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Baby Doll: Stories
When they were first published, Gracy’s stories shocked readers with their sexual candour and frank celebration of female desire. She is now widely recognized as one of the most important contemporary writers in Malayalam.
Her short stories, which vary from half a page to novella-length, draw the reader into the world of modern men and women caught in quagmires of desire, lust, jealousy and vengeance – emotions that they often carry even into the afterlife. In these pages we will find: the bitter defiance of a daughter going to her mother’s funeral in her most alluring sari; a contemporary retelling of the story of Draupadi; the sinister coming-of-age tale of a young girl…
Brilliantly rendered by award-winning translator Fathima E.V., Baby Doll brings a comprehensive selection of Gracy’s work to English readers for the very first time.
Her short stories, which vary from half a page to novella-length, draw the reader into the world of modern men and women caught in quagmires of desire, lust, jealousy and vengeance – emotions that they often carry even into the afterlife. In these pages we will find: the bitter defiance of a daughter going to her mother’s funeral in her most alluring sari; a contemporary retelling of the story of Draupadi; the sinister coming-of-age tale of a young girl…
Brilliantly rendered by award-winning translator Fathima E.V., Baby Doll brings a comprehensive selection of Gracy’s work to English readers for the very first time.
- GenresShort Stories
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2021
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61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 25, 2022
There are some good stories in this collection but most of them weren’t the kind I enjoy.
Gracyude Kathakal, who writes as “Gracy”, is supposedly "one of the finest practitioners of the short story in modern Malayalam literature." So it is with a bit of shamefacedness that I admit I had never heard of her. Like many Indian regional writers, she seems to have been restricted to readers of the language she writes in. If I am not wrong, this is the first English translation of her works. Needless to say, I had high hopes, but her writing style and my reading preference were unfortunately on parallel tracks for most of this journey.
The 36 stories in this collection range in length from micro-fiction to novelette. The tales come primarily from female protagonists, and are mostly dark. The content is quite provocative, feminist and sexual – none of which are adjectives I would associate with Indian regional fiction and hence came as a pleasant surprise. Many tales have implicit references to Christian or Hindu mythology, but in a very irreverent sort of way.
There is a sarcastic kind of humour in a few of the stories, and a touch of magical realism in a few others. These are the ones I enjoyed the best. A few stories were quite metaphorical, and many end abruptly. These are the ones I didn’t like as much.
The stories were written over a period of three decades and have been arranged chronologically. You can see the development of the writer over the long time period. The stories at the end are much better composed than the initial ones. At the same time, I wish there were a reference to the year in which these stories were written, maybe right next to the title. That would have helped to connect their context with the specific year of their writing.
The translation seemed to capture the writer’s intent well, though of course, I can’t comment on its merit without knowing the original work.
Of the 36 stories, only 6 reached 4 stars or more for me. 10 stories came in the 3-3.5 star range. The rest were scattered across 1-2.5 stars. Thus this was a greatly mixed experience, mainly due to my personal disconnect with the writing style. My favourites were the title story, “Outdoor Sights”, and “Coming Home.”
2.5 stars, based on the average of my ratings for all the stories.
My thanks to HarperCollins Publishers India and NetGalley for the DRC of “Baby Doll: Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Gracyude Kathakal, who writes as “Gracy”, is supposedly "one of the finest practitioners of the short story in modern Malayalam literature." So it is with a bit of shamefacedness that I admit I had never heard of her. Like many Indian regional writers, she seems to have been restricted to readers of the language she writes in. If I am not wrong, this is the first English translation of her works. Needless to say, I had high hopes, but her writing style and my reading preference were unfortunately on parallel tracks for most of this journey.
The 36 stories in this collection range in length from micro-fiction to novelette. The tales come primarily from female protagonists, and are mostly dark. The content is quite provocative, feminist and sexual – none of which are adjectives I would associate with Indian regional fiction and hence came as a pleasant surprise. Many tales have implicit references to Christian or Hindu mythology, but in a very irreverent sort of way.
There is a sarcastic kind of humour in a few of the stories, and a touch of magical realism in a few others. These are the ones I enjoyed the best. A few stories were quite metaphorical, and many end abruptly. These are the ones I didn’t like as much.
The stories were written over a period of three decades and have been arranged chronologically. You can see the development of the writer over the long time period. The stories at the end are much better composed than the initial ones. At the same time, I wish there were a reference to the year in which these stories were written, maybe right next to the title. That would have helped to connect their context with the specific year of their writing.
The translation seemed to capture the writer’s intent well, though of course, I can’t comment on its merit without knowing the original work.
Of the 36 stories, only 6 reached 4 stars or more for me. 10 stories came in the 3-3.5 star range. The rest were scattered across 1-2.5 stars. Thus this was a greatly mixed experience, mainly due to my personal disconnect with the writing style. My favourites were the title story, “Outdoor Sights”, and “Coming Home.”
2.5 stars, based on the average of my ratings for all the stories.
My thanks to HarperCollins Publishers India and NetGalley for the DRC of “Baby Doll: Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
August 4, 2021
"When she was washing up, Arundhathi suddenly her home. Earlier, she used to drive away the memories that would sneak in through the gaps between such moments. But now she let them waft in, seized with a sense of loss."
The synopsis really does not prepare you for the book itself. Most of these stories are too dark and disturbing, focusing on the body at its basest in the glut of raw emotions. These stories are mostly super short yet they pack such powerful punches that you will emerge with discomfort & distaste at the depths to which humanity can sink. Still, perhaps these moments provide us brief assertions of a person's selfhood and autonomy also. Centering women, whether as hapless & unfortunate victims or as intrepid bearers of their agency, Gracy bares societal conventions & the familiar hypocrisies of her world. A sort of feminism that humanizes not deifies.
Strength is more than physical, shown in the form of mental fortitude, strength of will. Character is more than moralized modesty, it shapes up as values & convictions. She shows how gendered regressive practices are enabled or skewed power structures are established. Gracy doesn't present us the sanitized version of daily life and chooses to depict the messiness, the many ways in which women are victimized and troubled as well as the many ways in which they seize back power for themselves and defy norms. It's interesting to see how Biblical and Hindu symbolism are synergized in stories with affecting writing and reverberating symbolism.
February 6, 2022
Although I have read some of the stories in the collection in Malayalam, reading it in it's English translation had a distinct flavor. Gracy deals with raw human emotions succinctly. The translators note of Fathima EV at the end of the collection deals critically with the importance of translation of stories that subverts partriarchal structures of writing.
April 17, 2021
36 short stories, a mere 210 pages: myriad emotions, each unforgettable. This is how I would best sum up Baby Doll: ShortStories by Gracy translated from the Malyalam by Fathima E.V. The author writes with a raw voice: of tales of men and women in the throes of the most basic desires: lust, greed, anger and rage, of the madness that beauty and curses bring. The stories vary in length, some are as short as less than 500 words but are compact in their plot and the way it captures your attention.
Gracy writes with an abandon that leaves the reader gasping. There is a brutal truth about the stories, the characters and the play of emotions in these stories that will leave you shaken and stirred.She captures the frenzy of human frailties, how passions can cloud and smother or just die, the claustrophobia of being boxed in by societal expectations and how the innocence of childhood is fraught with vulnerabilities at every step. Each story veers on a precipice of things waiting to happen, they do and how! The title story will leave you reeling even as apart of you know that many parts of the story happen in real life with a vehemence that you wish happened only in fiction. This is a book that I will unashamedly recommend for the way it will keep you captivated: some stories and characters you want to hold on tight in an embrace, some you would want to stay very far from for the madness they inhabit.
Full review: https://bookandconversations.wordpres...
Gracy writes with an abandon that leaves the reader gasping. There is a brutal truth about the stories, the characters and the play of emotions in these stories that will leave you shaken and stirred.She captures the frenzy of human frailties, how passions can cloud and smother or just die, the claustrophobia of being boxed in by societal expectations and how the innocence of childhood is fraught with vulnerabilities at every step. Each story veers on a precipice of things waiting to happen, they do and how! The title story will leave you reeling even as apart of you know that many parts of the story happen in real life with a vehemence that you wish happened only in fiction. This is a book that I will unashamedly recommend for the way it will keep you captivated: some stories and characters you want to hold on tight in an embrace, some you would want to stay very far from for the madness they inhabit.
Full review: https://bookandconversations.wordpres...
August 10, 2025
Baby Doll Stories by Gracie, this is a short story collection by an author who is from India and most of the stories are set in that culture. there’s just a few stories and like most short story collections some are really good and some not so much I really like the one I believe it was the first one with her friend who she realize was very self-absorbed but not until years later I like the one with the bad dreams I also liked how some stories hit things that connected them but the last story I didn’t like it hardly at all I would still recommend the short story collection especially for those like me who love reading books written by natives of other countries because it is heavy in the Indian culture and I love to read books that not only show our differences but the things that make us so much alike and this collection is a great example of that. I love short stories and in my opinion having read many collections this one was pretty good and definitely one I recommend. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #Gracie, #TheBabyDollStories,
May 18, 2022
I am enraptured with almost each tale in this collection. The stories of female desire, female woe, and the female experience are each so poignant.
