My fluency in reading Kannada is very poor, compared to my familiarity with English. My wife regularly solves crosswords in Kannada in the weekly Kannada magazine "Taranga". I attempt English crosswords but rarely complete all clues. So I admire her talent in solving Kannada crosswords. It was after marriage that I realised from her about the richness of local Indian languages like Kannada. The spark had been ignited by my late father who told me that he wished I had learnt how to read Kannada so that I could enjoy "Ramayana Darshanam" written by the Kannada literary giant Kuvempu or K. V. Puttappa also known popularly as Kuvempu. Now after having read one classic Kannada novel, I feel that it may yet be possible that I do read Kuvempu's magnum opus one of these days !
About 18 months ago or so, I picked up the Kannada novel "Roopadarshi" written by K. V. Iyer to read. In the beginning, I must have irritated my wife to a large extent, asking her the meaning of this word and that, as I picked up the written Kannada lexicon. Quite often, I could read only one page or two at the most. Considering that the book is 294 pages long, I thought I would never get to the end of it.
Well, I am happy to report that I did eventually finish the book a couple of weeks ago - and it is an amazing story.
The story is based on a Reader's Digest feature that the author K. V. Iyer read in 1942. One version of the story is available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/117110154/The-Face-of-Judas-Iscariot for reference. The story is summarised briefly below.
The famous sculptor and painter Michelangelo created many works of art in the city of Florence. In the book, Michelangelo searches for a model or a muse, a "Roopadarshi" for the baby Jesus Christ. He tours Italy to find a suitable innocent child who could embody the godliness and faith and innocence of Christ. In Pisa, he finds this child, a poor orphan named Ernest who lives with his grandmother. Michelangelo brings them along to Florence and completes the painting. Once the painting is finished, Michelangelo pays the old woman, who returns to Pisa with Ernest.
Michelangelo becomes busy and is able to return to Florence many years later. Now, there is only one major painting to be completed, that of the traitor Judas. Like he did years ago, Michelangelo searches far and wide for a man who can portray the evil nature of Judas. He finds an ugly, scarred man who is speaks little. Michelangelo feels that he has located his muse for Judas ! When Michelangelo brings this man Garibaldi to Florence and the cathedral, Garibaldi sees the painting of the child Christ which triggers a recovery of his lost memory. Sick and distraught, he tells Michelangelo that he is none other than the child Ernest ! Thus, the model for the baby Christ and the traitor Judas are both one and the same, in an irony of fate !
Ernest/ Garibaldi narrates his story. After his grandmother and he returned to Pisa, his grandmother gave the money that was earned to a nobleman named Giovanni. Giovanni turns out to be a manipulative person. Ernest's grandmother passes away after some time, but Ernest does not get the money that is rightfully due to him. Instead, he is treated as a menial servant and removed from school. Further, he is falsely accused of stealing and is beaten up by the police. The young boy decides to go away from Pisa and works in a farm. For a few years, Ernest is reasonably happy, even meeting his step-mother and step-father at the farm by chance, who treat him with love and affection. Then, Giovanni cuts the water supply to the farm, forcing the farm owner to sell the farm and move. A disappointed Ernest concludes that it is his bad fortune which affects all those he interacts with.
So he reaches Carrara where he works with Tait, a marble quarry owner. Co-incidentally, it is Micheangelo who has given away Lina in wedlock to Tait. Michelangelo considers Lina as his adopted daughter. Thus, the two lives of Ernest/ Garibaldi and Michelangelo intersect again with this common connection. Lina's husband Tait is a short-tempered and jealous man. When Lina invites Ernest for a birthday party, Ernest attends the party, considering Lina as a second mother. However, this angers Tait and he flings a stone at Ernest, injuring him badly. Ernest is scarred permanently, both literally and metaphorically. He recovers gradually and lives for only one purpose : to kill Tait who (he feels) is ruining Lina's life. He runs away from Carrara also and uses a modified iron bar in an attempt to kill Tait. Tait fends the blow and pushes Ernest in defence who slips and plunges into the waters below. The shock of hitting his head as he falls causes Ernest to lose his memory. He calls himself Garibaldi. He degenerates into a thief, looting travellers and becomes a drunkard.
This is the Garibaldi that Michelangelo meets, who serves as the model for Judas. The story ends with Ernest falling from a height in the Florence church and dying as a result. A pained Michelangelo performs his last rites.
K. V. Iyer has woven the story very skilfully. Considering that the original article was merely a page long, it takes a lot of imagination to flesh out other characters while at the same time retaining the message just as well. I particularly admire the following passages :
1.) The description of the scene where Michelangelo and his friend see the young Ernest for the first time makes one feel that Ernest would be the ideal baby Christ, since Ernest's innocence is brought out well.
