This is the first real Marathi book that I’ve read. It discusses the childhood village life of लंपन, a character that represents the author’s childhood self.

According to my Mother, this book would be a light introduction to Marathi literature. And I think it does a decent job of providing enough new words while still being enjoyable to read without a dictionary on standby.

It discusses in first-person, the innocent thoughts and vivid imaginations that go through the kid’s head. I think the book’s biggest achievement is not the accurate recital of लंपन’s experiences, but the way it makes you think about your own life. I found it hard to read a single descriptive paragraph without drifting away with some tangential memory of mine. I often found myself going back to my childhood, evaluating what I felt when certain memorable/important/traumatic events happened.

This book has also encouraged me to attempt writing down my own experiences, even if not for public consumption. Though I will be doing that entirely from memory, I think the execution should help when taking decisions at a later stage. Having access to evidence of your own thought process can help you in understanding how you think.

It took me a whopping 2 months to read the book end-to-end but I finally did it. Getting used to reading a new language took longer than I had assumed.

Rating: ★★★★★ (Very Good)