Historical Novels: Ponniyin Selvan vs Kadal Pura

[Oldposts]

Kik,

There were quite a few historical personnel/events in Ponniyin Selvan.. far more than in kadal pura. also in Kadal Pura.. Sandilyan states that the "missing years" of Anabaayar where he is supposed to have gone to China as a Cholan envoy forms the basis for the novel. Fine.. but what after that?

Also, there IS quite a bit of "social" commentary in PS as in how people live.. their religious functions.. their day to day activities.. something missing from Sandilyan...

IMHO, historical novels ought to be more like what Dumas wrote.. centred on certain historical events but with vivid imagination so that it can almost spring alive in the reader's mind... Sandilyan unfortunately seems to have used the historical setting.. but again.. way too much of the "masala" in it for it to be a truly historical novel.. after a while I felt as if I was reading just another book with of course an odd historical reference or two thrown in.

In Sivakamiyin Sabatham for eg, right at the start.. Kalki lists out about 8 irrefutable historical events which occured and about which the stories are based.. yes quite a few characters are imaginary.. but he does set out which are which. (Of course I am talking about SS as the book.. not as the "thodar").

Cheers,

AK