The Art Of Dying: Tales On Indian Life

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The second published literary work of the renowned Indian English writer, Gita Hariharan-The Art Of Dying-won wide applause for its relevant and bold theme. The 20 stories in this short story collection are based on the contemporary Indian life and demonstrate the writer"s literary skill with a precision of style and magical imagery.

The stories are narrated in a comic way but; underneath it one can find the inevitable tinge of sadness. For instance in 'The Remains Of The Feast", an old woman is nearing the last hours of her life. What haunts her mind at this last moment is to taste all the food that she has been forbidden.

In the story 'Gajar Halwa" a servant girl named Chellamma from a small town finally understands what makes a big city work. The stories like 'The Reprieve" will definitely move the reader.

As the title of the short story collection indicates, the stories are about death. They are written in a compassionate style but also noted for their ruthless honesty. The themes of the stories are varied sprouts from the common root theme 'death". The graceful arc of images implements the most unthinkable ideas into the reader.

The stories in the collection never fail to surprise and delight the reader. Doubts and uncertainties, passion and unsuspected guile surface again and again in the stories. These stories are highly suggestible since they strongly turn traditional conservative Indian life up on its back, revealing a surprisingly soft underbelly.