Reviews

[We shall be glad to review books in all Indian languages and in English, French and German. Books for Review should reach the office at least SIX WEEKS in advance of the day of publication of the Journal.]

Sparks and Fumes: - By K. ISWARA DUTT (40, Broadway, Madras) Price, Re. 1.

When the author happens to be your friend, it is much easier to write a preface than a critical review. But as the Associate Editor has performed the former function, the latter falls to our share.

The pen-portraits of thirteen Andhra worthies collected in this attractive volume are already familiar to the public through Swarajya and to a slight extent through Triveni. Mr. Dutt has established a reputation as a writer of sketches after the manner of ‘A. G. G.’ He has the true Boswellian instinct for anecdote, and aided by a powerful memory and a remarkable facility of expression, he is able to make the subjects of his sketches ‘live’ through his pages. This is something out of the way in Indian journalism, for with us, such sketches have a tendency to become more biographical and less critical. Mr. Dutt has chosen his men from all schools of thought, and while it is not possible that we should agree with his estimate in every case, we ought to concede that he has spared no efforts to be fair and judicious. Most of the public men brought under his searchlight are personally known to him, but he has very rarely permitted his affection and regard to cloud his judgment. This is especially so in the case of Mr. C. R. Reddy, who is to Mr. Dutt what Johnson was to Boswell. We mean no disparagement of either.

Like most students of literature who are anxious to copy ‘models’, Mr. Dutt has acquired a little too much of what may be called ‘the quotative habit’, the Sam Weller touch which inclines him to fortify himself at every turn with a pompous narration of what "so-and-so said of so-and-so," There is also a desire to pile up phrases for the sake of balance and to choose words for their alliterative effect. This leads to monotony after a certain point. These are, however, minor faults induced, firstly by a too close study of the manner and methods of the writers of ‘journalese’ albeit of the superior type, and secondly by a belief that all that glitters is gold.

Mr. Dutt is a writer of rare promise, and his ‘arrival’ an event of importance in the history of Indo-Anglican literature. He has taken the public by storm. His sketches are extremely interesting and suggestive. In fact, there has been nothing like it since the late G. Parameswaran Pillai's brilliant portraits of ‘Representative Indians’ and ‘Eminent Congressmen’. There are passages like the description of Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya's lecture at the Chintamani Theatre and the malignant fairy at Mr. Reddy's cradle, which induce one to exclaim, "Hats off to Mr. Dutt". Our reading of this book has whetted our appetite for more of the same kind. And Mr. Dutt, we know, is not the man to let the grass grow under his feet.

K. R.

The Maratha Rajas of Tanjore: - By K. R. SUBRAMANIAN (Madras, 1928.)

This sketch of the history of the southern outpost of the Maratha Empire is well done: it is short, crisp and clear. From a survey of the conditions which invited the Marathas to stroll down south, the book proceeds chapter by chapter, to unfold the story of the rise and the fall of a Kingdom, till the settlement of the country by its absorption into the British Dominions. Not only the political history of the Kingdom but its administrative system and its economic conditions are succinctly set forth. Mr. Subramanian has even added a chapter on the charities of the Kings and their religious policy which was guided by a very wise and enlightened spirit of toleration. Though the table of contents does not disclose it to the casual reader, the author has at different places enlarged on the cultural history of the country during this period and showed how the Marathas kept alive the intellectual activity of their subjects. Mr. Subrahmanian has managed to invest the history with much of interest, and to compress into a short compass a history which it would have taken another a much longer volume to tell. If the history of Tamil literature in the period is omitted, or so important a figure as Pachaiyappa in the economic settlement of the Kingdom is not even mentioned, and some other valuable facts and tendencies are ignored, we have to impute it to the anxiety of Mr. Subramanian to deal with an important subject within the compass of a primer.

We wish Mr. Subramanian god-speed in his explorations into Indian history.

T. G. ARAVAMUTHAN.

GUJERATI

‘Chunban ane beigi vatho.’ –Sjt. Nagindas N. Parekh. (Prasthan Karyalay, Ahmedabad.) Price Re 1.

This is an anthology of short-stories translated from Czech, French, Italian, Polish, Russian and Hungarian languages. Karolina Svetla, Prosper Merima, Maupassant, Kisfauldi are some of the writers translated in this volume. Mr. Parekh and his collaborator Mr. Sivasankar Sukla who also translated a few pages, have in this attempt, presented to the readers the treasures of a few rich foreign mines; and their work may serve as inspiration to other enterprising discoverers. Youngmen of Gujerat with the ambition of writing short-stories will certainly find much to be studied and digested in these consummate works of Continental masters.

Mr. Parekh has already established a name through his journalistic activities as the chief Editor of his College Monthly ‘Sabarmati’ while yet an undergraduate of the Gujerat Vidyapith, and later by his translations of Tagore's Bengali plays: viz., ‘Visarjan’, ‘Lakshmir Pariksha,’ ‘Natir Puja’ etc. His various independent contributions to important magazines have already acquainted him to the public of Gujerat. If he pursues his literary career unflinchingly, he will before long get admission into the Sabarmati school of writers.

