Wearer of many hats-philanthropist, entrepreneur, computer scientist, engineer, teacher-Sudha Murty has above all always been a storyteller extraordinaire. Winner of the R.K. Narayan Award for Literature, the Padma Shri, the Attimabbe Award from the government of Karnataka for excellence in Kannada literature, and the Raymond Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award, her repertoire includes adult non-fiction, adult fiction, children's books, travelogues and technical books. Here, There and Everywhere is a celebration of her literary journey and is her 200th title across genres and languages. Bringing together her best-loved stories from various collections alongside some new ones and a thoughtful introduction, here is a book that is, in every sense, as multifaceted as its author.
Sudha Murty was born in 1950 in Shiggaon in north Karnataka. She did her MTech in computer science, and is now the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. A prolific writer in English and Kannada, she has written nine novels, four technical books, three travelogues, one collection of short stories, three collections of non-fiction pieces and two books for children.
Her books have been translated into all the major Indian languages and have sold over three lakh copies around the country. She was the recipient of the R.K. Narayan's Award for Literature and the Padma Shri in 2006.
Simple yet beautiful. Written in simple language. Book is filled with lot of positiveness. Very inspiring and touching book. Glad i read it. Thanks to my friend for recommending it to me. This book is good for kids too. Giving proper upbringing(sanskar)at right time is a necessity these days. Book changes the way you see the world. Everytime you don't need money for good work. Just believing in good deeds is enough.
Some stories were good. But in some others, the self-praise was getting a little too much to take. An average kind of read - I'd probably only recommend it to someone who is an absolute beginner when it comes to reading.
When the first major ecommerce site in India was taking its baby steps, I decided to take a gamble and order a book online. There were apprehensions galore but I went ahead and took the plunge anyway by clicking the order button and paying the money. Wiping away any and all of my doubts, the book arrived in a couple of days. It was a wonderful little book and was named Wise and otherwise by Sudha Murthy and was my first book written by her. The time gap between that book and this one is close to a decade now but the memories that both of these leave me with are pretty much the same. Filled with good humour, humility and generous helpings of empathy these are feel good books of the first order.
If by any chance you have read an Indian comic book called Tinkle, then you can pretty much understand how Mrs. Murthy writes. In simple and lucid prose she talks about some of the big lessons of life. Years spent in philanthropic pursuits have also given her a much more wider view of the world and the people in it. There are little stories of grandmothers learning to read, a beggar and his little child teaching an eternal pessimist the meaning of optimism, the story of how a runaway orphan from a remote part of Karnataka grew up and later emigrated to the US to a better life and so on and on. Some of the stories are immensely touching, for instance there is a little anecdote of a son who abandons his old father at an old age home where the destitute old man passes away. There are also uplifting tales like the one which talks about Mrs. Murthy’s experiences working with the devdasi community in Karnakata and over a long period of time helping them to escape from a life of being sex workers. These tales are beautiful to behold. What is most amusing about the writing style is that it does not preach but in a quiet and dignified language it tells us of a different world view.
A feel good collection of anecdotes. Recommended !
–This was written in a very simple and easy language making it easier for the readers who have recently started to read. —The book consists of many short stories coming straight from heart and memory of the author and scribbled upon the paper. –These stories are inspired by the authors personal life and brought joy while reading. –I found some of the stories quite inspiring while others where plain boring!
