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On Women: Selected Writings
Well known for his unabashed interest in the fairer sex, Khushwant Singh revelled in the notoriety his interest evoked, almost as much as he did in the response he received from women. Indeed, this enduring obsession provided fodder for some of Singh’s best-known work, both as a journalist and as a peerless raconteur.
On Women, a wide-ranging selection of Singh’s writings on the subject, includes Singh’s recounting of an embarrassingly drunken meeting with Begum Para, an actress of yesteryears; a sharp profile of Shraddha Mata, a tantric sadhvi who was alleged to have borne Jawaharlal Nehru’s illegitimate child; and a touching sketch of Singh’s grandmother in the twilight of her life. Also featured in this volume are unforgettable women characters from Khushwant Singh’s most popular works of fiction: Georgine, a clueless American teenager who is seduced by a middle-aged tour guide in Delhi; and Nooran, a young girl in pre-Partition Punjab, who discovers the sweet pleasure of first love only to be overtaken by cataclysmic events which leave her adrift.
Insightful, poignant, and occasionally wicked, the essays and extracts in On Women are testament to why Khushwant Singh remains one of the most popular writers of our times.
On Women, a wide-ranging selection of Singh’s writings on the subject, includes Singh’s recounting of an embarrassingly drunken meeting with Begum Para, an actress of yesteryears; a sharp profile of Shraddha Mata, a tantric sadhvi who was alleged to have borne Jawaharlal Nehru’s illegitimate child; and a touching sketch of Singh’s grandmother in the twilight of her life. Also featured in this volume are unforgettable women characters from Khushwant Singh’s most popular works of fiction: Georgine, a clueless American teenager who is seduced by a middle-aged tour guide in Delhi; and Nooran, a young girl in pre-Partition Punjab, who discovers the sweet pleasure of first love only to be overtaken by cataclysmic events which leave her adrift.
Insightful, poignant, and occasionally wicked, the essays and extracts in On Women are testament to why Khushwant Singh remains one of the most popular writers of our times.
- GenresNonfictionAnthologies
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
74 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Khushwant Singh
298 books1,429 followersKhushwant Singh, (Punjabi: ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Hindi: खुशवंत सिंह) born on 2 February 1915 in Hadali, Undivided India, (now a part of Pakistan), was a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, was among the most widely-read columns in the country.
An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.
An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 7, 2020
A collection of excerpts on the many remarkable women he met during his life + some entries from his fictional works that focuses mainly on some woman. Ppl covered include Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa to Poolan Devi and Protima Bedi. So it is an eclectic mix. Mostly short n interesting in a matter of fact way. Rating: 3.5 stars.
October 29, 2020
I like Khushwant Singh, no doubt, but this book , disappointed me. It's just the reprint of his old memoirs about women which I had already read in different books. Never buy the reprints published from Rupa publication, they are fooling readers.
November 4, 2016
Bad writing ... the book seems to be a conception of utter boredom but an obligatory duty to publish some random and totally uninteresting anecdotes about the mentioned women . The book failed to engage me inspite of me being really interested in the subject and knowing Khushwant's oeuvre , this was definitely one among the worst of his lot .
October 22, 2020
An interesting and quick read. I miss the old man. Mr Singh is definitely one of the finest writers India ever had.
October 20, 2014
This review was originally published
here
on The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here.
Actual rating- 3.5
*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of On Women by Khushwant Singh from Rupa Publications in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book.
I was looking forward to reading Khushwant Singh's On Women. As I've been working on feminism and women representation for my research, I thought the book would help me in some way or the other. Turns out, I was completely wrong. It's not that I didn't learn anything. It's just that I didn't come across anything that would help me as such. Don't get me wrong. That in no way means I didn't like the book. I started off not liking it as I thought it was sexually exploitative, but as I moved ahead, I realised there was more to the retellings than just female bodies and sex.
On Women tells the readers short tales of women in Khushwant Singh's life- either in fiction or in reality. Some of the women are characters taken from his works, while others are women he has come across, met and been with in his life. The latter goes from his grandmother, his mother to his wife, his classmates from various academic institutions, the foreign tourists that he received to a beggar on the street to famous personalities like Phoolan Devi, Indira Gandhi and Mother Teresa.
