The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told

by Neerja Mattoc (Editor)

The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told spans almost a century of work by some of the finest writers of short fiction in the language. The storytellers included here range from the earliest practitioners of the craft of short story writing—Dinanath Nadim, Somnath Zutshi, Ali Mohammad Lone—to more contemporary writers like Dheeba Nazir.

Some stories in this collection are realistic dramas that hold up a startlingly clear mirror to society, such as Sofi Ghulam Mohammad’s ‘Paper Tigers’, or lay bare the pain of losing one’s homeland, as Rattan Lal Shant does in ‘Moss Floating on Water’. Then there are others like Ghulam Nabi Shakir’s ‘Unquenched Thirst’ and Umesh Kaul’s ‘The Heart’s Bondage’, that look beyond the exterior and focus on the complex inner lives of the women of Kashmir.

Selected and translated by Neerja Mattoo, the twenty-five stories in this volume, all born out of the Kashmiri experience, will resonate with readers everywhere.

Genres: Short Stories, India, Indian Literature, Historical Fiction

184 pages, Hardcover

Published May 2, 2022

Reviews

[Mridula Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

" 𝐆𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐫-𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐳𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐢 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨, 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨, 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐭.” (If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here) - Jehangir on Kashmir.

The best way to understand a bygone era and have a brief understanding of their collective celebrations and traumas is through stories, told by authors who have lived through these experiences.

'The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told' holds within itself tales of love and loss-love for a lank that is also known to be heaven on Earth and loss of one's loved ones or one's home. This collection takes you through personal encounters and the happenings in and around a defined land i.e. Kashmir.

The stories also bring out small details that form the core of a Kashmiri's heart such as the cuisine, festivities, and rituals passed on from one generation to another. While grief and loss rules above all, these small moments of happiness are a ray of hope, and among all those tales that rip your heart into pieces, there are stories that are the warmest hug on the coldest of nights.

[Kavita · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading the Tamil collection, I chose the Kashmiri one for my second read in this series. In comparison, it felt very dry and dreary, without the rich kaleidoscope of life in the state depicted in minute detail. Going into it, one expects literature from a conflict area to be somewhat depressing, but I felt that a collection of Kashmir stories could do a better job at depicting the intricacies of daily life than this anthology provided. There was also very little humour in the collection.

Some of the boring stories included:

The Road to Immortality by Habib Kamran : A fable-type story by acclaimed the Kashmiri author, this story just dragged on and on and didn't seem appropriate for this collection at all. I also found it boring in the extreme and how is this a "Kashmiri story" other than that it's written by a Kashmiri author?

Man is of a Strange Breed by Akhtar Mohiuddin : A depressing tale of suicide, lost hopes, and loss. A young man runs away from Kashmir during WW2 and then runs back to Kashmir, is depressed and commits suicide. His father mourns him and then when a young Englishwoman is entrusted to his care, it just becomes more depressing.

Anguish by Autar Krishen Rahbar : A Kashmiri American returns back to the homeland and sits by the Vyeth river, reminiscing and wondering about random stuff. Boring, and a bit pointless? Maybe I am just not getting the style.

The Mourners by Hari Krishan Kaul : Yet another story about death and funerals! A pall bearer is obsessed with the cricket score, but the funeral needs to be completed.

Whose Turn Now? by Shankar Raina : By this time, I was thoroughly tired of the incessant depression dump on the reader. Now a cancer ward story, if you were not already fatigued by the previous stories of loss and suicide and death. And yes, of course, it's terminal. Ugh!

I do wonder why Neerja Mattoo (yes, Goodreads, it's Mattoo, not Mattoc) chose these specifically over the top depressive stories. Is there a point? Does being a Kashmiri mean being depressed, suicidal, and sick? The choices completely flummoxed me, because there is enough of 'bad and sad Kashmir' stories in the media.

However, there are some light-hearted and cultural stuff in the collection and I did enjoy some of the stories. These include:

Radhakrishna's Cat by Deepak Kaul : A story of a nosy woman who gets exposed by the new daughter in law of the neighbours. I almost wept with relief at the comic relief this story provided. This was also my favourite in the whole collection.

To Slavery Born by Bansi Nirdosh : A man is waiting for his son to start earning before he can quit his job, so he can dump the responsibilities on his shoulders. A little old-school but normal in the past when responsibilities were many, daughters were a burden, and people simply could not manage to save.

Paper Tigers by Sufi Ghulam Mohammad : This was the most intricately descriptive story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Two boys slave away in a bakery preparing bread. When a third boy arrives, he incites a rebellion. Does he succeed or not? Brilliant, and very realistic!

The Call by Roop Krishen Bhat : A Kashmiri family is displaced and moves to Delhi. But the old grandmother is unable to deal with the loss of the homeland and slides into depression. Despite the theme of the story, it was eminently readable and one of the best of this theme. I enjoyed the descriptions of both Kashmir and Delhi and the discrepancies between the two.

Overall, I think this collection could be improved on, but there are also some very decent stories. Some big names are there, and I might try some of their other books to see if it's more to my taste. Next, on to Gujarat!

[Krutika · Rating 4 out of 5]

// The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told

I rarely indulge in short stories and amongst them, I have only a few favourites. When Aleph announced the publication of Kashmiri stories, I was intrigued. Selected and translated by Neerja Mattoo, these twenty five stories are quite interesting. Neerja herself has published several anthologies and three books so it came as no surprise that her language prowess shone through her flawless translation.

As it so happens, I did not enjoy all the stories but I did have a few favourites. There are stories about people who come looking for their homes from which they had to flee years ago, about women who are nosey, about kids who settle down with ease in other cities while the elders miss their roots. No two stories are similar, giving us a wide array of topics to read about. Some of the stories are touching, and some just ordinary. But what impressed me was the seamless translation that Neerja managed to carry throughout the book.

If you're interested in short stories, then chances are that you may enjoy this collection. Most of the tales are of normal people going about their lives in a mundane manner. But look out for the ones that somehow burrows into your heart and makes a tiny nip, smarting your eyes with unshed tears.

Thank you for the copy @alephbookco 🌸

[Aishwarya (Mindscape in Words) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 STARS!

When you think about a book titled ‘The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told’, you certainly form your own preconceived notions of what it might be about. You would think it will be about India & Pakistan. You would think about religion. You would think about the lives of Kashmiris. You would also think about the Army and war and death and loss. I thought of all these things as well. And yet, this book has decided to be so much more than that.

The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told is a collection of 25 short stories. Yes, a few of the stories highlight all the above topics in some way or the other, but because they are in the form of a story, the impact is so much deeper. Yes, there are sons and fathers and brothers fighting but the message is somehow between the lines as well as beyond the pages. Because, these might be the stories where we connect with Gula or Shahmal or Pedro or Mehar, but these are also so painfully real. So, reading those kinds of stories will really have you taking a moment and staring at the wall for a few minutes to absorb the amalgamation of literature and literal world. Some of these are The Boy is Guilty, Reply-paid Card, When the Light Dawned, Moss Swimming on the Water and The Enemy.

And then there are other kind of stories, that are quite relatable whether you are Kashmiri or not, like Human Heart, To Slavery Born and Paper Tigers. Some are fables which really take you into another world, like Man is of a Strange Breed and In the Terrifying Bosom of the Black Night. Some are just 4-page short stories, like The Generous Chinar, Anguish and The Trap, but leave you unpacking them for much longer. Some are subtle in their life lessons, like The Cockfight, The Strange Mohalla, The Beggars at the Dargah, Some Tableaux, Some Snaps and The Search, while others like The Road to Immortality and Whose Turn Now? are quite direct in what they want to convey. Some like The Stranger Beside Me really made me feel warm, muck like Murakami-esque writing style. Some simply portray unappealing yet realistic kind of human nature, like Radhakrishna’s Cat, The Mourners, Unquenched Thirst and The Call. No matter what your reading preferences are, I am sure you will enjoy most of the stories in this book.

I read this book over a period of 2 to 3 weeks and loved reading most of the stories. Almost all of them are 4 or 5 stars. I have rated The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told selected and translated by Neerja Mattoo at 4/5 stars!