My favorite by far however has to be Parting with Parvathi, which told a story of a young lesbian falling in and out of love with the wrong woman. It was very relatable to me because I went through a similar experience as a teenager and then adult, idolizing the wrong person because they were beautiful and gave me attention. Only to realize that the beauty was only skin deep.
My favorite by far however has to be Parting with Parvathi, which told a story of a young lesbian falling in and out of love with the wrong woman. It was very relatable to me because I went through a similar experience as a teenager and then adult, idolizing the wrong person because they were beautiful and gave me attention. Only to realize that the beauty was only skin deep.
July 24, 2024
"The seeds that we sow in barren women are eaten away by their barrenness. The seeds sown in virgins are aborted as soon as they begin to sprout. The seeds sown in whores are smothered by the pills they swallow. But it is the seeds sown in other men's wives that sprout, thrive and bring forth abundant fruit."
Parable of the Sower is the first story in this collection, and it sets the tone for the entire book. Each of the thirty six short stories, as the blurb promises, "draw the reader into the world of modern men and women caught in quagmires of desire, lust, jealousy and vengeance". The stories are all dark, raw and deeply unsettling. Some have a touch of magic realism, but even those which don't leave you disturbed, because people behave in ways that we are taught never to even think about. Most of the stories are very short, yet they leave you extremely disturbed. Some are retellings of stories from mythology- the connection often so feeble, it adds to the punch.
Read, if you want to be disturbed.
Parable of the Sower is the first story in this collection, and it sets the tone for the entire book. Each of the thirty six short stories, as the blurb promises, "draw the reader into the world of modern men and women caught in quagmires of desire, lust, jealousy and vengeance". The stories are all dark, raw and deeply unsettling. Some have a touch of magic realism, but even those which don't leave you disturbed, because people behave in ways that we are taught never to even think about. Most of the stories are very short, yet they leave you extremely disturbed. Some are retellings of stories from mythology- the connection often so feeble, it adds to the punch.
Read, if you want to be disturbed.
May 17, 2022
It was okay I guess. I saw some subtle religious jibes but other than that one time read.
March 2, 2023
Reading this fascinating collection of short stories by Gracy, translated from Malayalam, I was also reminded of why Harper Collins is one of my favourite publishers. They have a knack for picking interesting writers, including those who might otherwise be inaccessible to people reading primarily in English.
Baby Doll Stories by Gracy is a good example of that. It offers insights into a specific culture (in the southern part of India) whilst also touching on themes that are universal - love, yearning, lust, corruption, manipulation, the complexities of friendship etc. Particular favourites of mine from the collection include The Magician, Devi Mahatyam, and The Secrets of The Earth.
Gracy is a keen observer of human frailty, and of what can result when the vulnerable meet the manipulative. Her insights into the human condition are often delivered with razor sharp wit, but the constant thread that runs through her writing is the depth of understanding she brings to the stories that she tells.
I received this review copy in exchange for an honest review on Netgalley.
This collection is recommended for those who are interested in short stories, multicultural writing, and the inexplicable mysteries of the human heart.
(Review submitted to Goodreads and Amazon UK)
Baby Doll Stories by Gracy is a good example of that. It offers insights into a specific culture (in the southern part of India) whilst also touching on themes that are universal - love, yearning, lust, corruption, manipulation, the complexities of friendship etc. Particular favourites of mine from the collection include The Magician, Devi Mahatyam, and The Secrets of The Earth.
Gracy is a keen observer of human frailty, and of what can result when the vulnerable meet the manipulative. Her insights into the human condition are often delivered with razor sharp wit, but the constant thread that runs through her writing is the depth of understanding she brings to the stories that she tells.
I received this review copy in exchange for an honest review on Netgalley.
This collection is recommended for those who are interested in short stories, multicultural writing, and the inexplicable mysteries of the human heart.
(Review submitted to Goodreads and Amazon UK)
March 2, 2023
Reading this fascinating collection of short stories by Gracy, translated from Malayalam, I was also reminded of why Harper Collins is one of my favourite publishers. They have a knack for picking interesting writers, including those who might otherwise be inaccessible to people reading primarily in English.