As far as the book is concerned, I thought the stories were very well picked and put together. There was something interesting in Khushwant Singh's way of depicting women. Even when there were times when things got physical and it seemed like the whole purpose of the story, there would be something that brought up intelligence and integrity in a woman which made the stories really satisfactory and strong. I especially liked how women were portrayed as well-developed personalities and they stood their own alongside the presence of one of India's most renowned and powerful writer.
I have previously read Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan and for the life of me, I never understood that novel but it still left a mark on me. I was pretty glad when I read and understood On Women. Overall, while I did start off not liking On Women, I ended up liking it more than I have possibly been able to say. It was a really nice and short read that could have been more interesting, but even in the absence of that, it was a great read.
Actual rating- 3.5
*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of On Women by Khushwant Singh from Rupa Publications in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book.
I was looking forward to reading Khushwant Singh's On Women. As I've been working on feminism and women representation for my research, I thought the book would help me in some way or the other. Turns out, I was completely wrong. It's not that I didn't learn anything. It's just that I didn't come across anything that would help me as such. Don't get me wrong. That in no way means I didn't like the book. I started off not liking it as I thought it was sexually exploitative, but as I moved ahead, I realised there was more to the retellings than just female bodies and sex.
On Women tells the readers short tales of women in Khushwant Singh's life- either in fiction or in reality. Some of the women are characters taken from his works, while others are women he has come across, met and been with in his life. The latter goes from his grandmother, his mother to his wife, his classmates from various academic institutions, the foreign tourists that he received to a beggar on the street to famous personalities like Phoolan Devi, Indira Gandhi and Mother Teresa.
As far as the book is concerned, I thought the stories were very well picked and put together. There was something interesting in Khushwant Singh's way of depicting women. Even when there were times when things got physical and it seemed like the whole purpose of the story, there would be something that brought up intelligence and integrity in a woman which made the stories really satisfactory and strong. I especially liked how women were portrayed as well-developed personalities and they stood their own alongside the presence of one of India's most renowned and powerful writer.
I have previously read Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan and for the life of me, I never understood that novel but it still left a mark on me. I was pretty glad when I read and understood On Women. Overall, while I did start off not liking On Women, I ended up liking it more than I have possibly been able to say. It was a really nice and short read that could have been more interesting, but even in the absence of that, it was a great read.
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November 23, 2016Offers interesting perspectives on some of the boldest women that India has seen.
January 16, 2018
Khushwant is normally fluent and simple in his narration. And when it comes to women he is even better. In this book he outlines his impressions about some of those that he encountered. The list is a long one but what stands out is his interaction with Mother Teresa whose comment, "I am told you do not believe in God. I send you God's blessing", seemed to have made the greatest impact on the Sirdar.
May 22, 2020
Alarming but funny
This is my 1st book on Kushwant and needless to say the 1st chapter was a bolt out of the blue. It was crude, erotic and lacked modesty. I got used to it gradually.
The book consists of selected writings on women who made an impact on his life apart from a few fictional accounts. The pieces on Indira Gandhi, Phoolan Devi and his grand mother were my favourite. Language is beautiful, needless to say.
This is my 1st book on Kushwant and needless to say the 1st chapter was a bolt out of the blue. It was crude, erotic and lacked modesty. I got used to it gradually.
The book consists of selected writings on women who made an impact on his life apart from a few fictional accounts. The pieces on Indira Gandhi, Phoolan Devi and his grand mother were my favourite. Language is beautiful, needless to say.
February 26, 2017
Khushwant Singh usually has a tongue in cheek attitude in all his writings. This book is no exception. Liked only a few stories, namely the one about his wife, Mother Theresa, Phoolan Devi and a few others.
The rest are not much to talk about. Good enough for a one time read
The rest are not much to talk about. Good enough for a one time read
August 13, 2018
An interesting quick read, standard Khushwant Singh style. The book is a mixture of a few short stories on love and sex, and the rest are articles relating to some of the interesting women he met in his life, including his wife. It is a one sitting read and enjoyable for fans, or otherwise.
October 28, 2020
An interesting read.
This book is yet another feather in the author's multifarious literary cap. This time delving in the feminine aspect of humankind, his experiences and poignant bittersweet encounters.
This book is yet another feather in the author's multifarious literary cap. This time delving in the feminine aspect of humankind, his experiences and poignant bittersweet encounters.
