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The range of the stories is enormous. Very aptly does the editor remark, "Ranging from the lyrical to the humorous to the darkly disturbing highlight the desires, concerns and obsessions of young women from the subcontinent." The range of stories is as varied as the places to which the writers come from. The latter have an entirely different outlook towards life than that of their counterparts in the 60s and 70s. No more joint family problems like saas-bahu bickerings rather an entirely refreshing outlook breathes through these works. Hardly believing in the age-old taboos about sex, these female writers’ approach to it is quite unorthodox. Hence the characters discuss and indulge in sex sans any social or moral considerations. The stories Spartacus and the Dancing Man, The Suicides’ Inbox and Ferry Wheel well illustrate this new trend. Sex outside martial relations has crept in our society. The Suicide’s Inbox is based on it though Lavanya being into yoga has a mystic sort of love for Nathan. Ferry Wheel somehow leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Since the protagonist has paid heavily for one night he plays with the young girls’ naked body very crudely giving the reader a repulsive feeling. Contemporary social problems too find expression in some stories. Lotus is an extremely powerful and moving story that revolves around the killing of the girl child. Equally heartrending is Through The Eye of The Needle. The words of Cheillis’mother-in-law, "Why waste the cloth when we have to bury it?" tear our hearts apart and reflect even the female apathy towards their own sex. A society that doesn’t want to waste a piece of cloth for a newborn baby girl is laid bare before us. The writer has conveyed the intended satire very artistically. What makes the story more appealing is the backdrop of the raging cyclone as if it disapproves the pitiable fate of the girl child in India. Adithi Rao’s Mango Tree in the Desert is a well-crafted piece, beautifully enriched with lyrical language. The sweet smell of raw mangoes pervades the idiom of the story. It reads more like lyrical poetry transporting us to the land of love and romance. Another striking story is Third Cloud that depicts the misery and suffering of the Sri Lankans during the civil war. Hammer Gang is an equally emotional story. It brings forth the agony of the immigrants from India to Pakistan. The collection would have lost its charm but for humorous stories therein. In Something Special About Sayyida, sprinkling of humour here and there makes it a light reading though the story centres around the old and disgusting manner the fate of a would-be bride is decided—being fat, thin or having a mole becomes a disqualification. In lighter tone too is Sumana Roy’s Award-Winning Writer. Written in a simple and informal style, the writer makes mockery of how absurdly the syllabus of the UGC is set. We burst into peals of laughter as well as feel sorry for the state of education in the country when Rajan Gupta’s daughter tells him, "They call you a refined gadha." Ironically, the story ends with an award announced for the writer who criticised the race for awards among the writers. Sunday Christians is replete with humour while Ashima Sood’s Everyday is a realistic story describing life in a metro like Delhi through an autorickshaw driver. Lively description of traffic intersections and his keen observation is the real beauty of the story. Boredom and lonely life of the youngsters in the modern times too find voice in stories like A Scene from All Those Movies. Satirical but informal in style, the story Instant Honeymoon or Love in the Times of Television displays how television depicts a life far removed from the real and humdrum life. Its appeal lies in its style and rich flowing language. Some of the young writers not satisfied with conventional technique of story writing have experimented with new ones. In Suicide’s Inbox, Meena Kandasamy has successfully adopted email form. Epista Halder has tried graphics in The Rainy Days of Vaidehi. All nuances and feelings are conveyed creditably through graphics. We can easily conclude that Anita Roy has made a very thoughtful selection of stories representing rich variety of this genre as rich and varied as life itself. The book makes an enjoyable reading undoubtedly.
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‘21 Under 40’ is a
remarkable anthology of short stories penned by South Asian Women. It
can be truly called an appreciable attempt by Anita Roy to bring the
young talent to the very doorstep of all those who are fond of this
genre. It gives us a nice glimpse of the sensitive perceptions and
observations of the young writers who look at life from their own angle.