Amit Shankar, the author of three national bestsellers, has churned up an entirely new concoction; this time finding his voice through eighteen different short stories. For any lover of fiction, this book will surely be a treat as the stories that Shankar has penned encompass a vast range of human emotions, aspirations, intricacies and diversities. His creative perspectives have also not ignored the borders of the surreal and the super natural. All of the eighteen short stories in the book are one of a kind; unique in their own way, while some amaze, some tantalize and some others tug at the heartstrings. Shankar shows an amazing grasp over his knowledge of the diverse Indian culture through his portrayal of the characters in his stories, all of whom seem to hail from various portions of India.
The first story, Temple of the King, gets Shankar off the mark in consummate style. The characterization of Dada and the entire milieu of the story are bound to give you the goose bumps of a spiritual reverie. There is an ethereal feel of serenity akin to any Leonard Cohen composition. The beat undertones of the story are only the exoskeleton covering a peek-a-boo into the realms of spirituality gratifying the human soul space. With only two characters in the first two stories, Shankar reminds you of an O. Henry or a Saki, the setting too, being one of a brooding tranquility. When the protagonists speak, there is no way you can be left feeling detached from the on goings of the story. Dada seems to be a character as flesh and blood as can be found in an urbane setting whereas, in stark contrast, Guptaji is more of an enigma. Bikash and his helpless tryst with fate ring a bell of the vulnerability of Synge’s protagonists; at the hands of destiny. The railway station setting takes you back to Bond’s Deoli and Shamli but Shankar maintains his own with adequate mastery of his descriptions and his narration. The altercations between Bikash and Guptaji impart a sense of urgency to the story, leading on the readers to an unexpected ending that is impossible to fathom. Kudos to Shankar for handling such different themes with equal élan. The Dream Chaser and Let Me Help You Die are different in context and concept altogether from 26 Down Express but do carry a similar somber quilt of tension nonetheless.
What Shankar achieves primarily in this wonderful anthology, is the ability to penetrate into the core of realities and the world beyond tacit factuality. It is never a cakewalk for an author to traverse a trajectory as widespread as Shankar dares to and does so with confident craftsmanship. He lulls the readers into his world of the ‘unusual’ and gently shoves them forward, from one story to another, effortlessly. It is this astonishing ability of Shankar to disperse the ethos of his characters so minutely that the reader is compelled to be one with it. The reader will envisage a confession box and feel the pangs of guilt, the remorse of wryness and be hopeful of redemption as he will flip through the pages of True Lies,arguably among the finest of the stories.
The most difficult task for an author is to write simply about the inmost complications of life and even beyond the threshold of life. Shankar himself refers to life as an enigma but like Blake, is fearless in his ardour of facing it; delving deep into its nooks and crevices and giving us, in turn, an enthralling picture of it, even though he never goes overboard with his images and articulations. He pulls off brilliantly the most obscure of themes and leaves the readers in awe with his story telling.
The musical exponent he is, there are instances when his narrative resembles the strumming of an acoustic guitar, the stories reflecting arpeggio melancholia or a psychedelic chord progression, at various levels. If you are looking for a sheer coffee table read, stay away from this one. But if you care to find some meaning and look for a not-so-usual insight into life, go for this nuanced beast. Sensitive yet scintillating, Shankar will take you for an unassuming pilgrimage; an experience that you will love to cherish.
Book Details:-
| Author: | Amit Shankar | ||
| Publisher: | Vitasta Publishing | Year of Publication: | 2014 |
| ISBN-13: | 9789382711445 | ISBN-10: | 9382711449 |
| Cover: | Paperback | No. of Pages: | 208 |
| MRP: | Rs. 150 | Buy From: | Flipkart.com Amazon.in  |
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