English

With his new collection of 18 stories, Anamik Yatree, Mahesh Paudyal Prarambha has entered the galaxy of Nepali short-fiction writers. Paudyal already has half a dozen books on children’s literature, one on criticism, and several translations. With his latest book, he seems to be carving for himself a niche on exploring adult and child psyche, pursuit of self-awareness and rustic experiences. His characters, most of whom are beset by unfavourable life circumstances, narrate their own tales like the protagonist of title story Anamik Yatree.

At a time when there seems to be a torrent of travelogues in the Nepali literary arena, novelist Dhruba Chandra Gautam has added one more to the genre: Rustira Rumalida. Like his earlier works Ghadiharuko Deshma Samaya Khojdai and Germany: Naya Aanganma Paila Tekda, this work too chronicles the author’s experience abroad. Only this time, the accounts are of his travels in Russia.

Interviewing someone per se is a Herculean task, as it has to trace out one’s visceral realities and has to simultaneously explore the inner feelings and emotions of the interviewee.

AT lunch next day there were very nice pies, crayfish, and mutton cutlets; and while we were eating, Nikanor, the cook, came up to ask what the visitors would like for dinner. He was a man of medium height, with a puffy face and little eyes; he was close-shaven, and it looked as though his moustaches had not been shaved, but had been pulled out by the roots. Alehin told us that the beautiful Pelagea was in love with this cook. As he drank and was of a violent character, she did not want to marry him, but was willing to live with him without.