Drizzle of Yesteryears

Rave review

2006-10-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

This is almost unbelievable - 'Drizzle....' has received a rave review in Armchair Interviews, one of the most respected review publications in the world!!

Here is the full review by Yuka Mizushima:

Drizzle of Yesteryears
by M K Ajay Frog Books

Reviewed by Yuka Mizushima, Armchair Interviews

If you have ever been the newcomer or felt like an outsider, this is a book for you! The short stories in this book focus on identity, belonging and memories (both good and bad).

The book is divided into two parts: At Home and In Exile.

In At Home, the theme is belonging. The characters are people living in Pambunkavu, a fictional twenty-first century village in the Malabar region of Kerala. The stories include a sleepwalking priest, a reunion of old friends, as well as learning that it is never too late to reclaim the artist within oneself.

In Exile, the themes are travel and immigration. As one character reminds us, most of us are displaced at one time or another. The characters are learning to adjust to foreign cultures and homesickness. These stories include connecting through cyber space, finding out what happened to an old boyfriend, plus there is an institute for the mentally ill. One of my favorite stories from this section is Departures which shows the lasting love parents have for their children.

Ajay previously wrote poetry and his short stories are filled with vivid imagery. I could smell the hibiscus flower and almost taste the ripe mangoes. This book also has wonderful storytelling. In a few short pages, there is a lot about character, plot and setting. Many stories have a twist at the end and although the stories are short, you will find yourself thinking about the meaning long after you've finished the book.

His stories reflect his observations of human relationships and how we interact with each other. The characters we meet are quietly eccentric; everyone has something extraordinary about them. These stories remind us to take notice and delight in every-day surprises.
I highly recommend this book that transports the reader to different worlds and cultures, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Armchair Interviews says a question posed to one of the characters is: to be or to have? Read this book to see what different characters discover.

(You can also read the review by following this url: http://www.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/categories/short_stories/drizzle_of_yesteryears.php)

From Deccan Herald, Oct 1, 2006

2006-10-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

BROWSER’S NOOK
Good, not great

Drizzle of yesteryears and other stories; M K Ajay, Frog Books, 2006, pp 113, Rs 195.

What is home? Is it the place you now live or is it elsewhere; where you once lived? That is perhaps what author M K Ajay sets out to explore in the Drizzle of Yesteryears and Other Stories.

The stories are neatly segregated into ‘At Home’ and ‘In Exile’ and are about the people of Pambunkavu, a fictional village set in Kerala. But Pambunkavu weaves no magic as does Malgudi, or a Khasak for instance. Ajay is no R K Narayan, nor is he the masterly O V Vijayan. Flashes of brilliance, yes, but he fails to sustain the same quality throughout the book.

Ajay’s strength probably comes out best in the ‘In Exile’ section, where he narrates stories of life outside of Pambunkavu, a life where one is an outsider.

The ‘In Exile’ section starts with the story ‘Spam Again’ which is an interesting tale, that of a stray email sent to the central character, indeed the only character, Sudarshan. The email has only one sentence: “Like sunset, we too must pass gracefully into the night.” This is followed by a series of emails which helps Sudarshan cope with the conflicts of his life, mainly the death of his younger brother. It could be that the sender of the mail is only a metaphor for Sudarshan’s own inner voice, his conscience or a power beyond the physical.

Another story that catches attention is ‘Alpine Miracles’. A software engineer boards a tour coach, and a co-passenger chats him up. It is only after alighting that he realises she is a Nobel Prize winner and a Polish poet. The other stories that draw attention are ‘Rebirth’ and ‘Drizzle of Yesteryears’, which have a haunting, brooding quality to them. The ‘Temple of Snakes’ makes for interesting reading. This passage: “Somehow, it was as if he was waiting— a bored waiting for the moments to pass and create an extraordinary crisis to catch his imagination by surprise,” holds promise.

Somehow, this passage holds good for the writer and his craft too. A waiting for that one extraordinary story of great quality that would catch the reader by surprise.

Savitha G R, Deccan Herald

Critical praise for 'Drizzle of Yesteryears'

2006-09-30T01:19:00.000-07:00

“Ajay draws you into each story………a beautiful style of description to the smallest detail”, Brenda A Snodgrass, Compulsive Reader.

“The stories vary in pace and mood like the monsoon in Kerala – sometimes in a torrential downpour and sometimes like the drizzle of yesteryears”, Abhijit Bhaduri, novelist, author of ‘Mediocre but Arrogant’.

“The stories stand out for the simplicity of their characters, riveting plots and beautiful imagery”, Sahara Time.

“…. a delightful and entertaining book”, Heather Froeschl, BookReview.com

2006-09-30T01:02:00.000-07:00

“Let me cry like a child, O night,
Let me drown in your nightmares,
Let me be your son tonight,
Give me your dark womb of sadness…”
Ramaprasad’s sonorous voice drifted into the night. He was sitting on the steps of the green pond, pelting pebbles into the water.

