Rith Prawer Jhabvala

As an Indian living abroad, I found the introduction quite a bit irritating. But don't let that stop you from reading the beautiful stories. Little love stories mostly with women protagonists, they are refreshingly real. Each story is like a little tour to a small town, a family home, a market place in India. Ruth's writing is full of realism. My favorite story is Rose Petals.

Chekhovian, greater praise than which there is none. Each story is about love.

Not sure why these languished for so long on the bedside table, constantly set aside. The stories are very good but not grabbing. The satirical ones are best, esp. the ones with gurus but what I've found to be typical Jhabvala, the enigmatic ending, is every present.