September 14, 2021
Not worth it.
A ok ok read for 2-3 hours. At some occasions, the books turns too vulgar. Apart from that the reading experience is okay. Also, the stories have been taken from the author's other novels.
A ok ok read for 2-3 hours. At some occasions, the books turns too vulgar. Apart from that the reading experience is okay. Also, the stories have been taken from the author's other novels.
March 14, 2022
I think I am a bit disappointed. Considering that an author can create whatever characters he wishes too, but that misogynistic touch, I could hardly take it.
A good quick read, will give you a lot to think about the author itself!
A good quick read, will give you a lot to think about the author itself!
December 16, 2019
I don't know what to say about this book. Plain and simple.
February 1, 2020
Brilliant
July 24, 2020
Khushwant Singh being Khushwant Singh! Crisp and Nice :)
September 6, 2020
Tried really hard to finish. DNF.
December 28, 2020
Always a joy to read Khushwant. Delightfully wicked❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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May 27, 2024Quick read
February 1, 2020
This book is basically a collection of short stories. In all I did not enjoy reading most of tye stories in it - the only ones I liked were at the end of the book, the last 3 or 4 stories I guess.
January 30, 2020
The Book highlights about various women (fictional & non-fictional) spread across different chapters. It is mostly focused on sexual aspects of a woman just to spice up the characters. Not a single woman character is dealt with detail. It ends with an escapade which is mostly inclined towards sex.
August 19, 2019
Unabashedly a great read quick humourous and kicked up
January 18, 2015
Having heard so much about Mr. Khushwant Singh and his writings - I had great expectations of this book - which covers his selected writings.
Having said that, it is with saddened heart that I am writing this review - as I was truly disappointed - for most of the book was nothing but his experiences with various women - like mentioned in the book summary.
Some of these excerpts seem to have ended abruptly with lot being left unsaid - like in the chapter he talks about Amrita Sher-Gil. Such chapters were a huge disappointment.
But then again - some writings managed to stir feelings inside you - which only a good author manages to do - like the one titled 'The Venus of Churchgate'.
There are still chapters like Indira Gandhi or Mother Teresa - that give us insight into the lives and natures of such significant ladies of the gone days!
And then there is this one chapter dedicated to Phoolan Devi - which was a great read because having her being portrayed as the villain always - it was refreshing to read her side of the story - that told the untold tale.of this lady - why she was the way she was...
So yes, there are some ladies worth reading about in the book - yes the chapters dedicated to them have been beautifully written - yes they are truly entertaining - but, yes but - most didn't quiet reach the mark.
Having said that, it is with saddened heart that I am writing this review - as I was truly disappointed - for most of the book was nothing but his experiences with various women - like mentioned in the book summary.
Some of these excerpts seem to have ended abruptly with lot being left unsaid - like in the chapter he talks about Amrita Sher-Gil. Such chapters were a huge disappointment.
But then again - some writings managed to stir feelings inside you - which only a good author manages to do - like the one titled 'The Venus of Churchgate'.
There are still chapters like Indira Gandhi or Mother Teresa - that give us insight into the lives and natures of such significant ladies of the gone days!
And then there is this one chapter dedicated to Phoolan Devi - which was a great read because having her being portrayed as the villain always - it was refreshing to read her side of the story - that told the untold tale.of this lady - why she was the way she was...
So yes, there are some ladies worth reading about in the book - yes the chapters dedicated to them have been beautifully written - yes they are truly entertaining - but, yes but - most didn't quiet reach the mark.
September 11, 2015
Very interesting short stories on women of different age n ethnicity
July 6, 2015
Rating : 3 stars
April 14, 2017
Do you remember reading The Portrait of Lady in your english curriculum at school? It was most likely extracted from this book. Similar small stories and one of the quickest reads.
April 7, 2017
The book is an anthology of selected writings of Khuswant Singh comiled from his works including Train to Pakistan and later works. The book captures the lives of women who were strong and knew what they wanted without having inhibitions and without caring for the opinions of the society. It also tells how the author was linked to them. Important among the stories are of Indira Gandhi, Phoolan Devi, Sadia Dehlvi, Anees Jung, Protima Bedi, Amrita Shergil et al.
July 1, 2017
Frankness beautifully personified.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews