Greatest Short Stories by Mulk Raj Anand

Greatest Short Stories Reviews

• 
  saraanshauthor

  Review Video:
  https://youtu.be/HbXMEOvI9Uk
  
  Mulk Raj Anand
  Title: Greatest Short Stories
  Author: Mulk Raj Anand
  Genre: Anthology
  Short Stories: 22
  Pages: 247
  Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
  First Edition: 4 February 2013
  Rating: 4.5/5
  
  SUMMARY AND REVIEW:
  This book becomes unique with the organisation of short stories in five groups. Each group entitle under the mood of stories.
  
  Group I - Lyric Awareness present symbolism on the universal events - Birth, Death, Beauty, Love and Childhood. This group has six short stories and the fifth short story title “Five Short Fables” have a group of 5 separate short stories. Except for the sixth short story and one-two short stories under “Five Short Fables”, I found symbolism and hence enjoyed these short stories.
  Warning: The fourth has adult content.
  
  Group II - Tears at the Heart of Things
  This group gives a symbolic dimension that added to the realistic presentation. Domestic Violence, Partition, Privilege of work and Technology were the key themes in this group.
  Worth to read all of them because of emotional narration in harsh reality.
  
  Group III - The Social Scene
  However, I could observe the scene of the 20th-century Indian economy well. Here he presented two dominant themes - Modernity clash with Tradition and, Feudalism.
  All these stories were powerful and impactful.
  
  Group IV - The Comic Vein
  Here, social criticism presented comically. Division of men community based on appearance; feudalism, bigamy presented in comic. Last short under this group is the most entertaining one, but unable to find any social criticism here.
  
  Group V - Probing the Mind
  Here, human psychology and humanitarian presented on social criticism. Suppression under fear from elders.
  Jealousy as a wife doubts an extramarital affair between her husband and sweeper girl.
  A pang of the guilt of punishes an innocent and unprivileged person.
  Warning: This last short story has subtle non-veg narration as well.
  
  BOOK COVER REVIEW:
  Perfect balance with the colour combination in imagery and the whole cover.
  
  RECOMMENDATION:
  Vocabulary and creative narration make this book a choice of readers who like to read some quality stuff (which may take little time to interpret).
  A beginner can take time for creative and imaginative writing.
  Fiction and Non-Fiction readers can read.
  This book does not recommend for readers who are fond of fast-paced books.
  
  
  Greatest Short Stories
• 
  Sudha Subramanian

  I read one of Anand's stories as a student because it was part of our English text book. That was for the first time that I had read something in English set in India and I enjoyed the rural texture layered that story. Ever since, I have been wanting to read that very story I had read as a child. It was that quest that prompted me to pick this book and boy am I thrilled. Not only did I read that story again, I also read a great selection of stories. They have such a magical way of coming alive as I sift through the pages. One of the greatest story tellers indeed.
• 
  Anil Swarup

  These stories provide an extremely fascinating insights into a variety of aspects of social existence in India during mid 20th Century. The colonial existence and the Indian mindset gets portrayed beautifully in the inimitable Anand style.
• 
  Navneet Kaur

  Its a nice collection of stories, some are funny, some are sad and some will bring smile to your face.
  Most of the stories are based in the northern indian villages and Delhi. Most of the stories capture essence of villages in before Independence era.
• 
  Jeff Hobbs

  Read so far:
  
  The Lost Child --2
  *Lullaby
  Birth
  *A Village Idyll
  Five Short Fables (The Dove and the Crow, The Butterfly, The Golden Cockerel, The Peacock, A Leaf in the Storm)
  Little Chicks
  *Lajwanti
  *The Parrot in the Cage
  *The Gold Watch
  *Old Bapu
  *The Cobbler and the Machine
  The Power of Darkness
  *The Tractor and the Corn Goddess
  *A Kashmir Idyll
  The Price of Bananas
  *A Pair of Mustachios
  *The Signature
  The Two Lady Rams
  *The Liar
  *The Tamarind Tree
  The Silver Bangles
  *The Thief
  ***
  Why Does the Child Cry? --2
• 
  Ankur Sharma

  To understand the potency of this book, you need to back up your thought process to pre-independence days. Mulk Raj Anand is one of the most astute english writer of that generation and it reflects in his short stories.
• 
  Abhaya Gupta

  Amazing stories from all faces of life. :) :)
• 
  Elroy Rebello

  Rating: 3.5
  Greatest stories indeed. It was amusing to know the kind of relationship that prevailed between the Indians and the Britishers in India and the plight of the poor during pre - independence. Along with the tragedies it also provides humourous stories which will make you burst in laughters.