Title: Therapeutic influence of Fables, Parables and Bizarre Storyworldin Gita Hariharan’s The Ghost of Vasu Master
Abstract: “Vasu Master spins a succession of fables which, in their range and diversity,
epitomize the human condition. But there is also a deep vein of fantasy and mystery
running through them, which breaks out in all its enchantment in the strange and
glittering climax.” The Telegraph
Gita Hariharan’s place in the field of contemporary Indian short fiction
fashioned by female writers is no less important than that of Nicolai Gogol’s place and
contribution in the arena of short stories or Maria Edgeworth’s in regional novels. Her
short stories display an ardently sincere influence of The Panchatantra, the most
important book of Indian fables. As far as Indian short stories are concerned C V
Venugopal writes: “The number of stories written by Indian English writers over the
century runs into thousands stories on practically every topic under sun, stories running
from a bare two pages to over twenty” (Naik 225). About the contribution of Indian
women story designers he writes: “Experimentation with technique, with language,
has been pronounced too… A number of women writers, too, have added to the bulk
and quality of Indian English short story” (Naik 225). Githa Hariharan’s stories have
been published in various anthologies and magazines in India and other countries.
She received the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize and the Best First Book award for her
first novel, The Thousand Faces of Night. Her other works include The Ghosts of Vasu
Master (1994), When Dreams Travel (1999), In Times of Siege (2003), and Fugitive
Histories (2009). A collection of highly acclaimed short stories, The Art of Dying, was
published in 1993, and a book of stories for children, The Winning Team, in 2004.Githa
Hariharan has also edited a volume of stories in English translation from four major
South Indian languages, A Southern Harvest (1993); and co-edited a collection of stories
for children, Sorry, Best Friend!(1997).’
Publication Year: 2013
Publication Date: 2013-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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