The Empty Space

by Geetanjali Shree, Nivedita Menon (Translation)

When a bomb explodes in a university cafe, nineteen students are killed. The Empty Space begins with the identification of these slain students. Slowly, each individual is claimed and taken away for a proper burial by their mourning family members. The final mother to enter the cafe identifies the nineteenth body as her eighteen-year-old son and brings him home in a casket. She not only brings home her dead son, though, but also the sole survivor of the blast, a three-year-old boy. By a strange quirk of fate, after the explosion he is found lying in a small empty space, alive and breathing. The Empty Space chronicles the memories of the boy dead, the story of the boy brought home, and the cataclysmic crossing of life and death.

Genres: Fiction, India

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Geetanjali Shree गीताजंली क्ष्री (She was known as Geentanjali Pandey, and she took her mother's first name Shree as her last name) (born 1957) is a Hindi novelist and short story writer based in New Delhi, India. She is the author of several short stories and three novels. Mai was short listed for the Crossword Book Award in 2001. She has also written a critical work on Premchand.

Her first story, Bel Patra (1987) was published in the literary magazine Hans and was followed by a collection of short stories Anugoonj (1991)

The English translation of her novel Mai catapulted her into fame. The novel is about three generations of women and the men around them, in a North Indian middle-class family. Mai is translated into Serbian, Korean and German. It has been translated into English by Nita Kumar, who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for the translation. It has been also translated into Urdu by Bashir Unwan with preface by Intizar Hussain. Furthermore, it has been translated into other languages: into French by Annie Montaut, into German by Reinhold Schein...

Her second novel Hamara Shahar Us Baras set loosely after the incidents of Babri Masjid demolition.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is good. It’s lyrical, well translated I feel. However, I feel there’s not much of a story in this book. It starts with an incident killing one son of a small family. Yes, the story will just remain stuck here. Good writing isn’t enough. We need a story. We need to feel something when it comes to families, grief and the uncertainties of life as should have been described in such stories.

[Tanuj Solanki · Rating 4 out of 5]

बम फटता है, समतल करता है, ख़ाली जगह रह जाती है। पर लोग भी तो मरते हैं। और लोग मरते हैं तो दुख भी बनता है। ये दुख भी एक ख़ाली जगह ही है, जो भरी न जा सकेगी कभी।

कहानी कुछ ये कि एक माँ और बाप खो देते हैं 18 साल के एकलौते को बम विस्फोट में। पर जहाँ विस्फोट हुआ, वहाँ एक 3 साल का बच्चा न जाने कैसे बच गया है। उस बच्चे को माँ ले आती है घर, शायद अपने दुख की ख़ाली जगह भरने।

पर अब साल बीतेंगे, दूसरा बेटा बड़ा होगा। और वो बड़ा होगा घिरा पहले की यादों और तस्वीरों से। बाप अपना नहीं पाएंगे, माँ पहले को भुला नहीं पाएगी, और ये बेटा खुद ही एक ख़ाली जगह बनता जाएगा। उसके लिए 'मैं हूँ मैं हूँ मैं हूँ' कहना ही बन जाएगा उपलब्धि।

ये दूसरा बेटा ही हमारा नैरेटर है। रेत समाधि जैसा ही नरेशन, इधर उधर की फलाँग लगाता और 'कीफ़र्कपैंदा' टाइप के शब्द बनाता। कहानी ग्रीफ में लिपटी हुई है, पर पाठक पर हावी नहीं होती, एक हल्कापन बना रहता है।

यहाँ कोई रियल-वर्ल्ड मार्कर नहीं है। देश धर्म जाती स्थान, यहां तक कि पात्रों के नाम, सब एब्सेंट हैं। तो उपन्यास अपने कांसेप्ट से भीगा हुआ लगता है, और कभी कभी उसमें डूबा भी। अंत थोड़ा बुझा देने वाला है, शायद कल्पना को कुछ ज़्यादा ही खींचता सा, पर मुझे उसमें कविता दिखी।

'रेत समाधि' में भाषा के खेल पढ़ते हुए कथानक के कहीं पहुँचने का भरोसा रहता है। यहाँ वो भरोसा नहीं मिल पाता। पर अगर आप उस आस को किनारे कर पढ़ेंगे, तो उपन्यास पसंद आएगा।

[Mili Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Empty Space by Gitanjali Shree
Genre - Novel
Rating - 3.8
( Story - 2, Writing Style - 5, Cover & Title - 5, Concept - 5, Narration - 4.5, Execution - 5.)

