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Chasing the Rainbow: Growing up in an Indian Village
This collection of short stories is set in Sankhari, the author's village by the sea in Orissa, bordering West Bengal. All the impressions narrated came to the author between his fourth and fourteenth years.
- GenresIndia
180 pages, Hardcover
First published March 11, 2004
19 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Manoj Das
109 books90 followersManoj Das, a prolific author, is among India's foremost short story writers. He writes both in Oriya (Odia) and English, and is a Professor of English at the Sri Aurobindo International University, Pondicherry.
Manoj Das was born in a small coastal village named Shankari in Balasore district, Orissa State. Since 1963, he has been an ashramite at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. He is presently concentrating on writing novels.
Manoj Das is perhaps the foremost bilingual Oriya writer and a master of dramatic expression both in his English and Oriya short stories and novels. He says that:
Manoj Das was born in a small coastal village named Shankari in Balasore district, Orissa State. Since 1963, he has been an ashramite at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. He is presently concentrating on writing novels.
Manoj Das is perhaps the foremost bilingual Oriya writer and a master of dramatic expression both in his English and Oriya short stories and novels. He says that:
"Characters follow the theme of a story, and the words are merely added by author to represent the thoughts of the character."That is the precise reason why Das's characters in fiction are from so many varied backgrounds, and display many different dimensions of human nature. He is a philosopher, a thinker-writer whose works can be defined as a quest for finding the eternal truth in everyday situations.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 9, 2013
A semi-autobiographical book - replete with Das's trademark satire and keen observation. A nice & thought provoking read. Das speaks of his earlier days growing up in coastal Orissa (India). A great imagery of the way country life used to be half a century ago and how the modernization changed the essence of life in this part of the world.
What makes it a totally engrossing read the way Manoj Das observes, captures & comments upon the rapidly changing landscape of rural India.
What makes it a totally engrossing read the way Manoj Das observes, captures & comments upon the rapidly changing landscape of rural India.
June 22, 2022
It is a book of short stories. They are light hearted and give a vivd description of the village life. The author paints an enchanting canvas of the sea and the village through this writings. He takes you alongwith him to the places he explores in his village Sankhari, District Balasore, bordering Medinpur districts in Bengal. Or the time spent at his uncles home in Koraput, bordering Andhra.
The author recounts amusing tales from his childhood. Most of the stories are from the time before India won freedom. The author claims that he lived in a village in Odisha, which was untouched from the stirrings of freedom struggle of the nation. A ‘gora’ had never set foot in the village and neither did they witness a vehicle being driven. The village administration was headed by the President, a person appointed by the British to govern twenty villages. And the author had the privilege of being the President’s son.
Even though his father was appointed as a President, they lived a humble life and the author wandered to every nook and cranny either alone or with his friends. Each stories narrates the escapades with charm and delight a child experiences while discovering new places and encountering new challenges.
“The sun was setting. Outlined on the opposite horizon was a range of hills. Over it had flashed a rainbow. A year ago, another rainbow spanning the eastern horizon in my own village had tempted me to try catch its end hidden behind a row of trees though it had eluded me rather treacherously. But who knew if the rainbows in this region were not more friendly.” What an innocent description of a rainbow! I have always been awestruck with a rainbow but never did I try to catch it but after reading this account, I am waiting for the rainbow to appearing so that I can be a child once again and look for its tail end!
All of the stories are also a homage to the rural life which has almost disappeared and with its disappearance it has taken away the innocence of the humble souls residing in them.
The book has 28 stories in 160 pages. You can read all of them together or pick this book while you read another one.
A good read indeed! Go for it!
The author recounts amusing tales from his childhood. Most of the stories are from the time before India won freedom. The author claims that he lived in a village in Odisha, which was untouched from the stirrings of freedom struggle of the nation. A ‘gora’ had never set foot in the village and neither did they witness a vehicle being driven. The village administration was headed by the President, a person appointed by the British to govern twenty villages. And the author had the privilege of being the President’s son.
Even though his father was appointed as a President, they lived a humble life and the author wandered to every nook and cranny either alone or with his friends. Each stories narrates the escapades with charm and delight a child experiences while discovering new places and encountering new challenges.
“The sun was setting. Outlined on the opposite horizon was a range of hills. Over it had flashed a rainbow. A year ago, another rainbow spanning the eastern horizon in my own village had tempted me to try catch its end hidden behind a row of trees though it had eluded me rather treacherously. But who knew if the rainbows in this region were not more friendly.” What an innocent description of a rainbow! I have always been awestruck with a rainbow but never did I try to catch it but after reading this account, I am waiting for the rainbow to appearing so that I can be a child once again and look for its tail end!
All of the stories are also a homage to the rural life which has almost disappeared and with its disappearance it has taken away the innocence of the humble souls residing in them.
The book has 28 stories in 160 pages. You can read all of them together or pick this book while you read another one.
A good read indeed! Go for it!
August 10, 2013
Life is a wonderful journey, childhood is the best part of this journey. Some of us manage to see life and its surroundings from a broader and deeper perspective, so deep that the childhood observations leave a deep mark in our psychology. Such observations are even deeper, broader and meaningful if it comes from a writer like Manoj Das.
The book amuses with its story telling power combined with the ability to go beyond the surface level activities of life observed by a common man. Divided into smaller chapters, the book provides a thought provoking insight into life, human nature and activities.
One of the best reads when it comes to:
- story telling
- simple narrative
- thought provoking observations of life
Once you have finished reading it, you would be forced to look back at your own childhood. But, at the same time the book will help you to decode the otherwise some of the incomprehensible contemporary behaviour around you in a better way.
Go for it! Worth your time!
The book amuses with its story telling power combined with the ability to go beyond the surface level activities of life observed by a common man. Divided into smaller chapters, the book provides a thought provoking insight into life, human nature and activities.
One of the best reads when it comes to:
- story telling
- simple narrative
- thought provoking observations of life
Once you have finished reading it, you would be forced to look back at your own childhood. But, at the same time the book will help you to decode the otherwise some of the incomprehensible contemporary behaviour around you in a better way.
Go for it! Worth your time!
November 28, 2017
If a translation can be so impactful, I wonder how wonderful still the original would have been!
No doubt he is regarded as one of the best storytellers alive. I wish I could get an oppurtunity to be able to touch his feet.
No doubt he is regarded as one of the best storytellers alive. I wish I could get an oppurtunity to be able to touch his feet.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews