Storywallah

by Neelesh Misra

In 2011, the screenwriter, lyricist and journalist Neelesh Misra started mentoring a handpicked group of writers called the Mandali. These were men and women of all ages, backgrounds and dispositions. The Mandali soon started writing radio stories in Hindi, for Misra's show Yaadon Ka Idiotbox-short, pithy, bittersweet narratives that immediately struck a chord with listeners across the country.Translated for the first time in English, this collection represents the Mandali at the height of its powers. These stories are blessed with a keen sense of place, attuned to the rhythms of both small-town India and rapidly expanding mega-cities like Delhi or Mumbai. Homesick yuppies reconnect with their hometowns, old lovers reconcile against all odds, and parents learn to get along with their grown-up children. A mother-in-law uses questionable tactics to bond with her distant daughter-in-law, a war widow learns to stand up to family, and a life-threatening mountain slope brings two strangers together.These are fresh, untamed voices aided and abetted by a master storyteller.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2018

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly]

First, this short story collection is so underrated!

I loved almost every story here (a few were a bit overdone and felt a little too cliché).

I enjoyed reading the different writing styles and the different unique characters which I found quite wholesome.

The stories would be better understood by adults I feel as most of these stories talk about people who have gone through youth or going through midlife.

The stories get quite nostalgic as they tend to bring out emotions close to home and family.

Holding the paperback and reading a story every morning was really worth it.

One of my most memorable reads it's going to be.

Recommending it ✔️

[Jayasree B]

Love, for all its complexities, is a really simple emotion. It comes in different shapes and sizes, it sometimes crushes us or becomes the driving force. There is one version of love in every story in Storywallah. Be it a distraught father looking for his long-lost daughter, or a mother-in-law trying to bond with her son's wife. And somehow all of the authors manage to make the reader fall in love with their tales in those few pages. I had, at one point turned a page and was frustrated because the story had come to an end. Good stories do that you.

For the entire review, visit Frost At Midnite.

[Weepli]

I love short story collections, mostly because progress of the book is very easily measurable. Storywallah is a collection of short stories, curated by Neelesh Misra and I fell in love with the cover of the book as soon as I saw it. The colours and the auto in what seems to be a small bylane of a bigger city, all represented home somehow. I hadn’t been this excited to read anything in a long time.

The stories, 20 of them, all have a recurring theme of love, loss and relationships set against changing times-this could be an individual growing older and moving away, to social changes and more modern interpretations of love in what is traditional and often, rural settings. The stories are translated from hindi and cover topics like a woman’s role in a relationship, acceptance of relationships by conservative families, loneliness in new and urban spaces, and long-lost loves through old notes and letters.

I haven’t had a chance to read the stories in the original hindi, but some of the translations seemed rather weak and basic. The style was not very colloquial and reading it was often difficult. Also, most of the stories were left open-ended, which is fine, but at a point in the story, when it seemed incomplete rather than open-ended.

But most of the stories had relatable characters and problems, and were interesting to read. My favourite was A Divorced Girl. The dilemma faced by the main character was something we’ve all heard of, and read about, and the author brought out the complexities of the situation with understanding and empathy.

I love stories of everyday life and everyday people and so, this book really appealed to me.

[Sneha]

Storywallah brings together translated stories from Hindi that touch deeply on themes of love, relationships, marriage, and the unspoken emotions, burdens people carry in their lives.

One story explores how love transforms after marriage, how responsibilities weigh in, yet affection still quietly exists. Another deals with the fragility of trust between couples, where unshared secrets even shake the longest & strongest bonds.

One story about a widow wanting companionship, not sympathy or support. Another captures the experience of divorce woman sharing another shade of love, loss & expectations once again.

The more you read more fascinating these stories get, though some stories felt overstreched & cliché. The writing beautifully balances tenderness with raw truths. They make you stop & think.

A must for anyone interested in reading narratives of love, relationships & society.

[Pratibha Pandey]

The book has a variety of emotions - friendship , love , loss , pride , sorrow and a little bit of society's thoughts and working shown using characters of the stories. There are incidences that one will relate to , moments that you feel one with the person in the story but I can perhaps count those stories on my hand.

My favorite story is "the overcoat" where a girl discovers the meaning of true love through other's life. Another story I will remember for a long time is "The seal" but only for the father dialogues in that one. Another gem is "together" for me as that's about true friendship and having to love someone a second time over.

This book failed to excite me most part or make me feel strongly for rest of character. I understood the emotion but there was nothing to bind me there for long.

[Sukhamaya Swain]

What is here in the book that touches you?
There is active and robust presence of human emotions; a multitude of kinds. There are a plethora of reasons for the reason of survival of men and women which normally does not come out even from the intelligent minds. There is a life which is far far away from the kind of life that we normally lead in urban areas; there are umpteen points in the book which showcases that. Roots are often retorted to which is important because most of the problems which humankind faces today is because of people forgetting their roots.
Why books like this are important today because we are undergoing a massive urbanisation which means materialism, more materials and meaner minds. The urbanisation bug is not limited to a Mumbai or a Delhi.
This should be shared and gifted to as many around; for some times atleast people shall be reminded of their roots.

[Rabi Agrawal]

Recently I read a short stories collection called Storywallah.

Neelesh Mishra is one of the most noted writers in hindi language of recent times. Apart from having his flourishing writing, screenwriting and story telling career in radio, he spends good amount of time mentoring and nurturing upcoming and budding writers who write in indian languages. This group is called Mandali. This book is a product of the mandali, consisting of 20 short stories written by many talented writers.

Soaked in indian soil and culture, these stories are so different yet so similar. As written by different people, the writing styles are different, but all of them explore different Indias. Most of the stories are very good - some times funny, some times thought provoking, definitely engaging.

Sometimes elder parents are trying to adjust with their kids while living with loss of their spouse, trying to build new relationships. Sometimes adults are visiting the place they have grown at and taking a nostalgic journey into memory lane. Some widow is trying to fight societal, rudimentary traditions. Best thing about these stories are that they are very real, so relatable. Either you would have gone through those situations at some point of time or you would know somebody who has.

Among the writers, my pick would be Manjit Thakur and my fav story would be Satrangi. I won't give you details of the story but with a mix of romance, fantasy and comedy, it keeps you engaged till last moment. The climax is wonderful! It definitely has potential to be made into a short film!

Some other notable stories are Ayesha, Amaya, Together, Overcoat, Umrao Jaan, The Seal

In the end, I can say it's a wonderful short story collection - light read, which can be finished in one session, like I did. But many of those stories will linger in your mind for good amount of time.

[Anjana]

Storywallah brings together writers from all across India who were involved in this collaborative project under the guidance of ace storyteller and poet Neelesh Misra. The collection of short stories gives a glimpse of life in small towns. These stories have the dust of small alleys as well as the warmth of family in them. They weave together the colours of love, the shadows of anguish and the bitterness of regret as seen in the lives of ordinary people.
All the stories reflect a rough simplicity, which is what you find when we observe family life in small towns. There's an interesting mix of themes which keeps the reader engrossed. It's easy to identify with the dilemmas faced by the protagonists, since they are universal, no matter which milieu we come from.
Memories of an old love, making amends for damaging a valued relationship, recognising the bitter truth of an apparently strong love, are some of the topics dealt with by the authors. Every stage of a person's life, starting from childhood to old age is showcased by the authors. The tiny nuances in daily life which reflect the strength and true beauty of relationships is brought out in the stories. I felt as if I was huddled with my cousins on a warm summer evening, listening to a favourite uncle recount stories from the lives of near and dear ones. There's a comfort in the casualness of the narration that makes the reader relax and sink into the story.
The only drawback, not a major one, was that I felt the translation didn't do justice to the skill of the storyteller. I could visualise the sentences in a regional language and the beauty hidden there.
Storywallah is a lovely collection of short stories which will make the reader look back fondly on his own life.

[Ankan Paul]

This anthology of 20 stories, set in the cities and towns on India, explore the nuances of relationships. We find - a daughter struggling to come in terms with her mother's past, a couple rediscovering their love, love letters from a man's past rekindling his present, a divorced girl's struggle against the societal stigma, a retired old man finding love and companionship anew, riots separating yet binding people stronger, a father's search for his lost daughter, an old lady bonding with her daughter-in-law over an evening tea - and such beautiful stories of varying shades. There is feeling of nostalgia, estrangement, love (both new-found and long-lost), friendship, in these tales. What I loved the most about this collection is that, every love portrayed here has freedom, the freedom to be how it wants to be. Struggling against the societal norms and hurdles, notwithstanding a happy or a sad ending, every love captured in these stories becomes free and attains its own place in our heart.

What I did not like was the translation, and also the poor editing. There were so many obvious grammatical mistakes that were too hard to bear. And some stories felt a bit cliched, some shallow, and some endings had unnecessary forced twists, making them cheap and artificial.

Overall, a good, light and fast read.

Here is the story-wise rating:

4.5 stars: Liked these (All the stories by Kanchan Pant and Jamshed Qamar Siddique)
Wildflower
Yellow Roses
Munjhi's Palace
A Divorced Girl
Our People
Together

3.5 stars: These were also nice
The Overcoat
Evening Tea
Ayesha
Across the Seven Seas
A Bird in Flight

2 Stars: Okayish to Did not like at all
All the rest.

[Crimsonshadows]

Storywallah by Neelesh Misra’s Mandali is a collection of 20 short stories set in rural and urban India, with a common thread of nostalgia, love and longing. Misra presents a selection of diverse, handpicked and mentored writers from across India, each with a distinct voice.

You will encounter some bittersweet moments of relationships, romantic and otherwise, some harsh truths about life, and about growing up and letting go. You will also find yourself quietly smiling at the end of some of the stories because you will catch a glimpse of yourself in those words. There will be some very familiar situations that life throws at all of us, and you will find it heartening to know how each protagonist takes charge of his or her individual narrative.