Baby Doll Stories by Gracy is a good example of that. It offers insights into a specific culture (in the southern part of India) whilst also touching on themes that are universal - love, yearning, lust, corruption, manipulation, the complexities of friendship etc. Particular favourites of mine from the collection include The Magician, Devi Mahatyam, and The Secrets of The Earth.
Gracy is a keen observer of human frailty, and of what can result when the vulnerable meet the manipulative. Her insights into the human condition are often delivered with razor sharp wit, but the constant thread that runs through her writing is the depth of understanding she brings to the stories that she tells.
This collection is recommended for those who are interested in short stories, multicultural writing, and the inexplicable mysteries of the human heart.
(Note: I received a copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
Baby Doll Stories by Gracy is a good example of that. It offers insights into a specific culture (in the southern part of India) whilst also touching on themes that are universal - love, yearning, lust, corruption, manipulation, the complexities of friendship etc. Particular favourites of mine from the collection include The Magician, Devi Mahatyam, and The Secrets of The Earth.
Gracy is a keen observer of human frailty, and of what can result when the vulnerable meet the manipulative. Her insights into the human condition are often delivered with razor sharp wit, but the constant thread that runs through her writing is the depth of understanding she brings to the stories that she tells.
This collection is recommended for those who are interested in short stories, multicultural writing, and the inexplicable mysteries of the human heart.
(Note: I received a copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)
April 7, 2022
I read this collection of short stories so quickly, I couldn't put them down. They were almost gothic in their exploration of loneliness and the affects that this can have on humans and their mental state. Thwere was so much crammed into this book from loneliness, to relationships with family and spouses, to family dynamics and the break down of families and the feelings that encompass these.
I loved that there were references and allusions to the mythology and folklore of the authors culture as I have never read any Hindi mythology before and this has made me want to look more into that.
All of the stories have a dark feeling towards them and I would be hard pushed to mention a favourite as they were all amazing.
I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this and annotating it as well as recommending it to everyone I know. I need to read more by this author.
I loved that there were references and allusions to the mythology and folklore of the authors culture as I have never read any Hindi mythology before and this has made me want to look more into that.
All of the stories have a dark feeling towards them and I would be hard pushed to mention a favourite as they were all amazing.
I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this and annotating it as well as recommending it to everyone I know. I need to read more by this author.
August 19, 2024
I like reading multicultural stories. I wanted to read this book because it was a translation and the stories were set in Kerala, India.
It has 36 stories, some really short ones, however after a point I began to feel that there were a lot of stories (dark and bold stories). And as it happens, there are some good, intriguing stories with unique perspectives, but there are several stories that I didn't enjoy as the storytelling didn't grip me. Some I couldn't fathom.
The writing is good. The stories I liked are, ‘Arundhati’s Dreams’, Cat, Fraction (my god, this was really shocking), The Rabbits of Mamallapuram (a story told from the point of view of two toy rabbits), Baby Doll, Outdoor Sights (a story told from the point of view of a train), A Raindrop of Summer, Coming Home, A Lizard Birth (a story told from the point of view of two lizards) etc.
It has 36 stories, some really short ones, however after a point I began to feel that there were a lot of stories (dark and bold stories). And as it happens, there are some good, intriguing stories with unique perspectives, but there are several stories that I didn't enjoy as the storytelling didn't grip me. Some I couldn't fathom.
The writing is good. The stories I liked are, ‘Arundhati’s Dreams’, Cat, Fraction (my god, this was really shocking), The Rabbits of Mamallapuram (a story told from the point of view of two toy rabbits), Baby Doll, Outdoor Sights (a story told from the point of view of a train), A Raindrop of Summer, Coming Home, A Lizard Birth (a story told from the point of view of two lizards) etc.
February 16, 2023
This collection of short stories packs a punch stirring a myriad of emotions. Each story regardless of length captures the readers attention and are compact in plot. There is a thread of harsh truths interwoven throughout the stories. The beloved characters pull you in and hold you close. Conversely, there are others who display sheer madness that one would shy away from.
March 6, 2023
Oh I love a Malayalam women translation work for all the power they unleash. And when those chronologically streamlined stories reach you, it shows how the author, her stories, her growth has transcended from history to present
June 25, 2023
I tried to like this book, I really did. It did not strike anything within me. I feel like I would enjoy this better in Malayalam but the endings were empty, the stories felt drawn out and I did not like the portrayal of intimacy. Not for me at all.
July 19, 2022
Not my cup of tea.
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