Ratno Dholi: The Best Stories of Dhumketu, Translated by Jenny Bhatt

Published by: Harper Collins India

Fiction: Short Stories, Translation

Book summary:

The tragic love story of a village drummer and his dancer lover…

A long-awaited letter that arrives too late…

A tea-house near Darjeeling, run by a mysterious queen…

When Dhumketu’s first collection of short stories, Tankha, came out in 1926, it revolutionized the genre in India. Characterized by a fine sensitivity, deep humanism, perceptive observation and an intimate knowledge of both rural and urban life, his fiction has provided entertainment and edification to generations of Gujarati readers and speakers.

Ratno Dholi brings together the first substantial collection of Dhumketu’s work to be available in English. Beautifully translated for a wide new audience by Jenny Bhatt, these much-loved stories – like the finest literature – remain remarkable and relevant even today.

About the author:

Dhumketu was the pen name of Gaurishankar Govardhanram Joshi (1892-1965), one of the foremost writers in Gujarati and a pioneer of the short story form. He published twenty-four short story collections and thirty-two novels on social and historical subjects, as well as plays, biographies, memoirs, translations, travelogues, literary criticism, etc.

About the Translator:

Jenny Bhatt is a writer, translator and book reviewer. Her short story collection, Each of Us Killers, was critically well-received. Her writing has appeared in venues like The Atlantic, BBC Culture, The Washington Post, Literary Hub, Longreads, The Millions, Electric Literature, and others.

My Review*

Thank you Harper Collins India for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Translated from Gujarati by Jenny Bhatt, Ratno Dholi: The Best Stories of Dhumketu is a collection of 27 short stories that explore varied themes, contexts and settings. Dhumketu was the pen name of Gaurishankar Govardhanram Joshi, one of the foremost writers in Gujarati and a pioneer of the short story form whose prolific writing accounts for more than 500 short stories, 36 novels, plays etc amongst others!

And no, the stories aren’t specific to Gujarat for many of the characters and settings are situated out of the state which lends a distinct charm to the writing for the prime focus is on how people react to or take charge of situations, how they are affected by the smallest of things or swayed by a force that is larger than they can comprehend. There is a universal flavour that comes from not rooting all stories in Gujarat. Dhumketu’s stories unravel at a languid pace that is sure to leave readers soaking the manner in which characters and situations take turns that will leave them wanting for more.

The tittle story is one that left me thinking over how even to this day what is being said in the public space can tear apart relationships that exist in private. The Queen of Nepal is a nuanced story that will tease readers, including the protagonists! Many of the stories which are set in a different social era are still relevant for they flag human ties and bonds, the eternal wait for those closest to relay a message, about the loneliness of human beings and how despite the best of riches, one can still be bereft.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this collection of stories though yes; the annotations describing why the translator has translated a term in a certain manner or what it can refer to are quite a distraction.