Prema Kanna Madhuramainadi by Muppala Ranganayakamma
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The book is a compilation of five novellas by Muppala Ranganayakamma which primarily appeared as serials in Telugu weeklies. These stories touch various aspects of women’s life and bring forth the several dilemmas women face in their day-to-day lives.
The first story Prema kanna madhuramainadi (Sweeter than Love) is an exchange of letters between two friends, Rama and Vijaya. They exchange views and the letters portray the deep friendship they share. The friends meet after several months and an incident turns their lives upside down. This story narrates how they both face the situation together.
Another story, Chuttalu (Relatives) is about a housewife who finds it really traumatizing to serve and feed the various relatives that flock to their house frequently. Her husband doesn’t seem to mind her problems and neither does he help her with the increased household work.
The story Aandallamma is about a rich old woman and a young couple who provide her shelter. Gopalam prema katha (Gopalam’s love story)is a funny story about a teenage guy who writes a love letter to a girl.
Palletooru (Village) is another good story in the compilation with its vivid descriptions of village life, and a love story woven along.
One cannot miss the feminist undercurrent in all the stories. The author advocates education for women and encourages men to be helpful in the various household chores that were long considered as woman’s work. Over all, this book is a good compilation of stories and makes for a pleasant read.
Snippets and Vignettes 