2.) After facing many pains, Ernest turns against God. He decides to worship Satan instead of God. The manner in which Ernest changes allegiance from God to Satan is written superbly.
3.) As Ernest/ Garibaldi completes narrating his story, the bells of the church start ringing. The noise of the bells and the unease that the noise causes to Ernest/ Garibaldi is brought out well. It is the unease that causes Ernest/ Garibaldi to fall, thus killing him. In this passage, I particularly liked the analogy used of the sound of the bells resembling peals of thunder.
4.) In many passages, the simple life of people is depicted well be it the preparation of paper boats by children or the farming that young Ernest does.
5.) Towards the end, Ernest/ Garibaldi accuses Michelangelo of being the cause of all the pains. He says that if Michelangelo had not given the money when he was a child, he would have been poor, but happy. This speech is remarkable
The real strength of the book is in the way in which the transformation of Ernest into Garibaldi is shown. The innocence of the young Ernest disappears as time passes. First, the incidents with Giovanni ; then the abandonment of the farm where he finds some happiness ; finally, Tait's rage and jealousy all combine to make Ernest dissatisfied with God. He decides to worship Satan instead of God and finds indications that Satan supports him. These incidents and the manner in which Ernest's nature changes are all extremely well written.
The curiosity of the child Ernest, the aging Michelangelo who struggles to paint and sculpt as time passes, the kind Lisa and Lina and the supportive nature of Nanetti are all characteristics that are portrayed well in the book. Even the minor characters like the doctor who treats Ernest's grandmother as she is dying and the dog Ninni are etched out well.
Are there any negative points or drawbacks to the novel ? Actually, I did find a couple of points. The punctuation in the book could have been improved. I feel that the characters were too Indianised. I doubt that there were many (or any !) vegetarian Italians in the 15th century, which is what is depicted as the young boy Ernest's nature ! At times, the lament of Ernest that he is responsible for all misfortunes affecting others becomes exasperating. Probably, that could have been toned down a little.
On 14-Dec-15, I wrote this quote by author Brandon Sanderson on my whiteboard at work : "The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon." The quote was written, inspired by the book "Roopadarshi". At the end of the book, it is the questions that make one think: questions on how innocence can be transformed into hideousness and how faith can be corrupted when circumstances change. "Roopadarshi" is a story of how difficult times can shake a person's faith and completely transform the innate nature that one is born with.
To those who can read Kannada, I strongly recommend reading the book in its original form available at https://www.sapnaonline.com/books/roopadarshi-12572131. For the rest, I hope that a translation is available, though I did not find one online at first glance.
About 18 months ago or so, I picked up the Kannada novel "Roopadarshi" written by K. V. Iyer to read. In the beginning, I must have irritated my wife to a large extent, asking her the meaning of this word and that, as I picked up the written Kannada lexicon. Quite often, I could read only one page or two at the most. Considering that the book is 294 pages long, I thought I would never get to the end of it.
Well, I am happy to report that I did eventually finish the book a couple of weeks ago - and it is an amazing story.
The story is based on a Reader's Digest feature that the author K. V. Iyer read in 1942. One version of the story is available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/117110154/The-Face-of-Judas-Iscariot for reference. The story is summarised briefly below.
The famous sculptor and painter Michelangelo created many works of art in the city of Florence. In the book, Michelangelo searches for a model or a muse, a "Roopadarshi" for the baby Jesus Christ. He tours Italy to find a suitable innocent child who could embody the godliness and faith and innocence of Christ. In Pisa, he finds this child, a poor orphan named Ernest who lives with his grandmother. Michelangelo brings them along to Florence and completes the painting. Once the painting is finished, Michelangelo pays the old woman, who returns to Pisa with Ernest.
Michelangelo becomes busy and is able to return to Florence many years later. Now, there is only one major painting to be completed, that of the traitor Judas. Like he did years ago, Michelangelo searches far and wide for a man who can portray the evil nature of Judas. He finds an ugly, scarred man who is speaks little. Michelangelo feels that he has located his muse for Judas ! When Michelangelo brings this man Garibaldi to Florence and the cathedral, Garibaldi sees the painting of the child Christ which triggers a recovery of his lost memory. Sick and distraught, he tells Michelangelo that he is none other than the child Ernest ! Thus, the model for the baby Christ and the traitor Judas are both one and the same, in an irony of fate !
Ernest/ Garibaldi narrates his story. After his grandmother and he returned to Pisa, his grandmother gave the money that was earned to a nobleman named Giovanni. Giovanni turns out to be a manipulative person. Ernest's grandmother passes away after some time, but Ernest does not get the money that is rightfully due to him. Instead, he is treated as a menial servant and removed from school. Further, he is falsely accused of stealing and is beaten up by the police. The young boy decides to go away from Pisa and works in a farm. For a few years, Ernest is reasonably happy, even meeting his step-mother and step-father at the farm by chance, who treat him with love and affection. Then, Giovanni cuts the water supply to the farm, forcing the farm owner to sell the farm and move. A disappointed Ernest concludes that it is his bad fortune which affects all those he interacts with.
