There are some disadvantages when we read the two books by same author and same genre in succession. We may feel like things becoming repetitive or predictable soon. Especially the odds are high if we read the earlier of the two later. But in spite of these things Thomas Harris "red dragon" is nice.
I am not sure he had much in mind about Hannibal Lecter , when he wrote this first. It does not revolve much around him as silence of the lambs revolves. The interesting part is the way the protagonist will graham, the detective character is sketched out. Two planned murders have happened at two different places. He is trying to find the link. He lives with the problem. In his subconscious level he is always trying to solve the puzzle. One of the characters in Sujatha's first novel நைலான் கயிறு says that every crime is like a design/ building made using play cards. It may look complex. But if you remove the correct card it will fall down. This story is also about picking that correct card. But the good thing is when Graham pulls out the correct card the reader believe he did it. It does not look like "the author had done 300+ pages and he wants to finish it off, so the hero picks right card."It looks natural.
But the portion which shows why the antagonist had become so looks like an page filler. It does not have the sincerity that exists when Harris writes about the Graham. As a result the antagonists love affair also looks weak.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
திருக்குறள்-4
"சொல்லப் பயன்படுவர் சான்றோர் கரும்புபோல
கொல்லப் பயன்படும் கீழ்"
எனக்கு தெரிந்து கரும்பு உவமையாக்க பட்ட ஒரே குறள். மன்மதன், கரும்பு போன்றவை காமத்துப்பாலில் பயன்படுத்த பட்டு உள்ளதா தெரியவில்லை. எல்லா தவர வகைகளையும் நாம் கொன்று தான் உண்ணுகிறோம். ஆக இந்த கொல்லுதல் பிழிதலை அர்த்தப்படுத்துவதாக கொள்ளலாம். அப்படியென்றால் திருக்குறள் காலத்திலே கரும்பை எதைக் கொண்டோ பிழிந்திருக்கிறார்கள். பிழிந்து என்ன செய்து இருப்பார்கள் சாரயம்? சக்கரை? சக்கரை செய்தார்களோ இல்லையோ கரும்பை பிழிவது என்ற அளவிலாவது தொழில்நுட்பம் தெரிந்து வைத்துள்ளனர். 2000 வருடம் முந்தியே கரும்பாலை வைத்திருந்தோமா? என்னளவில் இது ஆச்சரியமாக உள்ளது, மற்றொரு விசயம்: கரும்பை கடித்து தின்பது அன்றுதொட்டு அந்த அளவு பழக்கதில் இல்லை, இருந்திருந்தால் இந்த குறள் அர்த்தம் இழக்கிறது.
கொல்லப் பயன்படும் கீழ்"
எனக்கு தெரிந்து கரும்பு உவமையாக்க பட்ட ஒரே குறள். மன்மதன், கரும்பு போன்றவை காமத்துப்பாலில் பயன்படுத்த பட்டு உள்ளதா தெரியவில்லை. எல்லா தவர வகைகளையும் நாம் கொன்று தான் உண்ணுகிறோம். ஆக இந்த கொல்லுதல் பிழிதலை அர்த்தப்படுத்துவதாக கொள்ளலாம். அப்படியென்றால் திருக்குறள் காலத்திலே கரும்பை எதைக் கொண்டோ பிழிந்திருக்கிறார்கள். பிழிந்து என்ன செய்து இருப்பார்கள் சாரயம்? சக்கரை? சக்கரை செய்தார்களோ இல்லையோ கரும்பை பிழிவது என்ற அளவிலாவது தொழில்நுட்பம் தெரிந்து வைத்துள்ளனர். 2000 வருடம் முந்தியே கரும்பாலை வைத்திருந்தோமா? என்னளவில் இது ஆச்சரியமாக உள்ளது, மற்றொரு விசயம்: கரும்பை கடித்து தின்பது அன்றுதொட்டு அந்த அளவு பழக்கதில் இல்லை, இருந்திருந்தால் இந்த குறள் அர்த்தம் இழக்கிறது.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Potpourri
There are several things which I thought of writing and got slipped as I am travelling in all the 4 ships valluvar said in kural 605 . I am trying to put everything in this blog . Possibly there could be some accuracy errors as I have to refresh my memory and write.
1. I watched pachaikili on the first day, in a theatre in San Jose which is being used to screen Indian movies alone. The theatre was too small and screen looked archaic. Still the movie watching experience was not bad, because of, good air circulation, good sound system and not so bad chairs. I think the rural theatres in Tamilnadu can also be maintained like this. But the catch is these theatres charge same as the good looking theatres but in Tamilnadu there is a huge difference. About the movie, every one has their own reasons why pachaikili fails to satisfy. When I watched the first half I could not help but to think of Balumahendra. Everything is same except colors and background. In Balu movies it will be simple (i don't have a better word to put) which makes us to feel we are watching it in life and not in screen. Here its like Mani movies. The color contrasts ,tints and background music which often shows its presence makes us to remind we are watching a movie. The second half is typical Gautham masala, and the last session is an unwanted appendage. Further dialogues are not so consistent. In a conversation which is interspersed with English words, the lady uses the word"கணவர்". I don't think no one will use that word in such place. I wish he could have given more care for dialogue and avoided these glitches.But still I like the movie for the first half and enjoy it in the second half except for last 20 minutes or so.
2. Read 4 Novels in last 3 weeks. Black Friday by James Patterson, lord of rings part1, Eye of the needle by Ken Follet, Silence of the lambs by Thomas Harris. Most of the page-turner genre novels search for something or someone. This is common in all the three novels (Lord of Rings has also something like that but in different context. So lets leave it). But what makes the difference is the way it is presented. Black Friday fails miserably because its too brief. It does not establish any character. It has all the things that these genre of novels have: protagonist has to win over time, there is an insider, the negative character is misguided by someone who exists in both good and evil group. But all these happens in a hurry. So we don't feel an exhilaration or relief when all veils are removed . We neither feel the sense of urgency or the weight of expedition . The one-liners are too banal. The novel fails miserably.
Eye of the needle becomes great because of the meticulousness of details. First few pages clearly shows its written by an English novelist. Its a simple spy novel (Might be a path break when its published. But now I am reading it after reading some novels which came later.) A spy gets some privileged info, police want to stop him. Certain lines uttered by the main characters are nice but its few. What makes it interesting is the details. A worthy read. Looking forward to read more from the author.
I took silence of lambs as there are more references for the movie and I could not get the movie. I could not remember anything I read so far as vulgar / crude as this. May be its because of the people it deals with. But the novel has correct mix of thriller and emotion. There are not much details about why the serial killer had become so, but the novel is not much about him. There are several instances which reminded me some of the scenes in Tamil film. We can call it inspiration or plagiarism depending on where we belong. Especially the personal reason of Kamal to chase the psychopath in vettayaiyadu vilaiyadu or the scene Nandhu introduced in Aalavandhan. Lot more. There are lot of details about the way how the FBI zeros down the serial killer. The interrogations with former forensic psychiatrist turned cannibalistic sociopath is well crafted. FBI knows he knows the serial killer, but made him to believe that they are using his intelligence and asks for clue and traces from it. The spiralling way the story moves based on his clues, the complications that comes in the middle, altogether makes a nice plot. The movie is not much action and mostly based on interrogation and I wonder how it was made as a good film . It should be a good work. Have to see it.
3. I watched Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. Its a simple love story. There is an interesting piece of comedy sequence in the movie. There are also some nice acting scenes by Chaplin, especially in the climax. But when I see the movie with the idea that it came some 75 years back, i could not help but to remember how much the movie is used by Tamil film makers(whom only i know to comment). The whole film was broken into different pieces and used by most of our directors.
1. I watched pachaikili on the first day, in a theatre in San Jose which is being used to screen Indian movies alone. The theatre was too small and screen looked archaic. Still the movie watching experience was not bad, because of, good air circulation, good sound system and not so bad chairs. I think the rural theatres in Tamilnadu can also be maintained like this. But the catch is these theatres charge same as the good looking theatres but in Tamilnadu there is a huge difference. About the movie, every one has their own reasons why pachaikili fails to satisfy. When I watched the first half I could not help but to think of Balumahendra. Everything is same except colors and background. In Balu movies it will be simple (i don't have a better word to put) which makes us to feel we are watching it in life and not in screen. Here its like Mani movies. The color contrasts ,tints and background music which often shows its presence makes us to remind we are watching a movie. The second half is typical Gautham masala, and the last session is an unwanted appendage. Further dialogues are not so consistent. In a conversation which is interspersed with English words, the lady uses the word"கணவர்". I don't think no one will use that word in such place. I wish he could have given more care for dialogue and avoided these glitches.But still I like the movie for the first half and enjoy it in the second half except for last 20 minutes or so.
2. Read 4 Novels in last 3 weeks. Black Friday by James Patterson, lord of rings part1, Eye of the needle by Ken Follet, Silence of the lambs by Thomas Harris. Most of the page-turner genre novels search for something or someone. This is common in all the three novels (Lord of Rings has also something like that but in different context. So lets leave it). But what makes the difference is the way it is presented. Black Friday fails miserably because its too brief. It does not establish any character. It has all the things that these genre of novels have: protagonist has to win over time, there is an insider, the negative character is misguided by someone who exists in both good and evil group. But all these happens in a hurry. So we don't feel an exhilaration or relief when all veils are removed . We neither feel the sense of urgency or the weight of expedition . The one-liners are too banal. The novel fails miserably.
Eye of the needle becomes great because of the meticulousness of details. First few pages clearly shows its written by an English novelist. Its a simple spy novel (Might be a path break when its published. But now I am reading it after reading some novels which came later.) A spy gets some privileged info, police want to stop him. Certain lines uttered by the main characters are nice but its few. What makes it interesting is the details. A worthy read. Looking forward to read more from the author.
I took silence of lambs as there are more references for the movie and I could not get the movie. I could not remember anything I read so far as vulgar / crude as this. May be its because of the people it deals with. But the novel has correct mix of thriller and emotion. There are not much details about why the serial killer had become so, but the novel is not much about him. There are several instances which reminded me some of the scenes in Tamil film. We can call it inspiration or plagiarism depending on where we belong. Especially the personal reason of Kamal to chase the psychopath in vettayaiyadu vilaiyadu or the scene Nandhu introduced in Aalavandhan. Lot more. There are lot of details about the way how the FBI zeros down the serial killer. The interrogations with former forensic psychiatrist turned cannibalistic sociopath is well crafted. FBI knows he knows the serial killer, but made him to believe that they are using his intelligence and asks for clue and traces from it. The spiralling way the story moves based on his clues, the complications that comes in the middle, altogether makes a nice plot. The movie is not much action and mostly based on interrogation and I wonder how it was made as a good film . It should be a good work. Have to see it.
3. I watched Charlie Chaplin's City Lights. Its a simple love story. There is an interesting piece of comedy sequence in the movie. There are also some nice acting scenes by Chaplin, especially in the climax. But when I see the movie with the idea that it came some 75 years back, i could not help but to remember how much the movie is used by Tamil film makers(whom only i know to comment). The whole film was broken into different pieces and used by most of our directors.
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