One more thing I forgot to write. It also depends on what one's interest is. I like politics more than love. So PS allures me more than SS. For a romantic person, probably SS would be equally appealing.
>One more thing I forgot to write. It also depends on what one's >interest is. I like politics more than love. So PS allures me more >than SS. For a romantic person, probably SS would be equally >appealing.
You're right there.:-)
PS is a lot of masala (no brickbats, please!) - while SS is...well, more subtle. Masala is tastier than ordinary fare, but ultimately the subtler dish gets away with honours.
Oh, make no mistake- PS is really COOL. But for insights into a young girls' psyche, SS takes the cake. PS has got the usual ingredients- poor hero marrying rich princess- popular prince is the idol of the country, gets into trouble, is saved by said poor hero. Hero gets the princess, the prince's friendship, and is valued as a great warrior. In fact, a rags to riches story.
SS is mellow- intricate and subdued. That, in my opinion, increases its value. It takes a lot to produce an incredible love story that won't bore you to tears. And it takes a really great writer to chart out the character of a complex character like Sivagami.
SS changed the way I looked at Kanchipuram, Mamallapuram and Sithannavaasal. And judging by the foreword Kalki himself has given for SS- it changed his own outlook too.
As for Sivagami's vow- there's no charm in arguing that Narasimhan simply captured Vathapi because he wanted revenge- its so much romantic when you feel he did it for the woman he loved.:-))
Whereas in SS Mamalla supposedly went attacking on Vatapi (to fulfill Sivagami's vow), in truth, he did not attack Vatapi on his own. He was peacefully ruling Pallava Kingdom when Pulakesin attacked Kanchi the second time. Mamalla successfully defended the attack and took the war back to Vatapi and killed Pulakesin and all. Correct me if I am wrong.
So that raises another question. Generally history fiction authors base their story on all known facts and build their story accordingly. But is it correct to modify history to suit one's story?
> But is it correct to modify history to suit one's story?
i dont think they r modifying the history, they r adding some extra masala. so, its not mistake. (there r some diff b'ween "it is correct" and "it is not mistake" hee hee hee)
BTW, my vote is for SS (pavithra's reason). krupa, SS paathi padichuttu kuthikka koodathuba :).
That was a good review of the two novels. Views do differ and here is mine. In a novel, what one looks for is not just the story. The success of a novel depends on the richness of the vocabulary, the tone of the story, the way characters are described, the feeling it instills in you and many many more. In PS, there are many more important, interesting, still not the lead characters than in SS. This has of course, given Kalki more scope for describing a wider range of emotions. SS is great in emotions.. no doubt. But it mainly revolves around Sivagami, Mamallar, Naganandhi Adigal, Paranjothi and Mahendra Pallavar and most of these people undergo the same valor, love, anger or prejudice kinda emotions. Sometimes some of them were detestable which includes Mamallar and Sivagami too. They sacrificed a lot but still very fickle-minded.(Vandhiyadevan too is kinda fickle-minded. but still he maintains his sanity in important places) But in PS there are lot more characters,(not necessarily loveable e.g. Pinagapani...) covering a vast domain of feelings. It gives insight into the lifestyle of people (mind it.. not just kings) in those days. Generally in historic stories,(raja-rani kadhaigal) only the king/prince and his lover are important (like Mughal-E-Azam)or only the kingdom is important. SS clearly belongs to the first category more. PS might be just a mix of "usual ingredients" as Pavithra quoted. But it has been given in the most unusual way. One would not have had an idea of people like Anirudhar, Azhwarkadiyan, Poonguzhali if not for Kalki's portrayal. Without this, one would have felt that (thanks to movies) only one hero is responsible for saving a kingdom from the enemies. In stories where the kingdom is in peril, one usually sees a war scene. But PS is again one of its kind. Here the kingdom gets saved due to the effort of a couple of people's acumen. The beauty is that there was no war which is usually the interest sustaining factor. But here ... sorry dude... and still your interest is not subdued even a bit. I have not read any story of this kind before and dont think I ever will. SS is great too. But probably I have seen lots of movies and read lots of books in which the prince falls in love with a dancer and of course they do not unite (only difference here is the vow and revenge part). So I could not appreciate it that much. Personally speaking, being a dedicated dancer, though I can identify my feelings about dance to Sivagami's I'ld rather be like Kundavai. I find more role models in PS which is one more reason for liking it better than SS.
Prathiba Natesan
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If you cant read that book fully means u r having very bad reading habit. whatelse i can say :-). my advice is, dont stick with only one novel and say "thats the only one best novel in the world". Its similar like just read only Kalki's writing and says "kalki is the best in tamil literature" (krupa, engiyo idikkira maathiri irukkulla :-)) ).
BTW, PS vs SS is not an interesting thread, better v can discuss someother things. (coz intha discussion, PKS padathula varra paattu variyai njaapakapaduthuthu "ethirkkaathula echil umizhaathe thambida thambi").
