A review by notesofacrocodile
Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq

4.0

more than any other sentiment, what engulfs the reader (as it does the women in the story) is the helplessness of the women. their circumstances are such that we begin to feel helpless ourselves from not being able to leap through the pages and get them out (or even to give the men a punch in the head). the women in these stories are not perfect themselves, but we understand that they are simply functioning for survival amidst a highly classist and patriarchal society that demands who they should obey and how.

all books have a context to them within which they are written, and this short story collection is no different. the origins of this collection can be traced back to the author's efforts during the bandaya sahitya (sahitya meaning literature, and bandaya meaning dissent/resistance), a progressive literary movement based in karnataka that is worth reading about. it places the stories and the author's endeavour in a new light, one which makes you appreciate them all a lot more. i would also suggest not leaving out the translator's note at the end, as it highlights some of the translation context and the process better.

some of my favourite stories: be a woman once, oh lord!, red lungi, the shroud, black cobras, and the arabic teacher and gobi manchuri.