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The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told
The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told showcases Odia’s greatest storytellers ranging from literary masters such as Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gopinath Mohanty, Reba Ray, and Manoj Das to contemporary stalwarts like Pratibha Ray, and Nrusingha Tripathy, among others. A young woman who was dragged away by a crocodile mysteriously resurfaces after a decade in Manoj Das’s ‘Mrs Crocodile’; a pet goat let loose in a government office causes amusement and chaos in Gopinath Mohanty’s ‘The Solution’; Godavaris Mahapatra’s ‘Maguni’s Bullock Cart’ deals with the anxieties of a bullock cart driver stuck between the trappings of traditions and modernity—the stories in this anthology traverse an exciting range of themes from fantasy to reality, and bone-chilling horror to rib-tickling humour.
Timeless, evocative and striking, The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told offers a rich selection of stories that are unrivalled in their range, style and complexity. Selected and translated by Leelawati Mohapatra, Paul St-Pierre, and K. K. Mohapatra, the twenty-four stories in this volume showcase the finest short fiction in Odia literature.
Timeless, evocative and striking, The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told offers a rich selection of stories that are unrivalled in their range, style and complexity. Selected and translated by Leelawati Mohapatra, Paul St-Pierre, and K. K. Mohapatra, the twenty-four stories in this volume showcase the finest short fiction in Odia literature.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2019
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180 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 25, 2020
An enriching experience, these stories perfectly capture all that Odisha stands for- its rich cultural heritage, the way of life across various echelons of the society. Each story is refreshing, with a unique voice and an impeccable translation.
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'The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told' has the best collection of stories, packed with great care by Leelawati Mohapatra, Paul St-Pierre, and K. K. Mohapatra. There's never a slow moment while reading this collection, and since I haven't come across many books from Odia Literature, this was enlightening and definitely satiated my curiosity for this land and its culture.
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The writing is definitely unique, there is a lot of picturization with reality and imagery coming together gracefully, the characters are memorable and the stories are thought-provoking. Most narration is honest, not delving deep into emotions but letting the readers grasp the full extent of the stories.
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I have revisited a couple of stories time and again and it never ceases to amaze me. Thank you @AlephBookCo for the copy. A must read if you're exploring Indian Literature.
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'The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told' has the best collection of stories, packed with great care by Leelawati Mohapatra, Paul St-Pierre, and K. K. Mohapatra. There's never a slow moment while reading this collection, and since I haven't come across many books from Odia Literature, this was enlightening and definitely satiated my curiosity for this land and its culture.
.
The writing is definitely unique, there is a lot of picturization with reality and imagery coming together gracefully, the characters are memorable and the stories are thought-provoking. Most narration is honest, not delving deep into emotions but letting the readers grasp the full extent of the stories.
.
I have revisited a couple of stories time and again and it never ceases to amaze me. Thank you @AlephBookCo for the copy. A must read if you're exploring Indian Literature.
August 21, 2023
I don't actually know anything about Odisha. I thought I would learn a bit about the state and it's culture from this book. If I go by this book, it feels very backward with UP-style cultural practices. I don't think the whole anthology contained even a single modern story. I am not sure whether this showcases just a historical perspective or current rural attitudes. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the a look back on time as well as all the fable-style stories.
Some of my favourites included:
The Solution by Gopinath Mohanty : A man at a dead-end job is frustrated with the work piling up until he takes his pet goat to work one day. Comedy gold!
The Witness by Satchidananda Rautray : Another humorous tale about a man who gives false evidence in support of a thief for some money. It ends badly for him. Very funny!
Ghania Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi by Surendra Mohanty : A young Dalit boy tries to go to school and is taken in because the teacher is greedy for the goodies his father offers. However, he is separated from the rest, out of sight, and learns nothing. After dropping out, he wants to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi as his upper caste classmates did. Has a nice ending to the story, and I loved it!
The Tale of the Snake Charmer by Chandrasekar Rath : This is the story that stayed with me. A tale about a snake charmer called Jhampura, who people believed had special abilities to communicate with snakes. When he loses a battle with a jewel-headed cobra, he becomes a snake himself. Gorgeous story with vivid detailing.
