Diamond Dust: Stories

Excellent stories by Anita Desai, with a variety of settings and precise, crystalline prose. Most of them tend to be quiet, slice-of-life stories with sharp portrayals of discomfort and isolation. My favorites were the first and last. In “Royalty”, the life of a comfortable, successful couple – Sarla and Ravi – is upended temporarily by a visit from their charismatic, capricious famous friend Raja. Desai nicely shows all the little annoyances caused by the visit - they have to cancel their trip and stay in the sweltering heat; invitation etiquette causes some snubs; Raja is cheerfully selfish. There is a long backstory between Raja and several of the characters, but Desai leaves that to the reader’s imagination.

The final show more story, “The Rooftop Dwellers”, follows Moyna, a single woman carefully guarding her independence, as she moves to a rooftop apartment after being kicked out of a women’s hostel. All the major events in the story – which is comparatively long – are the stuff of everyday life – moving, job troubles, problems with the landlord, but the writing is wonderful and I was caught up in Moyna’s story.

“Winterscape”, the second story, creates a nice contrast between the life of a modern couple in Canada and the complicated situation with the husband’s mother and aunt – who are both mothers to him, in different ways – back in India.

The title story has some humor, as it is about the antics of a badly behaved dog, Diamond, and his owner who spoils him nonstop, creating problems with his wife and friends. However, this one comes to a bad end.

“Underground” is deftly written, although the two halves feel a little disjointed. A couple is desperately looking for a hotel, but everyone tells them that the White House, which appears to have vacancies, isn’t an option. The owner of the hotel refuses to let them in – he unhappily recalls his past and marriage.

“The Man Who Saw Himself Drown” is a little surreal, but feels a bit distant as well. The narrator, well, sees himself drown and is taken for dead.

Desai skillfully evokes Polly’s dreamy adolescent interest in art in “The Artist’s Life”. Polly is still on a high coming back from summer camp with a fascinating art instructor, but the odd tenant living behind the house also takes up some of her interest.

“Five Hours to Simla or Faisla” is a somewhat comical, absurdist story where an angry truck driver randomly decides to hold up traffic. Everyone is overheating, angry, and attempting to get him to move.

“Tepoztlan Tomorrow” was the weakest I thought – the writing was still vivid, but the story was mainly Louis returning to his hometown and seeing his relatives rigidly clinging to their old ways and his old friends passionately protesting the development of the town, while he is stuck and passive. show less

So far, this year's challenge (Iran to Bangladesh, by book) is a winner. And only two books in!

Anita Desai writes delicate short stories of frustration and love and families. She has the ability to draw me into a sense of place so swiftly and completely I felt elsewhere whenever I was reading. I particularly liked the first, second and last stories, Royalty, Underground and The Rooftop Dwellers.

Moyna, the protagonist in The Rooftop Dwellers, just made me happy, in the end.

Snapshots from the lives of ordinary people in Britain, Canada, India, and Mexico among others. These stories have rich descriptions but they do not really contain a plot in the traditional sense. They are best viewed as short vignettes in the lives of the people. There is a little shadow of sadness in all of them. My favourite was Rooftop Dwellers, the last story in the collection.

There was palpable discomfort in some of these stories, so it it evident that the emotionality was well-presented. But overall, I am not sure if I really enjoyed it.

Funny sad and charming stories about every days live,without any violance and sex!The beauty is in the detail.

Nove brevi racconti ambientati fuori dall'India, in luoghi diversi e in cui le donne protagoniste si trovano per varie motivazioni. Frammenti di vita, scene di intimità domestica, uno scandagliare perfetto dentro il cuore di ognuna di loro.