Book Review: The Taura

As unique as the name sounds, “The Taura” by Vimal Chandar is one of the few books which invoke the elements of mystery, wonder, suspense, and curiosity together at the same time while also ensuring that the readers remain interested in the text throughout. The author shows the opposite forces of light and dark at loggerheads which form a unified whole of the text quite effortlessly. In the midst of this, he builds up characters who tell their stories and get involved in each other’s lives at an unconscious level.

Chandar picks up the plot from the few raw materials he has available and moulds them into the book as a whole to keep the readers interested in a tale they would have less heard of. The motif of journey operates in the background as the lives of different characters are depicted in light of this. At the same time, the author raises a variety of themes which include friendship, freedom, a sense of belonging, connection among human beings, and the struggles of human life.

Through his work, the young debuting author shows his artistic talent and ability to give words to the story that would be less known and unheard. Dividing the book into 10 chapters, the author develops the plot in a smooth and fluid manner. “The Taura” is recommended to all readers who want to read a breath of fresh air in literary writing, which keeps them glued to the text and also keeps them interested throughout the development.

Book Review: Beyond the horizon with You and Life

#QOTD: How has your march reading been so far?

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P.B. Shelley once said, “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” This quote holds relevance even years later when times and civilization may have changed, and yet, the role of poets still remains the same. Chandan Sarkar, in his poetry collection, “Beyond The Horizon with You and Life: selected poems on the inner self, thoughts, and life,” justifies Shelley’s statement to all extent.

Herein, the readers would find work born from a deeply reflective and observant mind. Sarkar has recorded his observations in verse form and given them the depth of an analytical mind. The poems, to some, may appear to be simple poems that are a product of the poet’s experience. On delving deeper into the content, the readers would find layers of meaning which they can only understand when they get closely involved with the author’s writing.

He keeps the initial poems such that the readers can quickly understand what he is trying to say and eventually raises the bar where they continue to read and simultaneously wonder how the poet complicates and yet says things effortlessly with fewer words every time. His poems can be as short as “Sunrise” and as long as “Shame,” but the thought remains clear, focused, and concise. This curtness and objectivity in the writing style of the poet would impress the readers to quite an extent. At the same time, the poet is selective about the themes he covers. He talks about life in “An Infinite Moment,” and through metaphors of nature, he conveys the message of introspection and thinking over things objectively. Poems like “Footpath” and “Shame” effortlessly connect nature and civilization and also critique humankind and its ways. “A Morning Walk” and “Sunrise” are about a new day and a fresh start which implies remaining positive and hopeful at all points of life. “Searching for A Better Place” is about the utopian world which the poet dreams of. Other poems like “Pieces of Lives” explore the basic instincts of human beings and how their lives revolve around them.

Book Review: Love me till you can

In any terms, life is beautiful because of its unpredictability and the manners in which destiny pulls the strings of human lives to make sure they end up where they are meant to be. An example bearing this impression is Khyati Gadhavi, who justifies the above line in her second book, “Love Me Till You Can: A Mesmerizing Journey of Aarya and Aarav.” From what may seem to be a mainstream college romance, the author takes time leaps that show the uniqueness of her work and creative abilities.

Gadhavi sets the work mainly in the areas of Gujarat, which would make a native reader feel connected instantly. But the story of Aarya and Aarav would make every reader feel related to the book altogether. The usage of time leap shows how times change and people change, but one thing that does not change is how one feels about something or someone. These are a few features that make Gadhavi’s work more universal and show the observations of the young author.

In addition to this, the author talks about different themes in addition to the central theme of love. These include life experiences influencing a person and their choices, the significance of family tie-ups, student life, and the different challenges it brings for people in that age, the importance of having a practical approach towards life, enjoying the little moments, and making sure no memory is bad or unpleasant. Young readers would be able to relate to “Love Me Till You Can” because of the nature of the content and the references to student life that the author gives. At the same time, grown-up readers would feel interested as they would get a chance to look back to their earlier years and reminisce their lives through the characters built by the author. 

The language the author uses caters to the needs of an average reader. The plot constructs and unfolds at its own pace, and although the readers try to guess what could happen next, yet they remain glued to the action till the end. All readers should give this book a try and explore the world that the author has created in “Love Me Till You Can.”

Book Review: Safarnama

Writers are much known for the styles they undertake in writing and the simplicity with which they communicate the complex emotions or thoughts which would otherwise have no words for expression. Janhavi Bhat, in her poetry collection, “Safarnama,” endeavours to convey the complexities that are part and parcel of human nature and explores them to the depths of her artistic capabilities.

Beginning the book from a cover that would invoke nostalgia in readers to quite an extent, Bhat talks about the circumstances which led to her taking the pen and jotting what had been in her mind for quite some time. Thereafter begins the Safarnama, the rollercoaster of the emotional states of humans with the breaks of changing poems. It is interesting to observe how the poet chooses not to title the poems and lets her verse be at the forefront. This technique gives “Safarnama” a continuity that would otherwise be broken by the presence of titles. Simultaneously, it also makes the readers reminisce the themes that would otherwise be discussed in prose format, which here got poetic expression. Readers who read through sequentially would understand the different states of mind a human being has in one lifetime where there are changes of mood at routine intervals.

Thomas Hardy once said, “Happiness is but a mere episode in the general drama of pain.” Bhat’s work is a poetic expression of this quote to quite an extent, and at the same time, it also conveys the depths to which human emotions can influence the personality of a person. She shows how life has different episodes and moments of both happiness and pain. Another notable feature is the fusion of languages that the poet uses in her work. She mainly relies on the Hindi language, but the tinge or Urdu gives the work a touch of royalty and grace of a different level. This fusion makes her work all the more elegant and hints at Bhat’s versatility as a poet.

Readers interested in poetry and particularly Hindi poetry can take “Safarnama” and go on the Safar the poet wants to take them to. They would encounter a life where the expression of letters still prevails, away from the world of smart technology and when life was much simpler than it is today. 

Book Review: Amritsar Express

Usage of the journey motif in narrating a tale is one of the ways to give human imagination the trigger in the right direction. Amrathanshu Barde, in his debut work, “Amritsar Express,” uses this motif at the right time to keep the readers connected with the narrative from the beginning. The journey factor is what attracts the readers instantly, and they are in the grip of the book the moment they start reading. The book may be providing ample hints to the relevance of the title from the start, yet the author makes sure it makes absolute sense only when the readers reach the last pages of the novel.

“Amritsar Express,” on the surface, seems to be a linear narrative told through the eyes of young Angad, but on reading between the lines, the readers would get to see the multiple themes that the author has attempted to explore in the more than 350 pages novel. While the dominant theme that pervades the canvas of the text is the twists and turns and the game of destiny where unexpected things happen at unforeseen junctures, the sub-themes include the portrayal of middle-class family life, human relationships, and their inbound complexities, the power of friendship, the discretion required in all stages, the importance of the ties that mould the life of a person, and difference of urban and suburban culture.

While Angad is portrayed in the most realistic form incarnating the basic human nature where there are swings of mood, anger, annoyance, frustration, sense of self-respect, tantrums on not getting things the way he wants; these are the characteristics that make him much more human, realistic and relatable for just any person. At the same time, some readers may not agree with the actions of Manpreet and the manner in which she handles things. The author shows her to be a passive receptor of things, but as Angad says, she is emotionless, and the readers ultimately agree more with Angad. Angad’s father has the features of any father who does want the best for his children, but the manner of showing his love is not much close to loving actions. Angad’s friend Ajay seems to be the one with the most sensibility and maturity among his friends.

Readers who are interested in picking up voluminous, bulky texts where the narrative develops at its own pace keeping the reader in tune due to the element of unpredictability, can pick “Amritsar Express” without any second thought. Other than the fluid language, the narrative moves just like Amritsar Express would.

Book Review: Azure Daydreams

#QOTD: What do you do when people don't return the books they borrowed from you?😑

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“Azure Daydreams” by Gayathri Krishnan is a collection of poems with thoughts that explore different dimensions of life and society. This makes the work multi-faceted and also making it a work which would be chosen by not any particular set of readers. 

The collection comprising 30 poems, for once, create an atmosphere of a dreamy and imaginative landscape, yet poems like “When Will We Walk Fearless?”, “Grow Your Own Skin,” “Comrades,” “You Should Not Miss You,” “Smiling Scars” show the poet’s connect with the present world too. Some poems like “Pluviophile,” “Waves Unrequited,” “The Woods do Cry,” “How Does Rain Sound to You” do carry a Wordsworthian air where she seems to connect with nature closely, but at the same time, poems like these show her worldly awareness.

“Azure Daydreams” as a title only reveals the surface-level details without letting the readers guess the surprises of different themes which Krishnan shares in her work. Poetry lovers would find poems of this collection catching their interest effortlessly. In addition to the poetic forms the poet uses, the diction is also carefully chosen and placed. Krishnan may or may not have read the classics but displays the potential of writing more such content in the future and helping in opening the minds of the readers to different dimensions.

Book Review: Emaddin Adventures

Fantasy and adventure are two genres that can become of instant interest to any reader. Omar Pasha presents the fourth book of his adventure series, “Emaddin Adventures,” which is a combined form of the 3 books written earlier which narrate the adventures of Emaddin and the kingdom he lives in. These adventures are not just limited to the life of young Emaddin but also many other people who meet him at different junctures.

As the readers go through the books, they do not understand the relevance of the title until they actually reach the end part where “Emaddin Adventures” as a title makes perfect sense, and the readers agree that no other title would have done more justice. In addition to a plot featuring adventures, the author takes the readers to the lands of Baghdad, where there are a sultan and his beloved kingdom. The problems he faces and how he counters them is what forms the basic fragment of the book.

The work would be of interest for both grown up and younger readers due to the presence of characters of different age groups who have their issues in accordance with their age. At the same time, the connectivity of the books makes readers eager to read the sequels without waiting. The 3 books can be a part of children’s bed-time stories and elders’ recreational reading. Therefore, all readers should try reading all the books.