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Middle India
A new translation of stories by one of the best modern Hindi writers In this collection of seventeen short stories, Bhisham Sahni examines middle India--the lower middle class--not rich or famous or educated in convent schools, not cosmopolitan but urban or semi-urban. In these tightly told tales, he explores with precision of thought and expression the humanity of individuals and their places in society. The collection includes some of Sahni's best known stories: 'Dinner for the Boss', a tragi-comic tale of a man trying to please his employer and a mother's attempt to please her son; 'Paali', the drama of a young boy shared between a Muslim and a Hindu family during Partition; and 'Sparrow', a story of love and loss in a marriage. Among the other stories in this anthology are popular favourites like 'Veero', 'The Witch', 'Before Dying', 'Radha-Anuradha' and 'Salma Aapa'. The author, Bhisham Sahni, is a well known novelist and was recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Tamas in 1976. He lives in New Delhi.
244 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 11, 2019
I fell in love with the poignant writing of Bhisham Sahni after reading his novel, Tamas(Darkness, Tareekiyan). That novel is based on the personal experiences of Bhisham Sahni of the partition.
This collection of stories touched a chord with me because I could relate to many stories. I don't think the problems faced by middle class have changed even after all these decades. Our behaviours, our relationships, our aspirations and our deficiencies have remained the same all these years. That's why it looks like Bhisham Sahni is talking about the people of my family or any family from middle class.
Two stories Paali and Veero had as profound impact on me as his novel had. It was interesting to discover that Khamosh Pani, a 2003 Pakistani movie directed by Sabiha Kumar, is based on the story Veero from this collection. When I watched Khamosh Pani, I wanted to read the novel/story which was behind such a big movie, but I couldn't find any. Some weeks ago, I watched the movie on a friend's recommendation and was amazed that we are not aware of such a great movie by Pakistani cinema. Now, I'm really astonished that Bhisham Sahni's legendary story Paali is behind the movie. After all partition separated people from two counties, but literature and art (even/especially on partition) is there to connect us. The more I read on partition, the more I stop believing in borders.
Bhisham Sahni is really an icon of Hindi literature and a must read for everyone.
This collection of stories touched a chord with me because I could relate to many stories. I don't think the problems faced by middle class have changed even after all these decades. Our behaviours, our relationships, our aspirations and our deficiencies have remained the same all these years. That's why it looks like Bhisham Sahni is talking about the people of my family or any family from middle class.
Two stories Paali and Veero had as profound impact on me as his novel had. It was interesting to discover that Khamosh Pani, a 2003 Pakistani movie directed by Sabiha Kumar, is based on the story Veero from this collection. When I watched Khamosh Pani, I wanted to read the novel/story which was behind such a big movie, but I couldn't find any. Some weeks ago, I watched the movie on a friend's recommendation and was amazed that we are not aware of such a great movie by Pakistani cinema. Now, I'm really astonished that Bhisham Sahni's legendary story Paali is behind the movie. After all partition separated people from two counties, but literature and art (even/especially on partition) is there to connect us. The more I read on partition, the more I stop believing in borders.
Bhisham Sahni is really an icon of Hindi literature and a must read for everyone.
May 5, 2022
I read two translated works last week - an old one by Sir Richard Francis Burton : Vikram and Betal and this new one. I would have to say I am disappointed by the translation effort by Gillian Wright. A lot of cultural insights hidden in the original work is lost in the translation because of lack of footnotes.
It does not mean that one should not read this. The collection of stories is amazing. The initial stories may seem banal but the emotional involvement picks up from stories like Paali. Sir Bhishma Sahni has done an amazing work in capturing the life of middle class families, life of families affected by partition, changes in life as one grows old in these stories. At some points, I get a very kafkaesque feel.. that absurdity.. don't know if it's because of translation effects or a web woven by Sir Sahni himself.
Either way, it's a must read book. Even better if you could get your hands on the original work.
It does not mean that one should not read this. The collection of stories is amazing. The initial stories may seem banal but the emotional involvement picks up from stories like Paali. Sir Bhishma Sahni has done an amazing work in capturing the life of middle class families, life of families affected by partition, changes in life as one grows old in these stories. At some points, I get a very kafkaesque feel.. that absurdity.. don't know if it's because of translation effects or a web woven by Sir Sahni himself.
Either way, it's a must read book. Even better if you could get your hands on the original work.
January 5, 2015
Every time I open a book about India written by Indian I get sucked in a sticky, heavy, irredeemable, nevertheless beautiful world of people whose spirits get bent heavily by traditions. This was not an exception.
In these kind of books a sense of humor is a helpful tool and Mr. Sahni definitely has a gift to be able to laugh kindheartedly about himself and people around him. End even if the laughter comes through killed children, lost sisters, unimaginable corruption and even worse bureaucracy, it helps to digest the world we are living in.
The most touching story for me was "Paali". It tells us about an originally Hindu boy that gets lost from his family when they are forced to leave their home in Pakistan during the separation. Paali gets adopted by a Muslim family where he gets all the love a child needs. But beside the love he also gets a new lifestyle, new name, new traditions based on his new religion. Later on, the real family manages to find him and get him back. But the boy now has a stamp of a different culture. This kind of throwing back and forwards probably is traumatic for a kid who doesn't understand why his head gets shaved or his little willy circumcised. And actually that is a story of many children, people all around the world, not only India or east. People get subjected to a grand conditioning - traditions, family, religion, culture, politics, finances and many other things have taken the place of just listening to ourselves, looking around and realizing that everything is beautiful as it is.
Bhisham Sahni through his stories shows us our falls, fears and according (in)actions. He is a true storyteller doing his duties at his best - depicting what is a human, what is the mankind and where we have come to. Where we are going from this point? Well that is up to us now.
In these kind of books a sense of humor is a helpful tool and Mr. Sahni definitely has a gift to be able to laugh kindheartedly about himself and people around him. End even if the laughter comes through killed children, lost sisters, unimaginable corruption and even worse bureaucracy, it helps to digest the world we are living in.
The most touching story for me was "Paali". It tells us about an originally Hindu boy that gets lost from his family when they are forced to leave their home in Pakistan during the separation. Paali gets adopted by a Muslim family where he gets all the love a child needs. But beside the love he also gets a new lifestyle, new name, new traditions based on his new religion. Later on, the real family manages to find him and get him back. But the boy now has a stamp of a different culture. This kind of throwing back and forwards probably is traumatic for a kid who doesn't understand why his head gets shaved or his little willy circumcised. And actually that is a story of many children, people all around the world, not only India or east. People get subjected to a grand conditioning - traditions, family, religion, culture, politics, finances and many other things have taken the place of just listening to ourselves, looking around and realizing that everything is beautiful as it is.
Bhisham Sahni through his stories shows us our falls, fears and according (in)actions. He is a true storyteller doing his duties at his best - depicting what is a human, what is the mankind and where we have come to. Where we are going from this point? Well that is up to us now.
January 13, 2018
As I promised myself to plunge into the reading of translations this year, I put my hands on this literary classic which is a collection of short-stories written by the acclaimed Hindi writer Mr Bhisam Sahni. The stories selected in the book are one of the best by the author but what I felt wrong about this book is its translation. The emotions and feeling which the author might have expressed in the original language i.e Hindi are somewhat lost in the translation and you feel like reading a report. Overall, the stories are really engaging and represent the state of the middle class of India but the vague translation fails to fulfil the void of emotional connect with the stories.
September 5, 2018
Stories of the ordinary Indian - the real aam aadmi pitted against society, Nature, disease, bureaucracy, religion and the sheer cussedness of other Indians.
Prem Chand like in flavour, the milieu is both urban as well as rural, typically North Indian (Punjabi and pre-terrorist Kashmir specifically) and temporally placed in the para-Independence period. Some are poignant tales, some Kafkaesque nightmares, one allegorical fable, love stories - but all will touch you in some way.
Prem Chand like in flavour, the milieu is both urban as well as rural, typically North Indian (Punjabi and pre-terrorist Kashmir specifically) and temporally placed in the para-Independence period. Some are poignant tales, some Kafkaesque nightmares, one allegorical fable, love stories - but all will touch you in some way.
October 26, 2020
i read this book for the sake of reading. i didn’t enjoy reading it. felt like this book was just a nice pile of pages. stories were plot driven, but they didn’t have that spark in themselves which made the stories boring.
April 27, 2021
'Salima felt sharply that by trying to hold on to the hem of the past she had been left with just a handful of dust.'
Beautifully crafted postcards from post-partition India. Tender, thoughtful writing in perfectly whole stories.
Beautifully crafted postcards from post-partition India. Tender, thoughtful writing in perfectly whole stories.
April 24, 2022
i read this book for the sake of reading. i didn’t enjoy reading it. felt like this book was just a nice pile of pages. stories were plot driven, but they didn’t have that spark in themselves which made the stories boring.
October 9, 2019
Great piece of short fiction depicting the middle class.
October 25, 2020
Very nicely crafted stories of middle class Indian, their everyday life, struggles and ambitions. insightful read which I felt can connect with you on some level or another.
March 5, 2014
Great piece of short fiction depicting the middle class.
February 9, 2021
What a book ! Sahani , one of the foremost Hindi writers , pens out some of the best shirt stories you will ever read ...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews