Day in the Life A (PB)

Quixotic retirees in Coorg and young newly-marrieds trying to eat meat teenage boys travelling to Benares in the 19th century and a retiree with an anger-management problem in the face of an India whose right wing is rising. Fourteen well-crafted stories give us a sense of the daily Indian life of a wide cast of characters. Hasan's characters are as always living in their own heads a lot of the time often whimsical and vulnerable outliers. Where is their place in the new order where have they come from and where are they going? Quietly devastating subtly subversive and wonderfully wry Hasan is a home-grown talent whose stories are increasingly the good address for authentic Indian fiction. Review Hasan is particularly good at capturing life during times of change . . . [E]very few lines there is a turn of phrase or a question that makes the heart thud. -- Amitava KumarTo readA Day in the Life is to experience the distinctive contentment that the form of the short story provides - requiring a deep breath and a long pause before being able to transition from one to the next. Yes these moving subtly devastating and somehow impossibly humorous stories are meticulously crafted but they succeed as they do only because they are shot throughout with an astounding degree of empathy.ScrollCraftily written . . . The elegant pondered and deep-reaching prose of this collection allows subversive humour to surface effortlessly . . . The 230 pages are filled with underlineable gems . . . Hasan explores many of the relevant experiences of life in present-day.The HinduThe insights inA Day in the Life emerge from absurd encounters between very different people and Hasan's subversiveness in creating quirky occurrences in routine lives is delightful . . . Hasan's prose is well crafted taut and languorous at appropriate times.MintAnjum Hasan's short stories are to be savoured for their quiet sophistication and power . . . [A] remarkable radiant collection of short fiction . . . The stories are set in different worlds whether in terms of geography or class and each world is richly recreated verisimilitude underpinning the peculiar obsessions and tragedies of ordinary people on an ordinary day. It is their telling which is extraordinary.OpenA Day in the Life set in varied locales across the country offers a medley of characters experiences and situations that are not only relatable but beautifully etched realistic portrayals displaying different levels of inner angst in an extremely nuanced manner.New Indian ExpressAnjum Hasan's writing has never lacked craft or perspective. The 14 stories inA Day in the Life Hasan's sixth book surpass her own exacting standards.India TodayHasan's prose is introspective carefully observed and imbued with more than what is said . . . [Her] gaze is clear-sighted and unflinching . . . A finely crafted collection.Indian ExpressThis collection of 14 intricately-crafted short stories offer a happy and eminently readable blend of character setting and style . . . Each character and story stays with you well after the last page. These glowing slices of life are enriched by many insightful and introspective passages.Deccan HeraldRemarkable and insightful . . . Engrossing . . . Elegant.National Herald About the Author Anjum Hasan is the author of three novels-The CosmopolitansLunatic in my Head (shortlisted for the Crossword Book Award) andNeti Neti (shortlisted for the Hindu Best Fiction Award)-as well as a book of short storiesDifficult Pleasures and a book of poems. She lives in Bangalore.