I surfed through the New Book’s row at Pilgrims hoping to surf by past as usual. My eyes stopped still on Tilled Earth. I took it out – Manjushree Thapa – short stories – impressive. I dilly-dallied for a while, my mind oscillating – should I buy it? should I not?
It reminded me of my college day temptations to buy every new book I saw. I smiled at myself and swiped the card – why not when I can afford it – it’s our own writer after all!
Manjushree Thapa is at her best in Tilled Earth, a collection of stories written over many years. The stories give a feel of reading one of Lahiri’s stories from – Interpreter of Maladies- not that the stories are similar but it gives the same satisfaction of having peeped into a new life and known a new person – it takes one through the subtle nuances of feelings and emotions an individual goes through. My appreciation for her work may have come from the thrill I felt every time I could empathize with one of the characters in a familiar locality – be it NewRoad or Thamel.
Even the shortest story of the collection will leave the reader with a chain of thoughts. And each story will open up a new set of characters for you to ponder into a different realm, a different aspect of Nepal.
