Customer Reviews

'Incantations' and Other Stories

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

A well, culturally sensitive book of woman oriented short stories. A book that is a must read for anyone who is interested in contemporary Indian writers.

This book of short stories is absolutely excellent. The main theme is the compromises that we make to continue to live in within society's standards. They are everyday scenarios taking place in India or Canada. There is a strong feminist slant in this collection, which is definitely refreshing from the other more traditional stories that I've read. However, there is a price for being liberated, especially in India. The two Sharmaji stories are quite entertaining and the issue of expectations becoming inflating as a result of an unionized environment definitely isn't unique to India. I'm looking forward to reading Ms. Appachana's other book.

For someone who knows relatively little of the Indian culture and customs, but is fascinated by the subject, these short stories are a marvellous insight into the relationships and family dynamics that occur between the generations in India. The only disappointment was coming to the end of each story. One had become so involved in the lives of the various characters that one almost felt cheated at not being able to know more and experience a continuation of their lives and stories. I hope Appachana plans to write lots more. I will be waiting for her next publication.

Anjana Appachana's sensitive stories use interior monologue
and India-rooted metaphor to enter the hearts and minds of
her memorable characters. She shows us how Indian tradition
and culture can restrict and liberate, irk and comfort at the
same time. Every story transcends cultural boundaries and
asks us to remember our common humanity.

Appachana does an excellent job of bringing India to life in these stories. Her ear for dialouge is so acute that I could literally hear the characters talking, thinking, etc. If you like literary short stories, these are wonderful.

As I read Ms. Appachana's work, I was constantly reminded of how things were and still are back home. For me, there was no drowning myself in fiction - the characters were real enough to touch and smell (surely every Indian is aware of a Sharmaji!). There was no unnecessary drama - no unchartered territory to explore - no special messages to convey. Such genuine depiction of character and events, free of frivolous mentions, stands dignified in its own accord.