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The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar
There are human skulls speaking to men.
There are demonesses falling in love with their prey.
There is a jackal pretending to be a priest and a donkey that goes beyond his duty.
These are stories from the soil of Bihar, from the land of Bhojpuri and Maithili—stories that have
traversed centuries and created a catalogue of oral wisdom.
The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a collection of timeless tales that have been told through
generations, are adored for being a literature and treated as sacred testament of village wisdom. The
stories are a source of joy for younger generations and a celebration of the past for the older ones.
Firmly grounded in village life with characters both human and animals, The Greatest Folk Tales
of Bihar is an enchanting read to draw you into a world of its own.
There are demonesses falling in love with their prey.
There is a jackal pretending to be a priest and a donkey that goes beyond his duty.
These are stories from the soil of Bihar, from the land of Bhojpuri and Maithili—stories that have
traversed centuries and created a catalogue of oral wisdom.
The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a collection of timeless tales that have been told through
generations, are adored for being a literature and treated as sacred testament of village wisdom. The
stories are a source of joy for younger generations and a celebration of the past for the older ones.
Firmly grounded in village life with characters both human and animals, The Greatest Folk Tales
of Bihar is an enchanting read to draw you into a world of its own.
208 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2019
62 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 14, 2019
The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a collection of stories told in every household in Bihar. Stories that have a message at the end, meant to entertain you but also teach you a valuable lesson.
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Verma's writing is very simple. His art of storytelling is far from any embellishments, hence making these stories more grounded and close to the heart. The author has collected stories from both Birds and Animal Kingdom. There are stories about survival in the while and also on pranks and entertainment. And then there's my favourite of all- folk lores.
Each story has something different to offer, both in terms of plot and message. The book reminded me a lot about the stories my grandmother used to narrate to me as a child, so full of love and thrill but also a purpose.
.
These stories were told to the author by his parents and grandparents, and they had a lasting impact in his mind. The author's love for these tales are evident from the introduction he pens down at the beginning of the book and also the sources of these tales.
.
Verma's writing is very simple. His art of storytelling is far from any embellishments, hence making these stories more grounded and close to the heart. The author has collected stories from both Birds and Animal Kingdom. There are stories about survival in the while and also on pranks and entertainment. And then there's my favourite of all- folk lores.
Each story has something different to offer, both in terms of plot and message. The book reminded me a lot about the stories my grandmother used to narrate to me as a child, so full of love and thrill but also a purpose.
.
These stories were told to the author by his parents and grandparents, and they had a lasting impact in his mind. The author's love for these tales are evident from the introduction he pens down at the beginning of the book and also the sources of these tales.
March 13, 2020
I picked up this short book in New Delhi's Khan Market just before my 13 hour plane ride back to the US and it kept me well entertained for the first part of the flight. Author Nalin Verma offers 37 folk tales and fables from Bihar, his homeland. These stories are filled with virtually every type of sentient being: sparrows and crows, jackals and lions, thieves and Brahmins, priests and thugs. Verma ends each tale with a short moral, such as, "You will find God if you are truly devoted to Him," or "The pen is mightier than the lathi [the club]." Many stories illustrate how a certain person or animal outsmarts his more powerful rival.
A good example, and one of my favorites, is Ander Nagari, Chowpat Raja, translated as The Dark City and the Whimsical King. In it, a thief is plying his trade when a wall in the house he is robbing collapses. The man's wife goes to the king and blames the house's owner, a trader, who, in turn, blames the mason (who built the wall), who blames a prostitute (who diverted him), who blames her paramour, and so on until, in the end, the blame is placed on a poor disciple of a hermit. But before being hanged for the crime, the discipline outwits the king, with the result that the king ends up hanging himself! The story illustrates the value of being clever. And I believe it is no coincidence that it is a lowly disciple of a hermit who outsmarts the high-ranked king.
Verma has written an introduction that grounds the stories in the experience of his own childhood growing up in a poor village in Bihar--a place with no roads or electricity and where the sole means of transport was the bullock cart. From his vivid recollections, we can almost feel the stories growing out of that rich soil. We also learn that the "bards" of Bihar communicated their stories not only through narrative transmission, but also through ballads and songs. My only criticism, and it's minor, is that the author could have said more about these forms and how they relate to the stories in the book. For example, are any of the narratives derived from ballads or do they have parallel songs? Why is one tale communicated as a story and another as a ballad? And if some stories have corresponding ballads or songs, a few examples would have been appreciated.
That said, The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a welcome addition to the genre. As Verma notes, the world is changing at a lightening speed, and there is no time to waste if we do not want to lose such precious folk tales forever. So, buy the book--the stories are short, great fun to read, and there's rarely a dull moment.
A good example, and one of my favorites, is Ander Nagari, Chowpat Raja, translated as The Dark City and the Whimsical King. In it, a thief is plying his trade when a wall in the house he is robbing collapses. The man's wife goes to the king and blames the house's owner, a trader, who, in turn, blames the mason (who built the wall), who blames a prostitute (who diverted him), who blames her paramour, and so on until, in the end, the blame is placed on a poor disciple of a hermit. But before being hanged for the crime, the discipline outwits the king, with the result that the king ends up hanging himself! The story illustrates the value of being clever. And I believe it is no coincidence that it is a lowly disciple of a hermit who outsmarts the high-ranked king.
Verma has written an introduction that grounds the stories in the experience of his own childhood growing up in a poor village in Bihar--a place with no roads or electricity and where the sole means of transport was the bullock cart. From his vivid recollections, we can almost feel the stories growing out of that rich soil. We also learn that the "bards" of Bihar communicated their stories not only through narrative transmission, but also through ballads and songs. My only criticism, and it's minor, is that the author could have said more about these forms and how they relate to the stories in the book. For example, are any of the narratives derived from ballads or do they have parallel songs? Why is one tale communicated as a story and another as a ballad? And if some stories have corresponding ballads or songs, a few examples would have been appreciated.
That said, The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a welcome addition to the genre. As Verma notes, the world is changing at a lightening speed, and there is no time to waste if we do not want to lose such precious folk tales forever. So, buy the book--the stories are short, great fun to read, and there's rarely a dull moment.
June 18, 2021
I'd seen the free version of the book on Amazon a few days ago. The comparatist in me was curious about folktales from a literary sphere that was unexplored as yet. Will there be stories similar to the ones I'd grown up with? Different versions maybe? In the hope that I might be able to pick up some new words and cultural references, I downloaded 'The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar'.
The introduction from the author was very fascinating. It explained how these stories in Bhojpuri originated in small villages in Bihar, but travelled through indentured laborers to reach Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mauritius and even the Caribbean. Some folk songs also took the garb of political commentaries: songs that mocked Yahya Khan for Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war, or ones that belittled Gandhi while extolling Subhash Chandra Bose and Hitler during ghe country's struggle for independence. Verma laments that these oral tales are dying with the older generation, and explains how this is his attempt at documenting them. In a way, it's a solemn obituary. But it's also a chronicle.
Now onto the tales. This has got to be the strangest book I've read. The stories are haphazard, ridden with details and twists that amount to nothing. I give that a leeway hoping that it's my fault of assessing an oral tradition against the pre-requisites of a written one. However, Verma chooses a format akin to the Aesop's Fables or Panchatantra where every story ends with an aphoristic moral, and the ones he provides only the make the pedestrian tales even weirder. I lost it when the moral of a tale was "Poverty breeds pettiness."
Verma's protagonists, when they are not animals or birds, are almost always Brahmins and members of dominant castes. I could not ignore it as a product of an age when casteism and patriarchy was the norm, because Verma creates a clear binary. The Brahmin characters are priests who have to beg to make their ends meet. They are poor, holy, virtuous, and innocent, while the peasants from the marginalized castes are illiterate, lathi-wielding, and unruly. The tale of a powerful Kayastha tax official tricking an illiterate farmer by giving him a fake receipt ends with the moral "The pen is mightier than the lathi". Seriously? :|
The only tale that made sense was 'The Leaf and the Lump' which is popular in Malayalam as മണ്ണാങ്കട്ടയും കരിയിലയും (Mannankattayum Kariyilayum). I've heard versions with happy and tragic endings. Which one have you heard?
This book brought me out of a long reading slump. So that's good.
It's all heart. Fine. I just wish it had some brain too.
The introduction from the author was very fascinating. It explained how these stories in Bhojpuri originated in small villages in Bihar, but travelled through indentured laborers to reach Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mauritius and even the Caribbean. Some folk songs also took the garb of political commentaries: songs that mocked Yahya Khan for Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war, or ones that belittled Gandhi while extolling Subhash Chandra Bose and Hitler during ghe country's struggle for independence. Verma laments that these oral tales are dying with the older generation, and explains how this is his attempt at documenting them. In a way, it's a solemn obituary. But it's also a chronicle.
Now onto the tales. This has got to be the strangest book I've read. The stories are haphazard, ridden with details and twists that amount to nothing. I give that a leeway hoping that it's my fault of assessing an oral tradition against the pre-requisites of a written one. However, Verma chooses a format akin to the Aesop's Fables or Panchatantra where every story ends with an aphoristic moral, and the ones he provides only the make the pedestrian tales even weirder. I lost it when the moral of a tale was "Poverty breeds pettiness."
Verma's protagonists, when they are not animals or birds, are almost always Brahmins and members of dominant castes. I could not ignore it as a product of an age when casteism and patriarchy was the norm, because Verma creates a clear binary. The Brahmin characters are priests who have to beg to make their ends meet. They are poor, holy, virtuous, and innocent, while the peasants from the marginalized castes are illiterate, lathi-wielding, and unruly. The tale of a powerful Kayastha tax official tricking an illiterate farmer by giving him a fake receipt ends with the moral "The pen is mightier than the lathi". Seriously? :|
The only tale that made sense was 'The Leaf and the Lump' which is popular in Malayalam as മണ്ണാങ്കട്ടയും കരിയിലയും (Mannankattayum Kariyilayum). I've heard versions with happy and tragic endings. Which one have you heard?
This book brought me out of a long reading slump. So that's good.
It's all heart. Fine. I just wish it had some brain too.
April 13, 2020
The book is a collection of short stories which the author grew up listening during his childhood days in Siwan district of Bihar. The author explains that these stories were popular in the bhojpuri speaking area of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and due to migration of labours they are famous in Bangladesh as well as many countries in Africa too. The folktales here are the ones which were passed down by generations verbally and now are slowly vanishing as the storytelling environment is fast diminishing.
With a Panchatantra like vibe these stories include gamut of characters ranging from birds, animals, the king and queens, gods, ghost and the local village folks. Like most fables and folk tales all these simple tales have a lesson at the end. While reading through these stories it made me reminiscent of my childhood days where I used to read tales of Akbar and Birbal and the stories which my grandmom used to tell me.
My favourite story from this collection was Andher nagari, chowpat Raja (the dark city and the whimsical king) which was one laugh riot and Saranga and Sadabrij which is a lore of love akin to Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha.
A thing which this book made me realise was how the art of storytelling particularly stories conveyed verbally in form of folk songs and ballads was so common and similar across the diverse nation we live in. I was suprised that many of the stories in this book I had heard my grandmother, mother narrating to me in my childhood. This just makes me wonder how these stories must have travelled across the nation and what taste might each region have added to these stories. For example I am sure all of you must have heard stories of this one character in folk Lore who have achieved fantastic feats, is witty but actually none have ever seen.
This book is simple and will take you down your childhood memory lane. A great book if you are looking for a book to help u come out of your reading slump.
With a Panchatantra like vibe these stories include gamut of characters ranging from birds, animals, the king and queens, gods, ghost and the local village folks. Like most fables and folk tales all these simple tales have a lesson at the end. While reading through these stories it made me reminiscent of my childhood days where I used to read tales of Akbar and Birbal and the stories which my grandmom used to tell me.
My favourite story from this collection was Andher nagari, chowpat Raja (the dark city and the whimsical king) which was one laugh riot and Saranga and Sadabrij which is a lore of love akin to Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha.
A thing which this book made me realise was how the art of storytelling particularly stories conveyed verbally in form of folk songs and ballads was so common and similar across the diverse nation we live in. I was suprised that many of the stories in this book I had heard my grandmother, mother narrating to me in my childhood. This just makes me wonder how these stories must have travelled across the nation and what taste might each region have added to these stories. For example I am sure all of you must have heard stories of this one character in folk Lore who have achieved fantastic feats, is witty but actually none have ever seen.
