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This anthology broadly focuses on the question of ageing by bringing together an impressive range of stories and poems from across the Indian languages. It constructs a comprehensive collection of representational writings on ageing from contemporary India while drawing attention to the central importance of age as a category of identity that is complex, fragmented, dispersed, multiple, contested, and conflicting.The six sections in which the stories and poems are categorized are relevant to both a sense of the content and to the experience of ageing in India. The wide range of stories included here look at ageing from the multiple, overlapping perspectives of intergenerational relations, homes, belongings, poverty, dislocation, memory, madness, nation, illness, and death. With a detailed introduction by the editor, Ira Raja, this well-thought-out, well-structured, and superbly-chosen collection represents some of the best contemporary writers from across the Indian languages. It will make an extremely valuable addition to the anthologies of contemporary Indian writing on a topic that is of particular interest to the academia at this time.
This anthology examines the multifaceted experience of ageing in contemporary India through a diverse collection of narratives that challenge singular perceptions of the elderly. The stories and poems within this volume explore the protagonist's objective to navigate shifting social landscapes, intergenerational tensions, and the physical realities of growing older. These characters face opposing forces ranging from economic instability and familial dislocation to the internal erosion of memory and identity. The collection utilizes a multi-vocal framework to present these experiences, capturing the fragmented and contested nature of age as a primary category of human existence.
Readers and critics frequently highlight the collection's success in elevating ageing from a peripheral concern to a central thematic focus in Indian literature. Discussion often centers on the balance between the intimate, domestic struggles of the characters and the broader socio-political critiques of modern India. The pacing varies across the anthology, reflecting the disparate styles of the contributing authors while maintaining a cohesive intellectual thread. Reviewers often note that the work serves as a vital resource for those interested in the intersection of cultural studies and gerontology. The inclusion of poetry alongside prose provides a varied emotional texture that enhances the overall impact of the anthology.
Page Count:
400
Publication Date:
2010-04-19
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195689585
ISBN-13:
9780195689587
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