The reason for a delayed response you need to get your thoughts and veiws right before getting into the ring with a big gun like you
I like politics more than love. So PS allures me more than SS. For a romantic person, probably SS would be equally appealing.
I beg to differ with that opinion I dont think Kalki has in anyway potrayed love and romance any less in PS than in SS in fact He expresses the various facets of lOve in PS..and my God does he do justice to it....
Mandhakini's love for Sundaracholar...knowing he desertd her for his contry she still cares for him and even gives hr life for him.....
Senthan Amudan' Thooya kadhal for Poonguzhali
Manimegalai love for Vandhiyadevan
Or Karikalans eternal agony because of his Love for Nandhini
Vandhiyadevans love for Kundavai is very subtle...
Do you need any more variety of love...he potrays human emotions their feelings and the power to change rather than being adamant to their beliefs thats what humans do ...
PS is a lot of masala
SS is a fanatasy where as PS is a reality
The charectors in PS are not indirajits and invincible being in four places at once like Mahendrapallavar....come on Pavi be true to your heart that is masala..
Mahendra varmar meeting Pulikesi as otrar padaithalaivar etc...On the contrary PS is reality even the Asagaya Sooran Vandiyadevan gets caught and trapped and is not invinsible.The great warrior Karikalan gets killed due to deceit or trickery he gets killed.
So SS is nothingmore than masala spiked fantasy romantic novel
What is honours??? the author saying it was his best or critics saying it was the best or ordinary laypersons loving it....The very fact kalki had reprinted PS 6 times and SS 3/4 times tells it(PS is unputdownable SS is not)
Oh, make no mistake- PS is really COOL. But for insights into a young girls'psyche, SS takes the cake.
Well does Kalki do justice to the women like Poonguzhali does her meloncholic song not melt your heart..mandakinis frustrated feelings within her heart...vanathis love yet the desire not be called greedy...kundavai's love yet the fact she is also the princess and holding her dignity..nandhini i really dont need to say anything...
PS has got the usual ingredients- poor hero marrying rich princess-He doesn't marry her in PS just consents and goes to jail before they get married popular prince is the idol of the country, gets into trouble, is saved by said poor hero
I think it is the other way around the prince saves the warrior(thaough Kalki says namadhu katha nayagan Vandj=hiyadevan every now and then each charector is a hero thats the speciality of PS PSArulmozhi,Azhvarkadiyan,Pazhuvettarayar,Nandhini,Poonguzhali even Ravidasan..They all have their share in the limelight..
Hero gets the princess, the prince's friendship, and is valued as a great warrior. In fact, a rags to riches story.
A vazhipokkan becoming a senathipathi overnight because he threw a Vell on a Elephant is not rags to riches?
SS is mellow- intricate and subdued. That, in my opinion, increases its value. It takes a lot to produce an incredible love story that won't bore you to tears. And it takes a really great writer to chart out the character of a complex character like Sivagami.
Thats Kalkis speciality..I dont think Sivagami is any more complicated than Nandhini...
SS changed the way I looked at Kanchipuram, Mamallapuram and Sithannavaasal.And judging by the foreword Kalki himself has given for SS- it changed his own outlook too.
As for Sivagami's vow- there's no charm in arguing that Narasimhan simply captured Vathapi because he wanted revenge- its so much romantic when you feel he did it for the woman he loved.:-))
I beg to differ if his love was so great then he shouldn't have married another woman(I know no one was egapathini viradan in those days)If his kingdom was so great then he shouldnt have waged such a big ware for his beloved....He either waged the war as a king taking revenge or he did it for his woman putting his people in misery...doesnt really add up does it?
I like SS but saying thats better than PS is a bit far fetched even if Kalki himself said that because a creator's best need not be his best nor the critics....
to quote madan...Q:Neengal ethavadhu sangathil urupinara? Madan: Thamizhagathil memberhip illatha pathivu seyyapadatha oru sangam ullathu athil ullavar anaivarum Kalkiyin Ps padithirupargal,vandhiyadevanum ,nandhiniyum avargal sonthakarargal pol ninaipargal PS pattri yarenum vathuru sonnal Azhvarkadiyan pola thadieduthu adikavum thayanga mattargal.antha sangathil adiyenum oruvan.
>>I like politics more than love. So PS allures me more than SS. For a romantic person, probably SS would be equally appealing.
BTW andha first point naan sonnadhu... It was meant to point out the crux of the stories. PS is not driven by love alone unlike SS. PS is a perfect cocktail of politics, humor, valor and love. moreover there is certain beauty in concluding a novel while leaving certain doubts in the readers' minds. It takes great courage to do that and still make a successful novel. PS is one of the very few novels that belong to this category. In SS we know the exact ending (moreover it was a kinda expected ending unlike PS) which probably wipes the wondering sensation out of the reader. In fact, SS-la sila samayam Sivagamiyoda feelings ellaam konjam over-a irukkum. An extremely emotional hero and heroine are not what one would call as appealing or powerful. Prathiba