This book is simple and will take you down your childhood memory lane. A great book if you are looking for a book to help u come out of your reading slump.
March 2, 2024
Rating - 2.7 stars
NPS - 6 (Detractor)
The book didn’t make sense at the start because it just looked like Aesop’s Fables from Bihar.
The stories are juvenile and maybe not that folk-oriented, but I liked the last section - Bhikari Thakur’s stories.
I also liked the epilogue detailing the origin of the stories.
But, overall it was really meh
NPS - 6 (Detractor)
The book didn’t make sense at the start because it just looked like Aesop’s Fables from Bihar.
The stories are juvenile and maybe not that folk-oriented, but I liked the last section - Bhikari Thakur’s stories.
I also liked the epilogue detailing the origin of the stories.
But, overall it was really meh
January 18, 2020
I love Aesop's fables. But India is rich in fables and folk tales as well. This is proven by this book. The stories are earthy, enjoyable, and most importantly, meaningful. These stories have been told through word of mouth through generations in Bihar. But thanks to the author, people from other parts of India and the world get to know these wonderful stories. A highly recommended read.
February 18, 2021
Folk tales are an integral part of any culture and form the foundations of its traditions. They have been passed down generations through word of mouth in the form of songs, metaphors, grandmothers stories etc. With modernisation and massive penetration of technology into our lives, it is this intangible and oral heritage that is vanishing from our lives without realisation.
The author, Nalin Verma, compiles and narrates timeless stories from the collective heritage of his ancestors and villages of Bihar. This book is an compilation of 37 stories that have been translated from local languages of Bihar like Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Angika and Vajjika. The stories provide an insight into village life, it’s societal set up and are narrated by humans, animals and birds as protagonists invariably concluding with a simple moral. This book is perfect as a light read suitable for young readers and excellent material to be narrated to young ones along the lines of the Panchatantra and Jataka Tales.
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Reading this book was a trip down nostalgia lane, it took me back to my childhood days when my grandmother would tell me stories of monkeys who stole caps from a trader who stopped to nap under a tree in the forest.
The author, Nalin Verma, compiles and narrates timeless stories from the collective heritage of his ancestors and villages of Bihar. This book is an compilation of 37 stories that have been translated from local languages of Bihar like Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi, Angika and Vajjika. The stories provide an insight into village life, it’s societal set up and are narrated by humans, animals and birds as protagonists invariably concluding with a simple moral. This book is perfect as a light read suitable for young readers and excellent material to be narrated to young ones along the lines of the Panchatantra and Jataka Tales.
.
Reading this book was a trip down nostalgia lane, it took me back to my childhood days when my grandmother would tell me stories of monkeys who stole caps from a trader who stopped to nap under a tree in the forest.
November 14, 2022
In a country that has 122 languages, you are never short of stories, tales and folklore. As we advance towards being slaves of technology, these roots are being forgotten. Preserving it, is a task that requires dedication and efforts, which Nalin Verma, has made as a small contribution by his side. Hailing from Bihar, he collects and tells the stories he heard growing up.
Spread in several sections, this little book has stories in a wide variety. From stories of birds and animals, to stories of magic, gods and kings. The book starts off in an underwhelming tone with stories of birds, which feels like pages of kindergarten storybooks. However as we gradually move ahead, this simplicity charms you to read ahead. Engaging part comes at a later section, especially the stories involving jackals. Stories picked from Bhikhari Thakur, are also an interesting addition. However, many times the stories feel hurried and with an abrupt end. Also, unnecessary urge to add a moral of the story at each one, seems inane. However, the introduction and the epilogue (how the stories were collected) are quite engaging, making us peep into lives of the past when even basic items felt like a privilege.
A light read nonetheless, to detox yourself in between those books that churn words inside your head.
Spread in several sections, this little book has stories in a wide variety. From stories of birds and animals, to stories of magic, gods and kings. The book starts off in an underwhelming tone with stories of birds, which feels like pages of kindergarten storybooks. However as we gradually move ahead, this simplicity charms you to read ahead. Engaging part comes at a later section, especially the stories involving jackals. Stories picked from Bhikhari Thakur, are also an interesting addition. However, many times the stories feel hurried and with an abrupt end. Also, unnecessary urge to add a moral of the story at each one, seems inane. However, the introduction and the epilogue (how the stories were collected) are quite engaging, making us peep into lives of the past when even basic items felt like a privilege.
A light read nonetheless, to detox yourself in between those books that churn words inside your head.
July 18, 2021
It reminded me of folktales I read in my childhood
January 7, 2020
The book was highly recommended by critics but I wound it to be rather pedestrian. Most of these are not folk tales but parables and fables akin to those allegorical stories from the Panchtantra. One genuine folk tale “Sadabrij and Saranga” is ruined by a poor and hasty translation. The book is littered with typos.
July 21, 2021
“You know, there are as many stars in the sky as there are hairs in our heads. Naani says this”
Pitch-clear dark it was, I can remember it. Me my cousins were lying on a cot bed on the terrace and were counting stars. Naani was resting next to us.
“Naani, long time no stories! Tell us a story today.”
We were only a child though.
“Which one do you want to listen to? A king with twelve thousand jars of pickles?”
“Nooo! You've told that story to us many times. This is now boring. Tell us a different one.”
“Han han thik! Listen carefully then.” Naani begins to narrate the story with a typical Bihari tune…
Once in the court of Lord Brahma, a human, a dog, a donkey and an owl were summoned for distributing ‘life’ equally among them. He distributed 30 years of expectation to live on Earth to all of them.
Everyone seemed satisfied but a few moments later the donkey entreated:
“My lord! My malik makes me carry a bundle of clothes daily to the river and back home. He doesn’t provide me with much food and water. I can’t carry this burden for 30 years. Please do something.”
Then Brahma lessened the donkey’s life by 10 and after noticing that the human was keen to obtain those extra life, so he gave those donkey’s 10 years to the Human. Thereafter the dog narrated his plight:
“It’s hard to even manage a small amount of grain a day to eat. My lord! How can I live with such pain for 30 years? Please do something.”
Brahma after listening to the donkey’s plea, couldn’t avoid the dog’s problem so he reduced the dog’s life by 10 and this time also the human was keen to gain those 'years', so Brahma gave them to the human. Now the owl entreated:
“My lord! I sleep the whole day and rise in the dark to catch my prey. 30 years would be a too long time for me. Please do something.”
Brahma reduced the owl’s life by 10 and this time too, the human was willing to gain extra life.
“Now calculate how many years did the human get?”
“30 plus 10 plus… 60 naani!”
“Good. Now see that a human live happily and he is unfazed by the pressures of responsibilities and diseases for 30 years. Thereafter he lives like a donkey for the next 10 years. He slips into the burden of family, work and society. Thereafter he lives like a dog for the next 10 years. He eats what he is served by his family and does not demand. And thereafter he lives neglected existence like an owl till his last breath. He sits in a corner, day and night, waiting for Yamraj.”
“Now it’s too night, finish your milk and go to sleep!”
This is the folk tale I reproduced, passed to me by my grandmother after traveling throughout generations and many such waiting for you…
Pitch-clear dark it was, I can remember it. Me my cousins were lying on a cot bed on the terrace and were counting stars. Naani was resting next to us.
“Naani, long time no stories! Tell us a story today.”
We were only a child though.
“Which one do you want to listen to? A king with twelve thousand jars of pickles?”
“Nooo! You've told that story to us many times. This is now boring. Tell us a different one.”
“Han han thik! Listen carefully then.” Naani begins to narrate the story with a typical Bihari tune…
Once in the court of Lord Brahma, a human, a dog, a donkey and an owl were summoned for distributing ‘life’ equally among them. He distributed 30 years of expectation to live on Earth to all of them.
Everyone seemed satisfied but a few moments later the donkey entreated:
“My lord! My malik makes me carry a bundle of clothes daily to the river and back home. He doesn’t provide me with much food and water. I can’t carry this burden for 30 years. Please do something.”
