Muthu Ramanan

Experimental Environmental Movie that ought to be Experienced. Narrative switches between series of interviews of people who are connected to a Man without any identity, who apparently could communicate with marine & amphibian lifes. Story progress amazingly till he gets mortally wounded and goes a body transformation. A wonderfully researched close to a level of documentary film, also connects with all the environmental impacts from recent times like oil spills, covid lockdown, even psychology & mythology.

[an open letter to Meursault's mother] Dear Mom, Hope you’re enjoying the Afterlife. Yes! Meursault didn’t cry at your funeral and accepted the coffee and had a smoke. And the very next day he hooked-up with a co-worker, Marie, albeit he made it clear he didn’t love to her — but was ready to marry her just to make her happy. But this isn't perennial sin as it was completely consensual and he didn’t show any remorse because — he really didn’t feel sad. You raised him to be perfect epicurean, he isn't cold or highly detached philosophical pondering for some metaphysical puzzle; he is just a simple guy with a job in a shipping company & speaks his mind freely, who we collectively term as ‘brutally honest’, and enjoys all earthly pleasure. Later he shoots a guy who came at him swinging a sword, fired some extra rounds — as he was just irritated by the noon glare of the sun. The trial ends him in the gateways of guillotine gallows, I'm sorry but the blame entirely falls on you — because he wasn’t punished for the crime, but judged on the fact that he failed to weep beside your casket. Even on this ordeal he didn’t fakely embrace the God, but rather came to a conclusive understanding of the all kind, eternal indifference of the universe. As per his last wish I showed the little hatred I had — hope he had reached you before these words. Best wishes. Thank you. Yours Truly PS. The Outsider By Albert Camus, a Noble Laureate in literature and a notable philosopher figure of twentieth century. He is mainly known for his idea of: Absurdism which is pretty well explained rather than explored in this novel (a short work though). It begins with a famously grim opening line: “Mother died today. Or maybe it was yesterday, I don’t know.” And ending passage also contains not-so-famous: So close to death, mother must have felt liberated and ready to live her life again. For more reviews follow @insta: pearljack990

The Old man & The Sea by Ernest Hemingway It’s one of the classic from American literature, it fetched him Nobel and Pulitzer and took his works to new heights. Story: Santiago, an old fisher man at a fishing hamlet on Cuban coast had been struck by ‘salao’, worst form of luck, haven't had a single catch in 84 days in a row and his young apprentice had to abandon him. But he still ventures into the sea the next day and goes deep into the blues and had to figh fort a night and day to harpoon out a large marlin and ties it to side of his skiff. Unfortunately, the sharks surround him — feast his labour, his brother(fish). Later the boy wakes up him in his hut, exclaiming the villagers are awe struck by his catch and quarreling for its head — tired old-man goes to sleep, to dream about the lions of the African beach. Thirdeye: It’s ostensibly a very simple story, but is typical example of author’s ice berg theory: as only one eighth is visible the writer must leave the remaining for the reader to interpret and discover. For me it was ocean geography: Gulf stream, Florida strait, sea & land breeze, bio-luminance and it explores the rich fauna, flying fish, cod, dolphins, sea-birds etc., moreover it’s story about Universal brotherhood, oldman respects & bonds with the nature and the globe which is now facing a climate crisis, global warming, ozone depletion, sea level rise and what not etc., so it also emphasis to protect and preserve it. For more reviews follow @insta: pearljack990

Indian Instinct by Miniya Chatterji, one of the few woman who had managed to raise in the corporate ladder to a leader. This is a collection of 15 essays on freedom and equality in India. Summary: Though the essays aren’t a scholarly product & it’s deeply personal, nonetheless well researched as each one comes with decent footnotes and good reference for further reading. They are arranged thematically like a way of life — it is not just another socioeconomic critique of current events, rather it adopts latest scientific proceedings like genetics, applies psychoanalytical principles, keeps about the financial realities of the world to reach a point. It can be easily inferred that she is well read as it mentions works of Amartya Sen, Ramachandra Guha, Sudhir Kakar & many other contemporary Indian intellectual and also superb knowledge on Indian history & philosophies & follows various journals and papers. It is also a great read as it is filled with anecdotal stories like a visit to a hyped brothel, teenage love ordeal, defence brat life, her international travels etc. She doesn't shy away from discussing women issues like periods, marriage abuse and sexuality. Finally, she give the picture how the institutions: Government, Religion, & Corporations are regulating the freedom of every individual if not dictating it. For cosmopolitan Indian working women, it’s a must read, not just to enlighten yourself — but to climb the ladder for survival. For more reviews follow @insta: pearljack990