The short story in English is alive and well and living in
India. Several Urban Shots anthologies of short stories have been released here by Grey Oak/Westland in the
last two years. This anthology, The Love Collection, edited by Sneh Thakur, is a worthy addition to the collection.
Contrary to what one might initially suspect, this is not
escapist romantic fiction. Although the stories deal with love of the romantic
type in its many manifestations, this fiction is rooted in harsh reality. It is none the less enjoyable for all that. Each story is comfortably short and can
be read during lunch hour or coffee break.
There is a variety of
situations to deal with when it comes to love in urban India. The girl in a northern town, debating whether
to marry the man she loves instead of the man who could give her an affluent
life. The ‘happily’ married man who regularly
meets a girlfriend for a quiet date. The earnest young man in a southern city who
consults an astrologer regularly to
discover God’s plan for his future and believes that he met his wife as a
result. And many more. Each situation unique
yet somehow familiar. If you live in India, as I do, these
characters could be your neighbours and colleagues.
Some stories tug at your heart. One, set in Pune left me particularly moved, as it
concerned the bombing at the German
Bakery which occurred in the recent
past. That was quite apart from the
killer twist at the end of the story, which took me completely by surprise.
Since this is an anthology of fiction and not a novel, there’s
a veritable choir of writing voices. I
particularly enjoyed the work of Ahmed Faiyaz, who happens to have three very
distinctive stories here.
I noticed some technical flaws. That poignant story about an ageing couple could
have been drastically improved (in my humble opinion) by losing the first one
and a half pages. Characters don’t leap off the page when they
don’t speak until half way through page two.
Readers don’t need to wade through interminable narrative. They learn about the characters by seeing
them speak and interact. Another story, in which the main character
makes love to a ghost didn’t convince me either. A ghost is a spirit, not flesh and blood and
even if paranormal romances are becoming popular, I couldn’t suspend my
disbelief to enjoy the story as much as I wanted to. I’d have been convinced had the writer dreamed
the lovemaking instead of ‘doing it’.
Also, I detest point of view (POV) shifts in short fiction. Having to jump from inside one person’s head
to another’s,breaks the flow, for me at least.
Thankfully, it occurs in this volume only occasionally.
Stray flaws notwithstanding, I still say this book is paise
vasool. An attractive yet discreet
volume which can be easily carried around to keep you entertained on the bus,
the train and the waiting room. Pick up
your copy today or grab it online here.
This review is a part of the http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian- bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank">Book Reviews Program at http://www.blogadda.com" >BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!
Thanks to a gift of this book, I was able to read the story set in Pune. I am yet to read most of the others, but what I have read leads me to believe that the short story genre is something that I should now pay some attention to.
ReplyDeleteIt is one that I haven't come across, but it looks good.
ReplyDeleteMaggie X
Nuts in May
I’ve been following and enjoying your blog for a while now and would like to invite you to visit and perhaps follow me back. Sorry I took so long for the invitation
ReplyDelete