" Death as sensational as born.. it's no less sensational as they brought back another in the house.."
How truly and simply she compared between the two, the atmosphere is discomfortable but I love this author because her books provide me with surrealism and only she can make you realize how deep you can feel or can not.
She can drive you to the rock bottom of your heart and make you realize how deeply you can feel, you can go to someone's heart. This book is an absolute gem.
She can teach you how to feel.
She can teach you the most difficult thing in the most simplified way. She can teach you how to feel the emptiness. Only she can drive you crazy with her simplicity.

Stir in melancholy this book is like a long painting that makes you feel about agonizing emptiness. Gitanjali Shree' s The Empty Space reminds me of another woman, Virginia Woolf once said that she wants to write a novel about silence and Gitanjali Shree's novel The Empty Space is about emptiness, she truly and successfully established her streaming consciousness of emptiness.

It starts with a bomb explodes in a university campus which snatched 19 life, 19 students. There's no name for the characters in this story. A mother enters the cafe last to identify the nineteenth body, she brings home her dead eighteen-year-old son packed in a sarkaari box, as well as the of the sole survivor e blast, a three-year-old boy who, by a strange quirk of fate, is found lying in a small empty space, alive and breathing.

Now the readers see the chronicles of the memories of the boy gone, from the eyes of the boy brought home. Now there's a question how can a three-year-old baby narrate emptiness so deeply?

But I never mind that, I enjoyed her writing ability.
Have you ever seen Van Gogh 's painting "Scream"??
A scream that stretched from earth to the infinity of universe, this book is like that. Gitanjali Shree constantly painted the emptiness with her words, she used her words to create and mix colours, used her poetic eloquence masterfully like various brush strokes. She seamlessly tells us an enthralling and uncomfortable story of emptiness in her distinguished lyrical tone.

But if you are looking for the story then let me tell you that there's no story. It's like a long scene of a feeling that stretches throughout the book. It's not like your regular read. You might feel alienated here. If you are familiar with painting and poems then you can be able to feel better.

When the emptiness overtaken us we can preserve it in our hearts. Saving this book in my heart. She encapsulated agonizing and beautiful emptiness with swift touching of her pen.
Brace yourself to take a breathtaking journey to emptiness.
Trigger warning: Do not read if you are in depression or if you have lost someone you loved.

[Prerna Shambhavee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Empty Space" by Geetanjali Shree is a powerful and emotionally charged novel that delves into the depths of sorrow, grief, and the profound emptiness that follows a devastating tragedy. The story revolves around a bomb blast at a university that claims the lives of 19 students, leaving behind a void that engulfs the lives of those left behind.

At the heart of the narrative is a mother, who bravely enters the cafe where the explosion occurred, tasked with the heart-wrenching duty of identifying the bodies of the deceased students, including her 18-year-old son. Geetanjali Shree's raw and evocative prose captures the anguish and trauma of this heartbreaking moment, as the mother confronts the reality of her unimaginable loss.

Amidst the sea of sorrow, one glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a three-year-old boy, the sole survivor of the blast. The mother's decision to adopt this young survivor adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, exploring themes of resilience, healing, and the power of connection even in the darkest of times.

Throughout the novel, Geetanjali Shree masterfully portrays the various ways grief manifests in the lives of the characters. The emptiness left by the tragedy permeates every aspect of their existence, leaving them grappling with questions of meaning and purpose. The author skillfully weaves together the individual experiences of the characters, painting a powerful picture of the collective impact of loss and the shared journey towards healing.

"The Empty Space" serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the strength of the human spirit to persevere in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Author's exploration of sorrow and grief is unflinching, immersing readers in the raw emotions of the characters as they navigate their newfound reality.

The novel is a beautifully rendered meditation on the human condition, examining the intricacies of grief and the ways in which it shapes and transforms individuals. Author's prose is both lyrical and introspective, capturing the essence of human emotions with a remarkable depth and sensitivity.

"The Empty Space" is a profound and emotionally resonant novel that leaves a lasting impact on its readers. Geetanjali Shree's exploration of sorrow, grief, and the enduring strength of the human spirit makes this book a compelling and thought-provoking read, offering a unique perspective on the complexity of human emotions and the power of love and connection to heal the deepest of wounds.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A more philosophical novel than The Roof Beneath Our Feet and Mai and more like Geetanjali Shree’s award-winning Tomb of Sand with pages of reflection throughout on what it means to lose a child so violently and to take on another boy as a ‘replacement’. The family in the novel who are just referred to as Father and Ma lose their only son to a terrorist attack – based on something that happened to a dear friend of Geetanjali Shree -and adopt a three-year-old boy found in an ‘empty space’ in the café where it happens. What follows is an exploration of grief, the difference between the external and private actions and persona of the parents and how grief works when there is no body to mourn over. There are constant comparisons between the son that is gone to the new one that remains, never in his favor. This son barely eats or speaks but we are inside his head for the entirety of the novel and watch as he grows older yet little seems to change until a new person enters the scene.

The novel moves between different time periods which can be confusing and there is an interview at the end of this edition with the translator, Nivedita Menon, and Geetanjali Shree where they talk about the prose of the novel and that it ‘looks simple but is not’. As with Tomb of Sand, it can be hard to describe the writing, sometimes there are pages of short sharp sentences, other times there are long stream of consciousness like paragraphs; it can sometimes feel like work but at the same time so often lovely to read.

For me, Geetanjali Shree’s novels are not to be rushed through, there is so much that needs pondering, so many sentences that require a second read. Language and character are the center points of her writing and that is what I value so although this was not an easy read, it was a rewarding one.

[myliteraryworld · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 'The Empty Space,' Geetanjali Shree crafts a poignant and enigmatic tale that delves into the repercussions of a tragic event. It follows the story of an 18-year-old boy who opts to pursue his studies at his father's hometown university, leading to an exploration of grief and self-identity. Tragedy strikes when a bomb explodes in a café, claiming his life and 18 others. Amidst the chaos, a 3-year-old survivor is found, remaining unidentified. This child becomes emblematic of both hope and confusion in the wake of disaster, symbolizing the struggles of identity as he grows up as a substitute for the deceased 18-year-old. Shree's narrative vagueness regarding the blast's cause and individuals involved prompts reflection on universal themes of loss and identity. Through intricate character development and psychological scrutiny, Shree delves into the profound human emotions triggered by trauma, encouraging contemplation on how individuals navigate and find meaning in the aftermath.

[Leeniebeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was, in many ways, ingeniously written. I really liked the author's writing style, it's very unique and deliberate but also conversational. The book was very interesting, I found myself laughing during many parts of it, despite how serious and dark the premise is. It is incredibly chaotic to read from the perspective of a traumatised or demonic three-year-old. The book itself is cyclical, so much so that the protagonist and the reader feel trapped in this endless cycle of impersonating *him.*

Towards the end, I was becoming bored, the book is sometimes very repetitive but it's not too annoying as the repetition seems to serve a purpose- to reveal how the protagonist is still trapped in that memory of a three-year-old, to show that every experience he has had is handed down to him from someone else. It was an interesting read for sure.

[Jahnavi Bandaru · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not one for translations. Ok,moreover I haven't read much to like fully understand if they are my cup of tea. Upon reading,I quickly understood that it was a literal translation and not based on understanding.
The writing was quite good but there wasn't much of a plot. I just felt like it was a repetition of feelings over and over and like I understand that grief never leaves a family over a loved one but it just felt like there was no developing from it.

[Devangi Godara · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN OMFG. The way it is written literally PIERCED my heart.
Somehow everything by Geetanjali Shree leaves me feeling that way.