Then Brahma lessened the donkey’s life by 10 and after noticing that the human was keen to obtain those extra life, so he gave those donkey’s 10 years to the Human. Thereafter the dog narrated his plight:
“It’s hard to even manage a small amount of grain a day to eat. My lord! How can I live with such pain for 30 years? Please do something.”
Brahma after listening to the donkey’s plea, couldn’t avoid the dog’s problem so he reduced the dog’s life by 10 and this time also the human was keen to gain those 'years', so Brahma gave them to the human. Now the owl entreated:
“My lord! I sleep the whole day and rise in the dark to catch my prey. 30 years would be a too long time for me. Please do something.”
Brahma reduced the owl’s life by 10 and this time too, the human was willing to gain extra life.
“Now calculate how many years did the human get?”
“30 plus 10 plus… 60 naani!”
“Good. Now see that a human live happily and he is unfazed by the pressures of responsibilities and diseases for 30 years. Thereafter he lives like a donkey for the next 10 years. He slips into the burden of family, work and society. Thereafter he lives like a dog for the next 10 years. He eats what he is served by his family and does not demand. And thereafter he lives neglected existence like an owl till his last breath. He sits in a corner, day and night, waiting for Yamraj.”
“Now it’s too night, finish your milk and go to sleep!”
This is the folk tale I reproduced, passed to me by my grandmother after traveling throughout generations and many such waiting for you…
November 6, 2019
🌼The Greatest Folk Tales Of Bihar🌼
There are human skulls speaking to men. There are demonesses falling in love with their prey. There is a jackal pretending to be a priest and a donkey that goes beyond his duty. These are stories from the soil of Bihar, from the land of Bhojpuri and Maithili—stories that have traversed centuries and created a catalogue of oral wisdom. The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a collection of timeless tales that have been told through generations, are adored for being a literature and treated as sacred testament of village wisdom.
.
🌼I started reading folk tales as a child and I love them so much. This book just bought all the nostalgic moments back in my life and I felt like a child again, I good vacational vibes while reading the entire book and it's just a short book, which hardly takes hundred minutes. The book is divided into sections, which make it easy for the reader and even the reader can randomly choose from what section they would love to read.
.
I have never been to Bihar and even I haven't read any folk tales from Bihar but while reading it, I felt they are really close and familiar. The stories are short and engaging at each point. I personally think that this is not just for children but it's something which could be read by anyone. I was so badly waiting for it to read and it was worth the wait. I was glued to it right from the beginning. I loved the animal section particularly, the cover is hell beautiful and the language is very smooth. This could be a perfect gift to someone you love or to yourself. This was such a gracious read, made my heart happy. Definitely recommended.
.
Rating: 4.25🌟
There are human skulls speaking to men. There are demonesses falling in love with their prey. There is a jackal pretending to be a priest and a donkey that goes beyond his duty. These are stories from the soil of Bihar, from the land of Bhojpuri and Maithili—stories that have traversed centuries and created a catalogue of oral wisdom. The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar is a collection of timeless tales that have been told through generations, are adored for being a literature and treated as sacred testament of village wisdom.
.
🌼I started reading folk tales as a child and I love them so much. This book just bought all the nostalgic moments back in my life and I felt like a child again, I good vacational vibes while reading the entire book and it's just a short book, which hardly takes hundred minutes. The book is divided into sections, which make it easy for the reader and even the reader can randomly choose from what section they would love to read.
.
I have never been to Bihar and even I haven't read any folk tales from Bihar but while reading it, I felt they are really close and familiar. The stories are short and engaging at each point. I personally think that this is not just for children but it's something which could be read by anyone. I was so badly waiting for it to read and it was worth the wait. I was glued to it right from the beginning. I loved the animal section particularly, the cover is hell beautiful and the language is very smooth. This could be a perfect gift to someone you love or to yourself. This was such a gracious read, made my heart happy. Definitely recommended.
.
Rating: 4.25🌟
November 3, 2019
QOTD: Which childhood fable/anecdote/story of yours is your favorite?
Today's book review is on
The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar by Nalin Verma.
This book contains fables and folk lores, stories with beautiful morals and the essence of my childhood.
Not from Bihar but growing up listening to stories of Panchatantra mouthed by my paternal grandmother, from Ramayana to Mahabharata. From horror stories of Yakshis to stories of mighty kings and their reigns, I've cherished them all. And I still do. "Folk tales are the heart of any village", and I stand my this as I type this down. I picked this book up last weekend with a cup of hot coffee and finished reading in two hours.
I've always loved to read fables, this book has given me not only stories that are entertaining, enjoyable, meaningful but also a little dust of villages, a little air of simple and steady life there and most importantly the culture.
Basically the stories were fictitious but in no way did the personification look like a literary device. I was into the book while reading it. So engrossed that I felt every detail deeply.
To sum up, this book has made me feel like a child in my grammy's arms, eager to listen to folk stories that are entertaining, interesting, light and warm.
–Tiyasha Chaudhury.
Book: The Greatest Folk Tales Of Bihar.
Author: Nalin Verma.
ISBN: 978-93-5333-662-2
Publishing house: Rupa Publications ( @rupa_publications )
.
A special note of thanks to @rupa_publications for sending me this beautiful book that made me relive my childhood in form of stories.
Today's book review is on
The Greatest Folk Tales of Bihar by Nalin Verma.
This book contains fables and folk lores, stories with beautiful morals and the essence of my childhood.
Not from Bihar but growing up listening to stories of Panchatantra mouthed by my paternal grandmother, from Ramayana to Mahabharata. From horror stories of Yakshis to stories of mighty kings and their reigns, I've cherished them all. And I still do. "Folk tales are the heart of any village", and I stand my this as I type this down. I picked this book up last weekend with a cup of hot coffee and finished reading in two hours.
I've always loved to read fables, this book has given me not only stories that are entertaining, enjoyable, meaningful but also a little dust of villages, a little air of simple and steady life there and most importantly the culture.
Basically the stories were fictitious but in no way did the personification look like a literary device. I was into the book while reading it. So engrossed that I felt every detail deeply.
To sum up, this book has made me feel like a child in my grammy's arms, eager to listen to folk stories that are entertaining, interesting, light and warm.
–Tiyasha Chaudhury.
Book: The Greatest Folk Tales Of Bihar.
Author: Nalin Verma.
ISBN: 978-93-5333-662-2
Publishing house: Rupa Publications ( @rupa_publications )
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A special note of thanks to @rupa_publications for sending me this beautiful book that made me relive my childhood in form of stories.
June 25, 2024
I had picked up this book for two reasons. One, because I thought it would bring me closer to my Bihari roots. Second, it had a beautiful cover. I had literally made the mistake of judging a book by its cover.
The author's introduction had raised my hopes sky high. I was excited to listen to the raw, unrelenting folktales from the nooks and crannies of Bihar. But the style of writing left me in a bind. The author follows the style of Aesop's fables, where there is a moral at the end of every story - which feels absolutely unnecessary and out of place. The morals were often bizarre, such as one that read "Poverty breeds pettiness."
The initial stories are simplistic and feel haphazardly ordered. But few stories towards the end have more depth. Some of the stories do bring out the tapestry of Bihar's society, but the author is only able to give a drizzle of it rather than the flood one expects.
Finally the epilogue, where the author highlights where he heard the story which is a great personal touch and an acknowledgement to the people who have kept the story alive. It would have been nicer to read this at the beginning/end of every story rather than bunching them all together.
Overall because of the style of writing, I would recommend the readers to give this book a pass. I am sure there are better compilations of Bihar's folktales.
The author's introduction had raised my hopes sky high. I was excited to listen to the raw, unrelenting folktales from the nooks and crannies of Bihar. But the style of writing left me in a bind. The author follows the style of Aesop's fables, where there is a moral at the end of every story - which feels absolutely unnecessary and out of place. The morals were often bizarre, such as one that read "Poverty breeds pettiness."
The initial stories are simplistic and feel haphazardly ordered. But few stories towards the end have more depth. Some of the stories do bring out the tapestry of Bihar's society, but the author is only able to give a drizzle of it rather than the flood one expects.
Finally the epilogue, where the author highlights where he heard the story which is a great personal touch and an acknowledgement to the people who have kept the story alive. It would have been nicer to read this at the beginning/end of every story rather than bunching them all together.
Overall because of the style of writing, I would recommend the readers to give this book a pass. I am sure there are better compilations of Bihar's folktales.
November 1, 2020
A wonderful collection of folklore stories from Bihar. The one story that stands out in my mind is "Andher Nagari ...". It is about a stupid king who ends up hanging himself up. This is because, this is a story that my father used to tell us when we were children and somehow I still remember it after all these years (at least 40+ years). He possibly heard this story as he himself was born and brought up in Jamshedpur.
The author has tried to create a moral for each story. This may or may not have been the reason behind the story, but nevertheless it is worth reading them. It highlights the simplicity of the people who would have recited these stories and those that would have been entertained by them. It is nice to wear the shoes of simplicity when reading the book.
A good read and more importantly it is a good collection so that these stories are not lost to the posterity.
The author has tried to create a moral for each story. This may or may not have been the reason behind the story, but nevertheless it is worth reading them. It highlights the simplicity of the people who would have recited these stories and those that would have been entertained by them. It is nice to wear the shoes of simplicity when reading the book.
A good read and more importantly it is a good collection so that these stories are not lost to the posterity.
December 20, 2025
This book is a collection of folk tales from Bihar capturing traditions & lessons passed down from generations. Each story is short & woven with moral lesson at the end of them. Some stories really felt strange and out of space, I expected more deep-rooted cultural Bihari folk lores but most of these are more like Panchatantra or Aesop fables.
All stories are divided into several sections like nature, animals, birds, gods, demons. Only the last section named Bihar Thakur are worth reading along with few stories from other sections. Nonetheless a decent read.
All stories are divided into several sections like nature, animals, birds, gods, demons. Only the last section named Bihar Thakur are worth reading along with few stories from other sections. Nonetheless a decent read.
May 3, 2020
A good collection of folk tales from rural Bihar similar to the Aesop's fables or Panchtantra or Jataka Tales. Most of the stories are simple and earthy bringing out the flavor of the rural life and simplicity of Bihar. The tales captured in the book have been handed down generations in spoken tales fashion. A few of them are by contemporary writers. Overall a good collection of short stories.
May 16, 2020
The greatest folk tales of Bihar is a book I cherished a lot while reading. The short stories compiled are really very good as it takes back you to the small things said and done in rural parts of India. The best part about the book was that whenever you finish a story you get a moral. The moral makes you resonate your cognition in well manner way that can be kept for life.
October 25, 2021
A book that represents, our childhood bedtime/vivid stories narrated by our grandparents or parents. That stories lit as a source of joy and entertainment and made our childhood memorable much before smartphones hit our hands. As of now, all those memories flushed down in me, and finally, the epilogue chapter hit me differently.
Hope you all will enjoy, the short journey.
Hope you all will enjoy, the short journey.
July 6, 2024
A wonderful read which reminded me of the many stories that I heard from my parents and grandparents and how I seem to have forgotten most of them and most of them will never be known anymore as they were very localised and set in a particular period far away from our quick changing world standards.
November 1, 2021
Very nostalgic , the book is a time machine. Congrats to the auth
or , sir, you have made us child again.
or , sir, you have made us child again.
August 2, 2022
Nice stories
These stories are written in a lucid way..I read full book. It's also good for young readers. One must read these stories.
These stories are written in a lucid way..I read full book. It's also good for young readers. One must read these stories.
July 17, 2023
Takes you back to the bihar of 90s
September 15, 2020
This book is a collection of the oral folktales passed down from generation to generation. These are penned down by Nalin Verma, an independent journalist from Bihar. These folktales comes from his village where there was an oral tradition of narrating these folktales. There are a total of thirty-seven folktales, all delicately divided into sections like, Wisdom of the Birds, Animal Kingdom, Gods, Demons and Faith and much more. There is also a glossary at the end which includes the meaning of the few Bhojpuri and Hindi words used in this book. The language is quite simple and the stories are brimming with village wisdom.
Read this book for a dose of simple and fluid folktales!
Read this book for a dose of simple and fluid folktales!
October 20, 2021
These are collections of short stories that make sense for toddlers. I do appreciate the authors endeavor to collect and reproduce the lost stories from underappreciated land but the introduction was much better than the actual folk tales
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