Skip to main content

Before the Sunset - Book Review

Before the Sunset" is Lakshmi Menon's new novel. It is a heart-touching page turner, while being a hard-hitting and realistic slice of life. The plot mainly deals with the fortunes of two families, that of Raju and Dr. Manoj, which are interwoven by Fate. It is only at the end that the two threads come together.


The story starts as a heart-stopper, the experience being akin to plunging one’s hand into ice-cold water. Raju, the protagonist, returns home from office to find his wife, Viji, critically ill. She passes away giving birth to a baby girl, whom Raju hands over to the childless Dr. Manoj. The story then follows two separate bit interrelated plots, following the fortunes of Raju, his second wife Janaki and his son Tarun on one side, and Dr. Manoj, his wife Shobha and adopted daughter Deepthi on the other. The revelation of the truth about Deepthi’s origin comes at the end when Raju meets Deepthi.

The main strength of the novel lies in its characterization. Menon has sketched well-fleshed out characters. From the archetypal common man Raju, to his increasingly belligerent wife, Janaki, to the kind Dr. Manoj and charming Deepthi – these characters remain etched in our minds long after we have finished reading the novel. There are humorous touches in the depiction of Paru Amma, the servant, and the child Kiran’s innocent love for baby Deepthi add a light touch to the plot. 

Menon shows remarkable knowledge of human psychology in the changing relationship between Janaki and Tarun after Bindu is born: the depiction of jealousy and resentment between the two is sad, but realistic. On the other hand, the love between Deepthi and Kiran in Chapter Forty is wholesome and heartening, and leads to a happy marriage that brings much relief to the readers.

The author also has a remarkable eye for details. For instance, she describes vividly how Shobha puts eyetex on baby Deepthi’s eyes, ‘pottu’ on her forehead and a black dot on the cheek “to wade off any evil eye.” The setting of the novel is in South India, and the author’s skillful use of language carries the flavour of South Indian culture and tradition.

"Before The Sunset" is a beautiful, realistic novel that is definitely worth a read. The author takes her readers on a journey into the lives of some really unforgettable characters.

Get your copy here Amazon.in

Reviewed by Jagari Mukherjee, Kolkata  Refer: IWW

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My Trip to Palani

Palani Murugan Temple is located on top of the Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu, South India.  The idol of Palani Andavar is said to have been made of  Navapashanam ( a combination of Veeram, Pooram, Rasam, Jathilingam, Kandagam, Gauri Pasanam, Vellai Pasanam, Mridharsingh, Silasat) ,  by a siddhar called Bhogar. H e is considered as one of the 18 siddhars born in the world. We left home at 7 a.m planning a long journey, and our first destination was Palani. We had booked an accommodation in a budget hotel, Soundarya, after reading many  reviews by Tripadvisor travellers. It was just okay for a day.  AC was a great relief and it was closer to the Palani Murugan temple. Food was also available. We reached there and had our lunch.  After taking some rest we proceeded towards the temple. We had reached the gate where tickets for winch are booked We wanted to travel in the rope car, but that was in another gate which is quite far, said the autorikshaw driver who took us there. The char

Visit to Swananda Loka - Bala Ganapathi Temple in Hoyasala style

I had an opportunity to visit Swananda Loka, an upcoming Ganapathi Temple in Hoyasala style of architecture, housed in the Swananda Ashrama complex located in the Agara village in Tataguni, 3 km off Kanakapura Road. Swananda Loka is believed to be the heavenly abode of Lord Ganesha. The 9-acre temple complex area with lush green gardens is a feast to the eyes and mind. The piolet project was completed successfully and the model called Ganapathi Panchayathana is  open to visitors.  Around the main shrine, the temple would have 4 shrines for the 4 Yuga Ganapathis and idols of 32 manifestations of Lord Ganapathi. In this Swanandashrama  complex, there is also a  temple for Lord Subramanya and another one for  Devi. In this Devi temple, Goddess is sitting on the snake. A goshala is also there where cows are taken care of. The Ashram also promotes education of rural children and organizes socio cultural events. I was blessed to attend a Mangalarthi puja

Visit to Sri Sai Old Age Home

Recently I was invited by my neighbours to attend a birthday party of their grandson. I was eager to attend it since it was an unusual type of birthday celebration. It was not celebrated at home in a conventional way, but the celebration was with the inmates of an old age home - Sri Sai Old Age Home Orphanage, Magadi Main Road, Sunkadakatte, Bangalore.   It was an overwhelming experience for everyone.   As we stepped in we saw two aged women walking in the veranda. Seeing our unfamiliar faces they paused and stared at us.    Their eyes looked tired and empty, and greeted us with a faint smile. Sri Sai Old Age Home Orphanage is located in Magadi Main Road, Sunkadakatte, Bangalore.  serving the elderly senior citizens and destitutes. It was started by late K.L. Ravi Kumar, who was in scrap business, 17 years ago and since his death 5 years ago, his sons Pradeep Kumar and Sashi Kumar continue this noble work. These young brothers spend their whole time in taking care of the