Book Reviews

ENGLISH

THE GOLDEN BOUQUET: S.S. Prabhakar Rao; M/s. Author press, E-35/103, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi -110 092; pp 321;

This book, by Prof. Prabhakar Rao is a compendium of a wide range of his Critical Studies on George Orwell, Herbert Gold, Kushwant Singh, Saul Bellow, Raja Rao and John Steinbeck, among others; English Language Teaching and Linguistics; Contribution to Telugu Studies; Travelogue; Profiles of Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Kothapalli Veerabhadra Rao and K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar; his introductions and Forewords to other writers’ works; his Translations and Transcreations; and reviews of his works by others, thus making it an interesting miscellany.

Of particular interest are the articles concerning the translations or transcreations by Prof. Rao, especially his translations of some of the noted Telugu, writers like Balagangadhara Tilak, Dasarathi, Sri Sri’s Randhi Somaraju, Narayana Reddy and Volga. His translation of some of the poems of Bammera Potana’s classic poetry is most welcome, as generally translators of classic verses are content with bringing out the substance into the target language. But Prof. Rao has translated them into English poetic verse form which many few have attempted. And the translations are as good as the original pieces. This is a creditable achievement.

The writer's views on English teaching using the regional languages for those who had their schooling in the local languages, are wholesome and sensible.

Mention has to be made here of a jarring piece of translation of Potana’s poem, “Kanjukshunaku kani kayambu” The last line of this poem in Telugu reads as -  

             “Vishnu Bhakti leni vibhudundu vibhudude
Pada yugamu thodi pasuvu  kaka     

Potana’s poem postulates that a even a learned man without devotion to Lord Vishnu, is a mere two legged animal. While other animals have four legs, this variety has only two. The translator’s version is “Is he wise? No; a mere two-footed man”. One feels that the translation has missed the point in the original Telugu. As the bard says, “ekohi dosho guna sannipate nimajjati indoh kiraneshivankah” this gets immersed in the abundance of very fine translations the author did with great credit to himself

The book is on the whole very exciting and exhilarating reading and has a fund of fine translations of poems of eminent poets of yesterday and today. The author deserves our praise and gratitude for bringing out such a collection as this for the general reader and those interested in translation.

This is a standard of work of reference and deserves to be in every library.
Vemaraju Narasimha Rao

CONGRATULATIONS

to (Smt.) Dr. I. Satyasree,
our Associate Editor on her being
awarded Ph.D. (English.)
- TRIVENI FOUNDATION

The Novels of Ruth Jhabvala and Anita Desai: A Study in the Marital Discord by M. A. Waheed, Prestige Books, c 3/1, Janakpuri, New Delhi – 110058; Pages 176, Rs. 400/-

Indian English Fiction, as a literary genre, gained national acclaim as well as international recognition. Especially, Indian English women novelists in the recent years showed great creativity and promise by adding to the rich variety and bulk of Indian Writing in English. The emergence of Indian women writing in English marked the beginning of a new era and the contribution of women writers aroused keen interest in readers and researchers alike, to search for new perspectives.

Indian society is male-dominated and women are shackled in several aspects. It is generally believed that a woman writer understands the feelings, sentiments, experiences and sufferings and can present a women’s plight with convincing touches. Popular fiction writers like Kamala Markandaya, Anita Desai, Ruth Jhabvala, Kamala Das and a host of others explored the theme of marital discord in their novels with repeated frequency.

Dr. M. A. Waheed convincingly made a comparative study of the works of the two prominent writers, Ruth Jhabvala and Anita Desai. He has taken a sample of five novels of each of these two writers and critically analyzed the theme of marital discord. Marriage is considered a sacrament in India and familial bonds occupy a prime place in the context of Indian culture and society.

This book is probably the first of its kind that presents a very important aspect of Indian marriage in a comparative perspective, as highlighted by Ruth Jhabvala and Anita Desai in their works. The book offers an interesting reading material not only for general readers but also for literary scholars and researchers.

I. Satyasree