Dangling Gandhi

The Dangling Gandhi The book is a collection of 12 short stories based on life in Singapore, India and Asia during colonial rule.All the stories depict the social class of the society. It shows different problems of the society and the nature around us. The plot mainly shows South India, Singapore and England. We get to see the living conditions of people from those times and also learn the different cultures and struggles of people during that time. . . My most favourite story out of all were 'did Churchill know?' and 'punkah wallah'. In 'did Churchill know' the author puts up a story of emotional attachment of human beings and 'punkah wallah' portrays the pain and struggle of physically disabled people through the character of Mani.The stories give us a peek into the cultural aspects of that period, including prejudices and social structures. . . None of the stories had a particular protagonists. Each story was awesomly written and touched my heart. The cover of the book could have been a lot better. The plot development was awesome. Give it a read once.

Every story has a very strong theme with a predominant character and the writer exceptionally webs the plot around the character. Every story unfolding systematically, tempts the reader to guess the next sequence of events, but either surprises or shocks him in the end. The author’s writing style with short paragraphs, line formation with precise wordings will give immense joy to readers. None of the lines slips out of the storyline and the reader cannot even skip one of them even at the top reading speed. Since the author has been living in Singapore for 3 decades, she has gathered numerous themes, events, incidents that span time and lands… India, Singapore, Malaya, Burma, etc and carved them as stories with a unique blend of Indian and Foreign nativity. The reader’s mind easily gets closer to the prime characters and at the end of a story it becomes a vacuum, needs to take at least a short break before resuming on another story. The shocking connection of “Are leeches found here…” opening line with climax paragraphs of the story “Did Churchill Know”… the usage of deaf and mute boys like Mani as “Punkah-Wallah” by English people to ensure their privacy. The “Mobile dictionary” Ramasamy’s travel to Malaya and the parallel events at home which is revealed slowly with a paragraph of a secret letter at each part of the story are all a few examples… that would give an adrenaline rush to readers. This much variety is rare in any collection of short stories. The has exactly 150 pages, weighs less than a kindle… but gives an incredible view by rewinding the time on our kin’s yester generation. A must-read book.

🌸BOOK REVIEW :- DANGLING GANDHI 🌸 Dangling Gandhi is a collection of 12 stories depicting human life. It brings us unique short stories about the lifestyle of various people and also gives us a glimpse of Singaporean culture. Each story has a different essence and the reader can feel vivid emotions while reading it. The titles of the stories are so interesting and captivating. I personally liked the writing style of the author. Also the cover page is something that left me bewitchingly astonished. Insights :- 1. The content or the stories are quirky and idiosyncratic. 2.The narration is articulate. 3.Language is vivid. 4.Title is quite appropriate. 5.Cover page is as I mentioned great . Also the quality of the paperback copy is impressive. Overall, it is a good read and I give it 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Having enjoyed the previous works by Jayanthi Sankar, I was immensely looking forward to her short story collection, Dangling Gandhi and it certainly lived up to my expectations from the author. Just like her other works, we are greeted with stories and accounts that extravagantly portray the scenes of the Singaporean as well as Indian (majorly Tamil) cultures. There isn't a particular set of timelines or themes that Sankar rigidly sticks to, and so we get to experience a whole new genre of short stories that coaxes you to feel an array of emotions : like thrill, bemusement, intrigue, concerned and so on. Just as short stories go, the endings are ambiguous and makes you question a lot of things, especially because of the characters that seem to breathe life into the stories. My favorite has to be 'Does Churchill Know', 'My Mother is a Feminist' and 'Peasant Girl', - three exceptional themes conjugated so brilliantly, that they leave an imprint on you! If you are someone in search of a versatile set of contemporary short stories, I'd eagerly recommend Dangling Gandhi!

“Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” - Neil Gaiman Dangling Gandhi by Jayanthi Sankar is a bouquet of 12 short stories spanning across time and space through multicultural contexts. Each story has a different mood and effectively brings out the raw emotions of humans and sheds light on the intricacies of class, origins, and cultures. The stories are based in colonial Singapore and trace the lives of its people. The stories reflect on their struggles, prejudice faced, their everyday ruminations, etc. What might catch one's attention is how the author attempts to capture the finer details of both actions and emotions in her expansive writing. The language is rich with fine expressions and impressive vocabulary. One could get a glimpse of love, longing, spirituality, cultural ties, passion, and more in these stories. Each one portrays a different vignette of life and all the more skillfully. Although at times, I found myself struggling to make sense of the narrative, it was easier to read between the lines once I persisted. Perhaps, the profoundness of these stories would be intimidating for those looking for a breezy read. This book is clearly meant for slow and attentive reading. Despite it being a book of short stories, it deserves the time to process it.

The book is an anthology of short stories with a title that hooks you into wondering what it is about. The author looks at people from different strata of society through different eras in her stories. There's a maid who pines for her lover. A young boy fascinated by the people in the bus and lots of other characters whom you may come across in Singapore and India. There are some grammatical mistakes that a good editor would have easily spotted. Let us hope that the next edition removes all the errors and offers a delightful reading experience. In the vein of writer Ambai the short stories focus on women and their troubled lives. Definitely worth a read. Go for it.

If you are tired of reading boring and cliche short stories then this book will help you the best to overcome that boredom. Dangling Gandhi by Jayanthi Sankar is a collection of 12 beautiful short stories that will touch your heart and make it ache in some stories. All the stories are different and they tell you a beautiful tale of different people coming from different walks of life. Writing style of author is lucid and at the same time it is convincing. Once you maintain the flow of reading there is no going back, you will be lost completely in the stories. I highly liked the variety of collection this book carries with itself. I don't like to read short stories based on one theme only and this book came at the right time when I wanted to read some varieties in short stories. I will highly recommend this book to each and every person who would love to start reading books but is afraid to read long novels, try this one. You won't regret. Order this book NOW!