth myth but to what extent is a question. 

Interesting to read about Kannaki, the strong female figure who challenged the ruler using the weapon of truth.  

Devadas is an encompassing representation of the majority of Indian males, undecided, love-stricken, clueless about life, submissive to parents and traditions, pretentious and narcissistic and not taking responsibility for failures. And the rightful character stuff for the Indian cinema to present everything the Indian majority needs for entertainment, celebrate the opulent and show off the spiritual, pathos and emotional sainthood. 

Macbeth, Ulyssess, Ms Maple, and Othello are my favourite characters.   

Conclusion:

I recommend Deepthi's eBook to anyone for the pleasure of reading it and familiarizing yourself with the literary characters ranging from ancient times to the modern.

The book is published as part of Blog Chatter's much celebrated eBook carnival 2022

You can download the book free from this link.

You can also download the book I have published as part of the carnival free from here- Aching hearts