Shashi Deshpande: Collected Stories, Volume 1

by Shashi Deshpande

Written over the past three decades, the stories in this volume provide an insight into often forgotten aspects of human feelings and relationships, weaving a magical web of emotions that is testimony to the unusual depth and range of Shashi Deshpandes writing.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

217 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Novelist and short story writer, Shashi Deshpande began her career with short stories and has by now authored nine short story collections, twelve novels and four books for children. Three of her novels have received awards, including the Sahitya Akademi award for `That Long Silence'. Some of her other novels are `The Dark Holds No Terrors', `A Matter of Time', `Small Remedies', `Moving On', `In The Country of Deceit' and `Ships that Pass'. Her latest novel is `Shadow Play'.Many of her short stories and novels have been translated into a number of Indian as well as European languages. She has translated two plays by her father, Adya Rangacharya, (Shriranga), as well as his memoirs, from Kannada into English, and a novel by Gauri Deshpande from Marathi into English.
Apart from fiction, she has written a number of articles on various subjects - literature, language, Indian writing in English, feminism and women's writing - which have now been put together in a collection `Writing from the Margin.' She has been invited to participate in various literary conferences and festivals, as well as to lecture in Universities, both in India and abroad.

She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2008.

List of books by Shashi Deshpande

Dark Holds No Terrors (1982)
That Long Silence (1989)
A Matter of Time
Moving On
Small Remedies
Shadow Play (2013)
The Narayanpur Incident
If I Die Today
In the Country of Deceit
The Binding Vine
Ships That Pass (2012)
The Intrusion And Other Stories
3 Novels : A Summer Adventure, The Hidden Treasure, The Only Witness
Come Up & Be Dead
Collected Stories (Volume - 1)
Collected Stories (Volume - 2)
Writing from the Margin: And Other Essays

Reviews

[Kiran Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was introduced to Shashi Deshpande in 2007, on one of my family trips to Mysore. I was in Sapna Bookhouse, perusing whatever books happened to be available then. Deshpande’s name interested me, I read one of the stories, and I liked it. I bought both volumes of her collected stories. I then went out and bought every book she had written. I did not end up liking her novels as much as I loved her stories. I think what made Deshpande work for me was her under-stated style, to give short glimpses into the minds of housewives, aging family members, working class people. I still remember a scene in which a grandmother farts in front of her family, and how embarrassed she feels. The family carries on as if it is normal, but the shame carries with the grandmother for the entire scene.

Taboos of the female body, stigmas long lost to the modern mind. Deshpande mines what it means to be female in 1980s and 1990s in India. Indian society unfortunately has a long way to go when it comes to its treatment of minorities, and many of the situations Deshpande describes still hold relevance in 2020.

I can’t think of another writer who deserves much more attention than her. She writes with all of the passion and insight of Alice Munro, but with a style more reminiscent of Hemingway, or Narayan. She has demonstrated all of the skills deserving of a place in the canon of the late 20th century.

And, yet, much like her characters, she remains all too much ignored.

[Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written by Deshpande before she began her award-winning novels. At first I was disappointed, as a few of the stories failed to stir me, although for fans of literature, it was evident that she had been sharpening her pen in these. However, about one-third of the way through, the stories really began to bite. Deshpande is a master of heart-wrenching emotion, and all her known themes of gender, expectation, family life in India, as well as a variety of interesting settings (first, second and third person perspectives, narratives of queens and cleaning women, small girls and old women) do not fail to stir the heart and educate the mind.

[Ayushi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book so wonderfully explores some darker sides of life , some brighter, from the viewpoint of a woman, in a simple language. Each story leaves you with a thought to ponder, sometimes in daze at what you read, and sometimes you wished the stories did not end just there.

That life is not only a sugar-coated word but has some ugly truths is so well expressed.

Couldn't put the book down.

[Veena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly crafted, I didn't think of it as Indian writing but just good writing (as she wanted it). No need to try and cater to a non-Indian audience, which I loved. Perhaps I wouldn't have realized that part of her style if someone else hadn't said it.

All the stories felt relevant to my life here in India, illuminating an aspect of life that was in shadows. Digging deep into the psyche of her characters and being brutally honest about them. That honest depiction made me feel like I was truly not alone. My fantasies, my fears, my joys and my irrationality shares by others walking the earth. No shying away from desire or violence in these stories, while at the same time not sensationalizing them. I felt that she writes the way she lives, with a real compassion for people and a desire to understand real human nature, with all its beauty and ugliness.

I related to the priveleged woman who seemed kind and caring but in the end just didn't have the courage and integrity to support those really in need, those with lives that are filled with all the harsh realities of an uncushioned life. She was fearful and couldn't relate to them on a human level, preferring easy niceties that made her sleep easy in her comfortable bed. Don't get too close, don't get close enough that you become too real. It provided a good opportunity for me to examine myself and my hypocrisies.

[Balaji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shashi Deshpande Collected Stories Volume -1

Found this gem in one of the used book haul. There are 24 short stories in this collection.

The author effortlessly takes us into the world of her unusual characters via these short tales in a unique narrative. Most of the stories discuss about very simple yet rarely acknowledged emotions & feelings.

The stories are usually narrated by a victim, and travel around their thoughts, their unseen or unexpressed emotions.

Some of the themes are in & around;

A take on handling grief,
A view on unconventional love,
A perspective on feminism, domestic violence & male egoism,
A view on motherhood at its various stages
and
The social dilemma of independence & partition.

I found the below stories more interesting:

* Can You Hear Silence
* A Liberated Woman
* Why a Robin
* An Antidote to Boredom
* A Wall Is Safer
* The Duel
* The Shadow
* The Day Bapu Died
* My Beloved Charioteer

Happy to have stumbled upon this collection and expecting to read more of the author’s work.

[Anuradha Cherukuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and engaging set of stories about the Middle Class in Mumbai.

[Versha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea Shashi Deshpande’s first attempt as a writer was her short stories for magazines and newspapers that are now collected and published in 2 Volumes, but as soon as I got to know I bought these books immediately.
I am unsure as to how to review a book on short stories that too when it is something which I don’t usually enjoy reading much but still did because it was written by one of my favorite author.
These collections of stories have a variation in narration from first person to third. These stories are predominantly about women's of all kind from liberated to traditional, from queen of ancient times to a housekeeper, from a working woman to a homemaker to, wife, mother, daughter, these story juggles between darker/ emotional /brighter side of their lives.
However, while some stories made me think others left me unsettled. While I wanted to take a deeper dive in some stories, wanted to know more about those characters whereas I could not quite grasp the inner meaning of others. But the best part was the writing, which was, deep, insightful, and rational to the core something which I admire the most about this author

[Usha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of stories, sensitive and unsettling too...

[Ayushi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters' movement- a back and forth from surreal to real.

[Prakash Kini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked her writing, did not like the premise of some of the stories

[Apoorva Nadig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Liberated Woman wasn't so liberating, ambiguous statements even. The Legacy was like a comedy of errors. Anatomy of a murder was again confusing,until the end.
Why A Robin was good,touching.