The Greatest Marathi Stories Ever Told

by Ashutosh Potdar

The twenty-eight stories in The Greatest Marathi Stories Ever Told represent some of the finest short fiction in Marathi literature. Selected and edited by writer and translator Ashutosh Potdar, this collection features established literary masters such as Gangadhar Gadgil, G. A. Kulkarni, Baburao Bagul, Kamal Desai, Vilas Sarang, Anna Bhau Sathe, Urmila Pawar, Jayant Narlikar, Hamid Dalwai, and others.
In ‘Divine Intervention’, Chintaman Vinayak Joshi uses a touch of magic to transform the pain of the common man; ‘King Maruti’ by Vyankatesh Madgulkar and ‘Hari’s Laughter’ by Jayant Pawar underline the cruelty and carelessness of humans towards other life forms; Anna Bhau Sathe’s ‘Gold From the Graves’ tells the story of a desperate migrant worker who is forced to rob graves to make ends meet; Bhaskar Chandanshiv’s ‘Red Muck’ depicts the struggles of rural poverty; Yogiraj Waghmare takes an interesting look at superstitions in ‘Crows’; ‘Relationships’ by Asha Bage and ‘And then it Poured’ by Gauri Deshpande are telling and poignant explorations of human relationships; and Vilas Sarang explores complex truths about nations and borders in ‘Kalluri’s Radio’.
The stories in this collection are melancholic, sarcastic, humorous, elegant, and experimental—together, they showcase the range, variety, and vibrancy of the Marathi short story and famed Marathi literary tradition.

Genres: Short Stories, India, Marathi

312 pages, Hardcover

Published December 5, 2022

Reviews

[Kavita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected much better from this Marathi stories collection. First, it had 28 short stories of which only four by women. It's insane because there are plenty of female Marathi authors. The first girls' school in India was opened in Maharashtra, so it's very annoying Mr Potdar chose to ignore Marathi women's contribution to literature. A huge blind spot here.

I did not much enjoy the choice of stories, at least in the first half of the book. Some stories were too depressing for my taste and I felt that some choices did not really bring out Marathi culture very well. Potdar also seems obsessed with crows and there were 2 or 3 crow-related stories in the collection, none of them very interesting or fun to read.

That said, I enjoyed the stories based in Pune as a Punekar of 8 years. Just wish there had been more of them. Some enjoyable stories are:

The Fort by Milind Bokil : Set in Pune, it's a cute story about the relationship between three generations of a family, centring around the building of a fort every year during Diwali time. This is a very Puneri custom which I had only recently come to know about, and it was delightful to actually read about it. This was my favourite story.

The God of Brahmins by Hamid Dalwai : A bunch of young Muslim goons create trouble for everyone until they stole the Brahmin god and began to feel guilty. I am not sure about what this story wanted to convey, but I was just happy it was a happy ending instead of resulting in riots or something.

Vacancy by Ratnakar Matkari : The manager of a company finds someone waiting with a letter from the head office offering him a job. He is puzzled because there is no vacancy. But then things start happening ... I have read so many of these stories by so many authors in so many languages, but this is the only pure horror story I have come across. This creepy story is worthy of included with the works of Edgar Allan Poe or M.R. James!

Red Muck by Bhaskar Chandanshiv : A farmer spends weeks growing his produce and gets very annoyed when wealthy customers try to bargain for a few rupees. Told from the perspective of his son, who innately realises the injustice of the system and wants out through education.

There was a story about Saint Tukaram and how he was a total useless fellow, a few random relationship dramas, a terrible story about how a man gets to marry his friend's daughter by remaining young in space (ugh!), how a monkey becomes god, etc. I found them different (hence, the mention) but didn't really enjoy these.

Hopefully, I will enjoy Bengali better. :)

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-curated collection of 28 short stories by a diverse group of Marathi writers, each translated by different individuals. The stories span a wide range of themes—from intimate family dynamics and social commentary to speculative fiction and horror. They also showcase a variety of storytelling styles and voices.

The translators have done commendable work, often including cultural references through footnotes or seamlessly integrating them into the narrative, making the stories more accessible to non-Marathi readers.

Some standout stories for me were:
* And Then It Rained – a nuanced look at the relationship between a stepdaughter, stepmother, and father
* Gold from the Graves – a dark tale of greed, crime, and survival
* Divine Intervention – an imaginative blend of magical realism and mythology
* Faceless Evening and A Black Hole – both compelling entries in the science fiction genre
* Revolt – a powerful portrayal of caste oppression
* Vacancy – an unsettling and effective piece of horror
Overall, the anthology is a nice introduction to Marathi literature.

[Sanika · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories, individually, are good. Great, even, as the title suggests.

However.

When I see a compilation called "Greatest x Short Stories" and the "x" is not a specific genre, but a language, then I expect those stories to range from neutral (depressing, even) to ecstatic and to span multiple genres. There are 28 stories in this book, and all except about half a dozen of them are just plain sad. A little more variety in mood would have been nice.

This is subjective, I realise that. Evidently, the curator's definition of "the greatest" doesn’t quite match mine.

[Manoj Unnikrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Greatest Marathi Stories Ever Told, curated by Ashutosh Potdar, showcases a wide range of twenty-eight stories spanning various themes and periods, providing a broad understanding of the Marathi short story tradition. The collection features renowned authors like Gangadhar Gadgil, G. A. Kulkarni, and Baburao Bagul alongside emerging writers, ensuring a balanced representation of established and contemporary writers. The following are the stories included in this collection:

1. What a Life! - Shripad Mahadev Mate
2. Divine Intervention - Chintaman Vinayak Joshi
3. I'll Be Right Back - Digambar Balkrushna Mokashi
4. Manjula - Arvind Gokhale
5. Gold from the Graves - Anna Bhau Sathe
6. Hymn of the Deceased - Gurunath Abaji Kulkarni
7. A Faceless Evening - Gangadhar Gadgil
8. Morning Glory - Shankar Patil
9. The Husband - Bhau Padhye
10. King Maruti - Vyankatesh Madgulkar
11. Sorrow - Kamal Desai
12. Revolt - Baburao Bagul
13. The God of Brahmins - Hamid Dalwai
14. Vacancy - Ratnakar Matkari
15. A Black Hole - Jayant Vishnu Narlikar
16. Relationships - Asha Bage
17. Continuity - Shyam Manohar
18. And Then It Poured - Gauri Deshpande
19. Kalluri's Radio - Vilas Sarang
20. Crows - Yogiraj Waghmare
21. Red Muck - Bhaskar Chandanshiv
22. The Eclipse Shall Pass... - Urmila Pawar
23. The Dust of Vaikuntha - Ranganath Pathare
24. The Boss and his Dog - Bharat Sasane
25. War - Saniya
26. Once there Was a Crow - Rajan Gavas
27. The Fort - Milind Bokil
28. Hari's Laughter - Jayant Pawar

The collection contains a mix of stories featuring some outstanding ones alongside a few that are forgettable. I particularly enjoyed the following stories: "What a Life!", "Divine Intervention," "Manjula," "Gold from the Graves," "Morning Glory," "The Husband," "Revolt," "Vacancy," "A Black Hole," "Relationships," "And Then It Poured," "Kalluri's Radio," "War," "Once there Was a Crow," and "Hari's Laughter". One point I want to emphasize is that the editor should have included the original Marathi titles of each story. Nevertheless, this is a good collection for anyone looking to explore Marathi stories and authors.

[Jyotsna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 4.25 stars
NPS - 9 (promoter)

People come to you, abandoning their duties, leaving their cattle to fend for themselves. What is the use of banging cymbals, if you cannot counsel them? Why do you lure these people? You should counsel them and accept the offering they bring. At least it will help with running the household and they also will benefit from it. All this banging the symbols and chanting ‘Hari!Hari!’ does not feed anyone…”

The Greatest Marathi Stories Ever Told is a strong collection of short stories with several standout ones. The writing style of the Marathi literary world is well captured and translated, with some of the storie making it to my all-time favourites.

While I loved almost all the stories barring 2 of them, the book delivers a satisfying and well-rounded reading experience.

I was also glad a short story from my favourite Marathi author, Baburao Bagul, was featured in the book.