[Shweta]

Neelesh Misra's Mandali has penned 20 different stories from metros & urban cities . The stories are diversified. They belong to one and all and to no one at all at the same time. The stories are of estranged relationships, old relations getting restored, friendships getting stronger.

Neelesh Misra's Mandali has penned the beautiful stories in a simple, lucid prose. The stories are heart touching and the translation by Khila Bisht is commendable in keeping the essence of the stories.

Out of all the stories , my favorite stories are "Munjhi's Palace", "nails", "Our people", A divorced girl". Neelesh Misra has excelled in mentoring the writers and I am looking forward to read hopefully a future second part of this collection.

[Rohini Biswas]

Storywallah by Nilesh Misra's mandali is a collection of 20 short stories by different storytellers (storywallahs). The book was originally published in Hindi and I had a translated version by Khila Bisht. Translations can't translate emotions more often than not. Apart from quite a literal translation of the Hindi text (which was irritating at times) the book had many grammatical and printing mistakes which again killed the joy of reading.

A few stories were good. I liked the stories Wildflower and Our People by Kanchan Pant. The plots were interesting for most of the stories but the storytelling seemed amateurish. Overall, it could have been better, and I should have read the original instead of the translated version.

[| Shakshi |]

Well, I think this is what we say as the beauty of stories-it got u hitched and leaves you mesmerized.

Almost all the stories in this is so unique in it's own way depicting lives in India in a very soothing way.

Rather than being from only one author this book is a collection of different authors, thus showing different writing style and methodology.

But still, although all the different authors have their unique touch, there was a fine similarity between all that doesn't lets you think everytime that you are reading a new story by a different author.

This collection of short stories became my reason of getting out of a slump.

And so my most memorable reads of the year as well.

[Agnivo Niyogi]

Full Review: https://antorjatikbangali.wordpress.c...

There is an undercurrent of love flowing through each of these stories. Relationships dominate the narrative. The conventional disdain of anything out of the ordinary is questioned. Ties are tested against the changing tides of time. Love is an experience, which no matter how much you wish to ignore, will always be a part of your existence. Credit goes to the Mandali for taking us through the various facets of it.

[Freya Abbas]

A nice collection of short stories by the Mandali. They were translated from Hindi. It's a good quick-read, although if you're not into romance I wouldn't recommend it as that's the focus of most of these stories. A lot of them are really emotional and well written.

[Samanwoy Pal]

Neelesh Mishra is a very popular name in the radio world. He conducted some exceptionally popular shows on radio and digital platforms include Yaddo ka Idiot Box(BigFM) or The Neelesh Mishra show(RedFM). He brings together a hand-picked group of writers from across the country who share bittersweet stories about provincial life in an india at crossroads with modernity. Members of a select group called Mandal, these are writers with distinct voices that strike a chord at once. .
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This book is a collection of twenty hand-picked stories , which are translated by Khila Bist from Hindi. All the stories revolve around one concept - love, love for an old village house that someone left in his teenage or some unpredicted love after retirement. In this collection, homesick journeyman reconnect with their hometowns , old lovers reconcile against all odds, a war widow stands up to her family, parents learnt to get along their grown-up children, and a precarious mountain slope brings two strangers together. .
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These stories will make you understand how simple life really is , and how we are knotting in the air to get a grasp of it.All the stories will sooth your soul to the deepest and give you company in good times and bad. It has been an excellent, mind healing read for me. Hope it will be for you too!

[Karan Batra]

Neelesh Misra’s Mandali has written fantastic stories - short, crisp and a delight to read.

Good character setting, nice background set up and well connected stories make this a great read.

I got so glued that I finished it in 3-4 days.

Loved it.

[Laxmi]

This book is an anthology where multiple story tellers have contributed and it has been compiled and published by the author who is, among other things, a storyteller himself on Radio. The stories are quite simple and seem to be narrations of real-life experiences and hence are quite relatable.

[Shivakukatla]

Stories that are sometimes heart warming, sometimes heart wrenching which are filled with different aspects and emotions connected to people in different ways ,with different people in the journey called life. A good read.

[Anmol Chanana]

This book is good in the desi way. I liked the writing and the indian stories from small town.

[Somsubhra Banerjee]

Nice amalgamation of some brilliant short stories!

[Ashif]

how to read it

[Arpita Nayak]

Intriguing and heart warming stories but poor editing, kills the fun of reading.

[Chinmayee Kulkarni]

They're such good stories to get one's emotions out, it's a good light read. Having heard Neelesh Misra on radio, I was sure he would choose good writers. I failed to connect with some stories, maybe I was detached or they were not that well-explored. But a lot of them were feel-good ones.

[Priyal Inani]

this is not a novel, this is a book. a book combined of bunch of stories(20stories) and each and every story was great, literally great!! the way all the writers combined to make a story was a great idea .... the stories are really all types of, and they are so peaceful

[nastasia]

3/5.
It's a good book if you're looking for something light. Itwas a great collection of stories. Almost all of them revolved around common everyday stories and they were portrayed beautifully. Some stories may be repetitive/cliche and may finish before they even take off.