The difficulty of translating Continental authors in diverse languages has been simplified by their having been already cast into the English language; while any idea of bringing out a representative anthology of stories from all the Indian vernaculars is utterly impossible at present owing to the necessity of one's being conversant with all those languages. Tagore and Chatterjee of Bengal, Dikshitulu and Gudipati of Andhra, Munshi and ‘Dhumaketu’ of Gujerat, and Premchand of Hindi have won distinction in the field of short-story writing in our country. How far have we tried to bring out anthologies of their writings in any vernacular?

Mr. Parekh, in the present volume, has mastered up-to-date Gujerati style, the criteria of which are clarity in expression, naturalness in construction, moderation in figures and imagery, a strict economy of words and a harmonious combination of all these qualities. We heartily congratulate the young translators in so far as they have successfully withstood the ugly temptation of the pompous, high-sounding, and circumlocutous style found in some of the Telugu translations from English.

The introductions to the book written by Mr. Ramanarain Pathak–the Arnold of Gujerat–as well as by Mr. Parekh himself are of immense help and interest to the reader. Besides other valuable suggestions, they have added a list of renowned writers of the short-story in the various European languages. A few lines about the author with a short analysis of the theme precedes each story, which is an essential feature in such a volume. We earnestly desire anthologies of this type published in every Indian language. It might again be insisted that editing of collections of modern Indian short-stories is equally necessary.

We congratulate the publishers of this book on the fine printing and get-up as well as the reasonable price.

B. G. REDDY.

TELUGU

The ‘Andhra Patrika’ Annual

This Ugadi Sanchika has become a regular Andhra institution. Its publication is looked forward to with eager interest every year. During two decades, the Andhras have learnt to admire the skill and enterprise of the publisher, Sjt. K. Nageswara Rao. But we must confess to a feeling of disappointment with regard to the present number. While the ‘annual’ has grown considerably in bulk, there has been a marked lowering of the standard of achievement. We should like to see a much more rigorous censorship exercised in the selection of poems, short-stories and essays. The tri coloured pictures ought to be chosen with greater care and reproduced in an infinitely better fashion. Several of the prints are no better than ugly patches of coloured ink. Then again, we see no point in reproducing an endless series of photographs of persons of no consequence and crowding them by the dozen into successive pages with unmeaning ‘artistic’ borders. The advertisements are coming to be a grave menace. They invade the inner and outer covers and are thrust right into the letterpress.

These criticisms are offered in a friendly spirit. We are anxious that whatever is published from Andhradesa should be of the finest quality. We have no doubt that with his ample resources and his trained staff, Sjt. Nageswara Rao will be able to bring out a much brighter number next time.

K. R.

‘Samadarsini’ New Year Number

We have just received the ‘Samadarsini New Year Number’ for the Sukla Samvatsara. This is the second issue of such a number, the tradition of which was set up only last year. The attractive get-up with the stately portrait of the late lamented Raja of Panagal is praiseworthy. The liberal-minded and brief editorial note from the pen of Mr. Subrahmanya Sreshti reviewing the present state of world-politics and especially the Indian situation is particularly well-written.

The general standard of the contributions is very high. Some of the more valuable contributions to the number are ‘Development of Village Industries’ by the Hon'ble V. Ramadas Pantulu, ‘Women of the West’ by Mr. L. V. B. Chowdary, B.A. (Oxon), ‘Encouragement of Arts’ by Mr. Burra Seshagiri Rao, ‘Neglected Literature’ by M. Somasekhara Sarma, ‘Insurance Companies’ by Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, and ‘Life after Death’ by Challa Seshagiri Rao. Among the contributors of the short-story Mr. G. Venkatachalam is a popular writer, while the powerful story by Mr. P. V. Rajamannar is also highly appealing. Well known among the contributors of verse are Messrs. Krishna Sastri, Ramireddi, K. Venkata Rao and Bapiraju. Some of the promising younger contributors are Messrs. Srinivasa Rao and Satyanarayana in criticism, B. G. Reddy and Pitchi Reddy in language and literature, T. V. Ramamurty in the short-story and P. Venkataramaiya, Viswesvara Raa, Bapayya and Narayanababu in the section of poetry.

The printing and the paper are high-class, though some of the beautiful verses of Sri Krishna Sastri are sadly marred by mis-arrangement and printer's devils. The printing of photos of prominent Andhra men and women is well-executed. The pages are left unnumbered, probably owing to oversight. The advertisements ought not to have come in between reading matter.

The most attractive feature of this number is the reproduction of half-a-dozen beautiful paintings. But at a time when journals of other provinces are publishing with pleasure paintings by promising artists of Young Andhra, it is a matter for regret to find a Telugu Annual so barren of the rising genius of our own province. We hope the Editors would make up for this next time. The frontispiece by Alla Bux, ‘Bhava Sundari’ by Purna Chandra Sinha and ‘Chandrika Sudhakaram’ by Sidheswar Misra are highly pleasing. Our hearty congratulations are due to the Editors for bringing out such a model number for this year and our earnest hope is to see more of the same quality in the coming years.

M.V.