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_askthebookbug 's review for:

5.0

When Sneha asked if I wanted to read and review her debut translation work, I immediately jumped at the chance. Mrs Simon is Waiting and Other Stories includes collected short stories penned by Dinesh Pathak over the decades but what makes it special is his daughter’s debut attempt at translating his stories. It didn’t take me long to realise that I was going to adore this book. The stories, each different from the other captures and then dissects complex human behaviours in certain situations. I started reading this book early day before yesterday and before I knew it, I finished it the very same night. Apart from being breezy, it’s the simplicity of the stories that pulls you in.

It just took ten stories for me to become a fan of the author. How is it that he managed to take simple themes like hopelessness, sadness, loss, love and turn them into such beautiful tales? The very first story sets the mood for what to expect. But my favourite stories were probably Siyabar Babu and the Suitable Boy, Thanks Uncle and the title story. In Siyabar Babu we see a father, a clerk by profession, desperate to find grooms for his daughters. In Thanks, Uncle we see a father who ends up viewing his son differently while trying to arrange a matrimonial match for him. And in Mrs Simon, we see how material comforts end up taking precedence over moral responsibility.

The author has successfully managed to unmask the hidden faces of humans that peeks out every now and then. These are flawed and ordinary people like us, making it all the more easier for us to connect with them. The stories aren’t grand and feels like something that can happen well within our families or neighbourhood. Not once did I feel like I was reading a translated book and this is certainly a job well done by Sneha. There is nothing lost in translation and she gives full access for us to enter into her father’s world of stories. This is in no doubt one of the best short story collections I’ve read in a very long time.

Thank you Sneha for trusting me to read this book. My congratulations to you and your father. I hope I get to read more by you two ✨