Mrs Crocodile by Manoj Das : Another fable-like story, this time about a woman who turned into a crocodile for a decade. What's her story?
Salvation by Pratibha Ray : The premise was a little weird. A man and his wife's sister live together but never talk to each other because of social taboos. They even bring up a child together but the man has never seen his sister-in-law's face. I had no idea Odia women had to wear a ghunghat.
Rebati by Fakir Mohan Senapati : One of the earliest Odia short stories, this one is about a young girl who dreams of studying. I am not sure why it is so dark and ended so badly or what the author was trying to convey. Did the author disapprove of girl's education? Or was he depicting reality of the time? Not sure, but the whole cholera epidemic stuff made an impact on me.
Some of my favourites included:
The Solution by Gopinath Mohanty : A man at a dead-end job is frustrated with the work piling up until he takes his pet goat to work one day. Comedy gold!
The Witness by Satchidananda Rautray : Another humorous tale about a man who gives false evidence in support of a thief for some money. It ends badly for him. Very funny!
Ghania Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi by Surendra Mohanty : A young Dalit boy tries to go to school and is taken in because the teacher is greedy for the goodies his father offers. However, he is separated from the rest, out of sight, and learns nothing. After dropping out, he wants to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi as his upper caste classmates did. Has a nice ending to the story, and I loved it!
The Tale of the Snake Charmer by Chandrasekar Rath : This is the story that stayed with me. A tale about a snake charmer called Jhampura, who people believed had special abilities to communicate with snakes. When he loses a battle with a jewel-headed cobra, he becomes a snake himself. Gorgeous story with vivid detailing.
Mrs Crocodile by Manoj Das : Another fable-like story, this time about a woman who turned into a crocodile for a decade. What's her story?
Salvation by Pratibha Ray : The premise was a little weird. A man and his wife's sister live together but never talk to each other because of social taboos. They even bring up a child together but the man has never seen his sister-in-law's face. I had no idea Odia women had to wear a ghunghat.
Rebati by Fakir Mohan Senapati : One of the earliest Odia short stories, this one is about a young girl who dreams of studying. I am not sure why it is so dark and ended so badly or what the author was trying to convey. Did the author disapprove of girl's education? Or was he depicting reality of the time? Not sure, but the whole cholera epidemic stuff made an impact on me.
December 1, 2020
'The Greatest Odia StoriesEver Told' is a beautiful ensemble of 24 short stories written in Odia and translated into English that leaves readers wanting more. Put together in this gorgeous hardback edition, this collection catches your eye and attention with that cover: a representation of the navagunjara , a form that Lord Krishna manifested in with the body parts of nine animals but also symbolizing the 9 basic human emotions in theIndian literary tradition.
The stories in this collection shine and sparkle on their own and put together takes readers into the way the writing style has evolved in Odia writing while remaining rooted to the mood of the socio cultural milieu of its people over the years. There are stories that revolve around people and their blind beliefs: The Holy Banyan has ghosts and spirits in passing but emerging from the story are human follies of greed, enmity and how they can grow from the personal space to major proportion while The Mantra set in more contemporary times and featuring a new age Baba and a skeptic touches upon how one can turning to spiritualism to seek deliverance of corruption (both moral and material).
Must read for those who love to read translated Indian literature.
The stories in this collection shine and sparkle on their own and put together takes readers into the way the writing style has evolved in Odia writing while remaining rooted to the mood of the socio cultural milieu of its people over the years. There are stories that revolve around people and their blind beliefs: The Holy Banyan has ghosts and spirits in passing but emerging from the story are human follies of greed, enmity and how they can grow from the personal space to major proportion while The Mantra set in more contemporary times and featuring a new age Baba and a skeptic touches upon how one can turning to spiritualism to seek deliverance of corruption (both moral and material).
Must read for those who love to read translated Indian literature.