Here, There and Everywhere. ~ "Our ancestors have taught us in the Vedas that one should, Donate with kind words. Donate with happiness. Donate with sincerity. Donate only to the needy. Donate without expectation because it is not a gift. It is a duty. Donate with your wife’s consent. Donate to other people without making your dependents helpless. Donate without caring for caste, creed and religion. Donate so that the receiver prospers." - Sudha Murty. ~ How I love reading Sudha Murty's books. There's something very beautiful and humble about the way she writes down her stories. There's no hint of arrogance, plasticity or beating around the bush. Her stories have always been simple yet very powerful in conveying her message and I don't know many who are capable enough of nailing that art. The fact that these stories are of her own experience makes it even more interesting for the readers. Here, There and Everywhere is her 200th book and I absolutely loved the cover. ~ Like in her other books, she speaks about her life experiences in this one as well. She narrates her friendships with people whom she met accidentally and how their lives have transformed over the years. She narrates the unconditional love that her grandparents showered on her and also on the people around them. She firmly believes that giving needs to be a selfless act and not a calculated one. She stresses on how important education is in shaping one's future. Her days of saving ₹300 per month to buy books by sacrificing other needs are applaudable. My favourite thing to read was her journey in the literary world. From not knowing English to writing books in the same language shows how things work in our favour given enough amount of dedication. ~ I suggest Sudha Murty's books when someone reaches out to me for recommendation. They're simple yet mesmerizing. They do a very fine job in motivating people who are seeking strength. Though few stories were repeated in this book, I did not mind reading them again. ~ Rating - 4.5/5.
- A life unwritten - The line of separation - Rahman's avva - How to beat the boys (the ending moved me to tears)
In general, this was an interesting read, but I am not a fan of Murty's writing style: it's really awkward in sections.
It's also really difficult to ignore the fact she is married to Narayan Murty, the billionaire co-founder of Infosys. The whole look-how-magnanimous-and-simple-I-am-despite-my-wealth narrative started to grate on me after a while, which is why I preferred the stories from her childhood/her father's life.
Sudha Murthy is an inspiration for many of us to follow our heart. Reading her stories and experiences gives you a different outlook towards life. Her simplicity is motivating, so is her grit and conviction. Her words are as adorable as her and if we can imbibe one quality of her by reading books it would be a great thing.
Light read, some of the stories have interesting insights into the Indian culture and hold socially important messages. The writing is extremely plain and simple, which I realise is a choice, but still made the reading sometimes a bit boring. Also, it's very self-celebratory, which can get a bit annoying at times to be honest.
This book contains real life experiences of the author. It touched me because of its reality. It motivates the reader to work hard, develops moral values and encourages social work. She is really a successful woman and great philanthropist. Every Indian will find it relatable in some way or other. 😊😊
I always thought that I could only relate to classic literature, twisted plots, layered characters and emotional spin. But Sudha Murty's simplistic and subtle narratives struck a chord with me. The style of writing is mellow, the descriptions are vivid, a lot of it drawn out from her childhood and family. Each story is a depiction of humanity and goodness. She brings out the importance of honesty, hardwork, love, trust, sacrifice and philanthropy via the book. Though the stories are written in a fictional space, they do not fail to amaze you. The endings are beautiful, she connects dots very instantaneously and draws analogies from her past or some historical incident which provides another level of elevation to the narrative. My favorites were "A life Unwritten", "Miserable Success" and "Rahman's Avva". Some of my favorite accounts from these was the analogy drawn out from history when Karunavati had sent a Rakhi to Humayun, also how she states the fact that sometimes uneducated people can be quite advanced when it comes to human values and that peace of mind is above any order of success. There was lot of humour in "Cattle class" where Murty did not hesitate in giving a piece of her mind to some censorious people. In "A life Unwritten", the account as to why Murty's father decided to become a gynaecologist was heart warming.
At points, too much goodness might start to feel a bit over burdening and unrealistic, but living in a better world is the dream we all share, so no condemnation here!!
I really admire Murty as a person and her stories are no less admirable. Some of them are bound to remain with you for sometime.
4/5 stars!!!! Really Loved all the stories or should I say her life experiences.. It was beautiful, so relatable. All those experiences that she had in her lifetime is soo endearing. It is a blessing that she was able to help, uplift, love & support so many souls. God has given her a pristine opportunity for the welfare of humanity and she, her husband and her various foundations have always stood up the tide of time and helped our society be a better place to live in.
The only reason that I believe for her tenderness, compassion and understanding of humanity are her paternal & maternal grandparents, her parents for their teachings regarding meaning of life, our duty towards people & their modern but true outlook towards life. They are the reason why Sudha Murthy is who she is today..
A collection of stories from the life of Sudha Murty. This is her 200th book. The author writes from the heart and the stories are very simple. They show her passion towards life and her life's work - Teaching and Philanthropy.
Several stories are very touching and move you in some way. The language is very simple and the author is able to communicate very well without using flowery language. A page turner for sure. I breezed through the book.
Completely positive... Collection of 22 short stories...Heart Warming.A Lesson from a Begger is my absolute favourite. There is So Much to Learn from this book.Love... Kindness... Empathy... Compassion...Lovely simple Read.
A very good collection of pearls; a well stitched necklace... but considering most of the stories are already present in other books, reducing the rating...
I read this charming collection of short stories, based on real-life events in the author’s life, without realizing who she was. That is to say, I thought she was a writer, not a brilliant philanthropist, wife of the Infosys co-founder and mother in law to Rishi Sunak!
Sudha Murty comes across as a fiercely intelligent, adventurous and ambitious woman who has helped so many Indian people, much less fortunate than herself, through the charitable foundations she runs. The story about her going through engineering college, the only girl in a class of 150, at a school with no women’s toilets, jeered by the boys in class, to achieve the highest marks of anyone…. It makes me wonder if Keir Starmer (the new UK PM) would have won the UK elections so breezily if he had been up against his mother in law!
As a writer, the author brings to life stories and characters she has witnessed, in a simple language, demonstrating her attention to detail, her empathy and ability to interact with other human beings. It doesn’t take much effort to imagine that any of us could observe such stories in real life. You don’t need to be a tremendously wealthy philanthropist to make the effort to engage a little more with people around us. What do we know about the lives of the delivery driver who, probably under great stress, delivers our Amazon parcels? Or about the single parent cleaner who arrives when we are leaving school of the office? Or the porter or caretaker of the building we might live in…?
Like A Fine Balance (Rohiton Mistry), this book invites you to stop for a moment and think about the lives of others.
It was a bright and sunny afternoon in late November and I was headed back home after getting my second dose of the Covishield vaccine. While I waited for my cab to arrive, a WhatsApp status or an Instagram story (I don’t clearly recall which one) caught my attention. The status/story had a book cover, “Here, There and Everywhere” - Best Loved Stories of Sudha Murty. I recalled seeing the lady on the cover page in some nice inspirational videos people share casually on Facebook & Instagram. At that point, the ignorant me didn’t know that Sudha Murty was no ordinary woman, but the chairperson of the Infosys Foundation. Without a second thought, I placed the order for the book (on Amazon) and boarded my cab that had arrived by now. Call it serendipity or God’s grace if you will, the right books have landed in my lap at the right time.
Mrs. Murty (Avva - Kannada for Mother, if I may call her) has dedicated this beautiful book (her 200th title) to her brother Shrinivas. Avva says that unlike other acclaimed authors she isn’t skilled at writing sophisticated English, maybe she is oblivious or too humble to admit that the simplicity in her writing is the ultimate sophistication. The book compromises of 22 short stories, each with a moral/life-lesson that’s hard to ignore. I wouldn’t be wrong to say that the book is a distilled version of Mrs. Murty’s wisdom gained over the last several decades.
I have lost count of the number of times I felt my throat choked and eyes welled up with tears on reading the true account presented in each story. Mrs. Murty’s narrative is simple yet it brings the characters to life. As the story unfolds, you feel as if you are re-living that experience with her. I am also amazed at how immaculately the title for each story has been chosen. Not only does each story justify the title, the title leaves you intrigued at the onset.
Head to to Chapter 13 (Cattle Class) and you’ll be introduced to Mrs. Murty’s tongue-in-cheek humour and unparalleled wit that is capable of showing an arrogant person his/her right place, without stooping down to their level. Chapter 17 (Food for Thought) wherein Mrs. Murty meets her friend’s father (a botanist by profession), tells me that despite being a plant lover, how limited is my knowledge about plants.
Chapter 21 (Three Thousand Stitches), deserves a special mention as the true story (of transforming lives of 3000 Devdasis) is a highlight of Mrs. Murty’s philanthropic career. In that chapter, Mrs. Murty quotes a Sanskrit sloka taught to her by her grandfather, and it goes like this: ‘O God, I don’t need a kingdom nor do I desire to be an emperor. I don’t want rebirth or the golden vessels or heaven. I don’t need anything from you. O Lord, if you want to give me something, then give me a soft heart and hard hands, so that I can wipe the tears of others’. I can say with utmost conviction, that Mrs. Murty has lived up to every word of this beautiful sloka; she has touched and transformed countless lives, extending her help selflessly to those in need.
In nutshell, a book that deserves being read several times over.
Sudha Murty is not an obscure name. And though I knew that she was a writer, for the longest time I only knew her as the wife of the founder of India's IT giant. Blame it on my ignorance. But, I guess Universe has its own way of undoing all misconceptions, and as was destined, my dear friend Arti gifted me with this book. And I couldn't be enough grateful to her.
For the longest time I have ignored Indian literature scene, and now that I have finally embarked on a journey to get acquainted with it, my eyes are opening to so much more about my own country. This book opened my eyes to the fact that if I have to look for strong female role models I don't really need to cross oceans. They're here right in my backyard.
Here, There, and Everywhere is a collection of inspiring tales from the life of the writer. It chronicled not only her achievements but also the challenges and setbacks faced by her. What enamored me about her was the simplicity with which she reaches her audience. She's truly a people's writer, and reading her writing is like immersing oneself in the purest reading pleasure. Her stories can be read by everyone, and that is perhaps the best thing about this book. Now that I have finally discovered her writing, I am not going to keep myself away from her books. And if you're someone who hasn't yet picked up her works, then I will urge you to do so soon. You won't regret it..
Short stories from Ms.Sudha Murty's life journey takes us on the ride of emotions.The stories are written simply and are expressed in a way that keeps the reader engaged.The reader can literally feel as if he/she is present at that scenario. The life of a philanthropist is portrayed through interesting stories.How one person's genuine gesture of kindness can change the whole story of a person's life is fascinating.Many such stories are penned in the book.Some of the stories touch the heart,bring goosebumps and make us realize the true essence of life- Compassion and kindness towards each other. Some stories give a warm feeling that cannot be put into words and would definitely leave an impact on the reader.Makes us realize how important it is for human beings to be kind to other beings in order to feel the real happiness and satisfaction in life. Sudha madam has transformed the life of so many people and really is an inspiration to us all.
After the highly disappointing read, dollar bahu by Sudha Murthy, this book comes as a surprise. This book reads well. The stories in this book are mostly her own stories and stories from her father's life. All the stories from the author's father's life and her own childhood are really inspiring and is a wonderful read. Few of the stories from her adult life are good too but some of them just goes about to spin the same narrative of "I am very simple in spite of being so rich" and the self praise just became too much for me to handle. The writing is simple and so much better than the one in "dollar bahu" book but gets little disjoint at places. One of the stories "Cattle Class" seemed too fictitious to be true (I have heard that it is true) and the ending of that story seemed like a scene out of movies. All in all, this was so much a better read than the first one.
Our life is nothing but an assemblage of stories. We like to tell and listen stories. A conversation without stories would seem quite superficial. Stories also provide us the motivation and energy to carry on. They shine like a dim distant lantern in the dark that help us tread through the hazy periods of life.
This book is full of such stories. Stories that provide a shot of positivity and are full of profound insights. Written in an utterly compassionate style. Reading this book will give you a sense of calmness and content. Happy reading!
I've read a lot of books written by Sudha Murty from the last few months and the thing I've noticed at the end of each book is that, it fills me with positivity and I feel inspired. It's the same with this book, too! These anecdotes were of just a few pages but the inspiration and wisdom in them can't be measured. If you want to know about Sudha Murty's stories and her writing style, this is surely something you should grab. Although I've read some of these tales in her previous books, this collection surely contains all of the best stories that she has ever written! Loved it!
I often read books which has some substance about a certain topic. Rarely I indulge myself in reading for purely the joy of reading. Well this book by Sudha Murty is just that. After a long time I just got submerged into the stories contained in this book. One amazing thing is that most of the stories have a circular fate where author meets a character after passage of time and as a result it is filled with perspectives. Humans learn through stories and narratives and I hope these stories leave the reader with learnings for lifetime.