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The House with a Thousand Stories
It is 2002 and young Pablo, a city boy who has mostly lived a sheltered and privileged life in Guwahati, is visiting his ancestral village for his aunty's wedding. This is his second time in Mayong, in rural Assam, since 1998, when he had come for a few days to attend his father's best friend's funeral. As the wedding preparations gather pace, Pablo is amused as well as disturbed by squabbling aunts, dying grandmothers, cousins planning to elope for love and hysterical gossips. And on this heady theatre of tradition and modernity hovers the sinister shadow of insurgency and the army's brutal measures to quell militancy.
In the days leading up to the wedding, which ends in an unspeakable tragedy, Pablo finds first love, discovers family intrigues and goes through an extraordinary rite of passage. Written with clinical precision, this gripping first novel announces the arrival of one of the most original voices from India's North-East.
In the days leading up to the wedding, which ends in an unspeakable tragedy, Pablo finds first love, discovers family intrigues and goes through an extraordinary rite of passage. Written with clinical precision, this gripping first novel announces the arrival of one of the most original voices from India's North-East.
- GenresIndian LiteratureFiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
16 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
About the author
Aruni Kashyap
15 books59 followersAruni Kashyap is the author of The Way You Want To Be Loved, The House With a Thousand Stories, and the forthcoming How to Date a Fanatic. Along with editing a collection of stories called How to Tell the Story of an Insurgency, he is the translator of four novels from Assamese to English. A 2024 Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Fellow at Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, he is also the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Faculty Research Grants in the Humanities and Arts Program, the Arts Lab Faculty Fellowship, and the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship for Creative Writing to the University of Edinburgh, his poetry collection, There is No Good Time for Bad News, was nominated for the 58th Georgia Author of the Year Awards 2022, a finalist for the Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize, and the Four Way Books Levis Award in Poetry.
His translations, which have been shortlisted for the 2023 and 2024 Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation and VOW Book Awards 2024, include The Bronze Sword of Tengphakhri Tehsildar by Indira Goswami (Zubaan), My Poems Are Not for Your Ad Campaign by Anuradha Sarma Pujari (Penguin), An Illuminated Valley by Dipak Kumar Barkakaty (Penguin), and Ten Love Stories and a Story of Despair (Westland). He has served as a visiting writer at Lander University, Minnesota State University, Converse University, The College of William & Mary, Valdosta State University, Dibrugarh University, Assam Don Bosco University, and delivered the Tagore Lecture in Modern Indian Literature at Cornell University. His short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in Granta, The Boston Review, Electric Literature, Catapult, Bitch Media, The Kenyon Review, The LitHub, The Oxford Anthology of Writings from the Northeast, The New York Times, The Guardian UK, and others. He also writes in Assamese and is the author of a novel, Noikhon Etia Duroit, and three novellas. He is an Associate Professor of English & Creative Writing and the Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia, Athens.
His translations, which have been shortlisted for the 2023 and 2024 Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation and VOW Book Awards 2024, include The Bronze Sword of Tengphakhri Tehsildar by Indira Goswami (Zubaan), My Poems Are Not for Your Ad Campaign by Anuradha Sarma Pujari (Penguin), An Illuminated Valley by Dipak Kumar Barkakaty (Penguin), and Ten Love Stories and a Story of Despair (Westland). He has served as a visiting writer at Lander University, Minnesota State University, Converse University, The College of William & Mary, Valdosta State University, Dibrugarh University, Assam Don Bosco University, and delivered the Tagore Lecture in Modern Indian Literature at Cornell University. His short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in Granta, The Boston Review, Electric Literature, Catapult, Bitch Media, The Kenyon Review, The LitHub, The Oxford Anthology of Writings from the Northeast, The New York Times, The Guardian UK, and others. He also writes in Assamese and is the author of a novel, Noikhon Etia Duroit, and three novellas. He is an Associate Professor of English & Creative Writing and the Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia, Athens.
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April 26, 2021
"The House with a Thousand Stories" by Aruni Kashyap, is one of the most compelling novels in the twenty first century. It’s a tragic masterpiece. Being an Assamese, writing in English in such an euphonious way is stupendous, and magical at the same time.
This novel has many more important issues to discuss from a post independent, post-modernist point of view. Readers would assume that it is a semi-autobiographical novel from the point of view of Pablo, seventeen years old, becoming a mature guy who is going to be loved by a twenty-one-year-old lady, Anamika will be the heroine of it.
We can divide the novel or the plot of the novel into two different parts. The first one deals with the most horrific, vicious decades of the later part of the twentieth century and the initial years of the 21st century i. e. 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and the last one deals with the Family Saga or center around the family melodrama from where we will be going to get numerous information.
We cannot go with the flow of the first part and avoid the later one. Both the parts go hand in hand till the end of the story which will be explored by our hero, Pablo, who is an educated, intelligent, keen, smart, up-to-date, and a true polyglot, who decides to visit his Moina pehi's(paternal) wedding after so many years. Since Pablo is a modern boy living in Guwahati, fluent in English, and his name also implies that he's something western. We'll be exploring his western characteristics throughout the novel. When he wants to go to his relatives house, but his mother, at first, didn't allow him to go, because she knows the circumstances, but finally starts his journey to Hatimura Village, Mayong, on the way he comes to know that the so-called ULFA or SULFA dominating the Assam from upper to lower. To quote Pablo, "All the papers wrote about the ULFA, didn't write about SULFA. How they roamed around carrying guns. How they married whomever they wanted to........(pg. 11. The House with a Thousand Stories). There is evidence where he finds people are killed on the roads, in their houses without any agitation. In this part, we are going to see the severe side of the puppets of the government or the military who raped many indigenous girls either solo or in groups. The terror of them not only physically affected people but also their names or the sound of their boots was enough to go crazy. This is also seen in the characters like Mamoni who had been raped by four military men when she had gone to wash about those white Pokoria River. To quote Pablo, "She wouldn't stop, she kept screaming like a lunatic until she fainted. I saw the whites of her eyes; the irises of her eyes had disappeared. She was still sitting. I saw the pale yellow trail of urine sliding down on the country yard.......(pg. 112. The House with a Thousand Stories), and the groom's brother who may have joined the ULFA, for what Moina pehi and all were in very suffocating whether to marry or not, though that marriage was very essential for Moina pehi and for her mother whose last wish was this to see her younger daughter's married life before her death. Also, she herself wanted to get rid of her "servent" life.
As an eyewitness, Aruni Kashyap depicts the socio-political propaganda of the 80s and 90s how the government letting these things happen before their eyes and how the ULFA, SULFA utilized their power and also how the army mercilessly raped those innocent girls at their own safe place; house. As a reader, we must say that though India got independence from Britain and Indians have freedom or rights, but it's possible only in the paper, not in real life. The life of Assamese or other caste people in Assam in post independence was/is as same as South Africans.
Next, if we review a little bit of the Family Saga of Pablo's Uncle and Aunt or Oholya and all, we can really justify the title of the book "The House with a Thousand Stories" because each and everyone has their own untold stories to tell. The more we go deeper into relatives' stories, the more we proceed towards a new address, a new identity. At first, the main leading person of that house who catches the eyes of the reader is Oholya jethai of Pablo, who is presented as a very talkative person having a high pitch sound in her voice who dominated all in her house and she also represents the tall lady of the village. Though at the inaugural level, she is depicted as a bold character, but as her character drives ahead, she becomes a less important or rather a calm, kind of torpid who doesn't like to come out of her room. Because her identity is revealed before Pablo or readers. Since she is a round character, Pablo has a convolution drawing a conclusion of her character what kind of a person she is since she always scolds others for not doing correct things. But when Pablo is heard from Prosanto da, who also has an unexpected story to listen to (which I'll be discussing later), at first she also liked romance. She had fallen in love with a doctor with whom she had a love affair, even they got engaged. But since he was from an aristocratic family, his family didn't accept her and he also rejected her at her own place. Oholya Jethai is such a person, she threw out the engagement ring to him and shut the door in front of his face. And that is the ring which has been discovered by her brother before the day of Moina pehi's marriage when they dig up the earth for the tent. And from that moment on, her anger is suppressed by her past story.
As I have mentioned above, Prosanto da is one of the characters every reader should try to discuss. As a reader, everyone likes him for not only having a handsome face but also his way of looking at things differently than the rest of the family or rather for the rest of the people of his time. He has fallen in love with a divorcee, which was not easy at that time. So, everyone in his house stand against him. They don't allow him to get married to a divorcee whom they call her "witch", which is an obvious word for a divorcee or a widow or that type of women during that time. Even that word is imposed upon her by a woman, not a man. Women don't even accept their own gender to live as they wanted. Moina pehi for the first time tells her 'eeeh, this witch has eaten up my younger brother's brains!'(pg. 147. The House with a Thousand Stories). If we give a closer look between the lines, we will know that Oholya and all the women would die if Prosanto da got married to Onulupa. Onima borma told Oholya jethai, "Bai, you must never go near that witch" (pg. 148. The House with a Thousand Stories). This is the mindset of even women at the time. But as I said, Prosanto da is different. He finally takes her with him to his house. This is a crucial moment for many characters as well as for readers because we come to know many hidden characteristics of people or Pablo whom we considered at the primary moment that he was up-to-date boy. But he is like the rest of the family. This comes to light when Pablo sees Prosanto da's would be the wife, Onulupa whom he describes as a less character. He defines her as an ugly woman in terms of beauty. For him, beauty is all. This is why readers might get angry at him. From the very beginning, his point of view was very unique and different from the others or from his friend Mridul. But his views or comments on her somehow disturbing the minds of readers.
Education plays an important role as a character. It would say it is the true friend of Prosanto, Pablo and Anamika. Because these are the main characters whose point of view varies from time to time from the rest. Because of education, Prosanto accepted a divorcee as his wife, not seeing her as a witch or 'jokhini'. Because of education, Pablo has knowledge about anything. His behavior is commendable. Even Anamika is an educated girl. She has completed her bachelor's degree and wants some relaxation in her life. That's why she comes to Moina Pehi's wedding marriage. Her views are also modern. Though she is four years older than Pablo, she still has a secret sexual relationship with Pablo. Because she knows age is just a number. Attractions, love matter.
One of the most important things that we should have discussed already is the 'superstition'. All the family members except Pablo, are superstitious. This is an important topic the author has tried to draw. Since the author himself is from Assam, and he also belongs to that era, it's very easy for him to write on it blindly. Anyone could or would write on it page after page without thinking of it much. Though more or less, it still exists in our society, but it was prevalent at that time. It was at its peak. Though the British demolished it, after they had gone it's practiced physically and verbally. The entry of owls is important. After they have listened to the sound of the owls, or ‘hooting of owls near someone’s house is considered a bad omen.’ everyone in the house becomes scared. They analogue it with the messenger of death, or it has the connotation of a bad sign, something would happen. At first they think about their mother who is about to die, since her son Prosanto da left her for the Onulupa, and her younger daughter's marriage is not happening. They think that it is the sign of her death, and if she dies, Moina Pehi won't get married for a year. Another sign appears in the shape of a divorcee. The divorcee, who would be the wife of Prosanto da, becomes the victim of it. Somewhere in the middle of the story, the two sisters of Prosanto da discuss among them that Prosanto da would be ready to marry a woman who is not a woman but a witch. And she would cook and they would eat everything by her hand, which is something not pleasant. Though Pablo doesn't stand with them, his views on an unattractive woman are not good. But Prosanto da accepts the inner beauty of the widow which he might have seen. He is a true lover in the novel.
The illicit love relationship between Pablo and Anamika is interesting. At first they are strangers who gradually improve their relationship, secretly. Pablo at first assumes her as a ghost, whose virgin body attracts Pablo to her. Though there are age differences, their desire couldn't prevent them from falling in immoral love.
To sum up, we could say that Pablo is the partly autobiographical representation of the author himself. Since we know, Pablo is smart, intellectual, a keen observer, polyglot which we have seen in the author himself. Aruni Kashyap himself speaks many languages. He is also a keen, intellectual person since he is an assistant professor at Georgia University, a poet and novelist. Just like Pablo is from Guwahati, Aruni Kashyap is himself from Guwahati. Just like Pablo is very modern from the various perspectives, Aruni Kashyap's perspectives are very modern, which we have also seen in the novel when he described the love relationship in a better frank way, which may not be depicted by the English writers of the West. And also since Pablo's relatives were in Mayong, our writer's relatives are also there. "The Sea, the Sea" novel would fail to show readers a clear description of love, but Aruni Kashyap's novel does.
As a reader, everyone has their own way of reading a book. I know I've left out many relevant issues, which I believe that the other readers would do very carefully. If I have the power, I would consider this book as an "Artistically successful" piece. Though the story is very simple, he drags it very cleverly, which is a good characteristic of a writer.
This novel has many more important issues to discuss from a post independent, post-modernist point of view. Readers would assume that it is a semi-autobiographical novel from the point of view of Pablo, seventeen years old, becoming a mature guy who is going to be loved by a twenty-one-year-old lady, Anamika will be the heroine of it.
We can divide the novel or the plot of the novel into two different parts. The first one deals with the most horrific, vicious decades of the later part of the twentieth century and the initial years of the 21st century i. e. 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and the last one deals with the Family Saga or center around the family melodrama from where we will be going to get numerous information.
We cannot go with the flow of the first part and avoid the later one. Both the parts go hand in hand till the end of the story which will be explored by our hero, Pablo, who is an educated, intelligent, keen, smart, up-to-date, and a true polyglot, who decides to visit his Moina pehi's(paternal) wedding after so many years. Since Pablo is a modern boy living in Guwahati, fluent in English, and his name also implies that he's something western. We'll be exploring his western characteristics throughout the novel. When he wants to go to his relatives house, but his mother, at first, didn't allow him to go, because she knows the circumstances, but finally starts his journey to Hatimura Village, Mayong, on the way he comes to know that the so-called ULFA or SULFA dominating the Assam from upper to lower. To quote Pablo, "All the papers wrote about the ULFA, didn't write about SULFA. How they roamed around carrying guns. How they married whomever they wanted to........(pg. 11. The House with a Thousand Stories). There is evidence where he finds people are killed on the roads, in their houses without any agitation. In this part, we are going to see the severe side of the puppets of the government or the military who raped many indigenous girls either solo or in groups. The terror of them not only physically affected people but also their names or the sound of their boots was enough to go crazy. This is also seen in the characters like Mamoni who had been raped by four military men when she had gone to wash about those white Pokoria River. To quote Pablo, "She wouldn't stop, she kept screaming like a lunatic until she fainted. I saw the whites of her eyes; the irises of her eyes had disappeared. She was still sitting. I saw the pale yellow trail of urine sliding down on the country yard.......(pg. 112. The House with a Thousand Stories), and the groom's brother who may have joined the ULFA, for what Moina pehi and all were in very suffocating whether to marry or not, though that marriage was very essential for Moina pehi and for her mother whose last wish was this to see her younger daughter's married life before her death. Also, she herself wanted to get rid of her "servent" life.
As an eyewitness, Aruni Kashyap depicts the socio-political propaganda of the 80s and 90s how the government letting these things happen before their eyes and how the ULFA, SULFA utilized their power and also how the army mercilessly raped those innocent girls at their own safe place; house. As a reader, we must say that though India got independence from Britain and Indians have freedom or rights, but it's possible only in the paper, not in real life. The life of Assamese or other caste people in Assam in post independence was/is as same as South Africans.
Next, if we review a little bit of the Family Saga of Pablo's Uncle and Aunt or Oholya and all, we can really justify the title of the book "The House with a Thousand Stories" because each and everyone has their own untold stories to tell. The more we go deeper into relatives' stories, the more we proceed towards a new address, a new identity. At first, the main leading person of that house who catches the eyes of the reader is Oholya jethai of Pablo, who is presented as a very talkative person having a high pitch sound in her voice who dominated all in her house and she also represents the tall lady of the village. Though at the inaugural level, she is depicted as a bold character, but as her character drives ahead, she becomes a less important or rather a calm, kind of torpid who doesn't like to come out of her room. Because her identity is revealed before Pablo or readers. Since she is a round character, Pablo has a convolution drawing a conclusion of her character what kind of a person she is since she always scolds others for not doing correct things. But when Pablo is heard from Prosanto da, who also has an unexpected story to listen to (which I'll be discussing later), at first she also liked romance. She had fallen in love with a doctor with whom she had a love affair, even they got engaged. But since he was from an aristocratic family, his family didn't accept her and he also rejected her at her own place. Oholya Jethai is such a person, she threw out the engagement ring to him and shut the door in front of his face. And that is the ring which has been discovered by her brother before the day of Moina pehi's marriage when they dig up the earth for the tent. And from that moment on, her anger is suppressed by her past story.
As I have mentioned above, Prosanto da is one of the characters every reader should try to discuss. As a reader, everyone likes him for not only having a handsome face but also his way of looking at things differently than the rest of the family or rather for the rest of the people of his time. He has fallen in love with a divorcee, which was not easy at that time. So, everyone in his house stand against him. They don't allow him to get married to a divorcee whom they call her "witch", which is an obvious word for a divorcee or a widow or that type of women during that time. Even that word is imposed upon her by a woman, not a man. Women don't even accept their own gender to live as they wanted. Moina pehi for the first time tells her 'eeeh, this witch has eaten up my younger brother's brains!'(pg. 147. The House with a Thousand Stories). If we give a closer look between the lines, we will know that Oholya and all the women would die if Prosanto da got married to Onulupa. Onima borma told Oholya jethai, "Bai, you must never go near that witch" (pg. 148. The House with a Thousand Stories). This is the mindset of even women at the time. But as I said, Prosanto da is different. He finally takes her with him to his house. This is a crucial moment for many characters as well as for readers because we come to know many hidden characteristics of people or Pablo whom we considered at the primary moment that he was up-to-date boy. But he is like the rest of the family. This comes to light when Pablo sees Prosanto da's would be the wife, Onulupa whom he describes as a less character. He defines her as an ugly woman in terms of beauty. For him, beauty is all. This is why readers might get angry at him. From the very beginning, his point of view was very unique and different from the others or from his friend Mridul. But his views or comments on her somehow disturbing the minds of readers.
Education plays an important role as a character. It would say it is the true friend of Prosanto, Pablo and Anamika. Because these are the main characters whose point of view varies from time to time from the rest. Because of education, Prosanto accepted a divorcee as his wife, not seeing her as a witch or 'jokhini'. Because of education, Pablo has knowledge about anything. His behavior is commendable. Even Anamika is an educated girl. She has completed her bachelor's degree and wants some relaxation in her life. That's why she comes to Moina Pehi's wedding marriage. Her views are also modern. Though she is four years older than Pablo, she still has a secret sexual relationship with Pablo. Because she knows age is just a number. Attractions, love matter.
One of the most important things that we should have discussed already is the 'superstition'. All the family members except Pablo, are superstitious. This is an important topic the author has tried to draw. Since the author himself is from Assam, and he also belongs to that era, it's very easy for him to write on it blindly. Anyone could or would write on it page after page without thinking of it much. Though more or less, it still exists in our society, but it was prevalent at that time. It was at its peak. Though the British demolished it, after they had gone it's practiced physically and verbally. The entry of owls is important. After they have listened to the sound of the owls, or ‘hooting of owls near someone’s house is considered a bad omen.’ everyone in the house becomes scared. They analogue it with the messenger of death, or it has the connotation of a bad sign, something would happen. At first they think about their mother who is about to die, since her son Prosanto da left her for the Onulupa, and her younger daughter's marriage is not happening. They think that it is the sign of her death, and if she dies, Moina Pehi won't get married for a year. Another sign appears in the shape of a divorcee. The divorcee, who would be the wife of Prosanto da, becomes the victim of it. Somewhere in the middle of the story, the two sisters of Prosanto da discuss among them that Prosanto da would be ready to marry a woman who is not a woman but a witch. And she would cook and they would eat everything by her hand, which is something not pleasant. Though Pablo doesn't stand with them, his views on an unattractive woman are not good. But Prosanto da accepts the inner beauty of the widow which he might have seen. He is a true lover in the novel.
The illicit love relationship between Pablo and Anamika is interesting. At first they are strangers who gradually improve their relationship, secretly. Pablo at first assumes her as a ghost, whose virgin body attracts Pablo to her. Though there are age differences, their desire couldn't prevent them from falling in immoral love.
To sum up, we could say that Pablo is the partly autobiographical representation of the author himself. Since we know, Pablo is smart, intellectual, a keen observer, polyglot which we have seen in the author himself. Aruni Kashyap himself speaks many languages. He is also a keen, intellectual person since he is an assistant professor at Georgia University, a poet and novelist. Just like Pablo is from Guwahati, Aruni Kashyap is himself from Guwahati. Just like Pablo is very modern from the various perspectives, Aruni Kashyap's perspectives are very modern, which we have also seen in the novel when he described the love relationship in a better frank way, which may not be depicted by the English writers of the West. And also since Pablo's relatives were in Mayong, our writer's relatives are also there. "The Sea, the Sea" novel would fail to show readers a clear description of love, but Aruni Kashyap's novel does.
