But Who Cares...is a classic of Marathi fiction published around 1890. Written in an autobiographical mode at a time when the Marathi novel was not yet well established as a literary genre, it faithfully mirrors the contemporary milieu during the author's time.
Yamuna, the protagonist, grows before our very eyes from a bubbly innocent young girl into a charming lady. Married when she had barely attained puberty she enjoys a short spell of happy married life when tragedy strikes and she is widowed. The death of her husband shatters all her dreams and she is forced to live a life of degradation, neglect and torture in her in law's house. Her own life is snapped while trying to face her fate courageously.
The novel depicts not only the excruciating woes of Yamuna but the miserable plight of a whole generation of women trapped in the same plight as hers.
Hari Narayan Apte (1864-1919) through his writings, provided to future Marathi fiction writers the art of writing novels and short stories which faithfully reflect different aspects of contemporary society of the time. Before him, novels had fantastic themes unrelated to the realistic social situation.
While still in college, Apte wrote his first novel Madhali Sthiti with reference to the then social life in Maharashtra. He went on to write eight more novels and ten historical fiction. Powerful use of unadorned, everyday language and captivating descriptions of apparently "mundane" social events formed the hallmark of his social novels.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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