Martin Chautari review: The End of the World
Here's a detailed review of my book from James Sharrock, in Martin Chautari's Studies in Nepali History and Society. Book Reviews Sushma Joshi. 2008. The End of the World: A Collection of Short Stories. Kathmandu: FinePrint Books. The End of the World is an impressive collection of eight short stories in English by the Kathmandu-based columnist, artist, blogger and filmmaker Sushma Joshi. A fresh and outward-looking literary sensibility has been brought to bear on the recent past and present lives of Nepalis. The book includes details on foreign-returned Nepalis, households in Kathmandu, lahure lives abroad, village politics, natural disasters, and the Nepal Police. Nearly all of the stories are set within the last fifteen to twenty years with the notable exceptions of “Match-Making” and “Cheese” making the book, additionally, something of an artistic first draft on the recent Nepali past. The stories map the limited choices facing a range of Nepalis in different periods o...