With emotional precision and narrative subtlety, The Royal Ghosts features characters trying to reconcile their true desires with the forces at wor...
read full description
reviews
Oct 05, 2011
Binit
rated it: 
I have a penchant for short-stories and this book definitely stands out as a powerful collection of stories. I'm a great fan of Upadhayay's narrative which is simple yet profound. He has a good sense of humour which is evident in his writing that he exposes through the interesting characters he set up in his stories. Some Nepali readers criticise him for writing to cater for the western audience but I totally disagree on this front. I'm a Nepali myself and being able to relate to the stories of
More...
Oct 11, 2009
Debbie (Readerbuzz)
rated it:
Two things intrigued me when I saw this book posted at BookCrossing: the Nepal setting and how much the reader loved the book.
Story one left me regretting my decision to join the ring for this book. What? I thought. But then I got into the way the author writes and I liked it. Each story felt like the author had written an entire novel about the characters and then randomly deleted the first fifty and the last hundred and fifty pages.
Abrupt starts and stops. Unfinished n More...
Story one left me regretting my decision to join the ring for this book. What? I thought. But then I got into the way the author writes and I liked it. Each story felt like the author had written an entire novel about the characters and then randomly deleted the first fifty and the last hundred and fifty pages.
Abrupt starts and stops. Unfinished n More...
Feb 04, 2008
Jocelyn
rated it:
There are no real ghosts in this collection, but the stories will haunt you. Reading them made me feel like an apparition, invisible eyes watching the characters lives unfold, for good or bad, and not being able to intervene. Every pivotal character in the collection seems to be cursed with a relentless compassion for others, a guilty conscience and a need to help others find their way even if it means losing their own in the process. I’m not sure what all this says about Nepal. I’ve never b
More...
Jan 02, 2008
Dolly
rated it:
I enjoyed reading this book. It consists of many short stories about personal lives and daily situations that any ordinary person would experience. The stories all take place in the middle East, some in Pakistan and India. They seem like ordinary life stories but when I finished the book and read the blurb in the back, I realized the stories concentrated on the Nepali society and how people lived and suffered under this political crisis with the Maoists and cultural transformation.
Sa More...
Sa More...
Dec 05, 2008
heidi
rated it: 
i don't know...maybe samrat upadhyay just isn't my style. i'll try again, though. this book was an easy read, several short stories. it was just too easy to read, i think. it felt unconvincing, except for the final story, probably because it mostly centered around the royal massacre--an actual event. still, the stories do cast some light on the traditions of Nepal.
Dec 05, 2008
Katie
rated it: 
I enjoyed reading these stories. Some of the stories I would definitely give 4 stars to. i kept trying to related these stories to my experience in nepal, but it was difficult. everything in nepal always seemed so chaotic to me, but i guess that had a lot to do with language barriers and cultural differences. it was interesting to read these stories and get a different perspective on nepali culture.
Jun 09, 2010
Alessandra
rated it: 
Read it. A collection beautiful short stories that all take place in Nepal. Really made me appreciate the genre of short stories as well as gave a feel for Nepal. Stories are told from all sorts of perspectives. A great read.
Dec 14, 2008
Upadhyay is the first Nepali-born writer to be published in English, and he is a terrific writer. He sheds light on day-to-day life in Nepal for people who exist under sometimes terrifying conditions.
Oct 31, 2008
Becky
rated it:
I enjoyed this book of short stories set in Nepal. The stories provided nice little glimpses into daily Nepali life and culture. I felt like I learned a lot about changing times, relationships, and gender roles in Nepal. I especially enjoyed it since I am working with so many refugees who are ethnically Nepali and have been living in Nepal for many years. I felt like these stories helped me to better understand their culture. The stories were all beautifully written and captivating. The c
More...
May 03, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
This book speaks to the fact that we all have choices to make in our lives, and sometimes the decision-making process seems so unique when really it's much more universal than we imagined. Sometimes the decisions we ultimately make will haunt us forever. I was interested in each story yet uneasy reading about such intensely personal moments because they are not easy circumstances to see oneself in or to know how to react within. The Nepalese aspect presented itself in the societal customs per
More...
Mar 04, 2010
Katherine
rated it:
It was great to read a book of collected short stories - I don't read as much of those as I would love to... but every time I do it's a pleasure to read. Interesting to read short stories based in Nepal - sounded familiar to short stories that I've read based in India. Stories were quite different from each other and all of them grabbed my attention. I'm waiting to have my book club discussion with my colleagues to see what they got out of it. The central theme was struggle and lack of freedom I
More...
Feb 07, 2012
Julie
rated it:
I thought the stories got better as the book progressed. Some deep issues of family and love.
Jul 30, 2010
Aldawen
rated it:
The most impressive thing was to see how universal certain human behaviour is. Many of the discussions and situations I can easily imagine to happen elsewhere when replacing "lower caste" by some other distinction based on colour or religion or whatsoever. I liked the way Upadhaya tells his stories and even his style, but real enthusiasm was lacking.
Dec 13, 2007
Ruth
rated it:
I really enjoyed these stories, set in Nepal. Lots of good character development, numerous poignant moments. I hope to read more by Samrat Upadhyay.
May 04, 2008
Cherie
rated it:
A More stories about Nepal; often marriage and love problems against the Maoist insurgency.
Jan 24, 2012
Jan 05, 2012
Dec 12, 2011
Dec 09, 2011
Nov 19, 2011
Nov 05, 2011
