Table Manners

by Susmita Bhattacharya

A parrot takes on the voice of a dead husband. Two women in search of god and marriage learn what it means to love. A man living in exile writes home.

From Mumbai to Venice, Cardiff to Singapore, this collection of stories of love and loneliness in the urban landscape are delicately nuanced and sprinkled generously with sharp observation of the human condition.

A captivating first collection which introduces us to a powerful new voice.

“Graceful, poignant and beautifully wrought - a masterful debut.” Angela Readman

"These triumphant, sharp eyed humorous stories mark the arrival of an intriguing new voice; tender, poignant and wry." Irenosen Okojie

"A winning collection. These stories are delicately shaped around sharp and tender moments rendered in rich, vivid prose." Mahesh Rao

Genres: Short Stories

168 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2018

About the author

Susmita was born in Mumbai, India. Her debut novel, The Normal State of Mind was published by Parthian in March 2015.

Susmita's short stories have been published in anthologies and journals in the U.K. and internationally.She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and got a commendable short story prize in the Frome Festival Short Story Contest. Her story has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

She has an MA in Creative Writing and runs writing workshops in her community.

She’s travelled on oil tanker ships with her husband for three years and will write about her sea adventures one day.

Reviews

[Damhnait Monaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short story collection, written with skill and empathy. In many of the stories, characters try to adapt to a new way of life, after immigration, loss, or other life changes. Bhattacharya poignantly caputures the loneliness of immigrants in stories like 'Letters Home' and 'Growing Tomatoes'. But there is warmth and humour too, in stories like 'Good Golly Miss Molly', where a widow finds her pet parrot is channeling her deceased husband and 'A Holiday to Remember' where a young married couple and their baby endure a wet holiday in a caravan.

Set in locations as varied as Singapore, India, Venice and Cardiff, these stories are like picture postcards from a fabulous holiday.

[Binita S · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible treat. While I liked some stories more than others, each one pulled me into the emotional space of the protagonist and made me feel like their feelings were my own. I felt drawn into a world where I experienced the smells and sounds of another space and time. Such insights are the gift of an amazing author and Ms. Bhattacharya has the makings of a talented writer like Jhumpa Lahiri in her.

[Ronjita Kulkarni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such imaginative stories from different parts of the world! So touching and heartwarming. A must-read for those who enjoy a good story.

[Tracy Fells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table Manners and other stories by Susmita Bhattacharya (Dahlia Publishing) is a collection of 18 mouth-watering short stories which paint poignant images of love and loneliness making you both smile and sigh sadly in equal measures. At times the stories are delicate and incredibly tender, then others are richly comic or heart breaking in their sadness. The prose is sharp and funny, fluid and immensely readable. I read and enjoyed every single story in this collection, and am already returning to read my favourites again. I particularly enjoyed the cast of multi-cultured characters and settings. Whether the story is set amongst the marbled beauty of the Taj Mahal, rich upmarket Singapore or a wet English seaside, you are truly immersed along with the characters and quickly feel part of their world.
Several stories had echoes of Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing where the main characters are dislocated from their homes and struggling to settle in a foreign land, such as Hoda in Growing Tomatoes craving her mother’s cooking, or poor Hassan writing home to his wife as he tries to fit into working life in Cardiff. The men in Bhattacharya’s stories are beautifully written, they are complex and multi-layered, never simply villains or heroes. In Buon Anniversario Amore Mio we share Andy’s pain and anger as he endures his wife’s cancer, constantly parading a ‘brave’ face. We nudge the gentle widower in the title story Table Manners towards his new Chinese neighbour, they have no language in common except a shared love of food and we hope their friendship is blossoming.
Picking out my particular favourites is tough, but I did love Mouli and her parrot in Good Golly Miss Molly, a surprisingly uplifting story about grief. Spider is an honest story about the realities of poverty and how a tourist regrets asking to be shown the ‘real’ India. I laughed along with the young couple in Holiday to Remember which took me back to horribly wet childhood caravan holidays by the seaside – this could have been a gloomy depressive story but in Bhattacharya’s skillful hands it becomes a reflection of what it takes to make a marriage work – it has a delightful ending.
Throughout this collection the writing is lush and sensuous, the characters diverse and multi-layered, the stories are expertly structured and you feel in the hands of a very talented author. These are stories to be savoured like a good meal, you will want to keep reading and not leave the table.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The themes of homesickness, alienation and longing are tenderly explored in this stunning debut collection by Susmita Bhattcharya, a native of Mumbai. I could almost feel the heat on my skin, taste the ripe mangoes and hear the honking of horns as I read the stories set in India in sharp contrast to the hiss of the gas fire in a wind-lashed caravan at the English seaside. I couldn't single out any of the stories as being my favourite, as they're all so good. Susmita writes with a calm confidence and occasionally wry humour, drawing the reader deeper into her fictional worlds, so much so that I felt sad when I reached the end.

[Catherine McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table Manners is a most delicate collection to savour. Characters suffer the isolation of the everyday, and family lives are poignantly touched by disappointment, joy, indignation, discomfort, with vivid glimpses of various settings from Asia to Italy. Bhattacharya traces the arc of life, the trauma of migration, the unevenness of marriage, with succinct and humane observation and a lucid exactness that enthralls and involves the reader. A sultry, bitter-sweet read.

[Nivedita Hegde · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short story is usually not my favorite format in fiction, (with Roald Dahl's macabre stories being an honourable exception) however this eclectic collection of stories was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read all the stories at one go. I particularly liked the story of the man dealing with the imminent death of his spouse by cancer while also dealing with the tumultuous origins of their affair.
Go ahead and read it, you won't regret it.

[Vrushali Samant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like a having crisp glass of wine on a muggy Mumbai night . After an emotionally demanding day, I curled up with Table Manners and was lost in a world of masterfully crafted, poignant stories set in Mumbai, Venice, Cardiff... Susmita's writing is strikingly visual. The use and description of food is delightful. Highly recommend this bundle of warm short tales.

[John E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table Manners is a wonderfully eclectic mix of eighteen charming short stories that take the reader on many journeys, both physical and emotional - humorous and sad. Beautifully written with a worldly knowledge and attention to detail. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Judy Birkbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicate stories full of wry observations, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes uplifting, and often with a gentle, poignant humour. Hard to choose a favourite, but perhaps Comfort Food (about a businessman's wife) and Good Golly, Miss Molly (about a newly bereaved widow).

[Alla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought fiction back into my life with fireworks. Witty, authentic, touching and sometimes tragic - each story was a short indulgence and growth journey, opening a gateway to different families, cultures and life paths.

[Sarah Dunsbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now only heard a few of these stories out of the book via Radio four extra but was very impressed, normally disappointed by modern short stories, they tend to just stop and leave you annoyed....so not expecting much but these were entertaining and very varied and vivid and properly rounded....

[Mona Dash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is like a gourmet box of chocolates. You don't really know what the flavour might be, when you dip into one but you can be assured, it will be satisfying yet leaving you wanting for more. Each of the stories is like a golden wrapped chocolate complete with a very interesting title. In fact after reading the stories, I went back and read the titles again, savouring that as well. A box of eighteen stories, each of them different from the other, but also similar in the measured, concise, honestly written style. I liked the minimalist language and the poignancy this adds to the characters.
While I enjoyed them all, I do have some favourites. Some years ago, I had read 'Comfort Food' in a magazine, and that story had stayed with me, such a visual last scene and the internal conflict of the woman shown in a very different way. I hadn't however taken a note of the writer at that time, and to my delight when I found the story in this collection, and read it again, I felt reunited! Spider is another such story, effortlessly weaving layers of relationships, culture, grief, horror in a short space.
Several of the stories look at marriage and married couples in an objective and non judgemental way, whether it is a tender love in 'Buoun Anniversario Amore Mio' or the young couple in 'Dusk over Atlantic Wharf' who think - 'It's such a dull day. Let's do something exciting' or the couple trying to enjoy their 'Holiday to remember' in a cold caravan , a sense of human frailty is explored in various ways.

All in all, a great read, and a lot to learn from, by those wanting to write short stories

[Ross Jeffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Table Manners is an insatiably wrought collection of unflinching short stories from a writer who is telling the world how it is, and is unapologetic in her approach.

It’s fierce writing, whilst also being poignant, but the overall feeling that I get from Bhattacharya is that she is fearless in her writing, and this is shown by the themes and topics that are traversed in Table Manners. A brave and accomplished collection, which gives a voice to the voiceless and hope for the hopeless – delivered from a unique and inspiring voice – and a voice I couldn’t get enough of, it was a shame when I closed the cover on this wonderful collection.

Table Manners and discovering Susmita Bhattacharya has been a real highlight of my reading and reviewing so far this year. Table Manners is a brave collection, with Bhattacharya delving into some very topical themes, and situations which in my opinion rarely get to see the light of day (whether this is due to their themes or from the social reprisals from the person detailing their plight or situation) – Bhattacharya sheds the spotlight on things we do well to hide in the shadows or put in a box, but having said that, with her unique voice, delectable prose and superb wit – Bhattacharya enables us, the reader to engage on these subjects and delve into these lives and the little un-uttered secrets held herein, which is as arresting as it is engaging.

The stories make up Table Manners are a triumphant declaration and celebration of culture, a collection that is as humorous as it is beautiful – constructed and told from a unique and deftly refreshing voice. There are not many topics that are off the menu and this ensures that Table Manners is a smorgasbord of delights which you can’t help but gorge yourself on.

At times Bhattacharya transported me with ease from the comfort of my home to live amongst the lives, stories and cultures of her cast of characters, enabling me a way to experience life through a different lens – what more can you ask of a writer, but to do such things!

Each story added subtle layers to a delightful banquet, it’s a collection about the human condition, about how we are all different but are the same, that we all struggle with the same thoughts, feelings, inadequacies and fears – that we all wish for the same things and hope to encounter small blessings along the way.

There are so many stories I enjoyed, such sumptuous fiction as Good Golly Miss Molly, The Summer of Learning, After She Was Gone, The Taste of Onion on his Tongue (which was another of my favourite stories) and the quite stunning title story Table Manners – each one an exploration into the human condition, dealing with emotive subjects such as inadequacy, loneliness, grief, loss and longing. I would do a disservice to the book if I elaborated on these stories too much in this review, so I would urge you to pick up this vibrant and soul enriching collection and be forever changed.

[Durre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan and follower of Susmita’s work since reading A Normal State of Mind many years ago. There’s something in the way that her writing pulls together different worlds and different minds so fluidly and effortlessly. Table Manners very quickly became one of my new favourite short story collections. As a short story writer myself, it is a lesson in how to paint intimate snapshots of lives tucked away all around us. In each of them there is a moment – whether of resilience, of love, of beauty, of pain, or of loss. Where others may follow traditional beginning to end short story structures, Susmita focuses on the heart of the story and the ordinary everyday happenings and feelings that make us so human, that we overlook or take for granted. The characters come to life and stay with you long after. The lengths of the stories vary, and are never too long or too short, but just right for each story. My favourite one by far was ‘Comfort Food’ in which a young wife’s silent resilience gave me goosebumps. My least favourite was perhaps ‘Letters Home’ in which an immigrant experience’s was all too unsurprising. Table Manners is a collection worth reading and keeping close by for re-reading.

[Angharad Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of short stories from around the world that are related to each other through the theme of food. Quite a surprise then that many of the stories were set in Cardiff, one in Splott!

[Holly Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another would be 3.5 star review. A beautiful collection of short stories chronicalling characters from all walks of life, different ethnicities, ages, genders, sexualities and lives. Their separate tales put together seamlessly with warmth, richness and understanding. The main character running through the whole book - food! Hearty Indian dishes, sweet Italian cannoli, traditional Chinese cuisine, give all the stories a universality and the reader food cravings! With short story collections there are usually some stories I like and some I don't, but while I enjoyed some stories in Table Manners more than others, and some affected me differently - there wasn't one story that I disliked.
My rating lost half a star because of a couple of minor editing issues.

[Bronwen Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely collection of stories. Naturally in a collection the reader, like this one, will prefer some stories to others. However I've given this book five stars as there are some outstanding stories in the collection, and also because Susmita Bhattacharya has such a depth of understanding of the human heart. There is real sadness here, grief that tears at the heart strings, but also humour and some wonderful details that linger in the mind. I loved the grandmother who died while eating a mango - and yet behind this humourous beginning is a story of lost love set against religion and politics. That's another plus for me - just how much the author can say about the larger world through the eyes of her characters.

[Rue Baldry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting range of characters and situations. Sometimes the prose is a little flat and the proof reading/ line editing could be better. The stories all have the same narrative voice. However, they are well observed and open up interesting food for thought about relationships between people, often at their best when examining the places where cultures intersect.

[Nichole Beauchamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the range of these stories and the multitude of characters. Caravan holidays, the Taj Mahal, immigrants struggling to adapt to their new country, Brexit, a terminally ill wife in Venice. Lots of quiet watchfulness and loneliness, mixed with some fiery characters like the great grandmother in Mango Season. Perceptive writing.

[Jaye Rockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming collection of short stories with themes of family, identity, love, loneliness and what it means to be an immigrant.

[m.]

read: in the laps of the gods (31.10.25)

[Tim Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've described the plots on http://litrefsreviews.blogspot.com/20... because they're central to the success of the book. In the main they scaffold the stories effectively though sometimes I feel that they restrict character development. Scenarios are set up involving displacement and adaption, or people watching others unaware that they're learning about themselves. Symbolism's often seeded near the start and is used to convey the message at the end (butterflies, tomatoes, mangoes). Some stories (e.g."Dusk over Atlantic Wharf") get little further than setting the scenario up. Others develop along lines which while not being entirely predictable come as no surprise. Characters learn things, often belatedly, and in ways that don't affect their subsequent behaviour. Some pieces are nearly real-time, others have a story duration of a day or so. A few jump years. "Marked" has split time-lines. The language varies little in register, the characters are recognisable, and the mode is resolutely realist with a sentimental twist.

No story particularly stands out. They're all readable. Maybe the title story's my favourite.

[Othniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contemporary tales from the Indian diaspora.

This is a set of slice-of-life stories, largely focussing on the experiences of women, whether in the U.K. (generally Cardiff), India, or elsewhere. Sensitively written, they tell of unfulfilled existences and everyday tragedies, and are reminiscent of both Raymond Carver and V.S. Naipaul.

At its least successful when dealing with non-Indians, this collection of bite-sized narratives shines a light on largely ordinary lives, providing likeable, valuable insights.