As a reader, everyone has their own way of reading a book. I know I've left out many relevant issues, which I believe that the other readers would do very carefully. If I have the power, I would consider this book as an "Artistically successful" piece. Though the story is very simple, he drags it very cleverly, which is a good characteristic of a writer.
August 27, 2020
The Indian North-East has made very limited inroads into the mainstream political consciousness and discourse of the country, often relegated to a secondary position in the corridors of power in New Delhi. The only time I remember newspapers giving more than cursory coverage to the events of the entire region is when those events threaten to disturb the status quo of the rest of the country. History books too are often silent on the journey of the myriad peoples of the region, except when it talks about rare landmark events. How then did things reach such an impasse, that even today people from the North East are eyed with suspicion and become victims of xenophobia in other parts of their own country? Seeking an answer to this and several other questions, I took refuge once more in fiction from the region.
.
This book sheds light on the violence and bloodshed that has become part of more than one generation of people growing up in Assam. The horrors of insurgency and political manipulation intermingle to form a deadly cocktail, spilling into every aspect of life of the Bishoya family of Mayong village. The story is told in the voice of Pablo, a city boy on a rare visit to his father's ancestral village for a wedding. His reflections on how far removed his normal life seems from this other life in the village, is a grim reminder of the persistent rural-urban divide that allows a privileged few to escape the worst horrors of poverty, caste and class conflict. This is also a coming of age story, of a boy who is forced to face realities that we are often able to overlook as we sit in our air conditioned bubbles.
.
The book was an introduction to certain less than glorious aspects of life ur country's history that often fall between the cracks. I was disappointed though, that it failed to do more, be more. I found the writing stilted and one-dimensional, the words often failing the story. It had a certain lack of simplicity and candour, which I found in the author's essays. It almost felt as if a genuine voice from the North-East, an important voice, has been lost to the vagaries of the publishing world.
.
This book sheds light on the violence and bloodshed that has become part of more than one generation of people growing up in Assam. The horrors of insurgency and political manipulation intermingle to form a deadly cocktail, spilling into every aspect of life of the Bishoya family of Mayong village. The story is told in the voice of Pablo, a city boy on a rare visit to his father's ancestral village for a wedding. His reflections on how far removed his normal life seems from this other life in the village, is a grim reminder of the persistent rural-urban divide that allows a privileged few to escape the worst horrors of poverty, caste and class conflict. This is also a coming of age story, of a boy who is forced to face realities that we are often able to overlook as we sit in our air conditioned bubbles.
.
The book was an introduction to certain less than glorious aspects of life ur country's history that often fall between the cracks. I was disappointed though, that it failed to do more, be more. I found the writing stilted and one-dimensional, the words often failing the story. It had a certain lack of simplicity and candour, which I found in the author's essays. It almost felt as if a genuine voice from the North-East, an important voice, has been lost to the vagaries of the publishing world.
June 2, 2024
2.5 stars
Interesting story, but something is lost in translation/ I felt it was a bit clunky. Also it tended to evolve around a wedding, and going back and forth in time.
Interesting story, but something is lost in translation/ I felt it was a bit clunky. Also it tended to evolve around a wedding, and going back and forth in time.
October 27, 2013
I generally avoid books set in the background of terrorism in Assam, but knowing Aruni and his style of writing made me pick up the book. I must say, that I was not disappointed. Aruni, a great storyteller tells a story having various elements of drama in a subtle way. He keeps terrorism in background, where nothing much happens and stories are heard about terrorism, secret killings and misdeeds by the army. There is fear but no explicit violence.
Although the protagonist of the novel, Pablo, is a very sensitive guy, he doesn't question or argues the various injustices going around him. It simply registers in his mind and he tries to process the things. He later on tells the story to the reader, as it appears in his memory.
In his debut novel, Aruni has made a mark for himself.
Although the protagonist of the novel, Pablo, is a very sensitive guy, he doesn't question or argues the various injustices going around him. It simply registers in his mind and he tries to process the things. He later on tells the story to the reader, as it appears in his memory.
In his debut novel, Aruni has made a mark for himself.
May 5, 2017
I can not stop weeping after reading this book . It bears the fully Assamese tradition and It bears the documents cold blooded killings of Assamese youth in the name of insurgency.
July 12, 2018
[Join me at : https://acoinre.wordpress.com where I have undertaken a project of reading Indian English Fiction and Poetry across all the states of India and sharing them with you all.]
This story, as the name suggests centers around a house in Mayong village, Assam and is a retrospection of the protagonist Pablo who is recollecting the past incidents that he had been through while spending days in his ancestral home at the Mayong. The incidents centers round two family gathering-a funeral and a marriage ceremony – at two different years(1998 and 2002). And the story goes on from centering around one character to another to another and then ending in a heart wrenching climax.
(…the climax is one of the most heart wrenching and poetic that I have read till date among the contemporary Indian English fictions)
The novel THWATS engages different themes, and most of them are deeply related to the problems of our society and the state has been facing through all these years.
A struggle between modern city life and traditional rural life, fight between classes in society, superstition, breaking of the traditionalism by the educated young youths, the turmoil in the state due to ULFA-SULFA clash, secret killings, insurgency, atrocities of Indian Army in different parts of the state leading to fake encounters and rapes all these themes had been delicately handled in a story that is filled with the busyness of a typical Indian middle class marriage days. An Indian reader can connect with the story so easily as we have all, at one moment of our life, had spent our days in such a marriage setting up plastic chairs, sleeping in over filled beds, going to market, listening or taking part in gossips and the best part: flirting or falling in love knowing that it will end up with the last day of the marriage.
However I found certain glitches that disturbed my flow of reading this beautifully weaved story was the use of ‘unappealing phrases’ (…they could have been better) like:
judging of the family by ‘ a primary school teacher frowning upon the uncut nails of children’
talking about dead body ‘ a corpse rots at the speed of a girl’s age’
‘as cold as snake skin’(at least I don’t have any experience of touching a snake’s skin!)
some dialogues felt artificial and complex. The author could have fine tuned them on a rewriting.
(… but that’s only my opinion!)
However certain lines were so beautiful that they just remained stuck in my mind:
“There are so many ways of telling the same story. it really depends on what you want to leave the listener with.”
“When I said I loved her, she said that she knew I was lying but didn’t mind hearing it again and again since it made her happy. I wept and said again and again that I loved her and she laughed.”
The last thing I would say is that this book tells you many tales if not exactly thousand and also represents Assam well. I am just a little bit unhappy with the editing which could have made the book more awesome!
(…the character of Anamika just punctures your heart!!)
