For as long as I can remember, Upamanyu Chatterjee has enjoyed a cult-like following among English readers. Much of it has to do with his iconic sense of humour. His novels are full of it. But there’s also that unmistakable style of writing that feels entirely his own. It carries depth, a rhythm, and almost always runs into social commentary. Together, these little elements define the writing of Upamanyu Chatterjee.

Like most young English readers — yes, when we were young, not now — my introduction to Chatterjee was through his seminal work, English, August: An Indian Story. It was as much an Indian story when first published in 1988 as when I read it in 2005. Utterly hilarious, deeply relatable, and a joy to read. Personally, it felt like a story I might have wanted to tell, with a character I might have been. Very, very identifiable.

It is no different with the four novellas written between 2018 and 2025 (as the cover notes), now available together in one edition, published by Speaking Tiger — titled The Hush of the Uncaring Sea.

Four unique stories follow. Four absurd stories. Four stories dripping with wry wit and pompous make-believe. Four stories that make you turn the pages faster and faster, until you reach their brilliant ends and wish there were more.

An adolescent stranded in the Bay of Bengal on a raft. A stowaway by mistake. A terrible inconvenience for the Captain, who does the unthinkable — throws him off the ship. A miraculous rescue later, the narrative takes multiple forms and routes, each leading to an entirely satisfying conclusion. The writing is crisp, loaded, addictive. “The Hush of the Uncaring Sea” is a spellbinding piece of writing that grips even as it entertains.

“The Revenge of the Non-Vegetarian” is absurdist at its finest. A freak incident in the middle of nowhere in newly independent India, and its repercussions through time. The layers peel away as the years pass, until the circle completes itself. Justice via pledge. Justice delayed, but not denied.

Next comes a proper detective thriller, “The Stink of Red Herring”. Our protagonist dreams of opening India’s first detective agency — an unheard-of concept on the cusp of independence. A missing child, however, allows nascent India to boast of its own detective. The commentary is sharp, the misdirection clever, the characters memorable. The result is a quick, engrossing page-turner. By this point, you’ve binge-read three novellas back-to-back and are already looking forward to the fourth.

And then comes “The Hapless Prince” — the funniest, wildest, and most fantastic of them all. A life of privilege turned upside down by a fluke visit from the past, and everything goes to ruin. Fate undone, but hilariously so. The writing is crisp as ever, the narrative punctuated with generous doses of the ridiculous. The tale of Bhawanipur lingers long after you finish it. Perhaps because it is meant to.

Upamanyu Chatterjee is a master of his craft. And his mastery is on full display here. Like I’ve said before — perhaps too often — his books are a breeze, and a delight. If rain is forecast over a weekend and you have little to do, you do now.

The Hush of the Uncaring Sea: Novellas 2018–2025 by Upamanyu Chatterjee.