Book Title – Medical Maladies: Stories of Disease and Cure from Indian Languages
Edited and curated by Haris Qadeer
Genre – Anthology , Medical , Short stories
Price – Rs 495/- for Paperback , in soft cover binding
Rs 287.85 for the Kindle edition
Publisher – Niyogi books
About Haris Qadeer
Haris Qadeer is a Professor of English literature in Delhi University . He has been a Visiting Fellow in the Department of English, Potsdam University, Germany and in King’s College, London. His areas of interest are Refugee Narratives, Medical Humanities and Literatures and Cultures of South Asian Muslims. His work includes journals , translations and book reviews that relate to his areas of interest.
About The Book – Medical Maladies
The book “Medical Maladies” is a ground breaking anthology comprising of 19 stories. The stories include translations in English from our very own Indian languages like Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Kashmiri, Marathi, Malayalam, Punjabi, Odia, and Urdu, showing the diversity of medical cultures in India. A wide range of themes and subjects are covered in thought-provoking and captivating stories, covering, among others, the personal and societal crises that arise during epidemics, quarantine, medical pluralism, patient care, medical paternalism, disease-mongering, medicalization, and the subject of medical ethics.
This interesting collection presents new perspectives on the relationship between medicine and literature. The introduction By Haris Qadeer dwells into the relationship of humanity and the world of medicine. Further how perspectives and goals of treatment changed with the evolution of science. How corporatization and the pressure from pharma companies affects decision making at patient level. The author highlights the need of the hour , where the patient gets to have say or have an opinion on how he or she wants to be treated, what afflicts the world of medicine and hospitals and how both Humanity and Medicine could benefit from each other more benevolently.
Medical Pluralism and Humanities
The stories portray both modern medical professionals like doctors, nurses, and surgeons as well as conventional practitioners like Vaids, Hakims, Kavirajs, and folk healers, while illuminating upon a variety of illnesses, the process of healing, and related issues in India. A number of the stories focus on women’s health including depression, pregnancy, abortion, underage pregnancy, childbirth. The stories also underline female feticide and how a woman has no control over her fertility and the decision to abort or not to abort.
Personally, I was delighted to revisit celebrated works of famous Indian authors like Rabindranath Tagore, Munshi Premchand, and Sadat Hasan Manto, as well as discover the writings of relatively modern authors like Annie Zaidi and Jeelani Bano. Alongside, the book “Medical maladies” also has interesting accounts of the medical world by medical professionals like Rashid Jahan and Shirin Shrikant Valavade.
You will find that some stories are very relatable like “Quarantine ” even though they date back to the Great Indian Plague in 1994 because of our recent experience of the pandemic, quarantine and isolation. While some stories in the book “Medical maladies ” are grim , some have a happy ending and a thoroughly witty account for instance the story of Nando Babu in ‘A Crisis of Medical Treatment”.
Conclusion
To sum up , the book ” Medical Maladies” is a fantastic compilation of short stories that are a not just a social commentary on disease and cures, the doctor-patient relationships, and the sickness that prevails not only among the ill but in the world of medicine too. It has stories of undying hope, of dedication and grit and rising above all odds like Bhago in “Quarantine”, and despair like in “Manzoor ” by Manto. Most of the stories are like shining gems from the literary world, bound together by a common theme of medical anthropology and humanities.
I give it a 5/5 rating.
“This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program“
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Monidipa Dutta.
I can truly appreciate the comprehensive review you’ve shared for “Medical Maladies” by Haris Qadeer. His impressive background and diverse scholarly pursuits make him a credible authority in the field of English literature. The anthology’s exploration of rich medical cultures in India, through translations of stories from various languages, sounds captivating.
The relatability of some stories, especially in the context of recent pandemic experiences, adds an extra layer of appeal. Overall, the book seems to offer a remarkable compilation that sheds light on important social issues within the medical world. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
This book review provides a comprehensive overview of the anthology “Medical Maladies” edited by Haris Qadeer. You have highlighted the diverse range of stories, covering various Indian languages and exploring themes such as epidemics, medical pluralism, patient care, and medical ethics. Your review also mentions the relatability of some stories, particularly considering recent experiences with the pandemic. The book seems to be a fantastic compilation that offers social commentary and explores the complex dynamics of the medical world.
I would certainly like to read this book. The line-up sounds interesting with master storytellers. It would be interesting to know the old views along with new views on medicine and health through their narratives. I have yet to read a Tagore story.
wonderful. The short based on medical fraternity, stories of hope and grit, quarentine the war the doctors fought during covid. It seems to be a great anthology of interesting short stories.
“Medical Maladies” is a captivating title that promises to shed light on unique perspectives from Indian languages. It’s an intriguing blend of cultural exploration and medical narratives. I look forward to delving into this enlightening collection! Appreciate you sharing this!
I have been watching a hospital/medical fraternity releated series Preeti and I like it very much so I m quite enthusiastic about this book. The name is compelling and so are the writers. Plus, the diversity of the languages they are written in surely mustv made a lot of difference to the content. It’s been really long since I read short stories anyway… looks like a good pick.
I was keen to have this book but somehow didn’t get the copy . The blurb of the book itself was so interesting that I was in a complete mood to read it. Anyways after reading your review I can make out that my decision to read the book was not wrong and its worth a read. The authors background is another key reason why I was keen to read the same. India holds a rich history when it comes to medical science and so when a book talks about such sensitive and quality content then for a reader like me its worth a read. The compilation proves to be outstanding and so I am placing order for my copy right away. Thank you so much for an insightful review.
The book sounds very interesting. My husband was a doctor and he used to discuss how medicine is changing over time and how it is commercialized. After reading your review, I will surely read this book.
I loved the theme of the book, “Medical Maladies” an anthology edited by Haris Qadeer! I’ve never read such a book where medicine crosses path and literature. Looking forward to grabbing my copy:)
I loved the theme of the book, “Medical Maladies” an anthology edited by Haris Qadeer! I’ve never read such a book where medicine crosses path and literature. Looking forward to grabbing my copy:)
I am quite intrigued after reading your review. Not a typical concept. I did see the book at Blogchatter but didn’t have the bandwidth at the time to pick it up. Now will definitely do it.
Haris Quadir seems to be an intriguing person… given how varied his interests are! Glad to know about this book..i would love to read a compilation of stories from the various parts of our nation. I very well remember the plague time. We had relocated to Mathura and it was such a grim situation in our country.
The book sounds interesting. I like plots with medical backgrounds. I will take a look!!
Wonderful review capturing the gist of the book well. Sounds like an interesting read. Is it a heavy read for those who are not familiar with the medical world and the terms?
Not at all, it only has disease or doctor as central theme, it is actually a compilation of stories buy many known and some new faces in literature on the subject.
Oohh I have been seeing this book by Niyogi books a lot from some days on bookstagram
It deserves all the attention. It is a well-curated medical anthology.
I haven’t read any medical genre books. But this one seems packed with so much more than the usual journals. And your review itself throws so much light on the book, they style and the author.
What an interesting book. Thanks for sharing because I don’t think I would have ever come across it otherwise.