Nothing to Declare

by Rabi Thapa

In the title story; Bikram achieves his most urgent middle-class dream; to emigrate to London. Young phoren-returned Nepalis hang out in the bars of Thamel in ‘Night Out in Kathmandu’; sharing tables with those who did not—could not—go. They talk about pretty much the same things: visas; music; booze; the impossibility of getting laid in the city. There are foreigners too; trekking on the usual routes; smoking cheap grass and looking for their inner selves. The Maobadis loom large in ‘Home for Dashain’; wreaking vengeance on behalf of the people. Though rarely mentioned in the city; they are ever present; invoked by the sad pole dancers in the more risqué bars and the transvestites pounding the streets looking for customers. And in 'Aryaghat'; a Kathmandu family lays to rest the ashes of a Nepali boy who has committed suicide in Alabama.

The sixteen stories in Nothing to Declare are passionate; pensive and at times disenchanted. They mirror the experiences of the middle-class youth of Kathmandu as they build lives; trying to make sense—and pushing the limits—of a rapidly changing but ever-conservative society. Vividly imagined and deeply felt; this is a brilliant debut.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Deelasha Rayamajhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fact and fiction blended just the right amount. The experiences well put in the form of short stories that everyone can relate to at one point in their life. From hostel life, secrets with siblings, youth, insurgency, desires and the tradition and culture in Nepal that somehow binds us and some things that we cannot let go of.

[Meghan Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of short stories with a Katmandu theme—Nepalis living their lives in, around, and away from the city. An interesting weaving of non-fiction into fiction. Some of the 16 short stories were better and more poignant than others; I'm not really a short story fan, but these kept my attention and built an intrigue and an understanding of what it means to be a modern Nepali.

[Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in my university's book swap case and I'm glad I took it. It's pretty classical (American style) short stories about life as man in Nepal or life as a Nepali man abroad. They're good. They're just kind of forgettable.

[Basmaish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars for the first couple of stories which I enjoyed, the rest I found to be a bit meh.

[Nallasivan V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intimate sketches of life in Kathmandu and Nepal. Light read, but over 16 stories the author gives us a glimpse of life in Contemporary Nepal.

[Jule · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nothing to Declare" is a collection of short stories about different people and their everyday life in Nepal. I liked the diversity of the problems these characters faced, though almost every story dealt with serious hardship, danger, death and general bad things. Still, it was enjoyable to dive into this foreign culture. However, it was apparent that these were not necessarily written for foreign readers (despite being published by Penguin!) - much of the cultural detail and bits and pieces of Nepali dialogue were not translated or explained and left holes in the otherwise rich description of the settings. This is a particular pet peeve of mine, but I am sure I am not the only one who might find it annoying in this particular book. Other than that, some of the language could have used a second read-through. It is not Shakespeare, that much is obvious, but it is not bad. Overall, the stories and culture were more important that missing punctuation. A thin book like this with nice portioned-off short stories is ideal for getting started with Nepali literature.

[Jane Wilson-Howarth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure why this wonderful collection of stories hasn’t been better promoted by the publisher (Penguin) as it is a gem of diverse and engaging tales.
Thapa writes fluently and expertly on the Nepali diaspora, about how it feels like to be the centre of coming of age celebrations dressed in nothing but a loin cloth, the rigours of boarding school, of drunken nights out with mates in London and Kathmandu, desire, village life, the violence of the civil war, arranged marriage, and a moving story of a suicide. The final apocalyptic story is particularly beautifully crafted. My favourite tale in the collection which has remained with me was The Trail - very powerful.
Thapa's is another great read and also recommended.

[Smita Magar · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories make you want to know more about the author. How closely they relate or do not relate with his own experience? Because it's so easy to find oneself (ones thoughts) in those stories whether in ones reality or the imagination.
A must read.

[Elmer123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story