In 2022 I had read a collection named “The Greatest Gujarati Stories Ever Told”. From the book, I came to know about many great writers of Gujarati language. Out of those, personally I got fascinated by Suresh Joshi’s style. It has myth, experimentation, and surrealism. So, I thought of reading a book by him. Since I can’t read Gujarati, I faced lots of issues in finding a translated copy of his works. The same issue I have been facing in finding translated copies of other Indian language books. I sincerely hope the government and allied institutes take active step in this direction.
As the title of the book suggests, the book has ten short stories by Suresh Joshi. The stories are translated to English and Sahitya Akademi has published it. By the way, how original the people involved in the publication are about choosing a title of the book! I can’t stop wondering if one of them has named their daughter, “the girl who lives in our house”.
Before the stories, the book has two very enlightening essays.
First one is an Introduction – Suresh Joshi: The Reimagined World by the editor of the book J. Birjepatil.
The piece is about life and works of Suresh Joshi and a little bit about the act of translation. After reading this piece, all I can say is I am in awe of Shri Joshi. From childhood he suffered from ailments. In his own words:
The body conspired against me from early youth, Asthma disturbed the rhythm of my breath. The effort to out together breath, like words in a sentence, became an obsession.
He was a voracious reader. He started a new tradition in Gujarati literature. He lived and died in his own terms. According to Birjepatil, Joshi’s works are difficult to translate. In this context, he wrote the following line, which is so tragically beautiful.
Every translation is a site of ‘mourning’, something precious has already been lost.
The second essay is “The Short Story in Gujarati: A Historical Perspective” by Digish Mehta.
This gives a brief outline on the history of short story in Gujarati literature. And there is a detail critique on Joshi’s short works. Suresh Joshi brought along the modernism in Gujarati literature. Many young writers (such as Bhupen Khakhar) were influenced by his style. But this style is more about aesthetics as contrast to Marathi modern literature, which bears the burden of responsibility towards the society. Joshi is criticised for being too western in his sensibilities. His works romanticises a lot and the language is too Sanskritise.
In the end, Mehta clarifies Suresh Joshi is much bigger for Gujarati literature than a mere short story writer. He has created a new ear.
The Premise of Ten Stories with Commentary
1. JANMASTHAMI
(Translated by Bharati Modi)
A parallel between Krishna’s birth in prison with a poor boy’s birth is nothing unique. This has been so many times, especially in western contents as a parallel between Jesus’s birth in stable with some poor child’s birth. The story is just fine for me. There is nothing special.
I wonder if the writer had any evidence regarding beggars in general making their children deliberately handicap to help in begging. Or he has just depicted an urban legend without any fact checking. I wish I knew for sure as it has been giving me nightmares.
2. TO YOU PADMA
(Translated by Bharati Modi and J. Birjepatil)
This story is in second person. The writer is having an imaginary one sided conversation with his lover. As the story progresses the reader gets to know the lover is supposed to be vein and seductress. I guess this could be considered as a love letter once upon a time but it gives me too much of a “You” vibe. How could we be certain the narrator is not a prejudiced liar? If one reads between the lines the narrator comes across as a stalker, who can’t have “his girl” choosing other men over him.
3. VENOM
(Translated by Anjana Desai)
How many times I have heard TV detective saying in most cases the murderer is the spouse. A relationship between soulmates, a relationship supposed to continue for multiple births, is in reality a delicate balance which could explode at any moment. Some time the relationship becomes dead but partners have to continue for society. In such a family there is venoms everywhere.
The story is fine but the translation quality is terrible. With better translation, I could have appreciated the story better.
4. KURUKSHETRA
(Translated by Gieve Patel)
This is stream of consciousness of a young man but mostly on thoughts about the women all around him.
5. THE PATCH
(Translated by Digish Mehta and Rashmikant Mehta)
The story depicts loneliness of an elderly widower.
6. TELL US A STORY
(Translated by Rashmikant Mehta)
The story depicts the desperation of a childless woman on one side while the sorrow of a father who has lost his child on the other. The emotional crises are very sensitively portrayed
7. THE DEPOSED
(Translated by Bharati Modi)
This story again depicts loneliness of growing old.
8. GRUHAPRAVESH
(Translated by Digish Mehta)
This story deals with the complexities of marital lives.
9. THE CIRCLE
(Translated by Suresh Joshi and J. Birjepatil)
A wart is used as a metaphor for a man’s existential crisis. He has nothing to live for yet he is scared of dying.
10. TWO SUNFLOWERS
(Translated by Rashmikant Mehta)
I don’t know if I can call this a story. This piece is a collection of phrases rising in the mind of the narrator. It can be described more like an abstract poem.
MY TWO PENNIES
I started the book with too much expectations maybe that work against the book. Or maybe there is the issue of the “lost in translation”. Apart from a couple of stories (no. 6 and no. 10), I did not find any other story to be special. I would not say other stories are bad in any way, only they are not extraordinary. I blame my unnatural expectation entirely. Also, the quality of translation is not up to mark. Better translation would lift the stories.
In the end, I would say the book is “must read” but go easy on your expectation. And be ready to be mind-blown by Two Sunflowers.
I am going to explore more works of Joshi in future (hopefully in the original form).
Musings 