Samrat Upadhyay Bücher

Platz 1 der 'Weltempfänger'- Bestenliste 6/2010 von litprom 'Dünn wie ein Straßenkind war sie und trug einen ausgeblichenen Kurta-Suruwal. Sie stand in der Tür zu Ramchandras Schlafzimmer, wo er seine Nachhilfeschüler unterrichtete. ›Ich bin sehr schlecht in Mathe, Sir‹, sagte sie, und er bedeutete ihr mit einer Handbewegung, daß sie sich neben ihn auf ein Kissen auf dem Boden setzen solle. …' Der redliche Mathematiklehrer Ramchandra spart seit Jahren eisern auf ein Eigenheim in der nepalischen Hauptstadt Kathmandu. Trotzdem bleibt der Aufstieg in die obere Mittelschicht für seine Familie ein ferner Traum. Seine reichen Schwiegereltern quittieren dieses Versagen mit respektloser Mäkelei. Als Ramchandra in eine Affäre mit einer Schülerin stolpert, zieht seine Frau Goma mit den Kindern zurück zu ihren Eltern und schweigt. Hin- und hergerissen zwischen der jungen Geliebten und seiner Familie streift Ramchandra durch die politisch brodelnden Straßen Kathmandus. Er trinkt, wird von der Polizei aufgegriffen. Sein ganzes Leben droht einzustürzen. Da macht ihm Goma einen unmoralischen Vorschlag. Der Liebesguru ist eine leidenschaftliche Dreiecksgeschichte, die Samrat Upadhyay mit meisterhafter Zurückhaltung erzählt, ein persönliches Drama vor dem Hintergrund von Nepals erster demokratischer Revolution.

Upadhyay uses Nepal’s political upheavals of the past century as a backdrop to the story of an orphan boy, Raja, and the girl he is fated to love, Nilu, a daughter of privilege. Coveted by more than one woman, Raja is found and raised by a street vendor, kidnapped by an affluent housewife, and then found again by Nilu. Their love story scandalizes both families and takes readers through time and across the globe, through the loss of and search for children, and through several generations of this complicated family, hinting that perhaps old bends can, in fact, be righted in future branches of a family tree. <i>Buddha’s Orphans</i> is a novel permeated with the sense of how we are irreparably connected to the mothers who birthed us—whether we know them or not, whether we embrace them or not—and of the way events of the past, even those we are ignorant of, inevitably haunt the present. But most of all it is an engrossing, unconventional love story that defies the stereotypes of a traditional South Asian culture, all in a seductive and transporting read.

The Royal Ghost features characters trying to reconcile their true desires with the forces at work in Nepali society. Against the backdrop of the violent Maoist insurgencies that have claimed thousands of lives, these characters struggle with their duties to their aging parents, an oppressive caste system, and the complexities of arranged marriage. In the end, they manage to find peace and connection, often where they least expect it-with the people directly in front of them. These stories brilliantly examine not only Kathmandu during a time of political crisis and cultural transformation but also the effects of that city on the individual consciousness.

Set in the dystopian landscape of Darkmotherland, a reimagined Nepal, the narrative intertwines the lives of Kranti, a revolutionary's daughter entangled in a powerful family's politics, and Rosy, a concubine of a tyrant who transforms into a formidable force. The story explores themes of love, identity, and political violence, showcasing a diverse cast that includes lovers, widows, and a genderqueer character vying for power. Through these characters, the novel examines the intersection of personal ambitions and political realities in a globalized world.

From the first Nepali author writing in English to be published in the West, Arresting God in Kathmandu brilliantly explores the nature of desire and spirituality in changing society. With the assurance and unsentimental wisdom of a long-established writer, Upadhyay records the echoes of modernisation throughout love and family. Psychologically rich and astonishingly acute, Arresting God in Kathmandu introduces a potent new voice in contemporary fiction.About the author- Samrat Upadhyay was born and raised in Kathmandu and came to the United States at age twenty-one. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories and The Best of the Fiction Workshops. He lives with his wife and daughter near Cleveland, where he teaches at Baldwin-Wallace College.