October 23, 2025
I have discovered Aruni Kashyap's writing through his translations and a short story he wrote for the Boston Review. Reading the short-story made me curious about the novel he has written. I wasted no time in getting this book, which I think is his debut. Published in 2013, this book follows the story a young boy who is visiting his ancestral home for a wedding. Set in the 1990s-early 2000s, this novel is something between a literary, domestic and pastoral fiction. It takes one down the memory lane of being alive in that period in India but it also stands apart by bringing in the spatial context of Assam. Pablo, the young boy is not talkative or a truant. He is a well-behaved boy who wants to have a little fun and spend a nice time being in the village without his mother's authoritative presence. He hangs around with Mridul, and then has eyes on the lass, Anamika. But the wedding is not free of tensions. There is the persisting absence of Mridul's father that everyone remembers. Besides, the bride is reluctant to marry because of past memories. She threatens to kill herself and dares to even drink phenyl. But the elders and neighbours, as is a norm in a rural atmosphere, make faces, holler and force her into the customs of the country. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story was funny at many places and you can't help but offer a nod to many of the nuances in the domestic space that Kashyap hints at. The season: a cold winter in a village makes for an unsettling yet comfort-seeking period for a story to unfold. As the plot moves back and forth across time, the revelations around the wedding get tense as it steadily reaches a crescendo. The climax really fit structurally to the story and its characters. Lastly, the inclusion of the political uprising of the separatist movement in Assam and its backlashes. I do not think there could have been a better way to tell the story of a family moving across time and space other than what we have here. Of course, I struggled with identifying who's who initially because there are so many characters and the author uses local kinship terms to describe the relation to Pablo but it clears up as you read it. In one of his videos, the authors says that he doesn't like it when people say they got to know so much about Assam from his books. He states that he is interested more in the emotional life, and truths of people than a sociopolitical investigation. I heartily agree to that and can attest that the novel does the latter beautifully while still giving a stunning portrait of the Assamese society. I look forward to reading Kashyap upcoming novel in 2026.
September 11, 2021
Pablo, a young man, visits his ancestral village, Mayong in Assam to attend a wedding. He is initially surprised at the sharp contrast between Mayong and the city life that he has been accustomed to living in. There is a culture shock. He gets to hear wild gossip, secrets, funny stories, the danger looming in the village owing to insurgency--retired or otherwise. Then, we are introduced to the cousins, uncles, aunts, and everyone in the Bishoya family tree.
There is an impending disaster hinted quite early in the book. How the characters arrive at those situations form the crux of the story.
The 'why' and 'how' is elucidated towards the end of the novel. There are new surprises, too, as the story unfolds and each thread weaves into the main narrative effortlessly. The book is rightfully named so.
As the author pulls me into this journey, I get to live in Assam vicariously.
My favourite characters are the progressive Prosanto-da, the shy cousin Mridul, and the bitter Oholya-jethai, one that I Ioved even before her backstory was revealed. I have a thing for chaotic characters. Pablo's naivety and innocence is also a delight reading about.
It's without a doubt that the book builds up to a disaster in the lives of the Bishoya family; one that tugs at your heart strings. Having said that, the aftermath morphs into a hopeful ending. And I love how the author decided to end it that way.
This gem of a book 'The House With a Thousand Stories' contributes to the political discourse of the Indian North-East, while perfectly balancing it with the familial plot lines, a surprising romance, gossips, secrets, and a sad albeit thought-provoking and uplifting story.
The writing is close-to-home, beautiful, and not to mention, precise and fast-paced. Add to that vivid descriptions of the village of Mayong in Assam. The sadors worn by the women, the regional flowers, the food--all add a lovely flavour to the story.
As a reader and author from Manipur, I could relate to the life. Highly recommended.
There is an impending disaster hinted quite early in the book. How the characters arrive at those situations form the crux of the story.
The 'why' and 'how' is elucidated towards the end of the novel. There are new surprises, too, as the story unfolds and each thread weaves into the main narrative effortlessly. The book is rightfully named so.
As the author pulls me into this journey, I get to live in Assam vicariously.
My favourite characters are the progressive Prosanto-da, the shy cousin Mridul, and the bitter Oholya-jethai, one that I Ioved even before her backstory was revealed. I have a thing for chaotic characters. Pablo's naivety and innocence is also a delight reading about.
It's without a doubt that the book builds up to a disaster in the lives of the Bishoya family; one that tugs at your heart strings. Having said that, the aftermath morphs into a hopeful ending. And I love how the author decided to end it that way.
This gem of a book 'The House With a Thousand Stories' contributes to the political discourse of the Indian North-East, while perfectly balancing it with the familial plot lines, a surprising romance, gossips, secrets, and a sad albeit thought-provoking and uplifting story.
The writing is close-to-home, beautiful, and not to mention, precise and fast-paced. Add to that vivid descriptions of the village of Mayong in Assam. The sadors worn by the women, the regional flowers, the food--all add a lovely flavour to the story.
As a reader and author from Manipur, I could relate to the life. Highly recommended.
September 12, 2021
The House with a Thousand Stories, Aruni Kashyap
The Brahmaputra had embraced Borongabari [the village of the East Bengali refugees], their village, whose earth they had tilled like earthworms to grow a golden harvest of paddy. Since then, the river has been moving more and more towards Hatimura. People prayed for his destructive love to be diverted to some other village. Villagers from other villages hoped and prayed that he wouldn’t love them too much. ‘Stay away, Son of Brahma, who are born from the navel of Narayana’ (p. 80).
I begin my review of Aruni Kashyap’s ‘The House with a Thousand Stories’ with this quote, for it poignantly manages to sum up a key aspect of the novel.
The world that Kashyap conjures up is replete with a sense of uncertainty; the fear of the unknown, tucked in familiar corners, haunts the characters. The quote highlights the ecological uncertainty in the way the river absorbs the land. The conspicuous presence of the army underscores the unsettled nature of things in general. Uncertainty, bordering on violence, has seeped into the everyday lives of the people. A wedding remains incomplete, marred by death, pain and lifelessness. In the process, the relationships fail to blossom as everyone desperately tries to reconcile with the enshrouding situational crisis. Mridul-Pablo, Pablo-Anamika, Prosanto Da-Onulupa are simply trapped in the vortex of desire and love. They cannot escape it. Other characters, who are equally significant, augment the pervading gloom. Their voices echo the meaningless violence surrounding them. Okoni-pehi, Oholoya-jethai, Aaita, Onima-borma are all victims here. Their victimhood punctuates the narrative. They remain as stories – to be told, imagined, but unending. After all, no one can divert the destructive forces which are beyond one’s control.
The Brahmaputra had embraced Borongabari [the village of the East Bengali refugees], their village, whose earth they had tilled like earthworms to grow a golden harvest of paddy. Since then, the river has been moving more and more towards Hatimura. People prayed for his destructive love to be diverted to some other village. Villagers from other villages hoped and prayed that he wouldn’t love them too much. ‘Stay away, Son of Brahma, who are born from the navel of Narayana’ (p. 80).
I begin my review of Aruni Kashyap’s ‘The House with a Thousand Stories’ with this quote, for it poignantly manages to sum up a key aspect of the novel.
The world that Kashyap conjures up is replete with a sense of uncertainty; the fear of the unknown, tucked in familiar corners, haunts the characters. The quote highlights the ecological uncertainty in the way the river absorbs the land. The conspicuous presence of the army underscores the unsettled nature of things in general. Uncertainty, bordering on violence, has seeped into the everyday lives of the people. A wedding remains incomplete, marred by death, pain and lifelessness. In the process, the relationships fail to blossom as everyone desperately tries to reconcile with the enshrouding situational crisis. Mridul-Pablo, Pablo-Anamika, Prosanto Da-Onulupa are simply trapped in the vortex of desire and love. They cannot escape it. Other characters, who are equally significant, augment the pervading gloom. Their voices echo the meaningless violence surrounding them. Okoni-pehi, Oholoya-jethai, Aaita, Onima-borma are all victims here. Their victimhood punctuates the narrative. They remain as stories – to be told, imagined, but unending. After all, no one can divert the destructive forces which are beyond one’s control.
October 19, 2023
As the name says, it truly is a house with seventeen windows and multiple stories.
It's narrated by Pablo, who lives in Guwahati and goes to his father's cousin's funeral in 1998. Not too ancient from the current setting, pablo experiences many differences between the city he lives and the village his ancestral home is.
Honestly, just like how Pablo feels in certain situations, how annoyed he will be at times, frustrated with the people's mind set , I felt them too.
There are multiple characters in the story and though the book is just 200 pages, you get to see various people, their lives, their past, present and future written so well and beautifully that you feel like they are your people and you are the one witnessing it not the narrator.
The story also describes how the separatist organizations and the government have their impact on people's lives and how a small rumor related to them can kill people.
I think for me, the most annoying characters are Anil da and Oholya Jethai. I couldn't stand them for the whole book🤦♀️
Overall, set in Assam, the honorifics and seasons explained felt very new and I'm glad I read it. I didn't want it to end so took it slow over a week to devour it.
It's narrated by Pablo, who lives in Guwahati and goes to his father's cousin's funeral in 1998. Not too ancient from the current setting, pablo experiences many differences between the city he lives and the village his ancestral home is.
Honestly, just like how Pablo feels in certain situations, how annoyed he will be at times, frustrated with the people's mind set , I felt them too.
There are multiple characters in the story and though the book is just 200 pages, you get to see various people, their lives, their past, present and future written so well and beautifully that you feel like they are your people and you are the one witnessing it not the narrator.
The story also describes how the separatist organizations and the government have their impact on people's lives and how a small rumor related to them can kill people.
I think for me, the most annoying characters are Anil da and Oholya Jethai. I couldn't stand them for the whole book🤦♀️
Overall, set in Assam, the honorifics and seasons explained felt very new and I'm glad I read it. I didn't want it to end so took it slow over a week to devour it.
December 11, 2024
Imagine you're reading a book based on the state of your country, but you never heard of it.
How'd you feel?
Sad? Ashamed? Worried?
I felt all of them.
" The House with a Thousand Stories " by Aruni Kashyap is that book for me.
The book takes you back to 2002 Assam. There we met Pablo. He lives in Guwahati with his parents. But for a marriage ceremony, he visited his ancestral house.
Pablo had visited this village to attend a funeral when he was just a boy and became friends with Mridul. But a tragedy happened. And the story starts with that.
Throughout the story, with Pablo, we discover gossip about the family. We hear something we shouldn't hear, and later, they pit a deep scar in Pablo's as well as our hearts.
While Pablo was digging dip in some circumstances, unforgettable histories of the land came up. Most of them are dark. All of them are bitter.
In this book, with Pablo's and his family's crisis and struggle, Kashyap shows some sociopolitical issues from post-independent India to now.
This book also highlights the socio-political issues of the 80s and 90s and talks about ULFA and SULFA and how the army brutally violated innocent women.
A blend of family saga and political fiction, this book is one of must-read if you're exploring Indian Literature.
How'd you feel?
Sad? Ashamed? Worried?
I felt all of them.
" The House with a Thousand Stories " by Aruni Kashyap is that book for me.
The book takes you back to 2002 Assam. There we met Pablo. He lives in Guwahati with his parents. But for a marriage ceremony, he visited his ancestral house.
Pablo had visited this village to attend a funeral when he was just a boy and became friends with Mridul. But a tragedy happened. And the story starts with that.
Throughout the story, with Pablo, we discover gossip about the family. We hear something we shouldn't hear, and later, they pit a deep scar in Pablo's as well as our hearts.
While Pablo was digging dip in some circumstances, unforgettable histories of the land came up. Most of them are dark. All of them are bitter.
In this book, with Pablo's and his family's crisis and struggle, Kashyap shows some sociopolitical issues from post-independent India to now.
This book also highlights the socio-political issues of the 80s and 90s and talks about ULFA and SULFA and how the army brutally violated innocent women.
A blend of family saga and political fiction, this book is one of must-read if you're exploring Indian Literature.
July 20, 2020
Aruni Kashyap's The House With A Thousand Stories is not just another story of a boy coming of age, rather, it is a tale of people haunted with the fear of uncertanity. Fear that may look paranoia to some, depending upon, which part of the world one is reading from. From the year between 1998 and 2002, the State of Assam witnessed series of extra-judicial killings, euphemistically came to be known as “secret killings”. It was the period when the surrendered insurgent militants killed suspected people with full state patronage. Family members of insurgents were also murdered in cold blood.
One of the characters of the novel is an insurgent militant whose presence despite of being absent haunts the wedding house. His brother’s marriage is fixed with Moina-pehi, who does not know that her to-be brother-in-law is an insurgent, until few hours before her wedding. The knowledge of her insurgent brother-in-law when first reaches her in the form of rumour, an uncertain fear grips her. The fear that like other people related to insurgents her private body parts will also be violated by the assassinators. This fear compels her to end her life by drinking phenyl. The entire story is written from the perspective of a young city-bred boy, Pablo. As one of the youngest member of the family, he tries hard to be the central character in larger scheme of things, even getting success in few instances.
The novel unfolds during the post-liberalisation era -- an era marked with people leaving villages for better opportunites to cities. Pablo's father, Prodip Medhi, happens to be one of them. In this story the city is Guwahati and the village happens to be Hatimura Village, Mayong, not too far from the city. Prodip Medhi's nostalgia for village life compels Pablo to stay in his ancestral village twice, both the time ending in disastrous condition. The rural-urban divide in lifestyle has been incisively captured by the author. At a time when police brutality and repressive State structures has been challenged through popular people's movement in America, Aruni's book has set the alarm bell ringing to access our own history of torture and brutality.
One of the characters of the novel is an insurgent militant whose presence despite of being absent haunts the wedding house. His brother’s marriage is fixed with Moina-pehi, who does not know that her to-be brother-in-law is an insurgent, until few hours before her wedding. The knowledge of her insurgent brother-in-law when first reaches her in the form of rumour, an uncertain fear grips her. The fear that like other people related to insurgents her private body parts will also be violated by the assassinators. This fear compels her to end her life by drinking phenyl. The entire story is written from the perspective of a young city-bred boy, Pablo. As one of the youngest member of the family, he tries hard to be the central character in larger scheme of things, even getting success in few instances.
The novel unfolds during the post-liberalisation era -- an era marked with people leaving villages for better opportunites to cities. Pablo's father, Prodip Medhi, happens to be one of them. In this story the city is Guwahati and the village happens to be Hatimura Village, Mayong, not too far from the city. Prodip Medhi's nostalgia for village life compels Pablo to stay in his ancestral village twice, both the time ending in disastrous condition. The rural-urban divide in lifestyle has been incisively captured by the author. At a time when police brutality and repressive State structures has been challenged through popular people's movement in America, Aruni's book has set the alarm bell ringing to access our own history of torture and brutality.
November 25, 2021
A House with a Thousand Stories by Aruni Kashyap is such a book that gives you goosebumps, makes you smile and at the same time breaks your heart.
The story is set up on a remote Assamese village called Mayong which is also considered to be the land of Black magic in Assam. When any Assamese bibliophile see this book, the first thought about the book that would strike in their minds would be that it will probably talk about witchcraft or black magic. However, Aruni Kashyap has something different for his readers. This book is thrilling, but not horror, this book will terrify you but not through something superstitious. This book is an amalgamation of numerous feelings that touches the heart of the readers.
Aruni Kashyap has also covered those reality inspired stories of “Gupto Hotya” (secret killings) that will give you goosebumps and leave your throat bitter. Stories of women will leave you disturbed and angry, yet you will love the book.
The story is set up on a remote Assamese village called Mayong which is also considered to be the land of Black magic in Assam. When any Assamese bibliophile see this book, the first thought about the book that would strike in their minds would be that it will probably talk about witchcraft or black magic. However, Aruni Kashyap has something different for his readers. This book is thrilling, but not horror, this book will terrify you but not through something superstitious. This book is an amalgamation of numerous feelings that touches the heart of the readers.
Aruni Kashyap has also covered those reality inspired stories of “Gupto Hotya” (secret killings) that will give you goosebumps and leave your throat bitter. Stories of women will leave you disturbed and angry, yet you will love the book.
December 8, 2025
My head is spinning from how strange the reading experience of this book was. The premise says it's about a young boy, Pablo, who's going to his village for his aunt's wedding. Many strange and dramatic things unfold while he's there, which is essentially the crux of the novel.
The writing was fine, but what really threw me off was how confusing the plot became. There were stories wrapped in stories wrapped in more stories. After a point, I was unsure which timeline was the supposed main story, and which were contextual stories.
It gives a decent amount of backstory as to why there's so much unrest in Assam, and why people fear the army so much. Apart from that, I found following the story quite difficult and confusing.
The writing was fine, but what really threw me off was how confusing the plot became. There were stories wrapped in stories wrapped in more stories. After a point, I was unsure which timeline was the supposed main story, and which were contextual stories.
It gives a decent amount of backstory as to why there's so much unrest in Assam, and why people fear the army so much. Apart from that, I found following the story quite difficult and confusing.
September 21, 2017
As I started the book I did not know about the author and did not want to know also. I wanted to read on and discover him while reading ...
Initially up to pages 20-25. I was not sure where the book was going. I thought for a while if this is the first book I will not be able to finish...
But then onwards the book took hold of me and after some time I wanted to keep on reading and wished that it will never end...
Kudos to the author for weaving such a set up of stories... so believable and so well crafted..
Each and every incidents have precedents and consequences ...
I am looking forward to get hold of another writing from Kashyup...
Initially up to pages 20-25. I was not sure where the book was going. I thought for a while if this is the first book I will not be able to finish...
But then onwards the book took hold of me and after some time I wanted to keep on reading and wished that it will never end...
Kudos to the author for weaving such a set up of stories... so believable and so well crafted..
Each and every incidents have precedents and consequences ...
I am looking forward to get hold of another writing from Kashyup...
January 10, 2023
Set in the era of the early 21st century, this book takes us to the city I am familiar with, the village and its tradition & culture, everyone felt oddly familiar and wistful. The superstitious belief, village life, the era when telephone and CD were the hot subjects. This book gives us a glimpse of how early Guwahati was and how different it is from now.
I've known Mayong as a village of black magic and superstitions & this book took me to the same place where something else was terrorizing
And my heart really aches for the tragedy that took place. It came out that everyone in the family had some untold stories yet to uncover.
I've known Mayong as a village of black magic and superstitions & this book took me to the same place where something else was terrorizing
And my heart really aches for the tragedy that took place. It came out that everyone in the family had some untold stories yet to uncover.
September 14, 2022
The book reminds me of the process of weaving; plot-points, narratives and language meander and weave in and out of the fabric of the story where the river Brahmaputra continually lives in the background- both as that which shapes the physical and geopolitical backdrop to the story, and as a metaphor for destruction and change. The plot gets a little bit contrived towards the end, but the rest of the story held me captive.
January 10, 2023
While I got to learn about the history of separatist movements in a state I otherwise know little about, the story itself had little to offer. Having LOVED Neel Mukherjee's The Lives of Others, a story of a joint family with a similar backdrop of political insurgency (the Naxalite revolt in Bengal), I was going into this one with really high expectations. Huge disappointment :(
June 13, 2024
Wonderful story. Enjoyed reading it. Loved the writing style of the author. Love to read more of her books.
January 30, 2025
2.5⭐️
This was an interesting read for me as I had never before read a book set in Assam. Reading about the culture, traditions and political situation of the little village, Mayong, in which this book was set, were fascinating for me. Prior to reading this I was unaware of the political machinations and the horrors of insurgency that are part of Assam.
The story straddles two time frames. The first one in the past, when the protagonist, Pablo, visits his father's village for the first time to attend a funeral. The second is when he goes back to Mayong a few years later to attend a family wedding. The story leaps between the two time frames quite randomly so that made it a little confusing at times.
It might be set in Assam but some of the themes discussed were things everyone would be familiar with. Modern versus traditional. Nosy relatives. Gossipy neighbours. Unaccepted love stories. Patriarchy.
Definitely an interesting read.
This was an interesting read for me as I had never before read a book set in Assam. Reading about the culture, traditions and political situation of the little village, Mayong, in which this book was set, were fascinating for me. Prior to reading this I was unaware of the political machinations and the horrors of insurgency that are part of Assam.
The story straddles two time frames. The first one in the past, when the protagonist, Pablo, visits his father's village for the first time to attend a funeral. The second is when he goes back to Mayong a few years later to attend a family wedding. The story leaps between the two time frames quite randomly so that made it a little confusing at times.
It might be set in Assam but some of the themes discussed were things everyone would be familiar with. Modern versus traditional. Nosy relatives. Gossipy neighbours. Unaccepted love stories. Patriarchy.
Definitely an interesting read.
January 28, 2016
The book will make you fall in love with Assamese culture and traditions...The plot is set in the backdrop of a wedding,complete with biya naams (wedding songs) and even Zubeen Garg songs...Pabloo is a Guwahati born and brought up teenager who lands up in a place called Teteliguri in Mayong (in Assam) to attend Moina pehi's (or aunt's) wedding to a much older man..There he befriends his cousin,Mridul,whom he had first met during Mridul's father,Bolen borta's funeral..Under the hawk eye of the bitter and strict spoilsport, Oholya jethai (or aunt) they manage to somehow sneak away and enjoy the company of Mridul's gang,especially Brikodar and enjoy nature in all its glory in the small village.The story takes a tragic turn when a character is raped by militants and a few other important characters die.The wedding ends in a tragedy.Amidst the wedding preparations,rumours are spread,someone in the family plans to elope and other exciting events take place.The insurgency terror looms large over the village,which is already weighed down by meaningless rituals and superstitions.Characters like Mukut khura (or uncle), Prosanto da,Onima borma,Anil da,Oholya jethai,Okoni pehi,Aaita, Dorongi aaita,Bolen borta,Moina pehi,Anamika are woven as beautifully as an Assamese gamusa..Prosanto da's character is especially lovable as he becomes a revolutionary of a kind by vowing to marry his first love,a divorcee,Anulupa,although she had ditched him initially to marry an army officer.He is an idealist,refusing to move to the city and better opportunities,but instead staying back to teach in Mayong college,which he sets up with Anulupa. Anil da loves to create suspence and spread rumours..and it is he who brings news about the groom's family secret. Then there is a 'lust story' between the protagonist and a fiesty and popular girl,Anamika,with beautiful tresses.There is a love story between Mridul and a Nepali girl,Manju Mahato,who can dance Bihu as beautifully as any Assamese girl.The book has sparkling prose with humour scattered generously..To find out whether Prosanto da can eventually fight all odds to marry Anulupa,and to know how the wedding turns into a tragedy,and also Mridul's plight,do read The House With A Thousand Stories...
October 10, 2015
This was my first book on Assamese fiction, and Aruni Kashyap had me hooked me from the very beginning. I have been travelling to Assam extensively for the past two years and I have fallen in love with this gentle but proud race of people with an immense rich heritage.
I love history and Assamese history has been a source of interest to me, as I interacted with people , made friends, sensed their heritage and culture and loved their simple but flavourful cuisine.
The House with a Thousand Stories can be any house in the village or even cities, where families unite for weddings and funerals. Every family has a history and this book has brought out all of them so well. The Assam of yester years, were fraught with terrorism, ULFA, etc, and you get the feeling and sense of history reading this book,as it is based on the background of those fearful days. Assam has been battered with those pages of history,And maybe it still lingers on with sudden Bandhs, extortion calls, etc.
There are some moments of real terror, and you feel the goosebumps when you read through. Aruni's grip of the language and his easy engaging style of writing , will make sure you do not let go of the book.
A sequel has to be on the cards, and I hope Aruni Kashyap is working on it..as we as readers are waiting to know what happened to the key protagonists.
And thank you Aruni, for autographing the book for me. It will hold a special place in my library.
I love history and Assamese history has been a source of interest to me, as I interacted with people , made friends, sensed their heritage and culture and loved their simple but flavourful cuisine.
The House with a Thousand Stories can be any house in the village or even cities, where families unite for weddings and funerals. Every family has a history and this book has brought out all of them so well. The Assam of yester years, were fraught with terrorism, ULFA, etc, and you get the feeling and sense of history reading this book,as it is based on the background of those fearful days. Assam has been battered with those pages of history,And maybe it still lingers on with sudden Bandhs, extortion calls, etc.
There are some moments of real terror, and you feel the goosebumps when you read through. Aruni's grip of the language and his easy engaging style of writing , will make sure you do not let go of the book.
A sequel has to be on the cards, and I hope Aruni Kashyap is working on it..as we as readers are waiting to know what happened to the key protagonists.
And thank you Aruni, for autographing the book for me. It will hold a special place in my library.
September 3, 2013
This book gives a glimpse of what goes on in Assam now. What shook me when I read the book, was not its inevitable conclusion, or the story, but how deeply the author would have felt, that made him write this novel. The terror is intricately woven into the everyday life of these people, saying it aloud, and discussing would not have had the powerful effect the novel had. My whole idea of the rebels have changed. I am astounded by the insecurity the people live with, and amazed by how they cope with it.
To go one step further, I think this book should be discussed in the classroom for high school students in India much the same way as English is taught in America. What kids lack in India is a lack of perspective, and a feeling of empathy. If we had both, I think it would be a more tolerant place. This book would help much in that way.
To go one step further, I think this book should be discussed in the classroom for high school students in India much the same way as English is taught in America. What kids lack in India is a lack of perspective, and a feeling of empathy. If we had both, I think it would be a more tolerant place. This book would help much in that way.
September 3, 2014
This boook leaves the reader with half learnt facts and knowledge, this was my first Assamese fiction but i was looking for the mayhem of the secret killings in Assam but left with disappointment as the author journeyed through Pablos time and experience in the house where the marriage took place.The story set in rural Assam only dealt with the happenings of the marriage, the curiosity created by Anilda unfurled at the end with the death of Moina pehi..What happened to Mridul, what happened to Prosanto da? A greed to know about them still exists, the story could have been more gripping and firm had the author chose to close the unending characters.Why did the girl die? Was it because of her unwanted pregnancy or she too was raped by the militants.
The book could have been much better.
The book could have been much better.
August 24, 2013
A tragic story unfolding in the lap of Brahmaputra River...the book takes you to the Assamese culture--the violence, madness and skewed relationships that surround it...written with close observation this detailed book will reveal the fragile nature of humans and especially Assamese culture which is rooted in marriage, rituals and rebellion...be it in the form of love or using the gun.
A gripping novel from Aruni Kashyap. This is just a start from the powerful storyteller though there are lines which you feel exhausts the powerful voice it embodies.
A gripping novel from Aruni Kashyap. This is just a start from the powerful storyteller though there are lines which you feel exhausts the powerful voice it embodies.
May 5, 2016
A delightful read mixed with the sediments of romance, militancy, rape and marriage. Pablo, the protagonist and the narrator, holds the reader's attention while he is contemplating constantly. I would say, it's truly a 'stream of consciousness ' novel with humour, emotions and anxiety shared by him along with the characters as well as the readers. The non-linear plot unfolds in a new form in every chapter. Oholya Jethai, Prosonta Da, Mridul, Anamika are likely to be the major round characters.
Read it to understand the current scenario in Assam before judging it!
Read it to understand the current scenario in Assam before judging it!
December 7, 2013
Honest, gritty and heartbreaking in the end; a book where little secrets and the neglected state of Assam become much more than mere embellishments. Peppered with distinct characters, a relatable theme, and and easy yet restrained style of storytelling, this is a book that talks about the price we paid for becoming the largest 'democracy' in the world. You would want to pass it on to your friends!
October 1, 2015
A book/story/article often gives us a direction to form an opinion about a place and its people. And I am sure A House with a Thousand Stories will affect a lot on what people perceive of Assam, the Assamese people and their society and their struggle to rise above the pain & suffering of extremism and move forward towards the ray of hope. A must read.
Read review here - http://wp.me/p2Aqoq-cS
Read review here - http://wp.me/p2Aqoq-cS
June 6, 2014
my first Assamese fiction. generously sprinkled with bormas, pehis, Das', sinister spinsters who could poison your teas.
Mr kashyap does a commendable job, the book could've earned an extra star, if only it hadn't left us craving for more. other than that the man hanging like a bat, with his chopped limbs, at the end of the curve can sure give anyone nightmares.
Mr kashyap does a commendable job, the book could've earned an extra star, if only it hadn't left us craving for more. other than that the man hanging like a bat, with his chopped limbs, at the end of the curve can sure give anyone nightmares.
March 29, 2021
An amazing debut from the Northeast of India. Kashyap captures the essence of village life, it's traditions, faiths, beliefs and practices and thus keeping the Axomianess intact. Insurgency and secret killings in Assam during the last few decades find a beautiful depiction in the pages of this 2013 novel.
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