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The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told
The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told showcases some of the best short fiction to emerge out of Tamil Nadu, dating from the last century to the present day. Two of the earliest stories included here are Subramania Bharati’s ‘The Story of a Crow Learning Prosody’, a satirical tale about the exaltation of language, and ‘Kalki’ Krishnamurthy’s ‘The Governor’s Visit’, about how bigwigs in little places pandered to the British rulers during the time of the Raj. While some stories in this volume wrestle with the idea of public justice, as in Father Mark Stephen’s ‘Penance’ and Sa. Kandasamy’s ‘The Slaying of Hiranya’, others, such as Ambai’s ‘Journey 4’, hide secrets that could destroy lives and relationships if they are ever revealed.
Featuring memorable works by, among others, Bama, Perumal Murugan, and Poomani, the thirty stories in this collection, selected and edited by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan and Mini Krishnan, come together to paint a striking picture of the Tamil people.
Featuring memorable works by, among others, Bama, Perumal Murugan, and Poomani, the thirty stories in this collection, selected and edited by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan and Mini Krishnan, come together to paint a striking picture of the Tamil people.
312 pages, Hardcover
Published November 5, 2021
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288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 15, 2023
A venture of Aleph Book Company, The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told is one in a series of anthologies of short stories from different regional languages in India. The book has chosen a number of renowned writers from Tamil Nadu spanning a period from the 1930s to modern times. As usual in anthologies, some were brilliant and I didn't care for others. But overall, this was a wonderful collection.
The book has a total of 30 short stories, so I will review only a few of my favourites below.
A Village Experience by SVV : A couple decide to pay a condolence visit to a village when someone in their daughter's husband's family dies. The slow pace of life is showcased brilliantly and humorously. It's also very reminiscent of old India, though pockets of such life remain similar today.
Letters from the Inner Palace by Kumudini : Based on Hindu epics, this is a series of letters between Sita and her mother discussing a new sari for her, between Hidimba and her grandmother regarding the former's marital life, and between Damayanti and her mother discussing a cook for the household. Very humorous and strangely relatable!
Crown of Thorns by Janakiraman : In this one, a schoolteacher is able to get and hold the respect of his students without raising his hand on them at all. However, he still manages to unwittingly wield his power and make one boy miserable for a small mistake. When he realises this, it weighs on him forever.
Snake by Sujatha : A snake is sighted and the village gathers to drive it away. Ultimately, it is a young woman, Vatsala, who is the truly fearless and empathetic one amongst them all. I did not like the ending, but I enjoyed the story very much.
The Solution by Dilip Kumar : This tale centres around a Gujarati family settled in Chennai. When a rat falls into a well, people are very hesitant to use the water until an old lady settles the matter. It's hilarious but also shows how superstitions and half-baked knowledge prevails in the country even today. People live their lives through these with the few resources they are given.
Cetificate! by Anbaathavan : A young man from the Irula tribe is seeking a caste certificate from the government office in order to further his studies. When the officials give him the go-around and make fun of him and his caste, he decides to teach them a lesson. It's brilliant and funny, and should teach people to behave themselves!
There are other wonderful stories such as Penance, The First Night, Journey 4, Ponnuthayi, and Change. There were some duds too and some weak stories from otherwise excellent writers like Kalki and Perumal Murugan were also chosen for this. But overall, the book accomplishes it's purpose: showcasing a variety of Tamil authors and giving a beautiful landscape of Tamil life across caste, gender, and class divides.
I have now purchased ALL the books in this collection, so looking forward to touring India from the comfort of my sofa.
The book has a total of 30 short stories, so I will review only a few of my favourites below.
A Village Experience by SVV : A couple decide to pay a condolence visit to a village when someone in their daughter's husband's family dies. The slow pace of life is showcased brilliantly and humorously. It's also very reminiscent of old India, though pockets of such life remain similar today.
Letters from the Inner Palace by Kumudini : Based on Hindu epics, this is a series of letters between Sita and her mother discussing a new sari for her, between Hidimba and her grandmother regarding the former's marital life, and between Damayanti and her mother discussing a cook for the household. Very humorous and strangely relatable!
Crown of Thorns by Janakiraman : In this one, a schoolteacher is able to get and hold the respect of his students without raising his hand on them at all. However, he still manages to unwittingly wield his power and make one boy miserable for a small mistake. When he realises this, it weighs on him forever.
