Toni Morrison is my all-time favourite author. I know if I pick up anything from the author I am going to love it. (Read: Beloved)There is no two way about it. I came across this story on The New Yorker. In this story a woman is talking about the childhood she gave to her only child. A white mother speaking to her black daughter about parenthood. The narrator begins with the day her daughter was... continue reading→
I had tried to read ‘Return of a King’ by William Dalrymple before and quit it after reading half of the book. Since then I have been looking for a book with that talks about history of Afghanistan but without drifting much, in Indian context. Durand’s Curse turned out to be just the book I needed. Follow Cover page On the cover is what looks like a graveyard. There are three woman in all black... continue reading→
This story came as a surprise. A pleasant one, for the narrator is a ‘Rag’. That’s right! a piece of cloth that is found stuck deep down a woman’s throat. The rag begins with the rag describing how it was found in the throat of a woman. A powerless rag that it was remained unbeatable against all the forces of the woman. The rag knows things. It may be powerless but it knows everything. I... continue reading→
‘A Sheet’ again is set in the time of Hindu Muslim riots in Mumbai. The protagonist is a businessman from Pune who needs to go to Mumbai on a business trip. His wife, Salma, is worried listening to the news of riots. She doesn’t want him to go. However, Anwar has immense confidence in his friend ‘Vidya’ who he knows since childhood. He is certain that no harm will come his way when he reaches... continue reading→
This is a very, very short story. It spans only two pages but it is worth a read. It is a story of a happily married man named Gopi Menon. But there was slight crack in the otherwise polished glass. Menon’s wife was once sleeping next to him when she called out another man’s name out of no where. This deed done in sleep became the nudging force that compelled Menon to keep a strict... continue reading→
Ambai is, again, one of the feminist writers who has written a lot on the women’s liberation. Kailasam begins beautifully with a distracted woman annoyed by some noise in the house. She owns a dysfunctional refrigerator that makes strange noises and makes pines of ice. The fridge is nicknamed Kailasam for it personifies the epic Kailash Parbat which is covered throughput with ice. Follow The protagonist is reminded of a man who rather inappropriately approached... continue reading→
