The Co-Wife & other Stories
by Ruth Vanita
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 brings 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...