Snake by Sujatha : A snake is sighted and the village gathers to drive it away. Ultimately, it is a young woman, Vatsala, who is the truly fearless and empathetic one amongst them all. I did not like the ending, but I enjoyed the story very much.
The Solution by Dilip Kumar : This tale centres around a Gujarati family settled in Chennai. When a rat falls into a well, people are very hesitant to use the water until an old lady settles the matter. It's hilarious but also shows how superstitions and half-baked knowledge prevails in the country even today. People live their lives through these with the few resources they are given.
Cetificate! by Anbaathavan : A young man from the Irula tribe is seeking a caste certificate from the government office in order to further his studies. When the officials give him the go-around and make fun of him and his caste, he decides to teach them a lesson. It's brilliant and funny, and should teach people to behave themselves!
There are other wonderful stories such as Penance, The First Night, Journey 4, Ponnuthayi, and Change. There were some duds too and some weak stories from otherwise excellent writers like Kalki and Perumal Murugan were also chosen for this. But overall, the book accomplishes it's purpose: showcasing a variety of Tamil authors and giving a beautiful landscape of Tamil life across caste, gender, and class divides.
I have now purchased ALL the books in this collection, so looking forward to touring India from the comfort of my sofa.
April 27, 2025
This collection features 30 short stories by various writers, offering a rich glimpse into the social and largely rural fabric of Tamil society. The stories explore a wide range of human emotions and situations, often rooted deeply in the cultural and historical context of Tamil life.
Since the translations are done by different translators, the reading experience can feel a bit uneven. Many stories also assume a familiarity with Tamil society, history, and certain culturally significant terms, which can make them challenging for readers new to the context. A glossary or brief cultural notes would have made the collection more accessible.
Despite these challenges, several stories stood out. "Penance" offers a powerful look at caste politics and hierarchy. "The Binding Vow" beautifully captures the atmosphere of a Tamil village. "Snake" delves into human relationships and community dynamics, and "My Name is Madhavan" portrays the struggles of the disabled to live with dignity.
Since the translations are done by different translators, the reading experience can feel a bit uneven. Many stories also assume a familiarity with Tamil society, history, and certain culturally significant terms, which can make them challenging for readers new to the context. A glossary or brief cultural notes would have made the collection more accessible.
Despite these challenges, several stories stood out. "Penance" offers a powerful look at caste politics and hierarchy. "The Binding Vow" beautifully captures the atmosphere of a Tamil village. "Snake" delves into human relationships and community dynamics, and "My Name is Madhavan" portrays the struggles of the disabled to live with dignity.
August 9, 2022
A must read!
November 13, 2025
Extremely extremely enjoyed this. I liked MOST of the stories in this collection. I love short story compilations by different authors because it really introduces you to a variety of writers and you can see if you want to read more of their work. Added to that, this being a translated collection, I can also see which translators I prefer and which ones I don’t!
I understand that the stories are arranged in the chronological order of the date of birth of the authors, however this experience would’ve been better had the first short story itself not been extremely misogynistic.
Regardless I enjoyed it and I do hope one day I have the patience to go through the originals in Tamizh!
I understand that the stories are arranged in the chronological order of the date of birth of the authors, however this experience would’ve been better had the first short story itself not been extremely misogynistic.
Regardless I enjoyed it and I do hope one day I have the patience to go through the originals in Tamizh!
August 5, 2022
Of the vast, vibrant , brilliant and greatest collection of Tamil literature, "Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told" provides a kaleidoscopic vision of last century to present day literature by compiling stories of some of the many great writers of Tamil literature.
First of all,let me say that Alephbookco did a great job in bringing together some of the fascinating tales from across the country through these short story collections. It definitely gives a taste of various literature and culture. Iam starting off with Tamil and hoping to have a bite of the vast arena of our Indian literature through the short story collections.
Being a South Indian, Tamil Literature's not something alien to me. I have already read and loved Bama's "Karukku" and many other stories and having already read it, there was a sense of familiarity and comfort in reading. At the same time, many unfamiliar writers like LA. SA. RA., R. Chudamini, Aadhavan etc gave me the chills of the unexpected and opened the door to explore the unexplored.
I consumed the stories like a capsule, one a day, often two a day for the whole month, grasping the 30 stories to the fullest. While some stories weren't moving, some left me thinking even after the story ended. There were stories around caste inequalities, gender issues, then around love, nature,mysticism etc. Pudumaipittan efficiently used the technique of magical realism in the story, which was something bold and innovative considering the time period and it was one of my favorite stories ,of course out of many.
My only issue is with the dent in inclusion of female writers. When there's an abundant amount of stories written by women,only four women writers were included in the thirty stories collection. Apart from that, I loved the collection and looking forward to read more from Tamil literature
First of all,let me say that Alephbookco did a great job in bringing together some of the fascinating tales from across the country through these short story collections. It definitely gives a taste of various literature and culture. Iam starting off with Tamil and hoping to have a bite of the vast arena of our Indian literature through the short story collections.
Being a South Indian, Tamil Literature's not something alien to me. I have already read and loved Bama's "Karukku" and many other stories and having already read it, there was a sense of familiarity and comfort in reading. At the same time, many unfamiliar writers like LA. SA. RA., R. Chudamini, Aadhavan etc gave me the chills of the unexpected and opened the door to explore the unexplored.
I consumed the stories like a capsule, one a day, often two a day for the whole month, grasping the 30 stories to the fullest. While some stories weren't moving, some left me thinking even after the story ended. There were stories around caste inequalities, gender issues, then around love, nature,mysticism etc. Pudumaipittan efficiently used the technique of magical realism in the story, which was something bold and innovative considering the time period and it was one of my favorite stories ,of course out of many.
My only issue is with the dent in inclusion of female writers. When there's an abundant amount of stories written by women,only four women writers were included in the thirty stories collection. Apart from that, I loved the collection and looking forward to read more from Tamil literature
January 10, 2022
The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told is a collection of 30 short stories all written by different authors and translated by different translators as well. Selected and edited by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan and Mini Krishnan, these stories dive through different genres and similarly their backgrounds are also as diverse as well. But before I start with this review, there’s something that needs to be said about the kind of book this is. When a book comes out that has the word ‘greatest’ or other such adjectives in its title and aims at compiling stories from another language, it will always miss out several stories and authors who are ‘great’ as well. In no way do these books aim at demeaning the work of others but because a few people are going to compile the stories, the ‘greatness’ itself is going to be subjective. Hence it would be better if I talk about the stories that have been included than the ones which could've been.
As someone who loves to read Indian translated works, this book surely is a trip to the wonderland of literature. The first story itself, ‘A Village Experience’ by S. V. V. is about a man who has to go to his daughter’s in-law’s home as a condolence visit, dictated by societal norms he is being dragged there by his wife. A simple yet striking tale how lives & behavior of people are built around practicing social customs even though what they might feel at a specific time can be quite the opposite. Apart from this, another story which I would like to mention is Ambai’s ‘Journey 4’ & of course Perumal Murugan’s ‘The Goat Thief’ each equally beautifully written and translated. I can’t wait to read more stories coming from different states as well as different authors. Please do pick it up.
As someone who loves to read Indian translated works, this book surely is a trip to the wonderland of literature. The first story itself, ‘A Village Experience’ by S. V. V. is about a man who has to go to his daughter’s in-law’s home as a condolence visit, dictated by societal norms he is being dragged there by his wife. A simple yet striking tale how lives & behavior of people are built around practicing social customs even though what they might feel at a specific time can be quite the opposite. Apart from this, another story which I would like to mention is Ambai’s ‘Journey 4’ & of course Perumal Murugan’s ‘The Goat Thief’ each equally beautifully written and translated. I can’t wait to read more stories coming from different states as well as different authors. Please do pick it up.
January 1, 2022
Writing about a short story collection by different authors across different time periods is not an easy task at all. With a solo author's work, it becomes relatively easier for one can focus on the writing and the use of language and expressions. In a collection by many authors, there is no common ground and it becomes a tough job to really say much in a tight space format here.
The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told, selected and edited by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan and Mini Krishnan, the latest in Aleph series is a collection of 30 stories by authors writing in Tamil during the last century to the present. With the short story being a popular literary form in the Tamil language, whittling down to the 30 stories in this collection would have been quite the task and you have stories from the earlier era down to the very contemporary times.
The mix of stories and inclusion of authors in the collection gives a selection on a wide array of themes: from caste prejudices to human follies,to individual character realizations. From Subramanian Bharati's story in this collection, a tightly controlled narrative that has elements of near satirical elements over the Tamil literary ouvre and how the best of intentions to contribute to its greatness falls by the way side; to Dilip Kumar's The Solution, that gently highlights how pure and impure practices still prevail over scientific approaches; to the journey from an innocent to a long drawn discovery of intimacy between a newly wed couple, these are stories that affirm the rich legacy of Tamil writing.
The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told, selected and edited by Sujatha Vijayaraghavan and Mini Krishnan, the latest in Aleph series is a collection of 30 stories by authors writing in Tamil during the last century to the present. With the short story being a popular literary form in the Tamil language, whittling down to the 30 stories in this collection would have been quite the task and you have stories from the earlier era down to the very contemporary times.
The mix of stories and inclusion of authors in the collection gives a selection on a wide array of themes: from caste prejudices to human follies,to individual character realizations. From Subramanian Bharati's story in this collection, a tightly controlled narrative that has elements of near satirical elements over the Tamil literary ouvre and how the best of intentions to contribute to its greatness falls by the way side; to Dilip Kumar's The Solution, that gently highlights how pure and impure practices still prevail over scientific approaches; to the journey from an innocent to a long drawn discovery of intimacy between a newly wed couple, these are stories that affirm the rich legacy of Tamil writing.
October 28, 2023
When i picked up this book, i was so optimistic and excited. Sad to say, was a bit disappointed. 30 short stories in this book from authors across generations. Some of them were truly GREAT! (at least for me). When i say great, i mean stories that feel eternal, that made me feel a jolt of some emotion, and that truly kept me thinking long after they are finished, making you marvel at how 10-20 pages of writing can have such an immense impact. I would say 3-4 stories in this book made that mark on me. But the rest, ranged from average to good.
I am still glad I read this though. Been ages since I read Tamil authors, or even an Indian author for that matter. Took me to a different world, a completely different landscape, one that felt both familiar and strange at the same time.
I am still glad I read this though. Been ages since I read Tamil authors, or even an Indian author for that matter. Took me to a different world, a completely different landscape, one that felt both familiar and strange at the same time.
January 27, 2022
I had started my reading journey with short stories, Champaks, Tinkle, Nandan, fairy tales, Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and then I entered into the world of The Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and YA. I had a "Chicken soup for the soul" phase too! But short stories have stuck with me ever since then. There's the thing about them, no commitments, no strings attached, even if you are not in a great space mentally you can flip through a collection of short stories, searching for a title that speaks to you in the table of contents and read a story. It will hardly take any time and you'll automatically start feeling better, your eyes lingering on the next best title. By the time you realise 'time' has passed you'd already have read a considerable portion and your dopamine will be back to normal.
Aleph Book Company's the Greatest Stories Ever Told series has some of the finest literary pieces for you to cherish. The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told encapsulates the essence and history of Tamil Nadu in thirty odd stories. And each title is as eye catching as the other, even my poor sleep deprived brain scampered up at the sight of Ashokamitran's "Let me sleep in peace tonight" wondering excitedly if this was written for me. The first story in the book is 'A village experience' penned by S. V. V. is about an unnamed narrator whose daughter's mother-in-law's father had died and hence he had to take the pains to go to Keezhpulivai by the seven o'clock train and walk one and a half miles in the searing heat of Chithirai. What follows is a satirical, hot and stressful day for our poor narrator who wanted to get back home so badly but lied down to rest after fuming for hours.
This is followed by Subramania Bharati's 'The story of a crow learning prosody', a fable, and 'The Governor's Visit' by Kalki both of which take up the theme of idolizing English with a healthy dose of humour and satire. Similar to the vibrant spirit and culture of the Thamizh people the vein of humour in all these stories remains constant even when the underlying concerns are poignant and demanding self reflection.
A memorable treasury of some of the Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told.
Aleph Book Company's the Greatest Stories Ever Told series has some of the finest literary pieces for you to cherish. The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told encapsulates the essence and history of Tamil Nadu in thirty odd stories. And each title is as eye catching as the other, even my poor sleep deprived brain scampered up at the sight of Ashokamitran's "Let me sleep in peace tonight" wondering excitedly if this was written for me. The first story in the book is 'A village experience' penned by S. V. V. is about an unnamed narrator whose daughter's mother-in-law's father had died and hence he had to take the pains to go to Keezhpulivai by the seven o'clock train and walk one and a half miles in the searing heat of Chithirai. What follows is a satirical, hot and stressful day for our poor narrator who wanted to get back home so badly but lied down to rest after fuming for hours.
This is followed by Subramania Bharati's 'The story of a crow learning prosody', a fable, and 'The Governor's Visit' by Kalki both of which take up the theme of idolizing English with a healthy dose of humour and satire. Similar to the vibrant spirit and culture of the Thamizh people the vein of humour in all these stories remains constant even when the underlying concerns are poignant and demanding self reflection.
A memorable treasury of some of the Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told.
January 16, 2022
Tamil short stories effortlessly move in and out of traditional practices and innovative actions, and I enjoy the way they never fail to shine in an aura that is most definitively recognisable as Tamilians writing. This anthology was no different. A set of 30 stories—curated very ably and translated with caution—can easily be a week well spent among Tamil customs and lifestyle.
What I felt most contentment for was the measurement in the stories—of how much to put and of what, filtering down excesses and amplifying scarcities. Most writers here seem to have an immaculate control over their writing instrument, which is to imply that they never tread too far over the fences, neither do they agree to remain confined by invisible shackles. There was a prospect of open-endedness in many, and I say this to emphasize on the fact that a vast section of these stories refuses to teach you any major point, but still leave behind an aftertaste that makes you glimpse what the writer was trying to pen down. Interpersonal dialogues and confrontations in relationships often steered the course of the stories to better meanings, and this added to the characterisations indirectly without much fuss. I found a heavy emphasis in complexity in human judgement prevailing as a massive thematic interface in many of the stories, which undoubtedly adds to the writers’ calibre and vision.
In all, ‘The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told’ was witty and emotionally tangible, and I cannot wait to explore more of Tamil fiction—more of the lesser translated authors whose prowess can only be measured in the regional dialect, my blankness for which is therefore a regret for me.
This book series covers multiple Indian languages. Read my review for the Hindi stories and the Assamese stories collection.
Thanks Aleph Book Company for sending me a copy.
What I felt most contentment for was the measurement in the stories—of how much to put and of what, filtering down excesses and amplifying scarcities. Most writers here seem to have an immaculate control over their writing instrument, which is to imply that they never tread too far over the fences, neither do they agree to remain confined by invisible shackles. There was a prospect of open-endedness in many, and I say this to emphasize on the fact that a vast section of these stories refuses to teach you any major point, but still leave behind an aftertaste that makes you glimpse what the writer was trying to pen down. Interpersonal dialogues and confrontations in relationships often steered the course of the stories to better meanings, and this added to the characterisations indirectly without much fuss. I found a heavy emphasis in complexity in human judgement prevailing as a massive thematic interface in many of the stories, which undoubtedly adds to the writers’ calibre and vision.
In all, ‘The Greatest Tamil Stories Ever Told’ was witty and emotionally tangible, and I cannot wait to explore more of Tamil fiction—more of the lesser translated authors whose prowess can only be measured in the regional dialect, my blankness for which is therefore a regret for me.
This book series covers multiple Indian languages. Read my review for the Hindi stories and the Assamese stories collection.
Thanks Aleph Book Company for sending me a copy.
February 26, 2023
A really good collection of Tamil short stories, though I don’t think I did my best to appreciate them properly. I now have a list of Tamil authors to look out for! I need to read some of these stories and the authors’ other works in Tamil. A lot of these stories are strikingly feminist, even in today’s world. Kudos to the translators too, they’ve done a fine job!
Personal Notes:
The Story of a Crow Learning Prosody - SUBRAMANIA BHARATI - Bharathi pola varuma!?
The Governor's Visit - KALKI
Letters from the Inner Palace - KUMUDINI
God and Kandasami Pillai- PUDUMAIPITTAN
The Family Chariot - MAUNI
The Door Closes C. S. CHELLAPPA - Really well written.
Rivulets LA. SA. RA. - !!!
Crown of Thorns THI. JANAKIRAMAN - A simple story and yet
The First Night KI. RA. - A Cute short story :)
A Disciple's Offering INDIRA PARTHASARATHY - :’)
Let Me Sleep in Peace Tonight ASHOKAMITRAN
My Name is Madhavan R. CHUDAMANI - Wow.
Naadar Sir SUNDAR RAMASWAMY - I remember having teachers with this much passion.
Snake SUJATHA - I really enjoy Sujatha’s writing.
The Slaying of Hiranya SAl - This must have been amazing in Tamizh.
Arrogance AADHAVAN - Woah. Tamil version thedanum.
Journey 4 AMBAI - !!!.
Change POOMANI
Penance FATHER MARK STEPHEN
The Solution DILIP KUMAR
Ponnuthayi BAMA
The Binding Vow IMAYAM
Certificate! ANBAATHAVAN
The Goat Thief PERUMAL MURUGAN
Pigeon Fever S. RAMAKRISHNAN - !!!
Paychi Tree S. THENMOZHI - I Must read in this in Tamil.
Personal Notes:
The Story of a Crow Learning Prosody - SUBRAMANIA BHARATI - Bharathi pola varuma!?
The Governor's Visit - KALKI
Letters from the Inner Palace - KUMUDINI
God and Kandasami Pillai- PUDUMAIPITTAN
The Family Chariot - MAUNI
The Door Closes C. S. CHELLAPPA - Really well written.
Rivulets LA. SA. RA. - !!!
Crown of Thorns THI. JANAKIRAMAN - A simple story and yet
The First Night KI. RA. - A Cute short story :)
A Disciple's Offering INDIRA PARTHASARATHY - :’)
Let Me Sleep in Peace Tonight ASHOKAMITRAN
My Name is Madhavan R. CHUDAMANI - Wow.
Naadar Sir SUNDAR RAMASWAMY - I remember having teachers with this much passion.
Snake SUJATHA - I really enjoy Sujatha’s writing.
The Slaying of Hiranya SAl - This must have been amazing in Tamizh.
Arrogance AADHAVAN - Woah. Tamil version thedanum.
Journey 4 AMBAI - !!!.
Change POOMANI
Penance FATHER MARK STEPHEN
The Solution DILIP KUMAR
Ponnuthayi BAMA
The Binding Vow IMAYAM
Certificate! ANBAATHAVAN
The Goat Thief PERUMAL MURUGAN
Pigeon Fever S. RAMAKRISHNAN - !!!
Paychi Tree S. THENMOZHI - I Must read in this in Tamil.
Read
October 28, 202310 stories into the book I realized I have 2 options, I could force myself to read the remaining 20, or I could accept that I'm not a short-story lover and close the book.
I picked option 2.
I've heard these stories are Classics and timeless works of art but maybe I'm a philistine because a few of these "stories" were just a collection of paragraphs with no beginning, no end and certainly no meaning.
1. Village experience 0/5 there was no story and there was no point and it felt like I was inside the head of an overgrown manchild , not a pleasant place to be.
2. Crow 0/5 the hyped up classic, supposed to be a satirical take but was absolutely awful and very irritating.
3. Governer's visit 4/5 a good portrayal of people falling over themselves in sycophantic blindness, good.
4. Letters from palace dnf, Felt like bad fanfiction of Ramayan.
5. God and kandasami pillai 4/5 I loved the premise and God was instantly adorable but the ending was unsatisfactory and abrupt
6. The family chariot: 1/5: cliche ruminations of a man dealing with grief.
7. The door closes 5/5 my heart was racing from the thrill of this situation.
8. Rivulets: 3/5 a momentary episode of a slightly futile fight for feminism.
9. Crown of thorns: 4/5 thought provoking story about a teacher who inadvertently punished someone more severe than he intended.
10. First night 3.5/5 a slow-burn nicely done and very decent.
I picked option 2.
I've heard these stories are Classics and timeless works of art but maybe I'm a philistine because a few of these "stories" were just a collection of paragraphs with no beginning, no end and certainly no meaning.
1. Village experience 0/5 there was no story and there was no point and it felt like I was inside the head of an overgrown manchild , not a pleasant place to be.
2. Crow 0/5 the hyped up classic, supposed to be a satirical take but was absolutely awful and very irritating.
3. Governer's visit 4/5 a good portrayal of people falling over themselves in sycophantic blindness, good.
4. Letters from palace dnf, Felt like bad fanfiction of Ramayan.
5. God and kandasami pillai 4/5 I loved the premise and God was instantly adorable but the ending was unsatisfactory and abrupt
6. The family chariot: 1/5: cliche ruminations of a man dealing with grief.
7. The door closes 5/5 my heart was racing from the thrill of this situation.
8. Rivulets: 3/5 a momentary episode of a slightly futile fight for feminism.
9. Crown of thorns: 4/5 thought provoking story about a teacher who inadvertently punished someone more severe than he intended.
10. First night 3.5/5 a slow-burn nicely done and very decent.
April 21, 2023
A good collection of stories from eminent Tamil writers. A lot of drab stories, but some that caught the eye, and the mind, including Kumudini's Letters from the Inner Palace, Space Travelers by Thoppil Mohammed Meeran, The Goat Thief by Perumal Murugan, and Crown of Thorns by Thi. Janakiraman. Overall, a blend of urban and rural, rich and poor, a lot of contemplative and meditative tales on old age, loneliness, religion, and social stigmas, some, if not all, of which demand to be read in Tamil (with due respect to translators who have worked splendidly on the originals). There's little that distinguishes these stories as inherently Tamilian in essence, but there's also little that one can point at and say, hey these don't feel like a Tamil story.
August 17, 2023
Although I wouldn't call it the 'Greatest' Tamil stories ever written, it is in fact a collection of a well written and very well translated stories. While some of the stories made me laugh out loud, the others did make me shed a tear or two. As previously mentioned, it is very well translated, when each story could covey their meaning in English, the Tamil language or culture was never forgotten. It is safe to say that nothing was lost in translation. I personally think that like how all movies are rated, all books should be too and I would rate this book 18+ just because of one single story that shook me.
Rest all assured, it's a great Indian read!
Rest all assured, it's a great Indian read!
June 26, 2025
Just completed this amazingly curated collection of translated Tamil stories and I would not be exaggerating if I say that every story made my heart warm. It is after many days of reading that I came across a book that felt like an embrace. Every page was like a quilt covering me with its eternal warmth.
The collection is a testament to the rich storytelling tradition that finds its place in Tamil literature. The translations speak to you and only make you wonder one thing - how lucky those who'd read it in Tamil would be.
Filled with magic, folklore, mysticism, and poetic lucidity in prose, this collection has been one of the best reads of this year.
The collection is a testament to the rich storytelling tradition that finds its place in Tamil literature. The translations speak to you and only make you wonder one thing - how lucky those who'd read it in Tamil would be.
Filled with magic, folklore, mysticism, and poetic lucidity in prose, this collection has been one of the best reads of this year.
January 11, 2022
A collection of 30 short stories bringing us the finest of Tamil literature, from the likes of Subramania bharati, Kumudini (Ranganayaki Thatham) and Poomani.
The stories narrates to us history that's forgotten in pages, emotions which are too vulnerable to be brought to light, the conflicts and confluence of society and public justice, and most importantly they bring to us memories, of a past that's not too distant yet can only be caught in remembrance.
The stories narrates to us history that's forgotten in pages, emotions which are too vulnerable to be brought to light, the conflicts and confluence of society and public justice, and most importantly they bring to us memories, of a past that's not too distant yet can only be caught in remembrance.
August 30, 2022
The stories in this collection are not all of the same standard or quality, as is the case with almost all short story collections, but they were (mostly) a joy to read. If you can't read Tamil but want to get a taste of Tamil literature, this is the place to start. The editors and translators have done a fantastic job of covering the broad sweep of the Tamil short story while also capturing the way people speak despite the translation.
January 29, 2023
Collection of short stories that I wasn't able to finish in one go!
But feels nice finishing it, so many authors and thereby many stories. Some of them are common names and then to realise that oh it was this author's tale made it a good read for me.
The short paragraphs about the authors and translators and insights into their work, which is a gateway to get hands on other works by the same people was definitely a highlight for me.
But feels nice finishing it, so many authors and thereby many stories. Some of them are common names and then to realise that oh it was this author's tale made it a good read for me.
The short paragraphs about the authors and translators and insights into their work, which is a gateway to get hands on other works by the same people was definitely a highlight for me.
March 31, 2023
The options for this prompt are plenty and I chose to go with this one. It is an extensive collection of stories from the foremost writers of Tamil literature. Definitely a keepsake for any library.
November 29, 2024
The worst collection I've ever read! Only one or two stories stood out from this pile of utter garbage.
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