Like many great works of literature, the setting of Diamond Dust is domestic, mundane, but beneath the daily machinations of life, there are complex questions about human nature, sorrow, longing, love, and death. The writing is translucent, light, delicate, deftly revealing the characters and raising the large issues, transforming the mundane into the great, without spoiling the entertainment value, plot, or suspense in her stories. In addition to Diamond Dust, Anita Desai has written 3 novels, all of which were shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and a children's book which won the Guardian Award for Children's Fiction. This remarkable writer has the gift of making her work seem effortless, the stories stark and serene, and the imagery simple, but her literary skill is exceptional. Read on for a review of Desai's latest book of literary short stories, Diamond Dust and a profile of this great author.
People begin as one thing and end up another.
In Royalty, a visit from the revered and campy Raja interrupts the preparations from for the summer exodus to the Himalayas. When Sarla's cook leaves on his overdue summer break to escape the summer heat of Delhi, Raja leaves Sarla and Ravi for the more socially graceful Dutta-Rays' houseboat in Kashmir. Sarla's disappointment combined with the superficiality of Delhi social life, and the enduring depth of Ravi's love as they sit on top of a mountain provide a powerful opening to the stories. Winterscape is a beautiful story, resolving itself in the visual white image of two women looking out at the snow. As is always the case in Desai's world though, nothing is as simple as it seems.