Literature Beyond Time and Place

If ever you needed proof that literature went beyond the times and place it was written in, this collection of twenty-one translated short stories by Desai will bear testimony to it. The original stories in Gujarati were written over five decades, the first in 1964 and the last in 2005, and have come together in English translation now as part of the Ratna Translation Series. The book is a thought-provoking look at human experiences and emotions. It is a testament to the author that he delves into universal sentiments that resonate with readers of every age. Some of the recurrent themes are a child’s perspective on life, suspicions of infidelity of the spouse, relationships between couples, death, political commentary, and the disjunct between one’s dreams and harsh reality.