Co-Wife & other Stories

Premchand is India . . . If you haven t read Premchand, you have missed out on a lot The Hindu Considered one of the greatest fiction writers in Hindi, Munshi Premchand (1880 1936) wrote over three hundred short stories, a dozen novels and two plays over a prolific career spanning three decades. Though best known for his stories exposing the horrors of poverty and social injustice, he wrote on a variety of themes with equal facility romance, satire, social dramas, nationalist tales, and yarns steeped in folklore. The Co-wife and Other Stories brings together twenty classic tales of Premchand which provide a glimpse of the author s extraordinary range and diversity. While some cast a harrowing look at poverty, reflecting Premchand s sympathy with the underdog, others expose human foibles without being judgmental and tackle gender politics in a humorous and ironic manner. This collection also includes an imaginative foray into historical fiction, a nostalgic look at childhood, a comic exploration of the theme of women s autonomy, and stories that reveal the writer s profound empathy with animals. Ruth Vanita s sensitive translation captures the power and beauty of Premchand s language, conveying the nuances of the original and bringing to life the author s inherent humanism.