Speaking For Myself

by ed: Sukrita Paul Kumar and Malashri Lal, Malashri Lal

This anthology of stories and poems challenges the stereotypical image of women, particularly Asian women, as passive and submissive. While the women in these stories come from diverse cultural backgrounds, their voices give poignant expression to many issues which are common-motherhood, family dynamics, economic deprivation, sexuality-questioning the patriarchal authority under which they lead their lives. Drawing upon the work of over sixty authors-from China, Mongolia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and many others-the book offers a filigree of existential concerns and overlapping cultural patterns reflected in the literatures of these nations, transcending political boundaries.

592 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Navya]

3.5 stars

This is basically an anthology of writers from across Asian countries. I was learning things right off the bat. Things like Cyprus is actually part of Asia.

The anthology is mostly short stories, with a fair number of poems sprinkled in, and is organized based on Asian regions and then countries. While I won't call the entries 'representative' writings for either women or the countries they come from (if there can even be such a such a thing), each of them add a unique and interesting perspective which readers need to get on.

Most of the entries are translated, and the quality varies. Though that can easily be the function of individual reader's preference and familiarity - I am quite sure that other readers would have different favourites and likes/dislikes.

However, at the core of it, the book is very successful in what it was trying to do - introduce the reader to Asian women's writing. Almost all the authors were new to me, and it was as much fun researching their backgrounds and the contexts they were writing in as it was reading the entries themselves.

Not exactly a light read, but a rewarding one if you put in the effort.

[Neha Sen]

I read the updated edition (published in 2018)

[Nicole]

I picked this up for research purposes and was intrigued by the idea of women writers around Asia who use their writing to challenge stereotypes of images of Asian women. But I struggled through the book. I did not read all th stories. Just:

One Centimetre by Bi Shu-min
Melody in Dreams by Zong Pu
She's a Young Woman and so am I by Wong Bikwan
My Cerebral Child by Agnes Lam
Umbrella on a Moonlit Night Tsuboi Sakae
The Tomoshibi by Ariyoshi Sawako
The Silent Traders by Tsusima Yūko
Boxcar of Chrysanthemums by Enchi Fumiko
Chinatown by Oh Jung Hee (Dnf)
Thuong by Phan Thi Vang Anh
Woman Wearing Black by Lam Thi My Da
The Ghost by Ly Lan

Alot of the stories were hard to relate to. Some so brief I was confused.

[Kadbury]

Read some stories from this, not all and what I read was pretty good