Plunging the Ocean

Plunging the Ocean
Author: Tara Sheemar Malhan
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017
Genre:
ISBN: 9789384082864

Plunging the Ocean engages with the voluminous content of the Kathāsaritsāgara, a text meant for courtly entertainment, locating the various points of its retelling. The volume weaves gender as the discursive mesh with various themes such as caste, class, occupations, control and flow of resources or wealth, religious practices, sexuality and power structures to highlight the discourse of the text itself. In their creation and negotiation with the past, the narratives are seen as crucially demonstrating the importance of 'social space'; in the organization of space itself and in the reflection of social relations of production and reproduction. The conclusion highlights the contradictions inherent in the characters and plots, in the folk antecedents and monarchical elite appropriation of the kathās, in conformity and subversion. The structures of power that create systems of knowledge are essentially projected as ominously omnipresent in the 'Ocean of Stories'.

Kathapitha

Kathapitha
Author: Sivkishen Ji
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 110
Release: 2019-07
Genre:
ISBN: 9781077547421

After massive research, the author already published two fabulous books from the Series of Katha Sarit Sagara titled as 'Vikram Betal; and 'The Amazing Throne' and now presenting Katha Sarit Sagara Book -1 titled as 'Kathapitha' with the encouragement of Ms. Jocelyn C. Lee, California USA is a contributing editor. She is an expert who has proven ability and has readership draw and did excellent work in this book's preparation. As the original author with the rights of both electronic, print and publishing, he brought Kathapitha into life with fully illustrated with the licensed Images and Content with authenticity! Even before this work published, I have received excellent reviews and recommendations from Jocelyn C. Lee, Dr. Keshab Mandal M.A (Triple), Ph. D., B.Ed., PGDBM Researcher, Author, Publisher, and Columnist from Kolkata Area, India and also from Prof. Surendera Kala, Professor Emeritus in Strategic Management at Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, India. All their wonderful reviews and recommendations are furnished at Book Reviews.The Katha Sarit Sagara opens with Parvati asking Shiva to tell her stories that she had never heard before. These were overheard by Pushpadanta, one of his attendants who repeat them to his wife Jaya who was Parvati's Sevita. She, in turn, told these stories to Parvati who enraged that Shiva had told her stories that even her Sevita knew. The erring attendant, Pushpadanta was cursed to be reborn as Vararuchi as well his accompli Malyavan was also cursed to be reborn on earth as Gunadhya until he has spread these stories overheard far and wide. Thus, they took their births and these stories reached earth and told in the world of mortals by a narrator Gunadhya, a celestial being. Gunadhya's Brihatkatha was authored in the Paisacha language with his blood in the 1st AD. Brihatkatha means 'The Great Story', all the seven tales that he heard from Shiva, on bark in his own blood using the Paisachi language. This 'manuscript' was presented to a Satavahana king by Gunadhya's students. King Simuka heard that Paisacha language and saw that they had the appearance of Pisachas said with a sneer: '... the Paisacha language is barbarous... away with this Paisacha tale.' So Gunadhya burnt the manuscripts of six of the seven tales that comprised 600,000 couplets and reserved only 100,000 in his Brihatkatha. When the King Simuka chanced upon hearing this, he was entranced, and salvaged from the proverbial flames. He decreed that it should be preserved. He had obtained possession of the 100,000 couplets which formed the Brihatkatha and composed the book named Kathapitha.Kathapitha or Katha + Pitha mean the father of (Katha) stories, the great god Shiva, who sat up the pedestal (Pitha) upon which Somadeva's dizzyingly complex web of fabulous stories built. As per Kalhana's Rajatarangim (1148 CE), a historical chronicle of the kings of Kashmir and dealt about 11th century King Anantadeva of Kashmir and Somadeva, a Sanskrit scholar, who was in his court. Somadeva stated in his epilogue that he composed Kathasaritsagara in Sanskrit with 22,000 Shloka for Queen Suryavati. Each Shloka consisting of two half-verses of 16 syllables each. He titled this work as Kathasaritsagara consisting of 18 books of 124 chapters which contain the pith of the Gunadhya's Brihatkatha.King Anantadeva of Kashmir hoped that the Kathasaritsagara stories 'would, even for a brief while, divert the queen's mind from the political turbulence and strife in the kingdom, as he and his son Kalasa battled each other for the throne. The King ensured that Somadeva imparted them to his queen Suryavati. She loved all the stories in the vast, rambling and thoroughly captivating treasure trove of tales. The queen had spent her time in the worship of Lord Shiva. Kathapitha is a must for educators, teachers, students, and librarians. The readers will love to read, digest and remember for ages with wonder!

Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Author: Salman Rushdie
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2014-04-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0143124773

It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an 'A' for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a 'B' for Charlotte Brönte's Jane Eyre, and a 'C' for Willa Cather's My Ántonia. It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves. R is for Rushdie. Set in an exotic Eastern landscape peopled by magicians and fantastic talking animals, Salman Rushdie’s classic children’s novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories inhabits the same imaginative space as Gulliver’s Travels, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz. Haroun, a 12-year-old boy sets out on an adventure to restore the poisoned source of the sea of stories. On the way, he encounters many foes, all intent on draining the sea of all its storytelling powers.

Ambiguity Machines

Ambiguity Machines
Author: Vandana Singh
Publisher: Small Beer Press
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2018-02-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1618731424

Philip K. Dick Award finalist Praise for Vandana Singh: “A most promising and original young writer.”—Ursula K. Le Guin “Lovely! What a pleasure this book is . . . full of warmth, compassion, affection, high comedy and low.”—Molly Gloss, author of The Hearts of Horses “Vandana Singh’s radiant protagonist is a planet unto herself.”—Village Voice “Sweeping starscapes and daring cosmology that make Singh a worthy heir to Cordwainer Smith and Arthur C. Clarke.”—Chris Moriarty, Fantasy & Science Fiction “I’m looking forward to the collection . . . everything I’ve read has impressed me—the past and future visions in ‘Delhi’, the intensity of ‘Thirst’, the feeling of escape at the end of ‘The Tetrahedron’...” —Niall Harrison, Vector (British Science Fiction Association) “...the first writer of Indian origin to make a serious mark in the SF world ... she writes with such a beguiling touch of the strange.” —Nilanjana Roy, Business Standard In her first North American collection, Vandana Singh’s deep humanism interplays with her scientific background in stories that explore and celebrate this world and others and characters who are trying to make sense of the people they meet, what they see, and the challenges they face. An eleventh century poet wakes to find he is as an artificially intelligent companion on a starship. A woman of no account has the ability to look into the past. In "Requiem," a major new novella, a woman goes to Alaska to try and make sense of her aunt’s disappearance. Singh's stories have been performed on BBC radio, been finalists for the British SF Association award, selected for the Tiptree award honor list, and oft reprinted in Best of the Year anthologies. Her dives deep into the vast strangeness of the universe without and within and with her unblinking clear vision she explores the ways we move through space and time: together, yet always apart.

Kadambari

Kadambari
Author: KAMALA CHANDRAKANT
Publisher: Amar Chitra Katha Pvt Ltd
Total Pages: 36
Release: 1971-04-01
Genre: Comic books, strips, etc
ISBN: 8184825366

Kadambari is one of the best known Sanskrit romantic novels. It was written by Banabhatta, the court poet of King Harshavardhana, in the early 7th Century AD. It is said that after Banabhatta died, leaving the long text unfinished, his son Bhushanabhatta completed it. The original has a hugely complex plot, with Kadambari herself appearing only half-way through. The story is a popular one – a version can be found in the Kathasaritsagara, amongst many other ancient favourites. It continues to be translated into various Indian languages. Kadambari is often said to be one of the first novels – and the word kadambari has come to mean a novel in many Indian languages today.