Scan barcode
neethuraghavan676's review
4.0
A collection of beautiful stories from Assam. The first story, being the best one is the collection is based on a folkore story of a girl who refuse to die and relive everytime she is killed. The second one is about a troublesome son of a family.
The title story is about a boy who after getting raped by a man realises his true inner self and attraction towards men. The mother, a witness of all this believes that he had inherited his father's disease.
All the 10 stories depict 10 different lives which are very new to me. The writing style, however, seems very familiar, an Indian way and therefore stays close to my heart.
The title story is about a boy who after getting raped by a man realises his true inner self and attraction towards men. The mother, a witness of all this believes that he had inherited his father's disease.
All the 10 stories depict 10 different lives which are very new to me. The writing style, however, seems very familiar, an Indian way and therefore stays close to my heart.
jadyn_alcorn's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ankita_g's review
5.0
About 5 years ago, I had picked up Aruni Kashayap's 'The House With A Thousand Stories' on my mom's recommendation. Considering that a very few writers from our region (Assam) wrote in English, I was excited to read a book based in Assam and about its people in a language I was (embarrassingly) more comfortable reading in. I loved the book. It was well-written and also refreshing because it focused on people and issues I was familiar with, but didn't read about much (in English). I also liked the way he contrasted life in bigger cities with life in villages in Assam. Five years on, I still remember the story quite well and continue recommending the book to other people from my state.
‘His Father’s Disease’ is “refreshing” in the same way; all the 10 stories in this collection are essentially Axomiya. The characters probably feel more familiar to me because I am an Assamese, but the relatability only varies slightly if you are an outsider. Irrespective of your place of origin, the book remains enjoyable, and the author makes some interesting observations on expectations outsiders have from writers from "conflict-ridden areas" (like the Northeast), about the life of an immigrant in the US, and life under the AFSPA. I particularly liked that some characters make an appearance in other stories as well. Also, there are Assamese homosexual characters which is probably a first in literature and it made me shed some happy tears.
My favourite of the lot is the second story ‘Bizi Colony’ (followed very closely by 'Skylark Girl' and 'The Umricans') which is about a family living with a problematic child. The story excellently captures the emotional conflict parents and siblings go through every day while dealing with a member who has gotten out of hand. My least favourite story is ‘The Love Life of People Who Look Like Kal Penn’, but this could also be because I had insanely high expectations from the story based on its title (the title is so perfect……and so is Kal Penn!) It turned out to be a standard falling-in-love story, which I didn’t think was as refreshing or exciting as the rest of the stories in this collection (not that it was bad by any means). All in all, I loved the book! The stories are well-written, gripping and “cozy” (like home).
‘His Father’s Disease’ is “refreshing” in the same way; all the 10 stories in this collection are essentially Axomiya. The characters probably feel more familiar to me because I am an Assamese, but the relatability only varies slightly if you are an outsider. Irrespective of your place of origin, the book remains enjoyable, and the author makes some interesting observations on expectations outsiders have from writers from "conflict-ridden areas" (like the Northeast), about the life of an immigrant in the US, and life under the AFSPA. I particularly liked that some characters make an appearance in other stories as well. Also, there are Assamese homosexual characters which is probably a first in literature and it made me shed some happy tears.
My favourite of the lot is the second story ‘Bizi Colony’ (followed very closely by 'Skylark Girl' and 'The Umricans') which is about a family living with a problematic child. The story excellently captures the emotional conflict parents and siblings go through every day while dealing with a member who has gotten out of hand. My least favourite story is ‘The Love Life of People Who Look Like Kal Penn’, but this could also be because I had insanely high expectations from the story based on its title (the title is so perfect……and so is Kal Penn!) It turned out to be a standard falling-in-love story, which I didn’t think was as refreshing or exciting as the rest of the stories in this collection (not that it was bad by any means). All in all, I loved the book! The stories are well-written, gripping and “cozy” (like home).
limrika's review
5.0
The book contains 10 stories- some stories take place in Assam, some in the US. The stories are sincere, charming, humourous and highly engaging. Discovering a handful of queer stories was such a pleasant surprise! Overall I really enjoyed this book, would highly recommend.
_askthebookbug's review
4.0
| Book Review | His Father's Disease.
