Delhi Noir - Omair Ahmad et Al

Fiction

Short Stories

As I mentioned, I have been very into short stories as of late. I have to be honest, the introduction to this collection sold me before I even started on the stories. The stories did not disappoint either. 

These stories feature the grittiness of life in Delhi. After visiting a few times, Delhi is not a place I'd ever want to visit again, for many of the reasons that come to the forefront of these stories. They are not happy ones, nor ones that give you any hope for humanity. Yet people move along with their lives because that's just how Delhi is. 

The authors and stories chosen gel very well together and do an excellent job of portraying the city in a realistic way that is often missing from the sanitized, glamorous life that the rich and famous live. 

Tell me a Story - Rupa Bajwa

Fiction
Verdict: Read it

It's no surprise. I have a firmly established fetish for stories about average people that explain big things about culture. This book fits that mold perfectly and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Rupa winds a story around a lower middle class family living in Amritsar and how their fortunes and family come and go. There's no fireworks, or dramatic story twists, heros, or villians. It's just a girl that works in a parlor living with her aging father, brother, and his wife and son. They have money problems and things aren't always good.

The reason why this format appeals to me so much is that the characters feel real to me. It's like peaking in a window and observing lives without being a peeping Tom. Since this type of thing fascinates me endlessly, I very much enjoyed this book.

If it fascinates you, or you're looking for additional cultural knowledge on lower middle income Indian families, then by all means read it. If you're already familiar with this, it will probably come off a wee bit dull. My vote is read it.