Intrusion And Other Stories

A haunting new collection of short stories from one of India’s most acclaimed writers

Shashi Deshpande, in her new collection of short stories, explores a world darkened by the despair and unhappiness of women trying to break out of pre-defined roles. There is the newly married protagonist of the title story, whose self-respect and sense of self are violated by her crass and insensitive husband; the wife who finds herself involved in an affair because of her husband’s indifference; the mother who tries to forge a relationship with a hostile daughter…. These and other stories in this collection serve to reaffirm Shashi Deshpande in her reputation as a writer of acuity and compassion.

‘‘ ‘Ms Deshpande’s greatest asset as a storyteller is her lucidity. Her eye for detail and nose for nuance mark her out as one of the best Indo-Anglian writers around.’ —The Telegraph ‘Deshpande’s finely-honed sensibility infuses the delicate interplay of human relationships with a realistic ambience which serves to crystallise our thoughts, and all at once we see in her a natural extension of our own cognitive parameters.’ —The Times of India