January 27, 2022
3.5 stars
My favourite stories from this collection -
# Salvation
# Anatomy of madness
My favourite stories from this collection -
# Salvation
# Anatomy of madness
December 19, 2022
The collection is lovingly translated by three authors. They set the tone with a chatty introduction and then carry on with accurately rendered translations of each story. Stories that are funny, sad, mystical, poignant, inspiring – in short, stories displaying the full gamut of the human condition. Mostly located in the rural setting, some encompass the urban milieu also.
The book is part of a big anthology of regional Indian languages, each book is a gem and worthy of inclusion in every Indian’s bookshelf.
The book is part of a big anthology of regional Indian languages, each book is a gem and worthy of inclusion in every Indian’s bookshelf.
April 14, 2020
I am thoroughly enjoying these collection of short stories brought from the different regions of India by Aleph Co. It is a must have for short story readers, with such vibrant stories based on regional tastes, values, culture and lifestyle.
Some of the greatest works has been translated to English so that each and every reader can enjoy these beautiful tales. I love the collection and looking forward to many more such books from different regions of India.
Some of the greatest works has been translated to English so that each and every reader can enjoy these beautiful tales. I love the collection and looking forward to many more such books from different regions of India.
December 28, 2021
I was able to look into the Odia culture through the short stories in this book. What are the daily habits, beliefs, injustices, thinking of the people across multiple decades. I have a few favourite ones as well, and I'm happy to share them but more importantly I realized the power of short stories as well as developed an appreciation for a part of India which I haven't ever visited (surprisingly).
October 31, 2021
An awesome collection of short stories from Odia. Although most of them were tragic in nature, the breadth of plots among the stories and the variety in the tone of narration were immense.
I would like to point out that the translation was pretty good and the selection was delectable and worth devouring in small turns.
I would like to point out that the translation was pretty good and the selection was delectable and worth devouring in small turns.
December 3, 2023
Translated stories from Odia, some of which are pure classics. The thing about stories in Odia (or maybe other languages as well) is that these carry a lot of cultural references, which might not transfer well into English, but any which way, having these stories in English means a whole new set of people can read and perhaps enjoy.
I liked the stories, maybe not all, but most. A good read, and would make a good gift too!
I liked the stories, maybe not all, but most. A good read, and would make a good gift too!
March 17, 2023
The Greatest Odia Stories Ever Told is a collection of twenty-four beautiful Odia stories. Almost all of the writers in this collection except Pratibha Ray are new to me. According to the translators, they are very popular and stand as pillars of Odia literature. The stories included in this book are:
1. Ananta, the Widow's Boy - Fakir Mohan Senapati
2. Maguni's Bullock Cart - Godabarish Mohapatra
3. The Solution - Gopinath Mohanty
4. The Holy Banyan - Bamacharan Mitra
5. The Witness - Satchidananda Rautray
6. Ghania Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi - Surendra Mohanty
7. The Atheist - Kishori Charan Das
8. Mother India (The Chronicle of Uddhav Malik) - Mohapatra Nilamoni Sahoo
9. A River Called Democracy - Akhil Mohan Pattnaik
10. The Tale of the Snake Charmer - Chandrasekhar Rath
11. Plus Minus Greater than Zero - Santanu Kumar Acharya
12. Trojan Horse - Krushna Prasad Mishra
13. Mrs. Crocodile - Manoj Das
14. Savitri - Rabi Patnaik
15. Savara - Chaudhury Hemakanta Misra
16. The Mantra - Jagannath Prasad Das
17. Patadei - Binapani Mohanty
18. Salvation - Pratibha Ray
19. Anatomy of Madness - Ramachandra Behera
20. Longing for Ramakanta Rath - Nrusingha Tripathy
21. News of the Day - Kanheilal Das
22. The Whore: A Love Story - Kamalakanta Mohapatra
23. Rebati - Fakir Mohan Senapati
24. The Sanyasi - Reba Ray
Here, the second last story Rebati by Fakir Mohan Senapati, is considered the first modern Odia short story, and the last one, The Sanyasi by Reba Ray, is regarded as the first modern Odia short story by a woman writer. Both of these stories are gems in this collection. Among the other stories, my favorites are Ananta, the Widow's Boy, Maguni's Bullock Cart, The Atheist, The Tale of the Snake Charmer, Mrs. Crocodile, Savitri, Patadei, and Salvation. These stories reflect the cultural and social circumstances of the Odia people and the state of Odisha.