•
This book of short stories was so easy to read. Aruni Kashyap is a renowned Assamese writer and translator who is famous for his work, The House With a Thousand Stories. Having read very less books from or about Northeast, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this particular book. I was a bit hesitant because I wasn't familiar with Kashyap's way of writing but soon all my doubts vanished. This book of short stories is clearly his homage to Assam and to say that it has been written beautifully would be an understatement. Unlike something that oozes comfort and warmth as one speaks about his/her homeland, this book might catch you off-guard while presenting few harsh facts about Assam.
•
The very first story is written with finesse. A story which in turn narrates one, always sets a good start if written skillfully. It is this one, that has remained my absolute favourite. Skylark Girl speaks of the fate of a girl named Tejimola who faces unjust treatment from her stepmother but finds a way to seek revenge. When it's author, Sanjib, writes this story instead of focusing on the violence that has always been associated with Assam, others are left perplexed. As he tries to make his point that Assam is not only known for unfortunate events, no one seems to understand his point of view. In the next chapters, we come across characters who move to The US for studies but are either met with stereotyped comments or with subtle but persistent references to their 'culture'. It all seems very relatable even if one isn't from the Northeast.
•
There were few interesting facets to this book and one such aspect was the repeated portrayal of homosexuality. His Father's Disease, the chapter on which the book is named, talks about homosexuality without a hint of hesitation. While one such story takes place in a small Northeastern village, the other one unfurls in America. Although I enjoyed most of the stories, my least favorite was Bizi Colony. For some unfathomable reason, I couldn't find much substance in this chapter.
•
His Father's Disease is nevertheless a very important and unique read not only for the reason that it presents Assam in a different perspective but also for highlighting issues
that may seem common but are still in practice. Kashyap has this amusing manner of penning down stories that are both beautiful but also very eery. It's something that is rarely found in books and certainly the reason why I enjoyed my first book by Kashyap immensely. Skylark Girl reminded me of Kire's wonderful way of narrating folktales and now I'm going to look for more books written by writers from the Northeast region. Although this book includes short stories, it does feel a bit intense so I wouldn't suggest to pick this one up if you're looking for a light read. However, I do recommend it to those who are willing to learn about other regions and culture.
•
Rating - 3.9/5.
•
This book of short stories was so easy to read. Aruni Kashyap is a renowned Assamese writer and translator who is famous for his work, The House With a Thousand Stories. Having read very less books from or about Northeast, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this particular book. I was a bit hesitant because I wasn't familiar with Kashyap's way of writing but soon all my doubts vanished. This book of short stories is clearly his homage to Assam and to say that it has been written beautifully would be an understatement. Unlike something that oozes comfort and warmth as one speaks about his/her homeland, this book might catch you off-guard while presenting few harsh facts about Assam.
•
The very first story is written with finesse. A story which in turn narrates one, always sets a good start if written skillfully. It is this one, that has remained my absolute favourite. Skylark Girl speaks of the fate of a girl named Tejimola who faces unjust treatment from her stepmother but finds a way to seek revenge. When it's author, Sanjib, writes this story instead of focusing on the violence that has always been associated with Assam, others are left perplexed. As he tries to make his point that Assam is not only known for unfortunate events, no one seems to understand his point of view. In the next chapters, we come across characters who move to The US for studies but are either met with stereotyped comments or with subtle but persistent references to their 'culture'. It all seems very relatable even if one isn't from the Northeast.
•
There were few interesting facets to this book and one such aspect was the repeated portrayal of homosexuality. His Father's Disease, the chapter on which the book is named, talks about homosexuality without a hint of hesitation. While one such story takes place in a small Northeastern village, the other one unfurls in America. Although I enjoyed most of the stories, my least favorite was Bizi Colony. For some unfathomable reason, I couldn't find much substance in this chapter.
•
His Father's Disease is nevertheless a very important and unique read not only for the reason that it presents Assam in a different perspective but also for highlighting issues
that may seem common but are still in practice. Kashyap has this amusing manner of penning down stories that are both beautiful but also very eery. It's something that is rarely found in books and certainly the reason why I enjoyed my first book by Kashyap immensely. Skylark Girl reminded me of Kire's wonderful way of narrating folktales and now I'm going to look for more books written by writers from the Northeast region. Although this book includes short stories, it does feel a bit intense so I wouldn't suggest to pick this one up if you're looking for a light read. However, I do recommend it to those who are willing to learn about other regions and culture.
•
Rating - 3.9/5.
More...