Kamala Das is a big name when it comes to the women writers in India. For me, she represented one of those authors about whom you have heard a lot, who you know is considered a great author, but you haven’t read anything by her yet- except for a poem or two in the school. I knew that she gave voice to female sexuality, that was otherwise supposed to be mute. With that in my mind, I had ordered her autobiography, but had not been able to read it yet. And then came out this collection of short stories from Aleph Book company. With my hopes set high, I was excited to read and discover a new author.
Spanning just over 100 pages, Padmavati The Harlot and Other Stories brings together myriad of human emotions and feelings. The stories collected here bring forth the different aspects of what it means to be human in a raw and candid manner. Almost all the stories have a feminist undertone, embodied mostly in the characters that are often frustrated from life but still bold, fierce, outspoken and unapologetic. The lives depicted in these stories have had some gains and suffered some losses, and it is through these transactions that Das provides a critique of world that her characters inhabit. This is also Das’s own world and this also our own world.
This anthology is suitable for taking along on a vacation or for a journey, so that you read one story at a time. There are a total of 19 stories in the collection. The ones that stand our for me are “The Princess of Avanti”, “A Little Kitten” and “A Doll for the Child Prostitute”. While I feel that this book is definitely worth a place on your shelf, I did. not enjoy it as much as I had expected, or as other readers have enjoyed.
My Rating: ***(3/5)
What do you think of this book? Have you read any other work by Kamala Das? Which other women writers from India have you read? Do share your views. Thanks.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Views expressed are entirely personal and unbiased.
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