My favourite stories, listed from most liked -

#1 The Dust of Vaikuntha by Ranganath Pathare

This short story captures the struggles of Jijai, the wife of Saint Tukaram, who had to run her family and win daily bread because of her husband’s spiritual and religious quests.

#2 Revolt by Baburao Bagul

Every time I read this heart wrenching story, it reminds of the struggles that Dalits face everyday. This is a powerful read about despite aspiring for an education, you are put into illegal professions due to your caste.


#3 And Then It Poured by Gauri Deshpande

A story about relationships, mostly dysfunctional, but the nuances of how one views their stepmother when suppressing their emotions.

#4 Vacancy by Ratnakar Matkari

A surprising, unsuspecting horror story that I really liked a lot. Do read it if you get the chance.

#5 The Fort by Milind Bokil

Beautifully captures the Maharashtrian culture of building forts during Diwali, and the amount of effort and creativity that goes into it, while exploring the relationships that get strengthened during this time.

#6 The Boss and his Dog by Bharat Sana’s

A well-written satire, which is true to today’s corporate world, and how the state of affairs at the workplace, never changes.

Overall, I recommend reading it if you want to explore Marathi literature.

[Nisar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just then something glittered in the middle of the pile of ash. Bhima was about to walk past but now he turned back. It was a ring, one tola of gold. Bhima pounced on it. One tola of gold in a pile of ash! He was delighted. There was gold to be found in the ash of the dead. This was a new way to live. " From the next day, he began to walk around the entire area. He would scour the cremation grounds on the banks of rivers and streams. He would gather up the ashes of the corpses and
sieve them. And in that ash, he would often find a little bit of gold, Sometimes it would be an earring, a ring, a nose ring, a bangle...each day, he found something or the other.
Bhima's new enterprise roared along. He sieved human remains
with no fear at all. Sometimes the gold would melt in the fire
and meld with the bones of the body. This did not deter him. He would crush the bones to get at the bits of gold. He would break skulls, crush wrists, would do anything but gold he would get. In the evening, he would go to Kurla and sell the gold. On the way home, he would buy dates for Narbada to eat.

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Selected and edited by writer and translator Ashutosh Potdar, this collection features established literary masters such as Gangadhar Gadgil, G. A. Kulkarni, Baburao Bagul, Kamal Desai, Vilas Sarang, Anna Bhau Sathe, Urmila Pawar, Jayant Narlikar, Hamid Dalwai, and others.

Twenty-eight stories in this collection represent the culture, human relationships, and vibrancy of the Marathi culture and Marathi literature.
These stories enable the rethinking of the relationship between life, values, and native Marathi literature. Plots of these stories are so realistic and gave a sense of contemporary values of the time, and represent the oppressed classes, outcasts, women, Adivasis, and other voices of descent. These stories enable the reader to step beyond impressionistic perimeters to comprehend and experience the human condition embedded in classes and casts.

Marathi literature is revolutionary, to the point, and diverse. I had a great sense of its flourishing expedition as I gradually deep down into this book.

For me, it's 5/5

#readwithak #marathiliterature #shortstories

[Swapna Peri ( Book Reviews Cafe ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories significantly impact the Marathi language and its speakers, providing a platform for authors to share their opinions and experiences, highlighting the diverse ethnicities and cultures of the Marathi-speaking people. They also contribute to the literary legacy, examining the complexity of human relationships and emotions. The Greatest Marathi Stories Ever Told book, published by Aleph Book Company, features twenty-eight stories by well-known Marathi literary personalities. The book, edited by Ashutosh Potdar, explores human vices and the need for self-fulfillment at the expense of others. The stories range from melancholy to caustic, hilarious, elegant, and experimental, showcasing the vibrancy of Marathi short stories and the illustrious Marathi literary history.

[Vikram Ketkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is truly engaging, and the English translation has been done quite competently. That said, I believe reading it in its original Marathi would make the experience even more powerful, as nuances often shine brighter in the native tongue. What I particularly appreciate is the concept behind this series—bringing timeless, well-crafted stories from various Indian languages into English (or even Hindi) so they can reach a much wider audience. It’s a commendable effort to preserve literary richness while making it accessible to readers across linguistic boundaries.

[Sharanya Mukherji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts with a bang but fizzles in the end...