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The Inner Courtyard: Stories by Indian Women
Inner Stories by Indian Women
300 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 20, 2015
17 authors, 17 stories, 17 distinct styles of writing and one hell of a read! This is by far, one of the best books I have read and made feel like I am part of their stories! I could relate to most all the characters, sympathize and empathize with a lot of them and feel their pain! It made me question and rethink my view on so many things I have taken for granted in my life! Though all the stories were really good and well written, some of the stories that caught my eye are "Revenge Herself, The Meeting, The library girl and Chauthi ka Jaura". Every story has something to say and convey a powerful message to the reader! I am so glad I read this book! I had the most beautiful journey through the lives of so many characters who touched my heart, and I haven't returned empty handed! I have learnt a lesson or two from every story and these will the pearls of wisdom that will guide me through my life!
July 9, 2018
I've been recommending this to people right and left, ever since I picked it up in Delhi on a trip to see family/ fulfill various obligations, where I ended up literally disappearing into it.
Number One: it showed me that I had stories people might want to know about.
Number Two: it showed me how meaningless labels like "south asian women writers" are when writers from a full spectrum of experimental, realist, fabulist, popular, academic, sci-fi, etc are all considered.
Some of my favorites though I haven't sat down w/ this book in years: "Birthday Deathday" and "Blue Donkey" and the story by Mahesweta Devi translated by Gayatri C. Spivak and of course the story that made me all weepy and smiling: "Her Mother." It takes the overwrought quality of a certain kind of maternal love and somehow sets it on its head - mocking it yet at the same time making you feel it. A gem.
Number One: it showed me that I had stories people might want to know about.
Number Two: it showed me how meaningless labels like "south asian women writers" are when writers from a full spectrum of experimental, realist, fabulist, popular, academic, sci-fi, etc are all considered.
Some of my favorites though I haven't sat down w/ this book in years: "Birthday Deathday" and "Blue Donkey" and the story by Mahesweta Devi translated by Gayatri C. Spivak and of course the story that made me all weepy and smiling: "Her Mother." It takes the overwrought quality of a certain kind of maternal love and somehow sets it on its head - mocking it yet at the same time making you feel it. A gem.
June 21, 2017
The stories are women-centric, yet, they are different from your average short story collection by women. Lakshmi has curated such dazzling stories from regional languages as well as English. They cover different aspects of feminist writing. As she mentions in the introduction, she didn't decide the theme of her book as 'feminism'. But, they are feminist, as Lakshmi says, in the sense that they offer a woman's perspective.
This book is a delightful collection of stories showing the complexity of women writing.
This book is a delightful collection of stories showing the complexity of women writing.
July 11, 2020
This is a book to announce to the readers that there exists a maze, a jumble, a warren which approximately every woman trudges through every single day of her existence. She pauses to surface and be liberated out of the other end of the spectrum, without being mired in a mesh of repression and subjugation. All the tales of this volume combined together, bellow this message in singular voice. The title is somewhat deceptive - these are hardly Stories ‘by’ Indian Women. Many of them have been penned by émigrés.
All the stories attend to the convolution of struggles involved in a woman’s life itself. It is merely far-fetched to pin upon the more significant works but the contributions of legends like Chughtai, Qurratulain Hyder and Mahashweta Devi offer the reader a humdinger of a treat.
There are more than a few standout stories. In ‘Revenge herself’ by Lalitambika Antarjanam, the author weaves the design around Tatri, a Nambudiri woman, consumed by the flames of time as a rancorous whore. It is her back-story that discloses the true raison d’etre to her actions.
In ‘Chauthi ka Jaura’ by Ismat Chugta, the storyline focusses on the manner in which squalor and depravation leads a mother to marry the elder of her two daughters. Stories such as ‘Memories of an Indian Childhood’ by Qurratulain Hyder, ‘Rhythms’ by Lakshmi Kannan and ‘The Farewell Party’ by Anita Desai paint vivid images, as if you can breathe in the air that fills the protagonists’ lungs, privy to their fortunes and misfortunes. ‘Her Mother’ by Anjana Appachana is written from the mother’s position, communicated as a letter to her daughter who left to pursue her academics abroad. She talks about how her typically calm and jolly daughter turned pessimistic just a few months before leaving her family behind.
