Ramesh K Srivastava

This is the first book-length study of the creative writing of Ramesh K. Srivastava. It consists of 24 essays written by eminent teachers and scholars well-known for their scholarship and academic achievements. Since most critical essays are focused on certain specific aspects of major and minor works, they do not give a comprehensive picture of the author. In the introductory section, the editor has attempted to cover such glaring gaps by writing a long critical introduction, giving information about his early life and upbringing, his education, his writing career along with the obstacles laid in his way from time to time. It also gives the author’s views on the short story, his ways of writing, as also the themes and techniques used in them. The next two sections deal with his short stories and two novels— Neema and Coils of the Serpent. The short stories, when published in popular magazines, were enjoyed by the common readers, but after being anthologized, they have been critically examined by literary critics. The common themes in his works are East and West encounter, rural and urban life, tradition and modernity, alienation and identity. His two novels have been scrutinized for irony, wit and humour, symbolism and imagery, form and technique. The last section has three interviews taken by Atma Ram Sharma, M. L. Mehta and Y. Joy which go into the details of the twists and turns of Srivastava’s personal life, and how some of them are reflected in his work. The essays are quite scholarly with detailed citations from the author’s works. What would attract a reader is the author’s inherent sense of humour which makes his work so lively, interesting and enjoyable. His literary world is a virtual Noah’s ark perpetuating the versatile creation of God.