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Saturday 31 August 2019

Driftwood - Book Review


Driftwood – Stories Washed Ashore is a collection of short stories penned by Beestok Chatterjee. The author is a ship's captain by profession and has been more than forty years at sea. What is unique about this collection of stories is that they are about ships, seafarers and of course the sea. The author says that there are no modern sea stories and he has written this collection to fill that void.

I really liked the story Sapphire Blue which is a psychological thriller. The Piano man is another wonderful story from the book and highlights how appearances are deceptive. The language is lucid and simple and the stories are adroitly weaved. There is an element of surprise, a twist in every story and that makes the stories even more interesting. These stories are not only about sea, they are about humans and all the emotions – love, hate, jealousy and longing.

The writer says that his purpose of writing the book is to give the readers a glimpse of sea life. He wants the readers to feel what it is like to be at sea, to empathise with the trials and tribulations of a seaman. I feel that the author has succeeded in achieving this goal for he transported me into a completely new world, which was new to me. These stories are a ticket to voyage at the sea and help you live the life of seafarers vicariously. Seldom does one come across a collection as unique as this one. Read this book, you will repent not reading it.

Wednesday 28 August 2019

The Speaking Stone - Book Review


The Speaking StoneThe Speaking Stone by Ratnadip Acharya
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ratnadip Acharya's The Speaking Stone is a riveting read. This is story of Saikat and Suhasini. Both of them are hundreds of kilometers apart. Yet both appear to be on the mission to decipher the secrets of the past that are embedded in stones.

The novel is a romantic thriller. The author should be lauded for the romance part doesn't hinder the fast paced narrative which is an integral part of any thriller. The characters are well etched. They pull you easily into their magical world. Two stories separated by ages run parallel and it is the success of author that he mends these two parts adroitly.

The language used in the book is lucid yet easy to comprehend. The book has ample twists and turns which will satiate the reading lust of every thriller fan. This is a must read book. Not to be missed for sure.

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