The most striking story for me was ‘Girls’ by Mrinal Pande. Through the character of Lali, Pande brings out her problems as a woman and as a mother. Lali is married into a middle class Indian family. She is a housewife and mother of three daughters. She is frustrated because she has no son. She considers everything in life a problem. Now she is expecting a fourth child. That too is a problem. If she has a son, this problem will be solved. She will be free from another pregnancy. In fact she is under pressure from everyone around her that she should bear a son. When she reach Naani's house a neighbour comes in to see Lali. She observes that Lali will have a son this time because her complexion has a tinge of yellow. Naani prays to God to bless Lali with a son to save the honour of her family. Lali is always complaining about pains and aches. She puts on a pathetic expression. She is lost in the company of maasis and maamis. No daughter of hers can go to her because of her condition and she needs rest. Lali is particularly sick of the narrator. She says the girl was born to her to plague her life. She always finds her in the way and tells her to go out and play. She is irritated with her at the slighted pretext and does not let go an opportunity to scold her or punish her. She scolds her for eavesdropping the conversation of the elders and asking too many questions. As a woman Lali has accepted her traditional and orthodox role. She thinks that a woman in an Indian home has to endure sufferings. She also thinks that it is her duty to her husband's family to bear a son to keep the name of the family going.
Praiseworthy about the compilation is the proficient superiority of the translations.
All the stories attend to the convolution of struggles involved in a woman’s life itself. It is merely far-fetched to pin upon the more significant works but the contributions of legends like Chughtai, Qurratulain Hyder and Mahashweta Devi offer the reader a humdinger of a treat.
There are more than a few standout stories. In ‘Revenge herself’ by Lalitambika Antarjanam, the author weaves the design around Tatri, a Nambudiri woman, consumed by the flames of time as a rancorous whore. It is her back-story that discloses the true raison d’etre to her actions.
In ‘Chauthi ka Jaura’ by Ismat Chugta, the storyline focusses on the manner in which squalor and depravation leads a mother to marry the elder of her two daughters. Stories such as ‘Memories of an Indian Childhood’ by Qurratulain Hyder, ‘Rhythms’ by Lakshmi Kannan and ‘The Farewell Party’ by Anita Desai paint vivid images, as if you can breathe in the air that fills the protagonists’ lungs, privy to their fortunes and misfortunes. ‘Her Mother’ by Anjana Appachana is written from the mother’s position, communicated as a letter to her daughter who left to pursue her academics abroad. She talks about how her typically calm and jolly daughter turned pessimistic just a few months before leaving her family behind.
The most striking story for me was ‘Girls’ by Mrinal Pande. Through the character of Lali, Pande brings out her problems as a woman and as a mother. Lali is married into a middle class Indian family. She is a housewife and mother of three daughters. She is frustrated because she has no son. She considers everything in life a problem. Now she is expecting a fourth child. That too is a problem. If she has a son, this problem will be solved. She will be free from another pregnancy. In fact she is under pressure from everyone around her that she should bear a son. When she reach Naani's house a neighbour comes in to see Lali. She observes that Lali will have a son this time because her complexion has a tinge of yellow. Naani prays to God to bless Lali with a son to save the honour of her family. Lali is always complaining about pains and aches. She puts on a pathetic expression. She is lost in the company of maasis and maamis. No daughter of hers can go to her because of her condition and she needs rest. Lali is particularly sick of the narrator. She says the girl was born to her to plague her life. She always finds her in the way and tells her to go out and play. She is irritated with her at the slighted pretext and does not let go an opportunity to scold her or punish her. She scolds her for eavesdropping the conversation of the elders and asking too many questions. As a woman Lali has accepted her traditional and orthodox role. She thinks that a woman in an Indian home has to endure sufferings. She also thinks that it is her duty to her husband's family to bear a son to keep the name of the family going.
Praiseworthy about the compilation is the proficient superiority of the translations.
January 21, 2022
Rating: 3.75
The Inner Courtyard is an anthology of 18 short stories by Indian women writers; writers who write within India, writers who write from outside India, writers who originally write in English and others whose works have been translated to be included here.
"Did you know that the language in some of the Vedic texts has no present tense? Because the moment a word is uttered, it is past." - Padma Hejmadi
There are stories by renowned authors such as Kamala Das, Ismat Chughtai, Anita Desai, Mahasweta Devi and Attia Hosain, but I also discovered new writers such as Qurratulain Hyder, Lalitambika Antarjanam, Shashi Deshpande and Padma Hejmadi, among others.
The editor mentions in the acknowledgments that she wanted to stay away from the notion of the third world/women's story in this book, which she has done by including stories featuring women of all classes and religions. There are stories featuring Muslim women, Hindu women, women from backward castes in different regions, revolutionary women, etc. They all feature strong female characters, but each possesses a distinctive writing style owing to their different writers.
"It is not the dead who need your compassion...it is the living. Not the dead who crave for loyalty, but the living." - Shashi Deshpande
I particularly loved 'Revenge Herself', 'Memories of an Indian Childhood', 'Draupadi', 'My Beloved Chairoteer' and 'The Library Girl' from this book. These stories had beautiful writing, conveyed a lot in a few words and had plots that kept me wanting more. Short story collections are a good way to be introduced to new authors, at least for me. If an author can keep me hooked to a short story, I feel inclined to check out their other work.
This is a backlist title that I picked up from my college library. I have been told it's not in print anymore and a physical copy is hard to find. But in case you do find a copy in some format, it's definitely worth reading.
The Inner Courtyard is an anthology of 18 short stories by Indian women writers; writers who write within India, writers who write from outside India, writers who originally write in English and others whose works have been translated to be included here.
"Did you know that the language in some of the Vedic texts has no present tense? Because the moment a word is uttered, it is past." - Padma Hejmadi
There are stories by renowned authors such as Kamala Das, Ismat Chughtai, Anita Desai, Mahasweta Devi and Attia Hosain, but I also discovered new writers such as Qurratulain Hyder, Lalitambika Antarjanam, Shashi Deshpande and Padma Hejmadi, among others.
The editor mentions in the acknowledgments that she wanted to stay away from the notion of the third world/women's story in this book, which she has done by including stories featuring women of all classes and religions. There are stories featuring Muslim women, Hindu women, women from backward castes in different regions, revolutionary women, etc. They all feature strong female characters, but each possesses a distinctive writing style owing to their different writers.
"It is not the dead who need your compassion...it is the living. Not the dead who crave for loyalty, but the living." - Shashi Deshpande
I particularly loved 'Revenge Herself', 'Memories of an Indian Childhood', 'Draupadi', 'My Beloved Chairoteer' and 'The Library Girl' from this book. These stories had beautiful writing, conveyed a lot in a few words and had plots that kept me wanting more. Short story collections are a good way to be introduced to new authors, at least for me. If an author can keep me hooked to a short story, I feel inclined to check out their other work.
This is a backlist title that I picked up from my college library. I have been told it's not in print anymore and a physical copy is hard to find. But in case you do find a copy in some format, it's definitely worth reading.
March 4, 2020
Fantastic book and something I feel everyone should read. I love how diverse the authors are, in their themes and sentimentality, yet how they connect on this one platform, a kind of intimacy I feel that Indians especially women share, without even knowing. I don't even know if that makes sense or if I am being too poetic.
I do have a mixed reaction regarding the stories. Didn't really appreciate 'Draupadi' because I remember reading it a long time back when I was writing a paper for class, and articles on the story didn't really leave a favourable impression on me. Devi becomes problematic if you read the story from the aadivasi perspective, but then the message she's trying to convey is pretty direct and well presented so I guess it's fine as long as we don't slip into the conceit of assuming something about groups we know nothing of. But as I have already mentioned, my criticism of this particular story largely comes from what we've done in the class. I am sure if I write papers on other stories, I'll find them problematic as well.
I really liked 'Revenge herself' and 'The Library Girl'. Mrinal Pandey's 'Girls' was a trip down the memory lane (we had it for our 12th boards) 'Rhythms' was a synaesthetic experience, 'summer vacation' was another delightful tale (I do confess that my bias comes from my love for Kamala Das)
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in short stories, feminist writing, Indian authors and especially women authors. Honestly, this is one book I wish for everyone to read. You might discover new authors (I did), you might indulge in the old ones. It's a good experience, not chilling or disturbing, yet leaving you with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction mixed with a desire for more. 😀
I do have a mixed reaction regarding the stories. Didn't really appreciate 'Draupadi' because I remember reading it a long time back when I was writing a paper for class, and articles on the story didn't really leave a favourable impression on me. Devi becomes problematic if you read the story from the aadivasi perspective, but then the message she's trying to convey is pretty direct and well presented so I guess it's fine as long as we don't slip into the conceit of assuming something about groups we know nothing of. But as I have already mentioned, my criticism of this particular story largely comes from what we've done in the class. I am sure if I write papers on other stories, I'll find them problematic as well.
I really liked 'Revenge herself' and 'The Library Girl'. Mrinal Pandey's 'Girls' was a trip down the memory lane (we had it for our 12th boards) 'Rhythms' was a synaesthetic experience, 'summer vacation' was another delightful tale (I do confess that my bias comes from my love for Kamala Das)
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's interested in short stories, feminist writing, Indian authors and especially women authors. Honestly, this is one book I wish for everyone to read. You might discover new authors (I did), you might indulge in the old ones. It's a good experience, not chilling or disturbing, yet leaving you with a lingering sense of dissatisfaction mixed with a desire for more. 😀
December 31, 2022
A stellar collection that features some of the greats of Indian literature such Mahasweta Devi, Kamala Das, Ismat Chugtai, Shashi Despande and Anita Desai but also containing some new to me authors whose work I’d happily read in the future. There is a story about a woman who becomes a prostitute to please her husband, another about a woman’s desire to give birth to a boy so she can finally stop becoming pregnant because boys are superior to girls. Stories where women come together and support one another and others where they clash.
Favorites include Mahasweta Devi’s hard hitting Draupadi about a female freedom fighter, Anita Desai’s Farewell Party that looks at class and social standing in a portrait of one woman and the short but heartbreaking Yellow Fish by Ambai. Others include, My Beloved Charioteer by Shashi Deshpande that looks at a mother/daughter relationship and Her Mother by Anjana Appachana with a mother reflecting on her daughter who lives in America.
There are no mediocre stories, however, in this collection, each one contains the rich culture of India, shows the position of women in society at different periods of history, the connections between family and social class and much more.
Favorites include Mahasweta Devi’s hard hitting Draupadi about a female freedom fighter, Anita Desai’s Farewell Party that looks at class and social standing in a portrait of one woman and the short but heartbreaking Yellow Fish by Ambai. Others include, My Beloved Charioteer by Shashi Deshpande that looks at a mother/daughter relationship and Her Mother by Anjana Appachana with a mother reflecting on her daughter who lives in America.
There are no mediocre stories, however, in this collection, each one contains the rich culture of India, shows the position of women in society at different periods of history, the connections between family and social class and much more.
July 31, 2023
Published in 1991, this edited volume is a collection of 18 short stories by women authors who have shaped women’s writing in India.
🌹🌹
From Kamala Das, Ismat Chugtai to Mahasweta Devi and Shashi Deshpande, the collection is eclectic. The stories mostly deal with experiences of girlhood and the inherent struggles in a patriarchal society.
🌹🌹
My favourite from the collection are undoubtedly Mahasweta Devi’s Draupadi about the abuse of a tribal woman in the hands of security forces and her powerful mode of protest, Mrinal Pande’s Girls dealing with son preference and Vishwapriya Iyengar’s The Library Girl which talks about purdah and the question of choice.
🌹🌹
Interesting, engrossing and from varied settings, the stories dealt with the predicament of women in patriarchal societies.
🌹🌹
From Kamala Das, Ismat Chugtai to Mahasweta Devi and Shashi Deshpande, the collection is eclectic. The stories mostly deal with experiences of girlhood and the inherent struggles in a patriarchal society.
🌹🌹
My favourite from the collection are undoubtedly Mahasweta Devi’s Draupadi about the abuse of a tribal woman in the hands of security forces and her powerful mode of protest, Mrinal Pande’s Girls dealing with son preference and Vishwapriya Iyengar’s The Library Girl which talks about purdah and the question of choice.
🌹🌹
Interesting, engrossing and from varied settings, the stories dealt with the predicament of women in patriarchal societies.
July 26, 2020
I do not often get a chance to dive into short stories. During my summer in India, I loved reading this book. It gave me real insights into the deep richness of Indian culture and heritage through female authors from all over the country. Throughout the summer, I found being in India helped me understand the book and reading the book helped me understand India.
July 13, 2019
Must read for all Indians and outside!
January 3, 2020
Good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2012
Well written but frankly left me wandering lost far outside my cultural milieu without even a signpost to guide me. Which made me think that the Indian writers I've loved (like Rushdie, Roy and Indian-Canadian Anita Rau Badami) are maybe writing with a more western audience in mind, or are masters of bridging cultural gaps. Or, I might just not be smart enough for this book.
January 2, 2008
A fantastic collection of stories written in many different styles. It helps to have a brief knowledge/understanding on Indian history and culture to truly understand some of the stories, but it can also serve as an introduction to help you focus on a particular time/aspect of history and culture.
June 25, 2015
I generally lean more towards short stories, and this an amazing book. An engaging collection of some of the finest Indian women writers. Every short story conveys a strong message. Selection, compilation and translation by Laxmi hölmstrom is perfect.
July 7, 2012
Some Really outstanding contribution by women writers of the indian sub continent. Worth reading.
Read
October 25, 2013Short stories by some great Indian women...worth a read.
October 1, 2015
I want to read this book
March 28, 2020
I want to add this book to my collection but can't find it anywhere.. any idea where would I get it??
March 4, 2016
Some of the best pieces of writing I've ever read in my life. An exquisite collection.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews