A Spoonful of Curds-Bharati Jagannathan

Book: A Spoonful of Curds
Author: Bharati Jagannathan
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Do you think short stories make for a good read?

A Spoonful of Curds by Bharati Jagannathan is a collection of a dozen short stories that unfold around Tamilians, and have the feelings of heart and humor, based both in India and abroad. From arranged marriages, to societal conventions, the stories cover a myriad of issues, and present an interesting perspective to the situations! The stories explore new love to old love, friendships, and a host of other emotions to present the world from a particular perspective.

The stories are written in an interesting manner and make for a refreshing read. Each of the stories actually develops around a central idea, which is usually a social taboo or a stereotype, and then goes on to discuss it from a completely different perspective. The book is inherently focused on Tamilians, and thus the storytelling, the events and happenings are actually something that comes from the culture of the same. I loved the fact that Bharati actually wove stories around same-sex relationships, divorce, arranged marriage and love, and yet managed to keep them away from the traditional mindsets. The climax of each of the story comes out completely different from one would have expected, and I think this is the biggest aspect of her storytelling. However, there were some very specific terms borrowed from Tamil that were a bit difficult to comprehend, and while there is a glossary in the end, it would have been better if the meaning could have been given in the text itself. Secondly, in some of the stories, the plot seemed a bit muddled up as the names and events changed without notice and that could have been improved. If I had to pick favorites, I would choose Grhapravesham, and The Prime of Janaki Ammal.

Coming to the characters, Bharati has come up with a motley of characters that are quite interesting in their perspectives, along with maintaining their true sense of belonging to a community yet transitioning into a modern society. From NRIs to people living in India for generations, a plethora of characters find place in her stories, and each of them have a sense of individuality, one that makes them stand out from the other in a true sense.

Overall, a good collection of stories that score a 3.88/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book here.