India: A Traveler's Literary Companion

Traveler's Literary Companion

by Chandrahas Choudhury (Editor), Anita Desai (Foreword)

The latest book in the acclaimed series of literary travel guides brings together a delightful sampling of short fiction from one of the world’s most diverse, multicultural, and storied civilizations. A Traveler’s Literary Companion features 14 short stories from some of India’s best writers, collectively offering an insightful portrait of the beauty and complexity of Indian landscape, culture, and society. Travel to the Taj Mahal with Kunal Basu, as the humble accountant of his story becomes, in another incarnation, the architect of one of the world’s most resplendent monuments. Let Vikram Chandra leads readers by the hand into the ghettos of Mumbai (Bombay), where a small-time thug fences some gold bars he has stolen and then decides to find out what pleasures his money can buy. Journey with Bibhutibhushan Bandhopadhyay’s silver-tongued salesman of medicated oil as he travels the trains around Calcutta, the city he loves more than anything else. And Nazir Mansuri’s Melvillian “The Whale” transports readers to a small fishing village on the west coast of India, where an embittered sailor makes every whale he sees the object of his fury. Stories from nine languages and more than a dozen distinct cultures and regions — from north, south, east, west, and even from India’s remote northeast — are brought together in this vibrant collection.

Genres: Travel, India, Fiction, Short Stories

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Pallavi Kamat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by Indian writers both in English and translations.

Loved The Accountant, Canvasser Krishnanlal, Eye In The Sky, Dots And Lines and Halfway Animals.

The editor has got a good mix of stories representing all the four corners of India. There's just so much 'regional' literature in India, which needs to be translated into English and/or other Indian languages so that more and more people are able to enjoy it.

[Pamela Arya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing gem of a book contains short stories by many of India's most famous fiction writers. The forward before each story lists each author's novels providing a fabulous future reading list (I've created an Amazon wish list of these books).

The last sentence of the forward by Anita Desai best describes this book: that fathomless word "India"

[Jessica Lu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book collects 13 short stories from 13 Indian authors by Chandorahas Choudhury, who himself is a novelist and a book critic.

His intention is to have each story represent each distinct area in India. Either it is about or with the favor of its religion, food, landscape, building, transport, trade, custom, social climate, tradition, circumstances or what are on people's mind...

Fascinating to read one by one as it makes me feel like in a traveling mood!

[Dan Tasse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these stories a lot. Excellent way to get me excited about traveling to India next year. And I like how they're sorted by geography, helps me get a sense for places.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/india-a...

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging stories. Interesting to read while traveling.