So he reaches Carrara where he works with Tait, a marble quarry owner. Co-incidentally, it is Micheangelo who has given away Lina in wedlock to Tait. Michelangelo considers Lina as his adopted daughter. Thus, the two lives of Ernest/ Garibaldi and Michelangelo intersect again with this common connection. Lina's husband Tait is a short-tempered and jealous man. When Lina invites Ernest for a birthday party, Ernest attends the party, considering Lina as a second mother. However, this angers Tait and he flings a stone at Ernest, injuring him badly. Ernest is scarred permanently, both literally and metaphorically. He recovers gradually and lives for only one purpose : to kill Tait who (he feels) is ruining Lina's life. He runs away from Carrara also and uses a modified iron bar in an attempt to kill Tait. Tait fends the blow and pushes Ernest in defence who slips and plunges into the waters below. The shock of hitting his head as he falls causes Ernest to lose his memory. He calls himself Garibaldi. He degenerates into a thief, looting travellers and becomes a drunkard.
This is the Garibaldi that Michelangelo meets, who serves as the model for Judas. The story ends with Ernest falling from a height in the Florence church and dying as a result. A pained Michelangelo performs his last rites.
K. V. Iyer has woven the story very skilfully. Considering that the original article was merely a page long, it takes a lot of imagination to flesh out other characters while at the same time retaining the message just as well. I particularly admire the following passages :
1.) The description of the scene where Michelangelo and his friend see the young Ernest for the first time makes one feel that Ernest would be the ideal baby Christ, since Ernest's innocence is brought out well.
2.) After facing many pains, Ernest turns against God. He decides to worship Satan instead of God. The manner in which Ernest changes allegiance from God to Satan is written superbly.
3.) As Ernest/ Garibaldi completes narrating his story, the bells of the church start ringing. The noise of the bells and the unease that the noise causes to Ernest/ Garibaldi is brought out well. It is the unease that causes Ernest/ Garibaldi to fall, thus killing him. In this passage, I particularly liked the analogy used of the sound of the bells resembling peals of thunder.
4.) In many passages, the simple life of people is depicted well be it the preparation of paper boats by children or the farming that young Ernest does.
5.) Towards the end, Ernest/ Garibaldi accuses Michelangelo of being the cause of all the pains. He says that if Michelangelo had not given the money when he was a child, he would have been poor, but happy. This speech is remarkable
The real strength of the book is in the way in which the transformation of Ernest into Garibaldi is shown. The innocence of the young Ernest disappears as time passes. First, the incidents with Giovanni ; then the abandonment of the farm where he finds some happiness ; finally, Tait's rage and jealousy all combine to make Ernest dissatisfied with God. He decides to worship Satan instead of God and finds indications that Satan supports him. These incidents and the manner in which Ernest's nature changes are all extremely well written.
The curiosity of the child Ernest, the aging Michelangelo who struggles to paint and sculpt as time passes, the kind Lisa and Lina and the supportive nature of Nanetti are all characteristics that are portrayed well in the book. Even the minor characters like the doctor who treats Ernest's grandmother as she is dying and the dog Ninni are etched out well.
Are there any negative points or drawbacks to the novel ? Actually, I did find a couple of points. The punctuation in the book could have been improved. I feel that the characters were too Indianised. I doubt that there were many (or any !) vegetarian Italians in the 15th century, which is what is depicted as the young boy Ernest's nature ! At times, the lament of Ernest that he is responsible for all misfortunes affecting others becomes exasperating. Probably, that could have been toned down a little.
On 14-Dec-15, I wrote this quote by author Brandon Sanderson on my whiteboard at work : "The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon." The quote was written, inspired by the book "Roopadarshi". At the end of the book, it is the questions that make one think: questions on how innocence can be transformed into hideousness and how faith can be corrupted when circumstances change. "Roopadarshi" is a story of how difficult times can shake a person's faith and completely transform the innate nature that one is born with.
To those who can read Kannada, I strongly recommend reading the book in its original form available at https://www.sapnaonline.com/books/roopadarshi-12572131. For the rest, I hope that a translation is available, though I did not find one online at first glance.
"Test the tale and not the author" is the main principle of review /critic. This you have executed well. When you mention description of scene (church bell and other)-l remember Image(ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ)- read 'kavyartha chinthana' by GSS(GS shivarudrapa). Transformation of earnest into Garibaldi by age - I remember 'vishwa manava'concept of kuvempu. Kuvempu says ಹುಟ್ಟುವಾಗ ಮಗು ವಿಶ್ವ ಮಾನವ ನಾಗಿ ಹುಟ್ಟುತ್ತದೆ ಬೆಳಿತ ಬೆಳಿತ ಅಲ್ಪ ಮಾನವ(because of caste,crime & other factors)ನಾಗಿ ಬಿಡುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಈ ಅಲ್ಪ ಮಾನವನ್ನನ್ನು ವಿಶ್ವ ಮಾನವನನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡುವುದರಿಂದ ಸಮಾಜದ ಉದ್ದೆಷ ವಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. V can realize this by Garibaldi speech towards the end. There is self realization of Garibaldi that he could have lead a good life by being good person. Your entry and exit of novel seems to b good.
ReplyDeleteRavi, it is interesting to see how you link Roopadarshi to the concept of Vishwamaanava introduced by Kuvempu. Thank you for this thought-provoking comment.
DeleteI can not call it a reply. But I wanted to interact for the first time. Today I happen to read your blog. I was reading your blog for some time way back in (do not remember the date) Nice to revive our contact. please write about your childhood days you spent at Manamala tank road house, mahim, Mumbai, please be in touch. How is Amma and Ravi your brother. When we went to B'luru, we met Smt. Shailaja aunty.
Deletedear friends, i have written a small article about the great Prof. k v iyer google sesrch as k v iyer photos and profile. pl leave your comments and suggedtions.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your comment.
DeleteI donot know ehether the croocked world or one's own fate turns or changes the person from good to bad .Roopdarshi of Sri KV Iyer i read almost about 60 to 65 years back and the impression is still in my mind .and many times i felt it is the circumstances which transforms .1n his case ie Ernest's innocence ,purity of heart ,became the victim of people's hypocritic,jealous and cunning nature .Bala yesu to Garibaldi .It is not only in the case of Ernest ,but also with most of us who wants to live an honest and purposeful life suffer like this and end up as Garibaldis .
ReplyDeleteParameshwar-ji, thank you for taking the time and trouble to express your opinion. One can look at Roopadarshi as a tale of circumstances also. It depends on the reader. You and I like to call it circumstances. Others may call it fate or destiny or "vidhi", to use a Kannada equivalent.
ReplyDeleteDear sir/ madam.
ReplyDeleteThank you amazing review on " roopadarshi". I am sure, when I was in 8th std, 30 years back, I read this novel in my govt school library. Yesterday, I just remembering the later character of the not, Ernest, but completely forgotten the story. Morning I remembered the name, Garibaldi all of sudden. When I googled, I got your review and overwelmed. Thank you sir. I again take this book and will read it. Thank you for your note and finally, Thank you.
Hello sir/ madam, I am sorry for the late reply. I saw only today (now !) that you have commented on my blog. It is indeed quite a coincidence that you thought of Ernest and Garibaldi and then found my blog as a result. I thank you for the kind words on my blog post.
DeleteThank you for the reply sir. Your blog triggered me the interest in novel reading. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteDear Poornima, You are welcome ! If you like, you can read my blog posts on books, which are available at http://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.in/search/label/Books (I think you will have to copy and paste the link). Of course, our tastes may differ, but these blog posts give an idea of what I think about a few of the books that I have read. ---- Kiran S. M.
ReplyDeleteDear Kiran, I have not read the novel as yet. I googled on the title of the novel, as i planned to attend a sort of review of the novel by Prof. Leela, this evening at Gokhale Institute. Your blog certainly sealed my decision to read the novel. Thank you. I liked quote on the whiteboard that you have mentioned. It is very apt and relevant. The questions that arise after reading a novel are, often answers to situations in life...
ReplyDeleteDear Suresh,
DeleteYou are welcome ! I thank you for the appreciation. I could have also attended the review at Gokhale Institute, but I missed it. I request you to read my other blogs also, if time permits. ---- Kiran S. M.
Yes,I've read this story when I was in high school.i can never forget the story line and the way author has narrated, days together I used to cry for ernest and his fate.
ReplyDeleteDear Kalpana,
DeleteI am sorry for the delayed reply. I didn't realise that you have shared a comment in August 2020 itself.
Yes, the story is moving.
For review in Kannada use the below mentioned link
ReplyDeletehttp://manadamatu-rvk.blogspot.com/2016/12/blog-post.html
"Thank you for sharing your insightful review of 'Roopadarshi'. Your thoughtful analysis and passion for literature shine through in your words. It's wonderful to see how the novel has touched you and prompted such deep reflection. Keep exploring the world of books and sharing your thoughts with us!" https://vistaranews.com/tag/kids-story
ReplyDeleteThe novel begins with a simple premise, but it is the talent of the author that he makes it so stimulating!
Delete