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அம்பை சிறுகதைகள் #5
ஒரு கறுப்புச் சிலந்தியுடன் ஓர் இரவு
அம்பையின் ஐந்தாவது சிறுகதைத் தொகுதி. இத்தொகுப்பில் 18 கதைகள் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளன. பலவும் இதுவரை பிரசுரம் பெறாத கதைகள்.
அம்பை
அம்பை (பி. 1944) இயற்பெயர் டாக்டர் சி.எஸ். லக்ஷ்மி. வரலாற்றாசிரியர்; புது தில்லி ஜவஹர்லால் நேரு பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் முனைவர் பட்டம் பெற்றவர். நாற்பது ஆண்டுகளாகப் பெண்கள் வரலாறு, வாழ்க்கை பற்றிய ஆய்வில் ஈடுபட்டிருப்பவர். பெண் எழுத்தாளர்கள், பெண் இசைக் கலைஞர்கள், பெண் நடனக் கலைஞர்கள் குறித்து இவர் மேற்கொண்ட ஆய்வுகள் ‘The Face Behind the Mask’, ‘The Singer and the Song’, ‘Mirrors and Gestures’ என்னும் புத்தகங்களாக வெளிவந்துள்ளன. சிறுகதைத் தொகுதிகள் ‘சிறகுகள் முறியும்’ (1976), ‘வீட்டின் மூலையில் ஒரு சமையலறை’ (1988), ‘காட்டில் ஒரு மான்’ (2000), ‘வற்றும் ஏரியின் மீன்கள்’ (2007), ‘ஒரு கறுப்புச் சிலந்தியுடன் ஓர் இரவு’ (2013), அந்தேரி மேம்பாலத்தில் ஒரு சந்திப்பு (2014). இவரின் கதைகள் ஆங்கிலத்தில் ‘A Purple Sea’, ‘In a Forest, A Deer’, ‘Fish in a Dwindling Lake’, A Night With a Black Spider, A Meeting On the Andheri Over Bridge என ஐந்து தொகுதிகளாக மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்ட இரோம் ஷர்மிலாவின் ‘Fragrance of Peace’ கவிதைத் தொகுப்பைத் தமிழில் ‘அமைதியின் நறுமணம்’ (2010) என மொழிபெயர்த்திருக்கிறார். விளக்கு அமைப்பின் புதுமைப்பித்தன் விருது (2005), டொரான்டோ பல்கலைக்கழக தமிழ் இலக்கியத் தோட்டத்தின் வாழ்நாள் இலக்கிய விருது (2008), தமிழக அரசின் கலைஞர் மு. கருணாநிதி பொற்கிழி (2011), சென்னைப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் இலக்கியத்தில் உன்னதத்திற்கான விருது (2011) முதலானவற்றைப் பெற்றிருக்கிறார். SPARROW (Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women) என்னும் பெண்கள் ஆவணக் காப்பகத்தை மும்பையில் 1988இல் நிறுவி அதன் இயக்குநராகச் செயல்பட்டுவருகிறார்..
