That Long Silence is a novel by Shashi Deshpande that was first published in 1989. That Long Silence is a prime example of literary fiction. As opposed to genre fiction, literary fiction refers to the realistic fiction of human characters, or more broadly, "all serious prose fiction outside the market genres", the genres being, for example, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, or Westerns. Literary fiction often involves a concern with social commentary, political criticism, or reflection on human conditions. This novel is focused on the character Jaya, her relationships, and her thoughts, and thus not much on the plot. Nothing much happens in the course of the novel but the author reflects upon the current situation of Indian women facing societal suppression and their will to change their situation.
Shashi Deshpande is known for her stories that resonate with the struggles of modern Indian women. While she questions and attacks the patriarchal norms of society, unlike a radical feminist, she doesn’t attack men for these social anomalies. That Long Silence is not a story of a single woman, but it’s a story of many women whose dreams, emotions, and feelings are getting crushed by the norms of our society. In addition, the other major theme of the novel is the importance of communication, and the expression of feelings and love between a couple sans which, their relationship and family go to tatters.
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