Publisher's Synopsis
Premchand is India. If you haven't read Premchand you have missed out on a lot' -The Hindu Considered one of the greatest fiction writers in Hindi Munshi Premchand (1880-1936) wrote over three hundred short stories a dozen novels and two plays over a prolific career spanning three decades. Though best known for his stories exposing the horrors of poverty and social injustice he wrote on a variety of themes with equal facility-romance satire social dramas nationalist tales and yarns steeped in folklore. The Co-wife and Other Stories bring together twenty classic tales of Premchand which provide a glimpse of the author's extraordinary range and diversity. While some cast a harrowing look at poverty reflecting Premchand's sympathy with the underdog others expose human foibles without being judgmental and tackle gender politics in a humorous and ironic manner. This collection also includes an imaginative foray into historical fiction a nostalgic look at childhood a comic exploration of the theme of women's autonomy and stories that reveal the writer's profound empathy with animals. Ruth Vanita's sensitive translation captures the power and beauty of Premchand's language conveying the nuances of the original and bringing to life the author's inherent humanism. About the Author Munshi Premchand was an Indian writer famous for his modern Hindi-Urdu literature. He is one of the most celebrated writers from India. Born Dhanpat Rai he began writing under the pen nam""Nawab R"" but subsequently switched t""Premcha"". His works include more than a dozen novels around 250 short stories several essays and translations of a number of foreign literary works into Hindi.
