Fiction

There is something about the Indian short story. It sticks to the traditional rules of the craft. It is in fact short and not a novella or an abridged novel. It revolves around one or at most two or three characters and does not have a long list of dramatis personae as in novels. It is limited in time and space and does not span decades or spread out in different locales. It also has a well-formulated central theme and does not touch upon several topics or clashes of personalities. It has a distinct beginning, a build-up and a dramatic end, frequently an unexpected one, which sums up the story. Western short stories tend to be prolix, leaving the reader to guess what it is all about. This is why many critics believe that the West has lost the art of writing short stories. In India, on the other hand, the short story is as vibrant as ever.

                                                                      - Khushwant Singh 

                                                                 

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