Full Review: Mindscape in Words

[Padmaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Aleph’s The greatest stories ever told series. I was elated to read The greatest Kashmiri stories ever told as I am always intrigued by Kashmiri literature. I love short story collections and I am glad this one didn’t disappoint.
~
This lovely collection features 25 beautiful stories from Kashmir, each unique and different from each other. Neerja Mattoo has selected, edited and translated this collection and she is a well known name in Kashmiri literature.
Whenever I read anything from Kashmir, there is always an undercurrent of loss and longing for a beautiful world devoid of loss and grief. The beauty of this collection was the little nuances of Kashmiri culture. Noon chai, kangiri, the snow, shikaras were so delightful to read.
Moss swimming on the water by Rattan Lal Shant, The call by Roop Krishen Bhat highlight the collective trauma they had to face after the exodus of 1990.
~
The stories offer a lot of hope and healing, people searching and mourning the break up of the Kashmiri society after 1990.
Everyone will takeaway something from this collection. With such unique themes and stories, you’ll find yourself embracing this collection and savouring it like a cup of noon chai💜
4.5⭐️

[vasudha]

some body that i know is the greatest kashmiri story ever told

[Chitra Ahanthem · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told, selected and translated by Neerja Mattoo brings together 25 short stories is a stark reminder of how literature suffers but also holds on tenaciously in the face of the complexities that beset a troubled place. The array of stories across writing styles and approach in terms of the themes they tackle is a poignant note on how much of Kashmiri literature remains buried under the weight of personal and political trauma.

Right from the translator's note detailing how much of the Kashmiri literary canon is absorbed into the Indian literary space, this collection brings home to the reader the universality of stories across cultures and geography while remaining unique because of them. Are these stories of Kashmir: the food and the socio-political culture, the brooding despair of not knowing what will happen in life? Or are these stories of human lives that are defined by the situation around them? I dare say it is the latter.

And so you have stories centered around the domestic sphere or those set in neighbourhoods that are perceived as being socially acceptable but how it is within itself, its own world made of imperfections. There are stories of young friends who are good for nothing for other people and who have no sense of the import of life situations and yet they reveal their most basic emotion and empathy when least expected. There are stories of communities that are knit together by their shared anguish of the insecurity of their lives, the hopes they hold that someone will come back from their beholden duty of protecting themselves and there are stories of exploitation, by men of other men and to such an extent that they don't have a mind of their own, an exploitation borne from the privilege and power of wealth and the servitude that acute poverty leads to on the other.

My only grouse with the collection is that of the 25 stories, only 2 are by women writers but then the realities of writing emerging from troubled spaces is that women are less likely to write or have the space for their work to be nurtured. This is a lovely addition to the Greatest Stories Ever Told series from Aleph Book Company though I do wish they would increase their font size (my eyes hurt!!).

[Sayantoni Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told by Neerja Mattoo is essentially a paradigm of the "Kashmiri essence". All the stories are varied, yet deeply personal and emotionally raw.
Learning each story is like unfurling each layer of an onion with a delicate fervour and unkempt honesty. These stories present Kashmir in a way we've never really seen before, allowing us to explore its beauty, culture and people from a novel perspective.

I'm in absolute awe of Neerja Mattoo's translation. It doesn't seem like a translation at all, and that's the best part. The stories she curated for this book are definitely some of the best our there, and I'm glad I was able to discover them. Kashmir is not only a paradise of Nature, but also a rich quarry of stories being told from the ancient times.

The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told ensnares the reader's attention right from the first story with its unflinching depiction of the lives of the people of a place that has always been in the heart of the Country because of its quintessential beauty.

[Md Akhlaq · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told selected & translated by NEERJA MATTOO

@alephbookco

Kashmir is a land adorned with incomparable beauty and uttered profanity with seemingly interminable turmoil. Both these aspects usually create a very fertile ground for powerful literature. Furthermore, Kashmir retains a rich literary lineage that goes back many centuries. A new wave of writers emerged post-Independence in Kashmir who were influenced by Marxist ideology. Kashmir also had its own Progressive Writers Association. However, those who moved beyond socialist ideals of the progressive writer's association discovered their own unique and independent poetic voice. Some of the major names in contemporary Kashmiri literature, are Dinanath Nadeem, Bansi Nirdosh, Hari Krishna Kaul and Amin Kamil. Despite all political imbalances, Kashmiri Literature is rich and alive.

This collection of short stories hand-picked and translated by Neerja Mattoo, is paying due respect to the finest writers of Kashmir, and Kashmiri literature.

This collection of twenty-five stories represents the socio-political history of Kashmir. Social dramas in this collection are so unique and natural. Some stories are not indeed up to the required standard, but some of them are astonishing.

Recommended

#readwithak #kashmiriliterature

[Simran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of ‘The Greatest Stories Ever Told’ series, ‘The Greatest Kashmiri Stories Ever Told’ is another solid collection showcasing regional literature from India. I appreciated that this particular volume offered a fairly diverse range of stories, at least in terms of genre. While some tales are rooted in the region’s historic turmoil, as seen in other books in the series, there are also more contemporary narratives, including a few that incorporate elements of magical realism. As usual, there are few stories by women writers, but that’s likely because Kashmir has historically had very few female short story writers to begin with.

As with the other volumes, it would be helpful if each story began with—or if the stories were grouped by—the period in which they were set or written, accompanied by a brief overview. For readers unfamiliar with the literature of the region (as I assume most readers of such anthologies would be), this would help build context for the overarching narrative and provide a richer impression of the land and its people. The Introduction does accomplish this to some extent, but since it’s so far removed from the stories themselves, it doesn’t serve as a strong anchor in the same way that intermittent, chronologically or thematically placed overviews would.

Overall, this volume offers a lovely window into Kashmir, both past and present.

[Read.Dream.Repeat.Blogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kashmir has been spelt out for us. Described in all the colours it is painted in. All, except its own. Culture, religion, patriotism, possesion. Everything except in humanity. Which is what this collection of short stories talks about and dares to clarify — Kashmir's humanity. Neerja Mattoo writes that the genre hasn't been older than the country itself. That short stories only bloomed around 74 years ago. Perhaps to capture the urgency of its agitation; the pain of history; the loss of a state. Perhaps to pass on the dilemma Kashmir is — the dilemma of believing history that is told versus history that is lived. Perhaps to raise in its people the 'conscientization' that has been missing. It is as if a living record of Kashmir in independent India; the essence of Kashmiriyat. 75 years of history, written in its aftertaste.

A book that spells k-a-s-h-m-i-r & stories that add the human element to its history. A book that needed to be written & needs to be read. Beautiful, beyond words.

[Ridhi Malhotra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of Kashmiri short stories is a welcome addition to the fantastic literature coming out of the Kashmir literary canon. The short story genre in Kashmiri language is quite new, and the earliest recorded story was published in the 1940s. These short stories, written in Kashmiri and translated and selected by Neerja Mattoo, take a wide swathe, and stories included are those published in the 1940s to those from the present times. The themes that the book delves into are also diverse, ranging from the pain of losing one's homeland, to the inner lives of women in Kashmir.

Out of the 25 short stories included in the book, only two are by women, though the reasons for this have been detailed in the translator's note. This book should be read by those wanting to read short fiction from Kashmir. A recommended read.

[Mahima · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult for me to get through this book. Some of the stories were too dry for my taste and I had to force myself to finish it over months.
That being said, I have added a star for the impressive task of translating historical, folk literature to English and making it available to the public. It was also interesting to see how a lot of the authors used dark humour to illustrate the biases people can accumulate when adapting to polarising social norms and beliefs. They can operate as normal people and yet behave in messed up ways towards each other. It seems like being an ordinary Kashmiri in Kashmir is like living in a constant battle, or perhaps such stories were chosen.

[Solitude and books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book. This book has plethora of short stories. Each with their unique themes. Go for it to enjoy the hidden essence in the pages of the heaven in India Kashmir !!

[Shenali Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of the stories more than others but it was really delightful to read these short stories.

[Mushda Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the finest books of this series of short story compilation books. So much more range from the realm of ethereal and reality merged into it.

[delimatulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review later (hopefully 🤞🏻)