1. Ananta, the Widow's Boy - Fakir Mohan Senapati
2. Maguni's Bullock Cart - Godabarish Mohapatra
3. The Solution - Gopinath Mohanty
4. The Holy Banyan - Bamacharan Mitra
5. The Witness - Satchidananda Rautray
6. Ghania Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi - Surendra Mohanty
7. The Atheist - Kishori Charan Das
8. Mother India (The Chronicle of Uddhav Malik) - Mohapatra Nilamoni Sahoo
9. A River Called Democracy - Akhil Mohan Pattnaik
10. The Tale of the Snake Charmer - Chandrasekhar Rath
11. Plus Minus Greater than Zero - Santanu Kumar Acharya
12. Trojan Horse - Krushna Prasad Mishra
13. Mrs. Crocodile - Manoj Das
14. Savitri - Rabi Patnaik
15. Savara - Chaudhury Hemakanta Misra
16. The Mantra - Jagannath Prasad Das
17. Patadei - Binapani Mohanty
18. Salvation - Pratibha Ray
19. Anatomy of Madness - Ramachandra Behera
20. Longing for Ramakanta Rath - Nrusingha Tripathy
21. News of the Day - Kanheilal Das
22. The Whore: A Love Story - Kamalakanta Mohapatra
23. Rebati - Fakir Mohan Senapati
24. The Sanyasi - Reba Ray
Here, the second last story Rebati by Fakir Mohan Senapati, is considered the first modern Odia short story, and the last one, The Sanyasi by Reba Ray, is regarded as the first modern Odia short story by a woman writer. Both of these stories are gems in this collection. Among the other stories, my favorites are Ananta, the Widow's Boy, Maguni's Bullock Cart, The Atheist, The Tale of the Snake Charmer, Mrs. Crocodile, Savitri, Patadei, and Salvation. These stories reflect the cultural and social circumstances of the Odia people and the state of Odisha.
February 4, 2022
I think the title for this book is misleading, or maybe I'm just not the right audience for this book even if I'm Odia myself, because I didn't find the short stories in this collection to be the greatest stories I've read. What might have been better was to remove the word 'Greatest' to just an anthology of translated stories from Odia. Simple and not misleading.
Most of the stories here are either written in the Raj era or just post independence. As a reader from the current age, I found the stories set more in history than in present. Most of the stories were set in rustic backdrops such as villages, with superstitious beliefs or extremely poor protagonists. I mean I know Odisha has this sector but as a 21st Century woman with roots in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela, and having seen the advances the state has made, I found the themes in the stories unsettling and unsatisfactory.
I did like maybe one or two stories and I liked how there are a lot of cultural references, but again, one cant paint a correct picture of Odisha by reading just these stories.
Most of the stories here are either written in the Raj era or just post independence. As a reader from the current age, I found the stories set more in history than in present. Most of the stories were set in rustic backdrops such as villages, with superstitious beliefs or extremely poor protagonists. I mean I know Odisha has this sector but as a 21st Century woman with roots in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela, and having seen the advances the state has made, I found the themes in the stories unsettling and unsatisfactory.
I did like maybe one or two stories and I liked how there are a lot of cultural references, but again, one cant paint a correct picture of Odisha by reading just these stories.
February 7, 2022
DNF at 22% for no fault of the book. The stories that I read were pretty good especially one about a petty thief was super fun. But it came as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription and I ended it and so I had to DNF this. Recommended.
August 25, 2023
What a heartful collection of short stories from Odisha. A peep into Odia history and culture from a people' point of view.
Really loved it
Really loved it
June 10, 2024
The story by Prathiba Ray was especially brilliant. One may find it silly in today's context but we get to know how our ancestors lived.
June 13, 2025
I absolutely loved this book, it make me want to buy the entire series. The thing that made me like this book all the more is that the people who made this book stood by their words and made you experience every emotion.
January 29, 2020
My review will discuss the merits of the claim of ‘Greatest’ made in the title of this book.
No.
No.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews