Writer Tejaswi Uthappa reviews C.P. Belliappa’s book Tongue of the Slip
Here comes a ‘chill pill’ for those with the verve to laugh at life. If that’s not you, pick up a copy along with your choice of beverage and learn to. And if in the midst of a tale you find yourself chuckling or, worse, are left with that strangely suspicious sense of déjà vu, take another sip and read on.
Effortlessly, CP Belliappa takes you to people, places and situations in his life that you will find at once familiar, curious and downright entertaining. From satirical accounts of Presidential banquets and royal bloopers to hostel howlers, dreamtime escapades to legacy languishes and cultural faux-pas to fantastique French fetishes, your tête-à-tête with this tireless humourist and light-hearted observer of life-at-large, comes across as warm and witty at the very least.
Influences of world culture and experiences come rife in these subtle narratives and Belliappa informs with an ease that is typical of his writing. Peppered with noted cartoonist NS Ponnappa’s delightful strokes, there is something for everyone in this nifty collection of memoirs from a life of many planes. If Tale of a Tiger’s Tale & Other Yarns from Coorg, gave a taste of his knack for turning even the mundane on its head, Tongue of the Slip, is the double-take that confirms it.
Life can be challenging but sometimes it is best to laugh it off. Begin here, because as Belliappa quotes from a Rotarian’s instructions to his wife in the title story, “Nothing to worry dear, all you need to do is simply shut your eyes and read it”. Good advice, that.
The book has been published by Rupa Publications.
Belliappa’s other books are: Tale of a Tiger’s Tail & Other Yarns from Coorg,Nuggets from Coorg History and Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg.
The book has been reviewed by Tejaswi Uthappa who is a freelance writer & editor
