Malayalam Literary Criticism

Malayalam literary criticism grew in strength with the birth of printing presses. Velu Thampy’s acclaimed composition registering dissent against the Empire is considered an important piece of criticism of the early stages.

A.R.Rajaraja Varma(1863-1918) laid the cornerstone of Malayalam literary criticism.

Vengayil Kunhiraman Nayanar(1861-1914) is another important literary critic.

A.Balakrishna Pillai(1889-1960), also known as Kesari Balakrishna Pillai, the famous editor of the path breaking Kesari, expounded a radical vision of life through his critical outpourings.

Joseph Mundassery(1903-1977) is the illustrious author of works like Kavyapeedhika, Mattoli, Natakantham Kavithwam Karinthiri, Pashchatya Sahitya Sameeksha and the tripartite Vayanashalayil, among a host of others. He introduced the concept of “Roopabhadrata” in Malayalam literary criticism. The novel idea of “intentional fallacy”, first taken up by Monroe Beardsley and W.K. Wimsatt in their work the The Intentional Fallacy, was interpreted by Mundassery. A part of New Criticism, intentional fallacy claims that a writer’s suppositions are of prime importance. Mundessery argued that a particular composition should be read and interpreted from various other angles and not on the basis of the author’s surmises alone.

M.P.Paul(1904-1952), contemporary of Mundassery and another leading light of the Malayalam literary critic circuit, was instrumental in laying the pillars of Purogamanasaahitya Prasthanam along with Mundassery and Kesari Balakrishna Pillai. Novel Saahityam, Sahitya Vichaaram, Cherukathaaprasthanam and Saundaryanireekshanam are his valuable contributions to the treasure trove of Malayalam literary criticism. Among the new breed of literary critics, V.C. Sreejan is an important name. He traverses a wide trajectory, ranging from parts of speech, Structuralist theory, Freud’s ideas of the conscious, unconscious and subconscious and Marx’s thoughts. He also reasons against the assumption that post-modernism has arrived in the realm of Malayalam literary circuit. Novelvayanakal, Adhunikotharam, Vakkum Vakkum are some of his masterpieces.

Sukumar Azhikode, M.Krishnan Nair, K.P Appan, K.Gopalakrishnan are some of other well known literary critics.