'Incantations' and Other Stories [Hardcover]

Anjana Appachana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1992

The characters in this collection of short stories strive for a place outside the boundaries of the traditional urban Indian lifestyle. A disgruntled clerk philosophises gloomily about his place in the scheme of things and a college student is gated a few days before an abortion appointment.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This generally engaging collection explores an India in which superstitions, secrets, warring values and family obligations enmesh the inhabitants, as their dreams and aspirations fade. The characters closely examine the tenuous threads that bind them to one another--as lovers, family, friends or co-workers--and they express their insights in vivid, often wistful, prose. The strongest stories delve into the particular difficulties of women's lives: a college student enters a loveless marriage after a failed abortion in "The Prophecy"; a worried mother writes her absent daughter, and in the process discerns the daughter's secret, in "Her Mother"; in the title story, a woman's marital tragedy forever alters her younger sister's life. "When Anklets Tinkle" is a gem: a delightfully airy story of ghosts, young lovers and farcical goings-on that provides a respite from the more somber pieces. In "Sharmaji" and "Sharmaji and the Diwali Sweets," which deal with the workplace instead of the home and family, Appachana loses her sure touch. Nevertheless, this is an usually strong first collection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

In India - with its humid climate, spicy foods, bright flowers, and myriad religions - in a country in the midst of change, we meet many personalities in these eight short stories. A curious schoolgirl finds out her classmate is no longer a virgin and watches for changes: "I could see no hidden fire in Rakesh's eyes, no answering flame in Amrita's." A wife wonders: "When did she get to retire? Was there ever any retirement from cooking and cleaning?" A woman, many years after her sister's rape and death, still feels the grief and thinks about rebirth and religion: "There is much to say about Hindu philosophy, for belief brings with it acceptance and hope. It denies the eternal damnation of Hell, makes explicable the inexplicable, is the only logical answer to the tormented why." Anjana Appachana delves into many subjects, especially the humanness of seeking and finding answers, sometimes in unexpected places. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Holly Smith

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (April 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081351827X
• ISBN-13: 978-0813518275
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,221,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent stories about women in India, July 29, 2000

By 

Dana Lightstone - See all my reviews

This review is from: 'Incantations' and Other Stories (Paperback)

Appachana does a wonderful job of getting her points across without being preachy. The stories touch on many issues, mainly of gender inequality, but also of class, caste, and other social issues. She shows these issues through the eyes of her wonderfully portrayed charactors very effectively. Although her writing style is excellent, I found it a little flowery for my personal taste. Many of the stories were extremely moving, some even left me in tears. This book is definately worth reading, whether or not you know anything about India.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Speaks To My Hearts, February 4, 2001

By 

Sania Hasnath - See all my reviews

This review is from: 'Incantations' and Other Stories (Paperback)

There are not enough words to express the excellence of this book. I have read many books by Indian authors, but not one of them has depicted life as vidvidly and honestly as this author. Her stories speak of the lives of the common person, the hypocracies, the trajedies, the compromises made just to continue living. She even gets the dialect right when portraying different characters and their form of speech. Anyone who is South Asian can relate to the experiences of her characters, and for everyone else, this is life in South Asia.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Short Story Collections I have Ever Read, January 13, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: 'Incantations' and Other Stories (Paperback)

By far, one of the best short story collections I have ever read. The stories in Incantations are touching without suffering from trite and cliche language, themes, or characters as in Chitra B. Divakaruni's, ARRANGED MARRIAGE. Appachana's prose is not expository like Divakaruni's, but rather, immensely touching while also moving the narrative forward. She deals with the social and personal predicaments of Indian women, but not in a common way. Appachana's best stories are "Incantations" and "My Only Gods," although all of the stories are excellent, and they really make the reader think about what the author is saying. You cannot come away feeling something for these characters. I have been waiting for ages for a new work from this author, and she is finally coming out with a novel this year.