காதுகள் - எம்.வி. வெங்கட்ராம்

This is a very unique and uncategorised  novel.because it dwells into many layers of magical realism, fiction, auto-fiction and transgressive fiction etc. Very different and very thoughtful. This book got Sahitya Academy award.

பெண் இன்பத்துக்கு மிஞ்சின இன்பம் ஏது? Sex is the prime-mover of life இல்லையா? 

What will happen if ears started talking ? How a pious man will react ? The novel explores this situation.  The protagonist Mahalingam is a devotee of Lord Murugan. His life turns upside down as his business lost grounds and family pushed to poverty. Added to his situation , his ears started talking. Talking mostly vulgar things and negative things but most of the time shouting so much that Mahalingam could not listen to others.All the voices have names and special characters.Slowly all five senses starts behaving on their own (Autonomy of Sense Organs!!).

மகாலிங்கம் நிலை குலைந்தான். ஆனால், அவனுடைய புத்தியோ ‘நான்’ என்னும் உணர்வோ சிறிதும் பிசகவில்லை. தன்னுள்ளும் தன்னைச் சுற்றிலும் நிகழ்வதை ஒரு சாட்சியாக இருந்து கவனித்து வந்தான். அவன் ஒரு எளிய பக்தன்; திருமுருகன் என்னும் தெய்வத்தையே குருவாக வரித்துக்கொண்டவன். அருவருப்பு தரும் உருவங்கள் ஆபாசமான சொற்களை உமிழ்வதைச் சகிக்க முடியாமல் அவ்வப்போது தன் இஷ்ட தேவதையின் உருவப்படத்தின் முன்னிலையில் சென்று முறையிடுவதைத் தவிர அவனுக்கு வேறு வழி இல்லை.

The dramas acted upon his ears were remarkable. In one episode male, female  and even critics voices enact a drama using Mahalingam as a theme. The main character  is Kaali , the female goddess who wants Mahalingam not to trust Lord Murugan and wants to have relations with her. The author was really courageous to write about Kaali calling Mahalingam for sexual relationship. I cannot imagine what will happen if this novel releases now. 

ஒரு தெய்வம் காம உணர்ச்சியோடு வரும் என்று நான் புராணங்களில் கூடப் படித்ததில்லை…’

In another episode there was a conversation between Lord Rama and Karuppan who was searching for his wife. Rama wanted to help Mahalingam and Karuppan disturbed both. Both talks about different gods . One can feel the presence of these characters and the noise they make in their own ears - its so much real!

சத்தத்தை ஒடுக்க அதைவிட பெரிய சத்தம் போட வேண்டும் . கொல்லவரும் சொல்லை அதைவிட வலிய சொல்லால் அடித்துக் கொல்லவேண்டும் ..... தாமஸத்தை  வெல்ல சத்துவமே சிறந்த ஆயுதம் .ஒரு  hallucination-ஐ  மாய்க்க அதைவிடப் பெரிய  hallucination தேவை . மாயை என்னும் தோற்றத்தைக் கடக்க அதைவிடப் பெரிய தோற்றம் தேவை.

Through Mahalingam , the author makes the reader question very existence of God. In spite of all his good wills Mahalingam was shaken to the core both spiritually and worldly. Mahalingam was steadfast in his faith in Guru ,though he lost ways often and questions the existence. We as a reader also thinks the same. To find the truth one needs to go through many levels of understanding , that's what author portrays through Mahalingam . He went through different ways and people to find the solution to his problem and at last he understood what he needs to do.

ஆத்மஞானம் -SELF REALISATION என்பது இதுதான் . You realise yourself by transcending flesh by means of flesh.

Another important character in this novel is Kamatchi - I think without this character this novel would have been incomplete. She was a typical Tamil housewife .In spite of his physical conditions she willingly satisfies Mahalingam's sexual desires specially during her pregnancy.Through her the author highlights the nature of human fight against lust and also the 'typical' role of Indian women same like in this author's another book 'Nithyakanni'.

The writing is so fluent and it gives a strange feeling in a good way.  Read for a strange experience. A unique book in many ways.