Author Archives: Thebookreviewindia

Vimal Kumars third poetry collection, published by Vaani Prakashan in 2009,the litany of woes of water becomes a metaphor for the woes of the modern man with his surroundings, with the world at large.

The world depicted is not real; at least not in the eyes of people who perceive mundane things with little sensitivity. In Sharmas world youll find towns, trees, and objects conversing, raising a point, debating it and sorting it out.

This long narrative poem is a brave attempt to chronicle the searing landscape of the dispossessed, deprived and destitute forgotten by the official recorders of history in an attempt to make visible what is essentially considered irrelevant and as a consequence undocumented. Srivastava writes with evident sincerity and passion that gives the poem its impetus and also paradoxically its greatest weakness for its unflagging scrutiny of poverty is static and not moored by authorial validation of the moral high ground the poet continuously occupies.

There is much talk about the recent accomplishment of Hindi literature through Dalit writngsand women writings. This superficial understanding emanates from slogan-mongering social activism.

Uday Prakash, the man, is something of a maverickpoet, filmmaker, shortstory writer, translator, journalist, critic, and with the publication of this book, Ek Bhasha Hua Karti Thi, a chronicler of our times.

Marta Tikkanens Swedish epic The Love Story of the Century has been translated into Hindi by Harish Narang as Iss Sadi Ki Prem Kahani. The poetic story is a first person narrative of a womans life who is married to an alcoholic.

Kumar Ambuj has carved a niche for himself by relating his life experiences through his stories. Ambuj is basically a poet. Ichhayen (Desires) is his first collection of stories that makes it clear that he has been able to break new ground in this form as well

Chandrakiran Sonrexas autobiography, Pinjre Ki Maina, time and again flashes Jainendras Mrinal on to the mind screen. A rebellious nature notwithstanding, the life paths chosen because of humiliation, rejection or mistrust finally lead back to the same destinations, after all.