R. S. Karunaratne offers a bouquet

Before we dip into what he has to offer, let us felicitate R. S. Karunaratne, to begin with "R.S." - as he is known to a wide range of friends and admirers - has consistently upheld the core-values of journalism in this country, over a considerably long period of time. Undeterred, R.S. has ploughed on steadily, through all the ups and downs and vicissitudes whether they were social, personal or professional.

He has plunged into professionalism with a fervour that has remained surprisingly undiminished, with the passage of years.

In a country where tempers, as well as memories are notoriously short (generally speaking) most people may not remember that it was R.S. who launched "Artscope" and nourished it in the difficult first years. He provided an arena for cultural dialogue and hosted a vast array of persons, groups and issues in the fields of art and culture.

He is well-known for his mildness, sobriety and restraint, in whatever he said and did. In spite of that kind of personal attitude, he is impatient with cant, hypocrisy and disrespect towards the proper norms of art, literature and culture.

In his writings, he has displayed an impressive capacity, whenever essential, to "transmit the hot, while remaining cool," like the proverbial tea-pot's handle. He takes youthful practitioners of the profession, under his wing, and promotes them as proteges, guiding them along the right paths. With that entree, we are ready to take in R. S. Karunaratne's latest work. The present anthology of essays, is titled "Vignettes on Life." In a subtitle to the main heading he says "Flashes of passionate vision." To me, this sub-title seems to communicate a cultured sense of self-consciousness. I tend to think that, it implies, "Please note that these are the intimate and personal views, I hold and cherish."

R. S. Karunaratne Pic : Kavindra Perera

R. S. Karunaratne's collection of Essays, is an eminently `civilized' literary product - `civilized', in the best sense of the word.

This book is ample proof, that, through assiduous cultivation, R.S. has achieved the admirable status of belletrist. The primary preoccupation of that kind of literary artist, is engender the pure joy of the exquisite written word, in the discriminate reader. It is not merely informative, like, for instance, a Railway Time Table. Its primary intention is not to be didactic or moralistic, though these elements too could be present in such a work, more or less incidentally.

You peruse (imbibe, if you like) such a literary effort to savour aesthetically, the beauty of the composition - to take delight in its turns of phrase and its verbal lilts.

As things are this kind of elitist essayist, who revels in the production of such cultured literary compositions, primarily for their own sake, is, unfortunately a diminishing tribe, at least, in our country. R.S. is among the limited coterie of cultivated writers, who continue to make a concerted effort, to keep this cultured literary genre alive and buoyant.

The inner urge of these essays, unerringly reflects, the quality of his literary upbringing from his school days. The wholesome creative pabulum, that sustained and nurtured this child's heart and soul, was provided by the literary classics of such authors as Francis Bacon, Joseph Addison, R.L. Stevenson and others.

Speaking about these stalwarts, with unrestrained and unabashed candour, R.S. has this to say, in his prefatory note to this anthology. "They were masters of the craft. For instance, Joseph Addison was a model of precision and Oliver Goldsmith's sentences were elegant. William Hazlitt, appealed to me as a brilliant analyst."

Swayed by the compelling power of these wizards of words, young R.S. must undoubtedly have aspired to pursue the writer's craft, synthesizing those scallered excellences. The adeptness that is clearly visible in the essays put together in the present collection, is the direct outcome of that early discipline.

In an era, in which the generality of people is given to casual language use, one cannot help but wonder, if many would make the effort to appreciate the delights of well-crafted essays. "Anything goes, seems to be the prevailing and dominant norm, in most places, towards the art of writing and towards the equally demanding tasks of reading and relishing the well-crafted piece. In such an environment of language practice, R.S. keeps on keeping faith and produces his assiduously sculpted verbal edifices. To me he is one of those 'Last Romantics', celebrated by poet William Butler Yeats. Then desperately cleave to those, high human and cultural values, come what may.

His current anthology of fifty essays, opens with an instinctive piece, that guides a person towards the proper approach to reading. The intent of the initial essay is ambiguously didactic. RS sets up guidelines for the would be book reviewer to follow, emphasizing that 'Book reviewing is a specialized job.' In many an essay RS resorts to the anecdotal mode, to make his point. Quite often the writer is admonitory, in a patronising and well-meaning manner.

Some of the pieces he has included in this work, can be characterized as essays in popular-psychology. They are morally uplifting and soul-elevating.

One's surprised no end, by the vast variety of themes and subjects he pursues in his essays.

He makes personality sketches of certain individuals, with such deftness, that they appear real to the reader. His portrait of the teacher of literature, comes within this category.

As a rule, RS enriches his text, with telling quotations, bits and pieces of poetry and proverbs that emerge from collective folk wisdom.

His style of writing compels engrossed reading. You can select any given essay and settle down to absorb, what he has to say. His elucidatory piece on the philosophy of J. Krishnamurti is an instance of his profound reflection. On some occasions, he could be frivolous too. His essay on one of the vexations of modern life - 'The nuisance call' - touches almost all readers, as this is an experience that is extensively shared.

I would especially commend the essay titled 'Pleasures of Reading' which embodies wisdom, distilled from his own personal pursuit of recreational literature. Each of his essays is a gem that would even go further and state that an essay in this anthology, is a veritable mother lode of precious jewels, that can in turn yield further nuggets of treasure.

My personal advice is that you should keep this book close to you, to enable you to read a piece, whenever you have a bit of respite and to enjoy a moment of reading pleasure.

The end note of this collection is an essay titled 'Mystery of Woman'. RS concludes the piece (with a mischievous glint in his eye, no doubt) quoting a few lines from T. Reynolds. They go like thus:

As for the women

though we scorn and flout 'em

We may live with, but cannot

live without them."

My worldly experience is not adequate, either to approve or disapprove this sentiment.

RS will of course know.