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Shadow Play
Aru and Rohit get married and settle down into the life of a working couple in a big city. Aru, still coming to terms with her mother Sumi's death in a road accident and her father Gopal's desertion of the family prior to that, remains the force that binds the lives of her sisters and her aunts. But tragedy strikes the family again, in the form of a devastating act of terrorism and a heinous crime and Aru has to face some of her life's toughest moments. Shadow Play is a masterful meditation on kinship, marriage, ambition and the changing face of urban India. Filled with a memorable cast of characters, it also tells the story of Kasturi, trying to find understanding and peace after enduring extreme cruelty and heartbreak. Kalyani, who atones for the wrongs society deals its women by an act of generosity in her death and Gracy, Tressa and Ramu, a family torn asunder by a senseless act of violence. In Shadow Play, one of India's most respected and accomplished novelists has produced a work that is deeply humane and contemplative-as much about the ephemeral nature of human life as it is about the enduring relationships that give it meaning.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
About the author
Shashi Deshpande
42 books164 followersNovelist and short story writer, Shashi Deshpande began her career with short stories and has by now authored nine short story collections, twelve novels and four books for children. Three of her novels have received awards, including the Sahitya Akademi award for `That Long Silence'. Some of her other novels are `The Dark Holds No Terrors', `A Matter of Time', `Small Remedies', `Moving On', `In The Country of Deceit' and `Ships that Pass'. Her latest novel is `Shadow Play'.Many of her short stories and novels have been translated into a number of Indian as well as European languages. She has translated two plays by her father, Adya Rangacharya, (Shriranga), as well as his memoirs, from Kannada into English, and a novel by Gauri Deshpande from Marathi into English.
Apart from fiction, she has written a number of articles on various subjects - literature, language, Indian writing in English, feminism and women's writing - which have now been put together in a collection `Writing from the Margin.' She has been invited to participate in various literary conferences and festivals, as well as to lecture in Universities, both in India and abroad.
She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2008.
List of books by Shashi Deshpande
Dark Holds No Terrors (1982)
That Long Silence (1989)
A Matter of Time
Moving On
Small Remedies
Shadow Play (2013)
The Narayanpur Incident
If I Die Today
In the Country of Deceit
The Binding Vine
Ships That Pass (2012)
The Intrusion And Other Stories
3 Novels : A Summer Adventure, The Hidden Treasure, The Only Witness
Come Up & Be Dead
Collected Stories (Volume - 1)
Collected Stories (Volume - 2)
Writing from the Margin: And Other Essays
Apart from fiction, she has written a number of articles on various subjects - literature, language, Indian writing in English, feminism and women's writing - which have now been put together in a collection `Writing from the Margin.' She has been invited to participate in various literary conferences and festivals, as well as to lecture in Universities, both in India and abroad.
She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2008.
List of books by Shashi Deshpande
Dark Holds No Terrors (1982)
That Long Silence (1989)
A Matter of Time
Moving On
Small Remedies
Shadow Play (2013)
The Narayanpur Incident
If I Die Today
In the Country of Deceit
The Binding Vine
Ships That Pass (2012)
The Intrusion And Other Stories
3 Novels : A Summer Adventure, The Hidden Treasure, The Only Witness
Come Up & Be Dead
Collected Stories (Volume - 1)
Collected Stories (Volume - 2)
Writing from the Margin: And Other Essays
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 25, 2021
This book was a gift to me from a dear friend because of my love for the author and her work. I was immediately drawn to the cover of the book and it’s aboli-coloured end papers. What pleased me more was the realization that Shadow Play was a sequel to A Matter of Time, the first book that I had read of Shashi Deshpande’s. I saved the book for some time before eagerly diving into it.
The book picks up from ten years later after A Matter of Time is concluded. We meet Aru, Charu, and Seema, the three sisters who were left bereft after their mother’s death and father’s desertion. Their lives have all changed since they were gangly adolescents. There are several other characters that we meet, just like a veritable Indian family. Aru is the protagonist of the book and we see her change as she faces life and its unpredictability, still uncertain about reaching out and being vulnerable. She is a lawyer now, working hard to make sure her clients get ‘justice’. There are glimpses into Gopal’s thinking and his late-adulthood. The book mainly talk about family ties, relationships, love, forgiveness, through two major plot curves and the background of the Aru’s family.
It is inevitable that one would compare this book to its predecessor. There is no doubt that I enjoyed this book and liked it, but A Matter of Time definitely impacted me more. Probably because of its common but never-spoken-of theme of loneliness and how it can impact a family and maybe because I was blown away by the author’s writing for the first time. Shadow Play also felt more like a series to me than a novel. Nevertheless, a series that I enjoyed.
Some of the greatest cruelties in life are inflicted within families. These are the worst, because they so often remain shrouded in silence. More voices are silenced by families than by the State.
It’s futile telling anyone not to love, as futile as it is to ask someone to love; Aru has learnt that both these are impossible. Why we love and why we can’t love are both mysteries we will never be able to fathom.
The book picks up from ten years later after A Matter of Time is concluded. We meet Aru, Charu, and Seema, the three sisters who were left bereft after their mother’s death and father’s desertion. Their lives have all changed since they were gangly adolescents. There are several other characters that we meet, just like a veritable Indian family. Aru is the protagonist of the book and we see her change as she faces life and its unpredictability, still uncertain about reaching out and being vulnerable. She is a lawyer now, working hard to make sure her clients get ‘justice’. There are glimpses into Gopal’s thinking and his late-adulthood. The book mainly talk about family ties, relationships, love, forgiveness, through two major plot curves and the background of the Aru’s family.
It is inevitable that one would compare this book to its predecessor. There is no doubt that I enjoyed this book and liked it, but A Matter of Time definitely impacted me more. Probably because of its common but never-spoken-of theme of loneliness and how it can impact a family and maybe because I was blown away by the author’s writing for the first time. Shadow Play also felt more like a series to me than a novel. Nevertheless, a series that I enjoyed.
Some of the greatest cruelties in life are inflicted within families. These are the worst, because they so often remain shrouded in silence. More voices are silenced by families than by the State.
It’s futile telling anyone not to love, as futile as it is to ask someone to love; Aru has learnt that both these are impossible. Why we love and why we can’t love are both mysteries we will never be able to fathom.
August 11, 2020
Since ages, women are evidently oppressed by men. They vehemently seek liberty throughout her life. Fortunately, now women have been encompassing the circumstances which have had made them stronger. Neither age nor her gender has been the stumbling block towards their endeavors. They initiate with their naivety and lead to a strengthened life which leaves its marks throughout and the legacy is followed generations after generations. Specifically, post-marriage is the phase where she expects the unexpected, comprehends the unsaid, and hence becomes robust.
The roots of the above notions can also be traced in the book The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir which is the focal point of Feminism applied in Shadow Play by Shashi Deshpande who has accentuated the challenges and milestones, a female goes through during her essential age and the ways she handles each and every challenge with the blend of disappointment and hope. Firstly, this dissertation would outline- Aru‟s; a woman‟s circumstances when she is abandoned by her father and the way she grips it along with encountering the shades of various relationships in her life. Secondly, with the reading of Waves of Feminism, this dissertation delineates the awakening of two women- one is Kasturi who is a victim of marital rape and the way she survives her life with dignity. Other is Seema- Aru‟s younger sister, who is a victim of Gang Rape. Lastly, with the reading of Ecriture Feminism, this dissertation draws the syntax incorporated by author Shashi Deshpande, which is refrained from Men Monopoly and flows as per the demands of female characters.
Shadow Play by Shashi Deshpande is a sequel of her novel A Matter of Time, where few characters were left unsaid about their mysteries. Besides challenges, Shadow play is about the love and optimism one must bestow.
The roots of the above notions can also be traced in the book The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir which is the focal point of Feminism applied in Shadow Play by Shashi Deshpande who has accentuated the challenges and milestones, a female goes through during her essential age and the ways she handles each and every challenge with the blend of disappointment and hope. Firstly, this dissertation would outline- Aru‟s; a woman‟s circumstances when she is abandoned by her father and the way she grips it along with encountering the shades of various relationships in her life. Secondly, with the reading of Waves of Feminism, this dissertation delineates the awakening of two women- one is Kasturi who is a victim of marital rape and the way she survives her life with dignity. Other is Seema- Aru‟s younger sister, who is a victim of Gang Rape. Lastly, with the reading of Ecriture Feminism, this dissertation draws the syntax incorporated by author Shashi Deshpande, which is refrained from Men Monopoly and flows as per the demands of female characters.
Shadow Play by Shashi Deshpande is a sequel of her novel A Matter of Time, where few characters were left unsaid about their mysteries. Besides challenges, Shadow play is about the love and optimism one must bestow.
June 11, 2020
Good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2013
A beautiful book.. one that makes you wonder at the need for someone else as well as appreciate the intricacies of relationships. The almost worshipping kind of admiration a daughter feels for her father and the subsequent betrayal by his leaving that makes her pledge never to let anyone close again.. the struggle that her loving husband faces in trying to draw her close, his patience & hope to make her feel just as strongly as he does.. the father's struggle for redemption & to achieve, if not love, atleast acceptance from her.. these are just snippets of the many relationships in the emotional journey you undergo while reading this simple, yet elegantly written narrative. A must-read for someone who believes in relationships.. believes in the sacrifices & joys that go hand in hand in life!
October 21, 2013
As always, Deshpande's characters are well-sketched, complex and arouse compassion and understanding in the reader. The plot is also richly layered and unfolds nicely generating curiosity and interest. The only thing I found somewhat distracting and a bit unlike the author - based on some of her other works I have read over the years - is that in this novel she sort of gets into a bit of lecturing mode, bringing a bit too much (for my taste, at least) of the commentary and opinion on social/cultural/political issues. This seems forced at places and even disrupts the narrative because it cuts away at the emotional richness that I find so endearing in Deshpande's writing.
December 8, 2013
I'm always amazed at the ability of writers to weave complex tales into simple narratives. Shashi Deshpande has done a brilliant job of that in Shadow Play. In lucid yet exquisite prose, she has highlighted the tangled web of human relationships and needs. And the grave threats shaking the foundations of our so-called society every now and then. A truly splendid book.
March 22, 2016
It started well with creating a web of characters whom we can identify in our day to day life. Somewhere missed the plot and looked like a diary of events. Towards the end author tried to bring all together but it was a rushed affair. Felt that author was a little shy of showing grey side of the characters in the story. Overall a good read.
October 4, 2013
Skilfully crafted
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December 7, 2014Would anyone like to share this book fr 5 days.- south delhi.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews