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Jungle Without Water and Other Stories
Jungle Without Water and Other Stories is a collection that crosses borders and boundaries. People in these stories inhabit different stages of movement—those who have emigrated, those who want to, and those who regret it. The stories also depict our human prejudices around how we move from place to place and culture to culture.
In “The Lovely Village”, citizens of an unnamed settlement build a strong wall to keep newcomers out. In “Circular Feed”, refugees at a detention centre protest by standing on the roof of their living quarters. Alienation works across cultures, across boundaries of inequality. In “Green Grass”, an inter-racial couple have a fight during their honeymoon in the husband’s homeland. While in the title story, two migrant boys look for the right place to pray on foreign soil. Altogether, the collection touches on how we view and understand race, colour, love, and what happens to us when we shift our selves in different environments.
"Sreedhevi Iyer deftly maps the human shifts of our time in a way few writers can, with an ear for the prejudices, accents and hopes we carry with us. This is clever, compelling twenty-first century writing, and we need more of it." —Nick Earls
"Iyer is a wonderful storyteller, and this debut collection shows an incredible knack for locating and revealing fractures, faultlines and tensions—cultural, familial and historical—in any given moment." —Benjamin Law
In “The Lovely Village”, citizens of an unnamed settlement build a strong wall to keep newcomers out. In “Circular Feed”, refugees at a detention centre protest by standing on the roof of their living quarters. Alienation works across cultures, across boundaries of inequality. In “Green Grass”, an inter-racial couple have a fight during their honeymoon in the husband’s homeland. While in the title story, two migrant boys look for the right place to pray on foreign soil. Altogether, the collection touches on how we view and understand race, colour, love, and what happens to us when we shift our selves in different environments.
"Sreedhevi Iyer deftly maps the human shifts of our time in a way few writers can, with an ear for the prejudices, accents and hopes we carry with us. This is clever, compelling twenty-first century writing, and we need more of it." —Nick Earls
"Iyer is a wonderful storyteller, and this debut collection shows an incredible knack for locating and revealing fractures, faultlines and tensions—cultural, familial and historical—in any given moment." —Benjamin Law
156 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
2 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Sreedhevi Iyer
8 books13 followersSreedhevi Iyer is an Indian-Malaysian-Australian who no longer knows what to call herself. Her work has appeared in places as diverse as the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, and Sardinia.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 24, 2018
A solid collection of shorts, about migrants, people in between places and complex relationships.
December 2, 2017
(Note – I found I’ve written a rather long and rambling preamble to this book review. For the meat of the review scroll down to where the sentence starts in bold type.)
There are ten stories in Sreedhevi Iyer’s collection Jungle Without Water. All deal in one way or another with a sense of dislocation. In this globalized era still reeling from the impact of colonialism it’s a collection for our times.
Populations and identities are in flux now more than they have ever been in the history of humanity. It’s increasingly normal for people to live, work, or study in countries other than those in which they are born. Sometimes these displacements are voluntary. Sometimes they are due the imperatives of war, or famine - or increasingly - spurred on by climate change.
Historical population movements, particularly over the last few hundred years due to colonialism, still have very real implications today. Migration and immigration, whether forced or voluntary, has created patchwork societies, with pockets of populations proudly tracing their roots to countries those who claim these affiliations might not even know.
Growing up in Ireland I saw so-called Irish-Americans debark each year to participate in the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. More than a few returned home confused about their identities. Having lived their lives in America thinking of themselves as Irish they understood that in Ireland itself they were in fact foreigners.
Years later I lived in a North African enclave in Belgium. Many of my neighbours were born in the neighbourhood, but were told they were Moroccan, or Algerian, or whatever. Again they discovered when they finally visited these countries that they were outsiders in the lands they had be taught to think of as home.
When I first came to Malaysia it was after a period of several years when I was fortunate enough to spend half the year in India, particularly southern India, including the state of Tamil Nadu, which features prominently in these stories. Moving to Malaysia, as to any new country, was disconcerting, but the Tamil community, and their shops and restaurants and food were familiar enough to me to soften the blow. The rudimentary smattering of Tamil I brought with me from India granted me extra-large servings and lots of welcoming smiles, and until I got to know the country a little better I thought of it in some ways as an extension of India, and more particularly Tamil Nadu.
Many of the stories in Sreedhevi Iyer’s collection are rooted in the not-dissimilar frameworks with similar implications. The fate of the South Indian diaspora in Malaysia is the theme of the majority of these stories, and to my mind the stories that deal directly with this are the strongest.
Among those I particularly enjoyed were The Man with Two Wives. Indeed it might be the strongest story in the book. Written in colloquial Malaysian-Indian English, it deftly tackles important themes such as access to education, or rampant discrimination, both casual and official, weaving these themes seamlessly into the story. The casual spoken style gives it a unique immediacy and a real sense of authenticity. I would have happily followed the main character all the way through a novel.
I.C. is a wonderful story. Considerably reworked from the version included in Everything About Us: Readings from Readings 3, it now features two intertwining narratives, essentially two separate stories, where implications of identity are the common theme.
Kadaram is one I’ve read before. It was featured in Asian Cha and recounts a Malaysian family’s trip to Tamil Nadu where the father enthusiastically traces his historic roots. It is beautifully written and highly evocative.
Cake and Green M&Ms is a devastating story of two old classmates meeting after years, all seen through the eyes of a little girl. This story was one of the highlights for me.
As in any collection some stories are stronger than others, but the writing throughout is impeccable, and frequently lyrical. The writer has an eye for detail and an ear for diction. It’s wonderful to read contemporary Malaysian writing of this high standard and I hope to read more from the author in the future. Highly recommended.
There are ten stories in Sreedhevi Iyer’s collection Jungle Without Water. All deal in one way or another with a sense of dislocation. In this globalized era still reeling from the impact of colonialism it’s a collection for our times.
Populations and identities are in flux now more than they have ever been in the history of humanity. It’s increasingly normal for people to live, work, or study in countries other than those in which they are born. Sometimes these displacements are voluntary. Sometimes they are due the imperatives of war, or famine - or increasingly - spurred on by climate change.
Historical population movements, particularly over the last few hundred years due to colonialism, still have very real implications today. Migration and immigration, whether forced or voluntary, has created patchwork societies, with pockets of populations proudly tracing their roots to countries those who claim these affiliations might not even know.
Growing up in Ireland I saw so-called Irish-Americans debark each year to participate in the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. More than a few returned home confused about their identities. Having lived their lives in America thinking of themselves as Irish they understood that in Ireland itself they were in fact foreigners.
Years later I lived in a North African enclave in Belgium. Many of my neighbours were born in the neighbourhood, but were told they were Moroccan, or Algerian, or whatever. Again they discovered when they finally visited these countries that they were outsiders in the lands they had be taught to think of as home.
When I first came to Malaysia it was after a period of several years when I was fortunate enough to spend half the year in India, particularly southern India, including the state of Tamil Nadu, which features prominently in these stories. Moving to Malaysia, as to any new country, was disconcerting, but the Tamil community, and their shops and restaurants and food were familiar enough to me to soften the blow. The rudimentary smattering of Tamil I brought with me from India granted me extra-large servings and lots of welcoming smiles, and until I got to know the country a little better I thought of it in some ways as an extension of India, and more particularly Tamil Nadu.
Many of the stories in Sreedhevi Iyer’s collection are rooted in the not-dissimilar frameworks with similar implications. The fate of the South Indian diaspora in Malaysia is the theme of the majority of these stories, and to my mind the stories that deal directly with this are the strongest.
Among those I particularly enjoyed were The Man with Two Wives. Indeed it might be the strongest story in the book. Written in colloquial Malaysian-Indian English, it deftly tackles important themes such as access to education, or rampant discrimination, both casual and official, weaving these themes seamlessly into the story. The casual spoken style gives it a unique immediacy and a real sense of authenticity. I would have happily followed the main character all the way through a novel.
I.C. is a wonderful story. Considerably reworked from the version included in Everything About Us: Readings from Readings 3, it now features two intertwining narratives, essentially two separate stories, where implications of identity are the common theme.
Kadaram is one I’ve read before. It was featured in Asian Cha and recounts a Malaysian family’s trip to Tamil Nadu where the father enthusiastically traces his historic roots. It is beautifully written and highly evocative.
Cake and Green M&Ms is a devastating story of two old classmates meeting after years, all seen through the eyes of a little girl. This story was one of the highlights for me.
As in any collection some stories are stronger than others, but the writing throughout is impeccable, and frequently lyrical. The writer has an eye for detail and an ear for diction. It’s wonderful to read contemporary Malaysian writing of this high standard and I hope to read more from the author in the future. Highly recommended.
November 17, 2018
There is a fable-like quality to Sreedhevi Iyer’s Jungle Without Water and other stories. Her deft character portrayals were, for me, reminiscent of RK Narayan’s story telling. Moving from Brisbane to Kulua Lumpur to Penang and Madras these ten stories take the reader into the minds and hearts of ordinary people living out their lives and dreams in the midst of cultural constraints and clashes. These are timeless stories that also touch a contemporary nerve.
Of all the stories in this collection The Lovely Village has the most folktale feel. The simple telling of a village fenced off from the world is full of charmed, virtuous lives but – and here lies Sreedhevi’s mastery – a reader cannot but help see this in the context of current closed border policies and an unprecedented refugee crisis.
In IC, the reader can settle back into the seat of a taxi stuck in KL traffic and be privy to the musings of its Tamil driver, and his attempts to strike up conversations with his passengers. Perfectly placed in the middle of the collection this story was the spoke of the wheel for me. “Where you from?” is a question he’ll often ask his passengers to help pass the time and if they are not forthcoming he’ll make a guess - Malay, Chinese, Tamil, some Portugese blood perhaps, Chindian, Peranakan? His exuberant commentary and persistence is thoroughly entertaining, as are all of Iyer’s stories. But they are layered too, and this is what makes Jungle Without Water truly a book of our times.
Whether through the voice of a child clutching a handful of M&Ms, a masala wallah with two wives, or a coconut(!), Sreedhevi assumes their voices with absolute confidence – cheeky, witty, authentic and insightful. It is no surprize to learn the author is an Indian-Malaysian- Australian. Her ability to capture the nuances of an English speaking Tamil or Malay that is both readable and understandable, but most of all utterly enjoyable, was one of the many highlights for me in this collection of gems. More please!
Of all the stories in this collection The Lovely Village has the most folktale feel. The simple telling of a village fenced off from the world is full of charmed, virtuous lives but – and here lies Sreedhevi’s mastery – a reader cannot but help see this in the context of current closed border policies and an unprecedented refugee crisis.
In IC, the reader can settle back into the seat of a taxi stuck in KL traffic and be privy to the musings of its Tamil driver, and his attempts to strike up conversations with his passengers. Perfectly placed in the middle of the collection this story was the spoke of the wheel for me. “Where you from?” is a question he’ll often ask his passengers to help pass the time and if they are not forthcoming he’ll make a guess - Malay, Chinese, Tamil, some Portugese blood perhaps, Chindian, Peranakan? His exuberant commentary and persistence is thoroughly entertaining, as are all of Iyer’s stories. But they are layered too, and this is what makes Jungle Without Water truly a book of our times.
Whether through the voice of a child clutching a handful of M&Ms, a masala wallah with two wives, or a coconut(!), Sreedhevi assumes their voices with absolute confidence – cheeky, witty, authentic and insightful. It is no surprize to learn the author is an Indian-Malaysian- Australian. Her ability to capture the nuances of an English speaking Tamil or Malay that is both readable and understandable, but most of all utterly enjoyable, was one of the many highlights for me in this collection of gems. More please!
February 21, 2021
This is a very interesting short stories collection. Out of 10, "The Last Day of A Divine Coconut" is the story I enjoyed the most. The rest of the stories are just fine, despite a bit difficult to read casually if one had not been paying enough attention between the lines. This collection deals with many heavy issues, notably racism, religion, identities, relationships and not to forget, family drama. I like the variety of setting and sense of place. Overall, the stories are unapologetically fresh, sharp and readily equipped with non-linear, convoluted, multidirectional type of narration.
January 15, 2018
I love how the author weaves around the tales of a Malaysian Indian.
September 23, 2020
Loved these stories, interesting and inventive in their structure. ‘The Last Day of a Devine Coconut’ my favourite.
February 24, 2020
Brilliant and inexplicably disturbing. Everyday stories of the Indian, migrant, and minority experince told in a deeply familiar yet fresh perspective...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews