"Archetype Impressions"

Meeting people who have a variety of motives and temperaments makes for epiphany is laid bare with utmost subtlety, it is a pleasing thing. A short provides the writers with a confined canvass where many horizons of experience meet and impart a powerful impression. However, these impressions prove more lasting when there is novelty in the treatment of the stories' plots and structure. In the voice of mountain, a collection of modern short stories by Harihar Khanal- an almost established native language storywriter- the author tries to capture a wide range of human tendencies. Nonetheless it might be efficient to suggest to the writer that the rendition of the stories in English has raised a serious concern over the build-up of the original language, Nepal.

The problem of translation has been faced by a whole generation of highly reputed and skillful Nepali writers. The drawbacks of translation spring forth despite umpteen efforts on the part of translators. Even a professor of English language and literature who writes both in Nepali and English confided as much to this scribe that his translated poems were not captured in their true spirit by some veteran English teachers at the central level. This gives rise to the worry that the melody and rhythm of the Nepali language contains a great many words, which the English language, cannot be translated easily, particularly when the translators are not conscious of this reality. The stories in 'The Voice of Mountain' would be more appealing if they sorted out such voids and lacunae.

Among the stories in the collection, the subject matters range from exploitation, feudal atrocities, poverty, prostitution, adopted for surviving, indomitable struggles gone haywire, political ambition, fragmentation of civilization, the cowardly nature of dull idealism, and rural and nostalgic heroism. The antagonism between national parks and local people living near them is an important issue portrayed in the story "Inside the Bastee." The compulsion of a prostitute to suppress her conscience is exemplary in "The Moon Inside the Black Cloud." Natural imageries are scattered here and there in the stories, allowing for a vivid speculation when necessary. The stories' unity of purpose and action lead to a unity of impression. This anthology of fifteen stories is to be welcomed with due respect.

The task of editing, however, seems to have been taken on with overconfidence in The Voice of Mountain, bypassing some stories that most need editing. The possibilities of the writer are somewhat dispersed in the collection. A more improvised version of the writer's actual expressive capabilities in his native language is what we might expect from him in the days to come. The translators have fared a praiseworthy initiative in their difficult goal of making the Nepalese experience heard by a wider audience. The writer too should enjoy a positive feeling – detached in some ways – available in the volumes in Nepal. One final note: the price of The Voice of Mountain is not that justifiable in view of the poor paper quality. 

(Babu Ram Neupane teaches English literature at the Patan Multiple Campus.)





This Review of Books is produced by Martin Chautari for The Kathmandu Post. Publishers and authors are requested to send in books for review to GPO Box 13470,Kathmandu. For other details, contact Martin Chautari at 246065 and fax:240059. Internet readers may send inquiries to chautari @mos.com.np or send their responses to the e-mail address of TKP.