Synopsis "Guilt and Other Stories (in English)"
DescriptionHarekrishna Deka, winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award and one of Assam'sforemost writers, is renowned for his short stories that are as incisive as theyare moving. In this selection of his finest short fiction, Deka gives us a searingvision of the human condition, even as he brings alive the unique landscape ofAssam in unforgettable images.In the title story, an old woman, the only eyewitness to a crime, is forced toconfront her own role in a long-forgotten murder, and the guilt that has laindormant in her for years rears its monstrous head. 'The Temple' examines howsociety and religion create the 'other', and what happens when the marginalizedrefuse to lurk at the edges. 'The Captive' takes the reader through the forestsand small hamlets that were once the refuge of militants as it tells the story of akidnapped man and his unfathomable empathy with his captor.Startling, insightful, and original in tone and form, Guilt and Other Storiespresents a world that is both tender and painful. Through the collection runsa vein of rich, dark humour along with a deep, inimitable understanding ofAssamese society, culture and history. Brilliantly translated by Mitra Phukan, acelebrated writer herself, these stories will live in the reader's mind long afterthe last page has been turned.
