“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'.