SobhaDe--a writer with a sharp edge. Review on Starry Nights - Shobha De

Sobha De—a writer with a sharp edge

Sobha De is a writer who wields the pen with pungent ink within it sometimes loving .sometimes hurting ,at other times maligning and often exposing the painful sores of society.

She has powerful eyes to see what we do not notice and has absorbent ears to hear voices that escape our ears. This uncanny qualities have been well linked together by a strong underlying thread of courage and conviction .She is a writer of substance though one may not agree to all that she says in her novels or other writings. All her writings have not got the same seriousness and sometimes they are frivolous and at times she writes for the sake of writing. But these negative aspects do not make her writing less significant in the present Indian intellectual scenario

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She is perhaps the first woman writer to write about man -woman relationship with our inhibitions, Of course there is Kamala Das who, through her poems and her MY STORY brought out he hypocrisy of that pervades all human relationships. De differs from Das in the sense that De is more familiar with the darker side of the so called sophisticated section of society which parades as a decent crowd when there is sunshine. The sunset brings a about a great transformation in social actions and cosmetics take over in bright lights or in more fashionable candle lights. Morality (Does that word mean anything in the modern world.??)

takes a backseat and people become shadows. De is familiar with this world and she watches everything and writes beautifully about the ugly world of hypocritical relationships..

In this fast world nobody has the time” to stand and stare”. Things are taking a worse turn with the globalization of our economy. Any change brings in both good and bad things but always ,believe me, we have the power to choose what is good for us. Import technology, bring in new ideas and adapt them to our situation ,and enjoy the benefit of globalization –but be sure that we are Indians with our own evolved culture which is a result of centuries. Accept whatever is good from the west as they accept whatever is good from the east.. Let there be a harmonious blending of the two cultural entities retaining the significant features of each to itself. This will be the beginning of a global cultural evolution with tolerance as its base.

I started with De and the very fact that I have wandered into some thoughts about the modern world itself .The writings of De has a peculiar quality that influences you to take her sides. Her prose is , powerful and the passion her writing never sags. So be careful when you read De ,for she will carry you along with her without your knowing about it ..Read ,meditate ,digest and take what you feel good and with courage and conviction reject what you feel not very convincing .Have a date with De’s books and columns for they are thrilling, tempting and never boring.