Three short stories written by a master storyteller set in India. Lovely. Mesmeric. ( )

I only read the first story - The Museum of Final Journeys. I found it to be all that I find uncomfortable about short stories. That they take an event and make you, as a reader, feel regret and discomfort on behalf of the protagonist, and this feels like the aim of the story, to provoke this reaction in the reader. It builds and builds towards this point. A psychological angst. It's not my favourite thing as a reader. But it is beautifully evocative writing, I completely saw the landscape and people.

All three novellas are elegantly written and interesting but it's the third title story that is amazing. A powerful look at the deep seated and private need to make art. ( )

Could it be that the essence of a culture is best preserved at the perifery? There are various examples, probably known to all readers of specific features or language, culture or custom that still exist in remote areas, sometimes isolated communities in one's own country, sometimes overseas parts which were former colonies, where certain inflections or cultural traditions have remained alive. In The artist of disappearance Anita Desai brings together three short stories which each describe how Indian ways of thinking, or lifestyles have been preserved in remote areas.

In the first story, "The Museum of Final Journey's the narrator is a well-educated man who takes up a post in a remote district, far from the city where he studied. Although his roots are in this area, it is obvious that he has estranged from living conditions there. He wonders at an exquisite art object he sees in a home and assumes it must be stolen or plundered. He hears from, and eventually visits a museum which houses an enormous, and very valuable collection of anthropological, historical and artistic objects, which he marvels at as he is led through the rooms of the museum, to the last courtyard, where a living treasure, an elephant is kept. The curator explains that he sells off pieces from the collection to feed the elephant. The story seems to contrast the cultured, materialistic world view of the Western view that would focus on preserving the collection of objects, versus the local cultural view that the objects can be sacrificed to keep the elephant alive, and that the elephant is much more important than the art objects.

The second story, "Translator translated" is about two old school friends. One of the two women, Tara, has studied literature at university and after a career in journalism has become an editor at a publishing house. Her school friend. Prema, is enthusiastic about a book written in a local languages, and Tara is persuaded to have one of those books translated and published. Prema also has a degree in English literature, but studied the local language in an evening course, after she had lost it, and then wrote her thesis on an author who wrote in the local language, "Oriya". The translation and publication of the book is successful and leads to a revival in academic interest in both the local languages and the author. The author is persuaded to write more, but in the end her new works are disappointing, lacking the originality are purity of the first work. The story contrasts high culture and low culture, high culture as represented by Jane Austen and Simone de Beauvoir, the works studied at school and university, versus local langauge or dialect writers. In the end, the weight of high culture crushes and corrupts the underappreciated lower, local culture.

In the last story, "The Artist of Disappearance" an old man cannot be persuaded to leave the ruin of his old, burntout house to take up residence in a new apartment. Instead, he hold on to living in old clothes and the old house. Through his lifestyle, he has come very close to nature. Then, a film crew arrives in the village. They are bustling, young people, who want to make a film about unspoilt nature, or the way the modern world threatens nature. As they cannot find what they are looking for, their attention is turned to Ravi, the old man in his ruined house and grown-over garden. Looking for him, they cannot find him at home, they turn up everything in his house, and peek at every corner. The story suggests the intrusiveness of modern, fleeting ideas into the stilled, quiet world of memory and nature of the old man.

The three stories show a different outlook on life, more deeply Indian, that still exist and contrast sharply with the dominant, imported Western cultural values, that are intrusive, corrupting and superficial. The old culture runs deep, far from the centre, where it still exists in small pockets, enclosures and in retreat.

These are three lovely stories, each very original and sincere, and very recognizable. The story telling is quite simple and straight-forward. Highly recommended. ( )

These novellas by Anita Desai are written in a crystalline, engaging style, which kept me reading even in parts about characters just going about their daily lives or a less interesting detour in the final piece. Because of this, I’ll definitely seek out more of Desai’s work. The first novella is about a bored government worker stuck in a provincial post who visits a dilapidated estate full of exotic curios. The second follows an unhappy woman whose life becomes more exciting as she reconnects with an old schoolmate and works for her as a translator. In the final piece, an isolated man with an unfortunate history collides with the modern world.

Desai’s writing immediately pulled me into “The Museum of Final Journeys”, the first story. Even though the first part describes the narrator’s discomfort with his new place and position and the boring routines of his office, it is somehow compelling. The main plot is involving and somewhat quixotic, even if the whole story is only an odd and discomfiting reminiscence of the now older narrator. The next story “Translator Translated” also has a wonderful opening hook, as the main character, Prema, a mediocrity back in school, sees golden girl Tara, now a respected publisher. Against the odds, Prema is able to interest Tara in her favorite author, who writes in a neglected language. Prema’s love for and obsession with translating is well-written, and I also liked the parts that switch between third and first person – usually I dislike it when authors do that. Prema goes around with an air of defeat, so it never seemed like things could work out for her. However, the story didn’t go where I expected it to. The story also raised a number of interesting issues regarding the translator-author relationship. The title story is the last one. At first, it tells the story of Ravi, an eccentric and withdrawn man who lives in a burned-out house. Even though his family’s decline is related in a more “telling instead of showing” way, it is still involving with some sharp writing. I found the second half less compelling as there is an abrupt subject change, although the end ties everything up. Definitely worth a look. ( )