[From the story: Drizzle of Yesteryears]

2006-09-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Review by Heather Froeschl in BookReview.com:

"Having moved many times in my life, I can attest to the feeling of holding onto one’s roots yet feeling a need to adjust to new cultures. In MK Ajay’s book, 'Drizzle of Yesteryears', his protagonists are examples of this struggle. To be or to have, that is the question.
This collection of short stories is a vibrant example of good writing. Two sections divide the book into At Home and In Exile with the tales together giving the overall message of belongingness. The At Home section includes stories of a fictional village set in the Malabar region of Kerala, a southern Indian state. Revolving around a seemingly forgotten temple, a possibly sleepwalking pastor, and a man who sang to the stars, among others, the short works are powerful in evoking the feeling of home. The sense of belonging exudes from every page. The In Exile section deals with those who have left their homes for various reasons and their feelings of homesickness, belonging, and dealing with the change. Learning from a stranger met through spam, discovering that a trip is not what was expected in any sense, and being drawn back to artful ways are some of the topics touched on as the author explores the feeling of living in exile. My favorite tale is one with a wonderful twist, a visit from a young man’s parents and a realization of happiness.
While the book seems to be light reading, upon further inspection it is actually a work that can be pondered for many an hour. The study in human reactions, an examination of the minute details and the overall picture, and the fluent telling of the tales all culminate in a delightful and interesting book. MK Ajay’s attention to detail, his perfect simplicity in characterization, and broad spectrum of subject and plot leave the reader wanting more. I hope to see additional books from this author! "

You can also see this review by following this link: http://www.bookreview.com/$spindb.query.listreview2.booknew.15751

About Heather Froeschl:
Heather Froeschl is the author of 13 book titles, and is a freelance editor and writer living in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. An award winning book reviewer, she combines her passions of reading and writing and thus helps authors to promote their works.

Sahara Time review of 'Drizzle .......'

2006-06-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

This is what SAHARA TIME had to say in the national edition dated June 17, 2006:

First things first: if the cover of a book plays a role in enhancing the look and feel of a book and eventually driving its sales, the title under review should go a long way. The cover of the book evokes images of the scenic and peaceful Kerala during the monsoon. But then the book – a collection of evocative short stories – is about the lives of traditional Malabari people of Pambunkavu, a fictitious village in Kerala. The book, divided into two sections, ‘At Home’ and ‘In Exile’ comprises seventeen short stories capturing the lives of the people within their native land and abroad. The protagonists in these stories, whether they are living in their village or outside, are quite conscious of their tradition, values, mores and mannerism. And there is not much of a difference in the voice of a person who has spent all his life in the village or the one who has migrated to a far away land for new opportunities. These are the stories of a people craving for a sense of belonging, an identity, and of their attempts to strike a balance between modernity and their ancestry and value system. The stories stand out for the simplicity of their characters, riveting plots and beautiful imagery.

Excerpts from ‘Drizzle Of Yesteryears & Other Stories’

2006-04-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

"The stories vary in pace and mood like the monsoon in Kerala - sometimes in a torrential downpour and sometimes like the drizzle of yesteryears” – that is how Abhijit Bhaduri, novelist and friend, chose to describe the seventeen stories which comprise my forthcoming book, ‘DRIZZLE OF YESTERYEARS & OTHER STORIES’.

Here are a few passages I have selected from this book which will be published shortly by Frog Books, Mumbai (www.frogbooks.net). I trust that this will give you an idea about the stories inside and (I hope) also prompt you to buy a copy from the bookstore!

FROM THE STORY ‘DRIZZLE OF YESTERYEARS’:

“That is Ramaprasad. Vilasini Amma’s son,” Kuttappan whispered in my ears, as he offered me a paan with an areca nut piece in it, which I politely declined.
Ramaprasad did not seem to notice my presence at all as he sat dreamily, while Kali served some rice and fish curry on his plate.
“You can walk along the corridor on the western side of the house. The breeze at this time is good. I have made your bed upstairs.” It was Kuttappan, smiling as usual.
The moonlight illuminated the thulasi in front of the Madom. The haystack was glistening in the corner. There was no sound other than the crickets. I went up to my room and was overcome by sleep immediately.

“Let me cry like a child, O night,
Let me drown in your nightmares,
Let me be your son tonight,
Give me your dark womb of sadness…”

Ramaprasad’s sonorous voice drifted into the night. He was sitting on the steps of the green pond, pelting pebbles into the water. Ripples formed around a mauve water lily. He stopped singing as soon as he saw me.
“I am sorry. Just happened to pass this way,” I said, partly as explanation for my presence, partly as apology for intruding.

FROM THE STORY ‘FLIGHT TO NORWAY’:

………. a stray streak of lightning flickered and lit the desolate landscape for an instant. Just like the photograph of Norway in the National Geographic magazine. There was snow, cruel snow, as far as the horizon. Within ten minutes or so, they reached a huge bronze gate which seemed like the main entrance to a sprawling private property. An Eskimo watchman saluted the driver smartly and let the coach in. Most of his co-passengers were sleeping.

FROM THE STORY ‘A SUNDAY VISITOR’:

My eyes tried to make sense of the scraps of light lying limpid in the corners of my flat, glowing mildly like the eyes of furtive owls. My muscles were aching from staying awake the whole night trying to write a story. It hadn’t worked out. The plot was contrived and even the language was forced. I needed a break.
I slept till my doorbell rang. There was a short, bespectacled, old man outside, wearing a white mundu and cotton shirt — a strange attire in Mumbai. He was panting and his dress was drenched, as if he was out in a downpour.
“Mr. Kumar?” he enquired.
“Yes, that’s me. How did you come in? The watchman hadn’t informed me that you were coming,” I said, mild irritation showing in my tone.
“He was sleeping, Sir”
I looked at the old man. He seemed quite harmless, but I couldn’t place him. He was not a salesman, for sure. Neither did he look like a donation-seeker.

FROM THE STORY ‘ALPINE MIRACLES’:

Schonbrunn Palace was within eyesight, fresh after rains that touched Austria this summer. It was good to be in Vienna; and peculiarly enough, I did not feel like a stranger in this beautiful city. I felt one with the spires and domes and the elegant architecture, the clean roads and the flowers that met you at every turn in this city. Salzburg was next in my itinerary.
It was fun to travel as if in a dream, drifting to places that one saw on television, or read about in novels — places that were at once delightful and splendid, as much as they were pleasing to the senses. I remembered the Vienna from Passions of the Mind, the Vienna where Freud found his inspiration. It was difficult not to feel an affinity with this city — the home of geniuses. The music of Mozart and Brahms was in the air.

2006-04-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

[The photograph above shows a teak door entrance of an ancestral house opening to the paddy fields in summer ……in Mulagunnathukavu, my maternal grandmother’s village in Kerala……also home to some of the characters in this book!]

My Book of Short Stories

2006-04-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

‘Drizzle of Yesteryears’, my debut short story collection, will be out next month (still keeping my fingers Xed)!

That was much faster than what I had thought it would take. Frog Books (http://www.frogbooks.net/) and its Managing Editor, Sunil Poolani, have been supremely efficient and the book would hit the bookstores within the promised deadline – a refreshing experience in the publishing world fraught with delays (and yes, the rare failure to get books published!). Now I know why they are the fastest growing independent publisher in India and a new author’s delight...….

The book’s cover photograph by Anirudh Moudgal- Lake Vembanad in Kerala during the monsoon (picture pasted above) - is beautiful and to my mind, evokes the setting and moods conveyed by the stories. Mishta Roy has designed an eye-catching and colourful cover art layout (unfortunately I don’t have a soft copy to display), which also features a quote from a friend and best selling novelist, Abhijit Bhaduri. Here is the back cover write-up due to appear on the book:

"The stories vary in pace and mood like the monsoon in Kerala - sometimes in a torrential downpour and sometimes like the drizzle of yesteryears.", Abhijit Bhaduri, author of the best selling novel, ‘Mediocre But Arrogant’.

Who belongs to a village? Do the lives of those ‘in exile’ get counted in its collective consciousness and identity? What does being ‘at home’ mean for an eccentric in a traditional society? Where does one locate oneself after migration?

This collection of seventeen short stories arranged in two sections – ‘At Home’ and ‘In Exile’ - examines belongingness, delightfully eccentric behaviour, displacement, everyday surprises and longing to return to one’s roots. Stories in the section ‘At home’ are evocative, capturing moods and events in Pambunkavu, a fictional twenty-first century village set in the Malabar region of Kerala. ‘In exile’ traces the lives of its people in distant lands - cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Vienna or the surreal landscapes of a circus tent in Texas – as they cope with migration and foreign cultures.

The simplicity of its characters, fluency in storytelling, striking imagery and the settings in this collection ranging from a monk’s domain in cyberspace to an institution for the mentally ill will appeal to anyone who has felt like an outsider at some time, either within his native land or elsewhere.

The book is priced at Rs.195/- (US$ 10), and after publication, would be available in major bookstores in India such as Oxford, Crossword etc. and can also be ordered through amazon.com & bagchee.com. The details of the book and its distribution would also be put up on the Frog Books website (http://www.frogbooks.net/) as soon as 'Drizzle of Yesteryears' is published.