அம்பை
அம்பை (பி. 1944) இயற்பெயர் டாக்டர் சி.எஸ். லக்ஷ்மி. வரலாற்றாசிரியர்; புது தில்லி ஜவஹர்லால் நேரு பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் முனைவர் பட்டம் பெற்றவர். நாற்பது ஆண்டுகளாகப் பெண்கள் வரலாறு, வாழ்க்கை பற்றிய ஆய்வில் ஈடுபட்டிருப்பவர். பெண் எழுத்தாளர்கள், பெண் இசைக் கலைஞர்கள், பெண் நடனக் கலைஞர்கள் குறித்து இவர் மேற்கொண்ட ஆய்வுகள் ‘The Face Behind the Mask’, ‘The Singer and the Song’, ‘Mirrors and Gestures’ என்னும் புத்தகங்களாக வெளிவந்துள்ளன. சிறுகதைத் தொகுதிகள் ‘சிறகுகள் முறியும்’ (1976), ‘வீட்டின் மூலையில் ஒரு சமையலறை’ (1988), ‘காட்டில் ஒரு மான்’ (2000), ‘வற்றும் ஏரியின் மீன்கள்’ (2007), ‘ஒரு கறுப்புச் சிலந்தியுடன் ஓர் இரவு’ (2013), அந்தேரி மேம்பாலத்தில் ஒரு சந்திப்பு (2014). இவரின் கதைகள் ஆங்கிலத்தில் ‘A Purple Sea’, ‘In a Forest, A Deer’, ‘Fish in a Dwindling Lake’, A Night With a Black Spider, A Meeting On the Andheri Over Bridge என ஐந்து தொகுதிகளாக மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்டிருக்கின்றன. ஆங்கிலத்தில் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்ட இரோம் ஷர்மிலாவின் ‘Fragrance of Peace’ கவிதைத் தொகுப்பைத் தமிழில் ‘அமைதியின் நறுமணம்’ (2010) என மொழிபெயர்த்திருக்கிறார். விளக்கு அமைப்பின் புதுமைப்பித்தன் விருது (2005), டொரான்டோ பல்கலைக்கழக தமிழ் இலக்கியத் தோட்டத்தின் வாழ்நாள் இலக்கிய விருது (2008), தமிழக அரசின் கலைஞர் மு. கருணாநிதி பொற்கிழி (2011), சென்னைப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் இலக்கியத்தில் உன்னதத்திற்கான விருது (2011) முதலானவற்றைப் பெற்றிருக்கிறார். SPARROW (Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women) என்னும் பெண்கள் ஆவணக் காப்பகத்தை மும்பையில் 1988இல் நிறுவி அதன் இயக்குநராகச் செயல்பட்டுவருகிறார்..
167 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2013
16 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Ambai
38 books72 followersAmbai (nom de plume of C. S. Lakshmi), is a historian, an independent Women's Studies researcher, and a feminist writer in Tamil. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Madras Christian College and MA in Bangalore and her PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her dissertation was on American policy towards refugees fleeing Hungary due to the failed revolution of 1956. After completing her education, she worked as a school teacher and college lecturer in Tamil Nadu. She is married to Vishnu Mathur, a film maker, and lives in Mumbai.
In 1962, Ambai published her first work Nandimalai Charalilae (lit. At Nandi Hills) – written when she was still a teenager. Her first serious work of fiction was the Tamil novel Andhi Maalai (lit. Twilight) published in 1966. She received critical acclaim with the short story Siragukal muriyum (lit. Wings Will be Broken) (1967) published in the literary magazine Kanaiyazhi. This story was later published in book form as a part of short story collection under the same name in 1976. The same year she was awarded a two-year fellowship to study the work of Tamil women writers. The research work was published as The Face behind the mask (Advent Books) in 1984. In 1988, her second Tamil short story collection titled Veetin mulaiyil oru samaiyalarai (lit. A Kitchen in the Corner of the House) was published. This established her reputation as a major short story writer.
Her work is characterised by her feminism, an eye for detail, and a sense of irony. Some of her works – A Purple Sea (1992) and In A Forest, A Deer (2006) – have been translated to English by Lakshmi Holmström. For her contributions to Tamil literature, she received the 2008 Iyal Virudhu (Lifetime Achievement Award) awarded by the Canada-based Tamil Literary Garden. She is currently the Director of SPARROW (Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women).
In 1962, Ambai published her first work Nandimalai Charalilae (lit. At Nandi Hills) – written when she was still a teenager. Her first serious work of fiction was the Tamil novel Andhi Maalai (lit. Twilight) published in 1966. She received critical acclaim with the short story Siragukal muriyum (lit. Wings Will be Broken) (1967) published in the literary magazine Kanaiyazhi. This story was later published in book form as a part of short story collection under the same name in 1976. The same year she was awarded a two-year fellowship to study the work of Tamil women writers. The research work was published as The Face behind the mask (Advent Books) in 1984. In 1988, her second Tamil short story collection titled Veetin mulaiyil oru samaiyalarai (lit. A Kitchen in the Corner of the House) was published. This established her reputation as a major short story writer.
Her work is characterised by her feminism, an eye for detail, and a sense of irony. Some of her works – A Purple Sea (1992) and In A Forest, A Deer (2006) – have been translated to English by Lakshmi Holmström. For her contributions to Tamil literature, she received the 2008 Iyal Virudhu (Lifetime Achievement Award) awarded by the Canada-based Tamil Literary Garden. She is currently the Director of SPARROW (Sound & Picture Archives for Research on Women).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 25, 2021
Lovely set of shorts with some really good translation.
Most of the stories have loneliness as the underlying emotion, and that's what she starts with, with Mahishan feeling lonely and falling in love with the Devi out to kill him.
But around all that loneliness there is life itself that happens through it all. Growing up, ageing, kids growing up, deaths of those older to us who meant so much to us, the inevitable falling away of everything we rely and lean on. And the loneliness of it all.
Most of the stories leave you with a lump in the throat despite their short lengths. Am surprised this is the first time am hearing of Ambai. Look forward to reading more of her.
Most of the stories have loneliness as the underlying emotion, and that's what she starts with, with Mahishan feeling lonely and falling in love with the Devi out to kill him.
But around all that loneliness there is life itself that happens through it all. Growing up, ageing, kids growing up, deaths of those older to us who meant so much to us, the inevitable falling away of everything we rely and lean on. And the loneliness of it all.
Most of the stories leave you with a lump in the throat despite their short lengths. Am surprised this is the first time am hearing of Ambai. Look forward to reading more of her.
August 14, 2023
'Why not? Don't you know that it is good manners to speak in a soft voice? If you shout like that, even the poor dog could not tolerate it! She felt a little bad. When she met the Golden Retriever alone the next day, she sat in front of it and told her story about the bezoar on the tongue. When she felt certain that the dog was listening, she carried on talking. 'Listen, dear Gold, I come from a different culture. A lot of sun has softened and thawed out our voices. When it is hot, we speak loudly. When it is cold, we still speak loudly to help ourselves bear the weather. In spring, we shout because we are excited. In autumn, we look at barren trees and shout to each other. Even when we use public telephones, the entire town can hear us. When someone we want to talk to is standing twenty feet from us, we don't feel the need to go closer to attract their attention. We yell out to them from wherever we are standing and carry on a conversation. With someone who is sitting five feet away from us, we share life stories, without feeling the need to turn down our volume. Anger, love, lust, birth, death, we do everything loudly. Celebrations, revelries, those are loud, too. Those of us who live in cities, we shout over the noises of buses and cars. We don't have any secrets between us. You have to understand this. You are a European dog. You don't know about us.
- Saluki by Ambai : A night with a black spider stories
.
.
What a delightful collection of short stories. I never heard of Ambai (or Dr. C.S Lakshmi) so stumbling upon this rare gem in a secondhand bookstore is a treat in itself. Some of my friends are Tamilians and speaks Tamil so even without footnotes defining some of of the terms and lingos, it felt so familiar that it just flowed well with the stories. And the food description, never have i craved some sambar and idli in the middle of my reading. That being said, Ambai wrote with simplicity but the message behind it was so heavy that it lingered even after you have finished reading it. There’s so many social criticisms that Ambai put in her stories. There’s a story about dowry, caste, colourism, Tamil’s identity and its complexity, intercaste & inter-religion marriage and union and even North-South India together with the superiority complex of the language and ethnicity each one of them wanted to exclaim. I don’t intend to summarise all stories in the book. What i would do is to share some of the memorable quotes from my favourite stories.
1. Journey 17
But she had consoled herself that she needed much stronger reasons to run away. In fact, her going to Delhi for higher studies was a sort of small attempt at that. She knew very clearly by then that only two kinds of running away were possible. One way was to do it like her sister: get married and leave in the traditional way. The other way was to use higher education as an excuse, argue, offer explanations, make promises, and get away. After all, human parents weren't like birds, to just conduct a couple of sessions of flight training and then push the kids out of the nest. They were the kind that held your hand tight. They believed with all their heart that she could function in this world only if they placed her hand in a man's. So she had to exit through the door marked 'higher education’.
2. When Things Die
Perhaps because it had been so long since he had had a conversation in Tamil, it took him a while to fully understand what she had said. This was not a house filled with objects. This was a history of a way of life. It was a space that bore the signs of two life histories coming together. Amma and Appa could even accurately relate every object to a specific date, details, and stories. These objects even had events attached to them, events whose memories would bring forth uncontrollable laughter, joy, tears and tenderness. There was music to these things. They had a patina of raga to them. They were wrapped in sounds that had gone unrecorded; sounds of footsteps, the sound of sandals grating against the floor, sounds of ankle bells, of bangles, sobs, laughter, love, arguments, gossip, the babble of children, the sharp sound that wet clothes make when you fling them hard once before you drape them to dry, the little sound of a matchstick being lit, the sound of a flame catching on, the rustle of a sari.The house contained fragrances that many nostrils had inhaled. From the faint fragrance of breast milk, to the smell of chewed up betel leaf, to the smell of just-cooked food that stirred up pangs of hunger, the strong smell of food getting burnt, the smell of blood, the smell of the coming together of bodies.
