Sunshine -4 stars
A mother/ mother- in-law is in a city that is new to her. It is almost a world away from what she is used to. This is an apt story about the grass being greener elsewhere, although the realisation is slow.

The Saint and the Witch – 4 stars
This story might be my favourite. A pious man dies and everyone gathers to remember him. How the story ends is a twist that is both unexpected but not surprising given all that we hear before.

Twins -2 stars
Although it’s a short and well written one, I couldn’t enjoy the plot itself about a twin talking and thinking about the other.

Tomorrow – a never-ending story – 3 stars
I might not like the language used but this is an interesting story of two boys who seem to be in school forever. They never learn despite every punishment. They are from different parts of their city and this does not impact their own friendship. I think one could dig deep into this chapter to find multiple meanings.

Curfew 3 stars
Once again with unlikeable characters, but the story gives us a very wide look at life at that time and place which is quite important in the context.

One Sahib and the other – 5 stars
I already claimed another to be my favourite but this is a more serious story. Two politicians ( although not named as such) discuss the people. They are from opposing viewpoints whose followers probably are ready to harm the other but the peace with which they scheme and interact is scary and fascinating. It is probably a timeless tale.

For now, it’s night – 4 stars
This is a story of passengers on a bus who are forced to spend a night in an uncomfortable location. There are some existential conversations that come up while the more prosaic and practical conversations happen as well.

Death and despair – 4 stars
What begins as a callous passing of information about the death of someone’s mother, especially because of a cricket match on that day, turns into a commentary of how the society functioned at the time.

Song of despair -2 stars
Compared to the other stories this tale of varying issues in a family that started off different from the rest of their clan was not as attractive. It did provide a very detailed account of the time and place, but that was about it.

The tongue and the egg – 2 stars
This story was almost entirely different from the rest. There was more symbolising here than actual facts or events. Although the introspective questions and grandstanding were entertaining, it wasn’t a story I favoured.

A late winter – 2 stars.
This rating is not because the story was not well written or good in any form. It just made me too sad. There was so much dissatisfaction in the tale that it left me morose.

That which we cannot speak of – 3 stars
A very complex narrative that brought the draught situation in the city to the forefront while seemingly rambling.

The news -2 stars
A slightly shorter tale which looks at the realistic behaviour of people but it was a little too random for me.

Dogs – 2 stars
Petty personal issues are discussed with no conclusion.

The lights on the other side – 4 stars
Old parents and with a son abroad, another sad outlook.

A moment of madness – 4 stars
This begins with a man planning to do one thing but ends up doing another.

To rage or to endure – 3 stars
Mystical winter tale, with conversations with elements.

This book brings a time and place into focus. Some stories caught my interest, but not all. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Kashmir and its history.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

“For Now, It is Night” – Hari Krishna Kaul (translated from Kashmiri by Kalpana Raina, Tanveer Ajsi, Gowhar Fazili and Gowhar Yaquoob.

An unexpected gem, this – my thanks to @archipelagobooks and @netgalley for a chance to read this one, which is published on 5th March (in the US, at least, not sure about a UK date).

This is a collection of 17 stories gathered from across the career of Kashmiri writer Hari Krishna Kaul, from 1972 up until 2000. And I do mean “gathered”, as it appears that the translators had to scour several libraries to find partly damaged copies of some works, so credit must go to them for that.

What we get are stories of ordinary people in a complicated and often harsh world, and the instability of the Kashmiri region. I believe the author himself was forced to leave for Delhi in 1990, and several of the later stories in the collection deal with displacement and the absurdity of the corruption of the situation (see “The Tongue and the Egg”, for example). These stories are tinged with sadness for a culture lost, and the characters must reflect Kaul’s feelings of detachment in a new place, far from the culture he was fighting to maintain.

There are stories of mundane family hostilities (“Sunshine”, which also made me laugh at points), sly stabs at the systems of Kashmir that venture into fantasy (“Tomorrow – A Never-Ending Story”, possibly my favourite), and overall, the collection covers a lot of themes and characters to give a portrait of a world I knew next to nothing about. Really interesting collection, recommended to everyone out there who wants to expand their reading horizons!

Read for #shortstoryfebruary hosted by @translatedgems and @mystormingbooks.

I found this collection to be highly impactful and meaningful, especially in today's climate. Thank you to the author for sharing so openly and genuinely.

Magical, brimming with a sense of whimsy and mirth, these short stories are endlessly readable. This book invites engagement, invites repeated returns to the text, each new viewing uncovering a new twist of phrase or clever construction.

Lovely short story collection. It was interesting to read about how individuals with modern and traditional mindsets found ways to live together in a fast changing society. Being a non-Indian some of the cultural and religious references definitely went over my head but I enjoyed it all the same.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish i could learn every language in the world so that i could read works in the languages they're written in.

Most stories lacked depth but can still be considered realistic, Although some of the latter part had more food for thought, the collection itself as a whole isn't very exciting or enriching. Some of the stories also seemed to be cut off abruptly but the occasional comedic bits were enjoyable. My favourite among these would be Death and Despair, The Tongue and the Egg.
3.25/5 stars

If you are an Indian, you will love this book more. If I have to review this short story collection in a line, I will say this.

Because we know what the characters are actually talking about and what they are referring to in each story when it’s actually not written.

A collection of seventeen stories which I feel is a really good read. You will get the original story vibes and you will not get any familiarity with any of the stories or characters. Each story has a different meaning and feel to it.

I liked all the stories and none of them appear to be hurriedly written or otherwise.

I feel the translation is perfect and the stories are quite original/unique.

The stories and the characters reflect how people from diverse cultures and communities survive or thrive today. You will get to meet characters which we can’t categorise in a conventional sense.

I will tell you that you won’t be able to ignore any of these stories. Most of them are thrilling and suspenseful while others feel like they are trying to pull you into an alternate universe where you can’t escape from. But they are stories which is contemporary and quite realistic. The writing is really good!

Thank you, Aechipegalo, for the advance reading copy.

Interesting little vignettes in a very 'subcontinental' style; imperfect, but tender and humane. Translation very Indian in cadence, and not very hand-holding; worked beautifully for me in both respects, and felt very true to how I imagine the original would read. Particular favourite was 'One Sahib and the Other'.