SATURDAY STORIES BY RASHMI BANSAL

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BOOK NAME: SATURDAY STORIES

AUTHOR NAME: RASHMI BANSAL

GENRE: SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY FICTION

PUBLISHER: HARPERCOLLINS INDIA

BOOK BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.in/Saturday-Stories-Rashmi-Bansal/dp/9356993076


BOOK COVER IMAGE




BOOK REVIEW

Remember how 3 years ago, there was a deadly pandemic that hit the world and put us all to a stop? Is it just me, or does it really feel like a long time ago? The memories of the day we were notified of the first case in the hospital still make me numb. The horror of the number of expanding cases put our lives into hectic schedules defined inside a capsular scrub in a capsule of a cabin makes me shudder even today. Bringing back those days to life, Saturday Stories is a brilliant collection of short stories that revolves mainly around the COVID-19 quarantine period and other topics like partition, grief, feminism and poetry as well.


Just as the book's tagline goes, 'A twist in the tale is a tale well told!', each story ends with either a witty or dramatic twist that left me in cackles and awe. I loved the crisp and concise narration of each story, and I finished the entire book in a couple of days. Some stories like The Real Medicine, Flying High, and The Memories of Midnight stayed with me long after they were completed. The book has something for everyone - stories about being disconnected from families during the quarantine, the grocery shop looting, a female doctor's struggle and dedication towards her work, the pain of losing a pet, someone doing well in a startup, stock marketing and so on.


Special appreciation to the author for including the short story entries from her writing workshop students, which were equally brilliant. Each chapter ended with a QR code that played the author's special podcast featuring what's in her mind, narrating the background and the inspiration behind each of them. If you are reading this book, make sure to listen to it, not just for her soothing voice but also for some motivation. 


The only problem I noticed was the overuse of Hinglish (Hindi written in English) and an entire chapter being just that. As someone who speaks and understands Hindi, it did okay for me. Still, I realised it would be difficult for non-Hindi speakers to comprehend them, considering how some critical dialogues are in Hinglish without any available translation. But you have my word that you will enjoy it on a rainy day with a cup of coffee or when you are going through a slump.


MY REVIEW: 4/5

This is a part of Blogchatter’s Book review program and TBRchallenge

#penbooksandscalpel


Comments

  1. Tomichan MatheikalSeptember 29, 2023 at 2:51 AM

    The use of one's own mother tongue while writing in English is becoming too widespread these days. I wonder why people do that. Are readers expected to know so many languages?

    ReplyDelete

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