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byronic_reader's review against another edition
4.0
In a Forest, A Deer is a book that I enjoyed a lot recently. With me reading heavy reads right and left, it brought the much needed lightness. I have always liked Ambai's writing for it's crisp prose and feminist thoughts. And this one didn't disappoint me on that front.
Ambai's women are the blueprint of the new age women envisioned by Bharathi. The beauty of her writing lies in the way she doesn't overdoes it. There is no hypocrisy here as women breaking the rules where men are held in a spotlight. Men and women are equally feminists, equally nurturing and equally oppressing as well. And one can't ignore the role food and music plays in this book to break the oppression.
Food is used here as a tool to nurture a person and also to break the norms. Food is used here to build and destroy a relationship as well. By sharing Food, Ambai's women are breaking away from the shackles of patriarchal norms. And one can't ignore how music and poems enhance these thoughts.
Out of all the stories, I loved the last one A Movement, A Folder, A Tears a lot. This is the last the story in the collection that packs a punch. Set in the backdrops of Babar Masjid demolition, we follow 3 women who are finding different fates by closing their NGO. It's a poignant tale of betrayal, love, pain and empowerment.
While in current times, these stories may sound lame, one can't ignore the fact that they are published as early as 1990's. It is radical and liberating for those times. I urge you to keep that in mind while reading this book.
It also brought back a lot of nostalgic moments with my paatti (grandma) and the fun I had as a child. Overall, this is a book you can read just for the sheer joy of nostalgia and of course, to learn about Tamil culture. I didn't write many things about it as the introduction of this book has a detailed explanation of sorts. Reading this book left me yearning for a normal happy families with healthy relationships and
Ambai's women are the blueprint of the new age women envisioned by Bharathi. The beauty of her writing lies in the way she doesn't overdoes it. There is no hypocrisy here as women breaking the rules where men are held in a spotlight. Men and women are equally feminists, equally nurturing and equally oppressing as well. And one can't ignore the role food and music plays in this book to break the oppression.
Food is used here as a tool to nurture a person and also to break the norms. Food is used here to build and destroy a relationship as well. By sharing Food, Ambai's women are breaking away from the shackles of patriarchal norms. And one can't ignore how music and poems enhance these thoughts.
Out of all the stories, I loved the last one A Movement, A Folder, A Tears a lot. This is the last the story in the collection that packs a punch. Set in the backdrops of Babar Masjid demolition, we follow 3 women who are finding different fates by closing their NGO. It's a poignant tale of betrayal, love, pain and empowerment.
While in current times, these stories may sound lame, one can't ignore the fact that they are published as early as 1990's. It is radical and liberating for those times. I urge you to keep that in mind while reading this book.
It also brought back a lot of nostalgic moments with my paatti (grandma) and the fun I had as a child. Overall, this is a book you can read just for the sheer joy of nostalgia and of course, to learn about Tamil culture. I didn't write many things about it as the introduction of this book has a detailed explanation of sorts. Reading this book left me yearning for a normal happy families with healthy relationships and
shanmugapriya's review
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
vishnu_'s review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
byronicreader's review against another edition
4.0
In a Forest, A Deer is a book that I enjoyed a lot recently. With me reading heavy reads right and left, it brought the much needed lightness. I have always liked Ambai's writing for it's crisp prose and feminist thoughts. And this one didn't disappoint me on that front.
Ambai's women are the blueprint of the new age women envisioned by Bharathi. The beauty of her writing lies in the way she doesn't overdoes it. There is no hypocrisy here as women breaking the rules where men are held in a spotlight. Men and women are equally feminists, equally nurturing and equally oppressing as well. And one can't ignore the role food and music plays in this book to break the oppression.
Food is used here as a tool to nurture a person and also to break the norms. Food is used here to build and destroy a relationship as well. By sharing Food, Ambai's women are breaking away from the shackles of patriarchal norms. And one can't ignore how music and poems enhance these thoughts.
Out of all the stories, I loved the last one A Movement, A Folder, A Tears a lot. This is the last the story in the collection that packs a punch. Set in the backdrops of Babar Masjid demolition, we follow 3 women who are finding different fates by closing their NGO. It's a poignant tale of betrayal, love, pain and empowerment.
While in current times, these stories may sound lame, one can't ignore the fact that they are published as early as 1990's. It is radical and liberating for those times. I urge you to keep that in mind while reading this book.
It also brought back a lot of nostalgic moments with my paatti (grandma) and the fun I had as a child. Overall, this is a book you can read just for the sheer joy of nostalgia and of course, to learn about Tamil culture. I didn't write many things about it as the introduction of this book has a detailed explanation of sorts. Reading this book left me yearning for a normal happy families with healthy relationships and
Ambai's women are the blueprint of the new age women envisioned by Bharathi. The beauty of her writing lies in the way she doesn't overdoes it. There is no hypocrisy here as women breaking the rules where men are held in a spotlight. Men and women are equally feminists, equally nurturing and equally oppressing as well. And one can't ignore the role food and music plays in this book to break the oppression.
Food is used here as a tool to nurture a person and also to break the norms. Food is used here to build and destroy a relationship as well. By sharing Food, Ambai's women are breaking away from the shackles of patriarchal norms. And one can't ignore how music and poems enhance these thoughts.
Out of all the stories, I loved the last one A Movement, A Folder, A Tears a lot. This is the last the story in the collection that packs a punch. Set in the backdrops of Babar Masjid demolition, we follow 3 women who are finding different fates by closing their NGO. It's a poignant tale of betrayal, love, pain and empowerment.
While in current times, these stories may sound lame, one can't ignore the fact that they are published as early as 1990's. It is radical and liberating for those times. I urge you to keep that in mind while reading this book.
It also brought back a lot of nostalgic moments with my paatti (grandma) and the fun I had as a child. Overall, this is a book you can read just for the sheer joy of nostalgia and of course, to learn about Tamil culture. I didn't write many things about it as the introduction of this book has a detailed explanation of sorts. Reading this book left me yearning for a normal happy families with healthy relationships and
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