7 Comments

A lovely, evocative review, as always. Growing up, I had to read several of Premchand's stories - in the original Hindi. Between my terrible Hindi and the even more terrible teaching I had to endure, poor Premchand was consigned to a dark pit, unappreciated and rejected. It was many years later, when I read his stories, translated into English (alas, I don't remember by whom) that I realized what a gem of a writer he was, bringing alive, as you wrote, an India that I knew very little about, in such a vivid and engaging way.

I loved the photos - how beautifully they complemented your writing!

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Updated: “When you live in the water, see if you can make friends with the piranhas and get them to attack the crocodile, and especially eat its babies.” I write this as a guy who lived through the trump administration.

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Although I have not read Premchand's work, your clear and poignant summary of his translated work took me right into his mind and how he sees things. Your precis, done to near perfection, of his work made me go and buy that book and breeze through its 500 pages, which I am going to do. I just finished the 1,000-page tome on Jefferson by Jon Meacham. He, too, has a gift of taking you right to Monticello as he describes TJ's adventures and life. Thanks for your generous gift, Kalpana!

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