3. A love story with a sad ending
Devi's lion leapt at the people of his clan, and they ran away back to the netherworld. Immortals, mortals, sages and saints, all rejoiced. Devi rode away from the battlefield on her lion without looking back. In the future, she would be known mainly as the woman who killed Mahishan. His name would get linked to hers forever. It was Mahishan who was vanquished; not his love. It was not that she did not know this. But then, she too was a function of her circumstances. Perhaps, the fact that Mahishan's name would forever be attached to hers was a gesture of reciprocation. In the path she was leaving behind, lay Mahishan, the lover, who was insulted for being ugly, called a buffalo's son and a demon. He lay there, head separated from the body, in a pool of blood, with no one to lift him up and embrace him. Perhaps because he knew how his name would forever be linked to hers in the future, his face appeared peaceful in death. As if they were trying to grasp at something at a great distance, something unattainable, his eyes stayed affixed at the sky above.
4. Journey 14
'Madam, you might feel compelled to show that you do not believe in caste. I don't. Even though I don't believe in it, it still stays sticking to me. I just have to keep dusting it away as I go. I should not allow it to make me, or the others who are close to me, lose self-respect. That is all I care about. The old man cares about caste. But that does not mean I can let him die. I am a doctor, he said to her in English.
Then he laughed out aloud. 'Now, you know what will happen? When the old man goes back to the village, he will narrate this to everyone. And everyone will celebrate him. He will become "the Thakur saheb who let a lower caste man touch him. Whether we touch him or he touches us, the glory will always be his.
5. Saluki
In that group were a very well-known Bengali writer and a Hindi writer. It looked like they had been to many foreign countries before as part of such contingents. They had an air of nonchalance about them, much like the families of bridegrooms in Indian weddings. The Bengali writer, whom everyone respected, thought that the only literatures people had to know were Bengali and English; there was no need to know about literature in any other language. Bengalis who met him on the streets of Chicago even touched his feet in respect. The Hindi writer, on the other hand, insisted, 'India might have many classical languages. But no literary tradition in India compares to that of Hindi. When he heard that she was from Tamil Nadu, the Bengali writer said, 'I know one author in Tamil. His name starts with Je..Jeyakanthan, she said.
.
If you made it until here, that means you are intrigued. I would definitely recommend this especially if you are in a reading slump or wanted to just read something that is short but provides intellect as well.
- Saluki by Ambai : A night with a black spider stories
.
.
What a delightful collection of short stories. I never heard of Ambai (or Dr. C.S Lakshmi) so stumbling upon this rare gem in a secondhand bookstore is a treat in itself. Some of my friends are Tamilians and speaks Tamil so even without footnotes defining some of of the terms and lingos, it felt so familiar that it just flowed well with the stories. And the food description, never have i craved some sambar and idli in the middle of my reading. That being said, Ambai wrote with simplicity but the message behind it was so heavy that it lingered even after you have finished reading it. There’s so many social criticisms that Ambai put in her stories. There’s a story about dowry, caste, colourism, Tamil’s identity and its complexity, intercaste & inter-religion marriage and union and even North-South India together with the superiority complex of the language and ethnicity each one of them wanted to exclaim. I don’t intend to summarise all stories in the book. What i would do is to share some of the memorable quotes from my favourite stories.
1. Journey 17
But she had consoled herself that she needed much stronger reasons to run away. In fact, her going to Delhi for higher studies was a sort of small attempt at that. She knew very clearly by then that only two kinds of running away were possible. One way was to do it like her sister: get married and leave in the traditional way. The other way was to use higher education as an excuse, argue, offer explanations, make promises, and get away. After all, human parents weren't like birds, to just conduct a couple of sessions of flight training and then push the kids out of the nest. They were the kind that held your hand tight. They believed with all their heart that she could function in this world only if they placed her hand in a man's. So she had to exit through the door marked 'higher education’.
2. When Things Die
Perhaps because it had been so long since he had had a conversation in Tamil, it took him a while to fully understand what she had said. This was not a house filled with objects. This was a history of a way of life. It was a space that bore the signs of two life histories coming together. Amma and Appa could even accurately relate every object to a specific date, details, and stories. These objects even had events attached to them, events whose memories would bring forth uncontrollable laughter, joy, tears and tenderness. There was music to these things. They had a patina of raga to them. They were wrapped in sounds that had gone unrecorded; sounds of footsteps, the sound of sandals grating against the floor, sounds of ankle bells, of bangles, sobs, laughter, love, arguments, gossip, the babble of children, the sharp sound that wet clothes make when you fling them hard once before you drape them to dry, the little sound of a matchstick being lit, the sound of a flame catching on, the rustle of a sari.The house contained fragrances that many nostrils had inhaled. From the faint fragrance of breast milk, to the smell of chewed up betel leaf, to the smell of just-cooked food that stirred up pangs of hunger, the strong smell of food getting burnt, the smell of blood, the smell of the coming together of bodies.
3. A love story with a sad ending
Devi's lion leapt at the people of his clan, and they ran away back to the netherworld. Immortals, mortals, sages and saints, all rejoiced. Devi rode away from the battlefield on her lion without looking back. In the future, she would be known mainly as the woman who killed Mahishan. His name would get linked to hers forever. It was Mahishan who was vanquished; not his love. It was not that she did not know this. But then, she too was a function of her circumstances. Perhaps, the fact that Mahishan's name would forever be attached to hers was a gesture of reciprocation. In the path she was leaving behind, lay Mahishan, the lover, who was insulted for being ugly, called a buffalo's son and a demon. He lay there, head separated from the body, in a pool of blood, with no one to lift him up and embrace him. Perhaps because he knew how his name would forever be linked to hers in the future, his face appeared peaceful in death. As if they were trying to grasp at something at a great distance, something unattainable, his eyes stayed affixed at the sky above.
4. Journey 14
'Madam, you might feel compelled to show that you do not believe in caste. I don't. Even though I don't believe in it, it still stays sticking to me. I just have to keep dusting it away as I go. I should not allow it to make me, or the others who are close to me, lose self-respect. That is all I care about. The old man cares about caste. But that does not mean I can let him die. I am a doctor, he said to her in English.
Then he laughed out aloud. 'Now, you know what will happen? When the old man goes back to the village, he will narrate this to everyone. And everyone will celebrate him. He will become "the Thakur saheb who let a lower caste man touch him. Whether we touch him or he touches us, the glory will always be his.
5. Saluki
In that group were a very well-known Bengali writer and a Hindi writer. It looked like they had been to many foreign countries before as part of such contingents. They had an air of nonchalance about them, much like the families of bridegrooms in Indian weddings. The Bengali writer, whom everyone respected, thought that the only literatures people had to know were Bengali and English; there was no need to know about literature in any other language. Bengalis who met him on the streets of Chicago even touched his feet in respect. The Hindi writer, on the other hand, insisted, 'India might have many classical languages. But no literary tradition in India compares to that of Hindi. When he heard that she was from Tamil Nadu, the Bengali writer said, 'I know one author in Tamil. His name starts with Je..Jeyakanthan, she said.
.
If you made it until here, that means you are intrigued. I would definitely recommend this especially if you are in a reading slump or wanted to just read something that is short but provides intellect as well.
July 12, 2018
At times, this book is like wine. I want to take a sip and let its taste linger. The story is beautiful, emotional, tender. Very beautifully observed.
Then again, the reader in me feels thirsty and wants to finish it soon, like gulping down water after being dehydrated. The pages keep turning and I am left wondering where the time flew.
Of the stories, my favourite was "When Things Die". And many of the journeys left me thoughtful. I didn't like a couple of the stories either. But in the end, this is a collection I'd recommend.
Then again, the reader in me feels thirsty and wants to finish it soon, like gulping down water after being dehydrated. The pages keep turning and I am left wondering where the time flew.
Of the stories, my favourite was "When Things Die". And many of the journeys left me thoughtful. I didn't like a couple of the stories either. But in the end, this is a collection I'd recommend.
July 13, 2023
5/5
Ambai delivers a splendid anthology. With short stories that touch on the very experience of living and Indian-ness, she examines gender, religion, caste and myth with a graceful ease. Written with a masterful stroke, it is sure to make you smile, weep and everything in between alike.
Ambai delivers a splendid anthology. With short stories that touch on the very experience of living and Indian-ness, she examines gender, religion, caste and myth with a graceful ease. Written with a masterful stroke, it is sure to make you smile, weep and everything in between alike.
March 27, 2018
மிக சுவாரசியமான சிறுகதைத் தொகுப்பு.
May 19, 2021
A night with a black spider written by Ambai & wonderfully translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan from Tamil. It is a collection of 17 stories that have the elements like music, food, love, pain longing, human emotions, caste and politics.
There are so many references of Carnatic music, Tamil songs & films in most of the stories. Ambai captures the pain & struggles of people and discrimination between various castes & stereotypes in the patriarchal society. And the oppression of women voices and sacrifices they made.
The writing style is brilliant. The rich narration and use of Tamil words will make readers get immersed in the book.
All the stories are the lives and journeys of different women of different ages at different stages of their life. Though I loved all the stories 'Journey series' are the main highlights of the book.
The series titled journey 11- 20 (excluding18,19). In one journey when daughter takes her father to tailor and energies into a memory lane over a cup of coffee. In another, a woman was shaken by the death of a fellow passenger but comforted by fellow passengers, in another story, an upper-caste person even at the death's door refused to get help from a lower caste person and in another journey elderly woman meets a fisherwoman and her 5-year-old daughter and they emerge into heartwarming chatter.
And the other stories A moon to devour, a story of a young pregnant girl who goes through an abortion because her boyfriend refused to stand by her. But receives a compelling letter from her ex-boyfriend's mother telling her that marriage is not necessary for motherhood and woman & motherhood are different things.
The story of Burdensome days very much similar to the book Gently falls the Bakula by Sudha Murthy. The life of a Carnatic Singer. After the marriage, she enters the world of cultural politics where her music turns into a commodity. Her desires are overshadowed by her husband and he forces her to lead her life as per his desire. I loved the decision she makes at the end. This story deals with two things one about the women's battle & injustice they face and the downfall of classical music.
And My Fav story 'When things die' the journey of a Veena whose owner had gone into another world leaving herself alone in this world. Now, what will happen to that veena? Who will take care of her? What will happens to our possessions when we die? This is my fav story because I always have the exact question in my mind. I have saved my 10th class Telugu book, Journals, drawing books, letters and my college diaries. Whenever I look at them I go back and recall all the moments spent at that time. Now my Novels, reading journals, my painting, bookmarks I have made and many more in future. Who will take care of all these things when I'm not around, what will happen to them?
I really enjoyed reading this gem. But it may not work for some readers.
There are so many references of Carnatic music, Tamil songs & films in most of the stories. Ambai captures the pain & struggles of people and discrimination between various castes & stereotypes in the patriarchal society. And the oppression of women voices and sacrifices they made.
The writing style is brilliant. The rich narration and use of Tamil words will make readers get immersed in the book.
All the stories are the lives and journeys of different women of different ages at different stages of their life. Though I loved all the stories 'Journey series' are the main highlights of the book.
The series titled journey 11- 20 (excluding18,19). In one journey when daughter takes her father to tailor and energies into a memory lane over a cup of coffee. In another, a woman was shaken by the death of a fellow passenger but comforted by fellow passengers, in another story, an upper-caste person even at the death's door refused to get help from a lower caste person and in another journey elderly woman meets a fisherwoman and her 5-year-old daughter and they emerge into heartwarming chatter.
And the other stories A moon to devour, a story of a young pregnant girl who goes through an abortion because her boyfriend refused to stand by her. But receives a compelling letter from her ex-boyfriend's mother telling her that marriage is not necessary for motherhood and woman & motherhood are different things.
The story of Burdensome days very much similar to the book Gently falls the Bakula by Sudha Murthy. The life of a Carnatic Singer. After the marriage, she enters the world of cultural politics where her music turns into a commodity. Her desires are overshadowed by her husband and he forces her to lead her life as per his desire. I loved the decision she makes at the end. This story deals with two things one about the women's battle & injustice they face and the downfall of classical music.
And My Fav story 'When things die' the journey of a Veena whose owner had gone into another world leaving herself alone in this world. Now, what will happen to that veena? Who will take care of her? What will happens to our possessions when we die? This is my fav story because I always have the exact question in my mind. I have saved my 10th class Telugu book, Journals, drawing books, letters and my college diaries. Whenever I look at them I go back and recall all the moments spent at that time. Now my Novels, reading journals, my painting, bookmarks I have made and many more in future. Who will take care of all these things when I'm not around, what will happen to them?
I really enjoyed reading this gem. But it may not work for some readers.
January 22, 2018
So, this is my first time reading ambai. I think I wanted to read this book after seeing a review of it on scroll.in or some such site. I have read Anirudhan's translation previously and I immensely enjoy his work. It is hard to translate fiction that is so immensely personal and grounded in these contemporary, yet hyper-cultural settings, but thanks to anirudhan's translation, I'm confident that even a non-tamil/ non-indian person will be able to enjoy ambai's stories .
I'm not a great candidate for short stories- I get emotionally attached to characters and it pains me to not be able to ever read about them after a dozen pages. However, I absolutely loved the stories in 'A night..' Stories set in Chennai, Mumbai, London..(the story about the Thiruvalluvar statue near School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, touched a nervy chord. I had spent a day at the institute in 2012 and felt pretty much the same feelings the author did too.) worked very well for me as these are the landscapes I have known, loved, lost and lived in.
Ofcourse, as in every short story collection, some stories work better than others. I think that is normal and says more about the reader than the writer.
This book has a whole series (not inter-connected) of stories set in train compartments. Indians trains are fertile ground for fiction. I needed these train journey stories to get over the train journey finctionalised in Chetan Bhagat's 'One Night at a Call Centre'. Phew.
I'm not a great candidate for short stories- I get emotionally attached to characters and it pains me to not be able to ever read about them after a dozen pages. However, I absolutely loved the stories in 'A night..' Stories set in Chennai, Mumbai, London..(the story about the Thiruvalluvar statue near School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, touched a nervy chord. I had spent a day at the institute in 2012 and felt pretty much the same feelings the author did too.) worked very well for me as these are the landscapes I have known, loved, lost and lived in.
Ofcourse, as in every short story collection, some stories work better than others. I think that is normal and says more about the reader than the writer.
This book has a whole series (not inter-connected) of stories set in train compartments. Indians trains are fertile ground for fiction. I needed these train journey stories to get over the train journey finctionalised in Chetan Bhagat's 'One Night at a Call Centre'. Phew.
December 31, 2021
This is my first time reading Ambai. I think I wanted to read this book after seeing a review of it on bookstagram. I have read Anirudhan's translation previously and I immensely enjoy his work. It is hard to translate fiction that is so immensely personal and grounded in these contemporary, yet hyper-cultural settings, but thanks to Anirudhan's translation, I'm confident that even a non-tamil/ non-indian person will be able to enjoy ambai's stories.
I'm not a great candidate for short stories- I get emotionally attached to characters and it me to not be able to ever read about them after a dozen pages. However, I absolutely loved the stories in 'A night..' Stories set in Chennai, Mumbai, London..(the story about the Thiruvalluvar statue near School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, touched a nervy chord. I had spent a day at the institute in 2012 and felt pretty much the same feelings the author did too.) worked very well for me as these are the landscapes I have known, loved, lost and lived in.
Of course, as in every short story collection, some stories work better than others. I think that is normal and says more about the reader than the writer.
This book has a whole series (not inter-connected) of stories set in train compartment. Indians trains are fertile ground for fiction. It has always been the way of life and indicating the same through the writing of Ambai.
I'm not a great candidate for short stories- I get emotionally attached to characters and it me to not be able to ever read about them after a dozen pages. However, I absolutely loved the stories in 'A night..' Stories set in Chennai, Mumbai, London..(the story about the Thiruvalluvar statue near School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London, touched a nervy chord. I had spent a day at the institute in 2012 and felt pretty much the same feelings the author did too.) worked very well for me as these are the landscapes I have known, loved, lost and lived in.
Of course, as in every short story collection, some stories work better than others. I think that is normal and says more about the reader than the writer.
This book has a whole series (not inter-connected) of stories set in train compartment. Indians trains are fertile ground for fiction. It has always been the way of life and indicating the same through the writing of Ambai.
June 12, 2018
For me, short stories mean quick readings but ‘A night with a black spider: stories’ by Ambai (pseudonym of Dr. C.S. Lakshmi, a writer of Tamil fiction) wove quite a spell over me that I ended up taking more time in re reading portions or to simply pause and take in the beauty of words strung together. The 17 short stories in this collection have the motifs of music, art, journeys and musings over social and cultural practices threading through them. The characters and their ethos pulls in the reader into the vivid world that the author literally paints in evocative words and feelings.
I can quite go on about the 17 stories from this book but will leave it up to each one of you to read this collection. Not so long ago, I had decided that I would not read short stories as they leave me with the disquiet of not being able to engage with the story or the characters. But the beauty and depth of Indian literature is such that I have found myself taking up short stories from writers across the country time and again. Do read up this gem of a collection.
I can quite go on about the 17 stories from this book but will leave it up to each one of you to read this collection. Not so long ago, I had decided that I would not read short stories as they leave me with the disquiet of not being able to engage with the story or the characters. But the beauty and depth of Indian literature is such that I have found myself taking up short stories from writers across the country time and again. Do read up this gem of a collection.
August 27, 2022
In a post-pandemic world where suffering, corruption, pain, and loss are rampant around us, where we all stand divided and disconnected from each other, these stories reinforce the significance of empathy. They occupy the liminal spaces between the opposing forces of life and death, of harmony and disharmony. They draw a magnifying glass at the injustices of the world, making the readers aware of the cracks and faultlines in human society but thereafter, they lead the readers to a space of solidarity with the suffering and the oppressed. They reaffirm that no matter how ruptured human existence becomes, empathy and solidarity can take us to places where all hope is not lost, where traumas find resolution, and where healing is possible!
Read the full review: https://www.theantonymmag.com/a-revie...
Read the full review: https://www.theantonymmag.com/a-revie...
June 18, 2020
A mesmerising read indeed.
Each story is like a weave...which together makes the cloth...(of course, you can read them independently!)
As some of the stories titled such, they're 'journeys' indeed.
They are slice of life stories and then there are stories centered around music.
Interestingly, most of the stories have a rhythm to them.
This is a power package of complex emotions...but compact too... As they're easy flowing....
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to read something light yet deep and insightful.
Each story is like a weave...which together makes the cloth...(of course, you can read them independently!)
As some of the stories titled such, they're 'journeys' indeed.
They are slice of life stories and then there are stories centered around music.
Interestingly, most of the stories have a rhythm to them.
This is a power package of complex emotions...but compact too... As they're easy flowing....
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to read something light yet deep and insightful.
February 19, 2019
This anthology is about music , journeys , death, human connection , love , loss or a myriad combinations of the above . Anirudh’s masterful translation ensures that the flavors of the original are not lost with the transformation of the source material . There were some stories that I could not connect to but I could relate to most other protagonists .
August 28, 2021
Ambai's writing (and the translation) is very simple but utterly provocative.
It forces you to re-think daily bits of life that we take for granted.
There are tales in this collection that left me weeping about the frail nature of life. Others left me heart-broken.
It forces you to re-think daily bits of life that we take for granted.
There are tales in this collection that left me weeping about the frail nature of life. Others left me heart-broken.
June 3, 2024
Tamil writer Ambai sets a series of short stories in the world of women, Carnatic music and journeys. Other than a couple of stories, it did not mostly appeal to me. Maybe I was expecting a closure in every story and none was forthcoming.
May 6, 2022
Absolutely euphoric. Filled with intense stories that creep up to your heart and twist it around to make it surreal for someone to hover back to reality.
Read
March 23, 2025Nope. Not for me. I do understand the nature of a short story and all that it can and cannot be. But these, no. None of them could mean anything to me.
February 11, 2021
I'm pretty sure that the first time I read it, I neither liked it, nor did I finish reading it. I just marked it 3 starred and completed for the fuck of it.
This time around, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Some of the short stories came together so beautifully, it was eating a laddoo that was perfectly round.
(And yuck, my old review is so cringe, I had to delete it. Thank the stars for adulthood and growing wiser.)
This time around, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Some of the short stories came together so beautifully, it was eating a laddoo that was perfectly round.
(And yuck, my old review is so cringe, I had to delete it. Thank the stars for adulthood and growing wiser.)
September 17, 2015
A very good book
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