With his debut collection of short stories in English, Fair Tree of the Void (1990), Vilas Sarang established himself as a writer of great gifts, and one with a unique sensibility and literary vision. His works since-in Marathi and English-have confirmed his reputation as one of India’s finest and most daring contemporary writers. The Women in Cages brings together all his short stories written in English, both previously published and new, brilliantly highlighting his singular imagination and style. From the desecration of a funeral pyre by the simple act of warming one’s hands on the blaze to the transformation of a man into a gigantic phallus enticing crowds of devotees as a live symbol of Lord Shiva; from the prostitute who uses the occult to generate numerous vaginas all over her body to a military general who abolishes an entire season for fear of revolution, Sarang presents startling thematic variety, always suggestive of strange and haunting alternative universes that transcend time and space. Gritty and disturbing, and leavened by wit and compassion, The Women in Cages is a masterful attempt at capturing the myriad nuances of modern life.
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