AUTHOR: Rituraj Verma
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2012
FIRST PUBLISHED: 2012
ISBN: 978-93-81836-34-7
GENRE: Anthology of short stories
EXCERPT:
Each story centers on the life of an urban middle class character caught in a set of circumstances beyond his or her control. A hindu girl living in with a muslim boy is suddenly in the glare of global media in a reality TV show, a divorced cynical man faces the prospects of committing himself to a prostitute, a highly talented small town girl must chose between life and death. All must resolve the conflicts within their beliefs.
It was a normal day; everything was the same with the same old routine when I got a mail from the author himself asking me to review his book on the other blog that I managed. I was astonished but nevertheless accepted the offer.
The cover was the very first thing that impressed me, it was the perfect culmination of the title and though it was simple it held you, the same cannot be said about the title. This novel is a collection of several short stories. Every story has a different theme yet the core genre is maintained throughout. The book comprises of a total of nine different stories each circulating around the relationships, way of living, trials and tribulations that the normal person faces. How these factors are responsible for impacting the various spheres of life and most importantly relationship.
What is good about this book is that it is nicely written, the characters as well as the circumstances are relatable. The people in the story are real because everyone is different and everyone experiences things differently. There were instances when I felt like questioning the protagonist and even the author, really can someone be so very like this. At that moment I got my answer, “What is meat for one is poison for another!” truly you and I even if we face similar issues we deal with them in our own different manner. And with this concept in mind, the author introduced the concept of alternate ending. This is a very unique idea but personally I did not like it much, reason being simple you read for pleasure for seeking answers to the untold questions. But what if, the story itself leaves you in a dilemma and you end up complicating everything around. This being said, when you actually are able to relate to the character and the circumstances completely.
For me as a reader who takes in everything this was not a one setting read, it took me a maximum of two days. This happened because I kept on thinking is an alternative end better or was this perfect? The one best thing about this novel is that the stories are not dragged beyond a point, where the reader eventually starts losing interest. The stories keep you engaged and you feel like exploring it. It was like a psyche analysis thing for me, getting to know the characters deeply and relating to them. Though this is not a self help or a healing book, it helps you.
Being a first time author this book was a good attempt to explore love and relationships in another light. Yet there are times when you feel something is missing, maybe it is just because the writing is a bit messed up and rushed up, which could have been avoided. Anyways, it is a simple book that focuses on the current contemporary lifestyle and urban issues, a bit philosophical too which in a way forces you to contemplate in a good way.
Given a choice, would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes, I would.
RATING: 6/10
PRICE: Rs. 145
BINDING: Paperback
PAGES: 223
EXCERPT:
Each story centers on the life of an urban middle class character caught in a set of circumstances beyond his or her control. A hindu girl living in with a muslim boy is suddenly in the glare of global media in a reality TV show, a divorced cynical man faces the prospects of committing himself to a prostitute, a highly talented small town girl must chose between life and death. All must resolve the conflicts within their beliefs.
REVIEW:
It was a normal day; everything was the same with the same old routine when I got a mail from the author himself asking me to review his book on the other blog that I managed. I was astonished but nevertheless accepted the offer.
The cover was the very first thing that impressed me, it was the perfect culmination of the title and though it was simple it held you, the same cannot be said about the title. This novel is a collection of several short stories. Every story has a different theme yet the core genre is maintained throughout. The book comprises of a total of nine different stories each circulating around the relationships, way of living, trials and tribulations that the normal person faces. How these factors are responsible for impacting the various spheres of life and most importantly relationship.
What is good about this book is that it is nicely written, the characters as well as the circumstances are relatable. The people in the story are real because everyone is different and everyone experiences things differently. There were instances when I felt like questioning the protagonist and even the author, really can someone be so very like this. At that moment I got my answer, “What is meat for one is poison for another!” truly you and I even if we face similar issues we deal with them in our own different manner. And with this concept in mind, the author introduced the concept of alternate ending. This is a very unique idea but personally I did not like it much, reason being simple you read for pleasure for seeking answers to the untold questions. But what if, the story itself leaves you in a dilemma and you end up complicating everything around. This being said, when you actually are able to relate to the character and the circumstances completely.
For me as a reader who takes in everything this was not a one setting read, it took me a maximum of two days. This happened because I kept on thinking is an alternative end better or was this perfect? The one best thing about this novel is that the stories are not dragged beyond a point, where the reader eventually starts losing interest. The stories keep you engaged and you feel like exploring it. It was like a psyche analysis thing for me, getting to know the characters deeply and relating to them. Though this is not a self help or a healing book, it helps you.
Being a first time author this book was a good attempt to explore love and relationships in another light. Yet there are times when you feel something is missing, maybe it is just because the writing is a bit messed up and rushed up, which could have been avoided. Anyways, it is a simple book that focuses on the current contemporary lifestyle and urban issues, a bit philosophical too which in a way forces you to contemplate in a good way.
Given a choice, would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes, I would.
RATING: 6/10
PRICE: Rs. 145
BINDING: Paperback
PAGES: 223
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