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Showing posts with label Ameya Bondre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ameya Bondre. Show all posts

Friday, February 21, 2020

Book Review: Afsaane by Ameya Bondre | Short Stories

Book Review

Afsaane by Ameya Bondre


Book Review: Afsaane by Ameya Bondre | Short Stories | Dhiraj Sindhi | Indian Book Blogger
Afsaane by Ameya Bondre | Collection of Short Stories

Author: Ameya Bondre

ISBN: 978-9389763072

Genre: Short Stories

Length: 191 Pages

Publisher: BlueRose Publishers (27 December 2019)

My Ratings: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/2TcHVR9

About the author: 


Ameya is a physician and public health researcher, currently working with a healthcare technology start-up associated with IIT-Bombay. Born and raised in Mumbai, he studied at KEM Hospital, and later at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Ameya’s professional life has been rewarding with honours from Johns Hopkins, MIT, Yale and TEDx, and several research publications. Creative writing has been a constant companion over the years, with multiple rounds of writing and editing back and forth, periodic workshops, and continued learning from editors and readers alike. He formally started writing short stories in the winter of 2017, to put them into ‘Afsaane’, his first book.

Book Review: Afsaane by Ameya Bondre | Short Stories | Dhiraj Sindhi | Indian Book Blogger
Ameya Bondre

Follow him on Instagram: @authorameya
Facebook: Author-Ameya-Bondre


REVIEW

Narration

Afsaane is a collection of short stories narrated in a very unique way, represents the intricacy of human relationships combined with a bunch of other subjects that challenge millennials’ anxieties in current dating culture. The writing style is comprehensive and mysterious at the same time accompanied by analogies and the soul of the book I believe, expositions that intensify the feelings. All the stories are narrated in first-person POV except for one. One of the stories is narrated by a drug, fascinating right?

Setting and Characters

All stories take place at different premises, cities, and countries. As I mentioned before, Ameya Bondre has succeeded in creating reliable settings for each story with well-written expositions. For example, in ‘Distances’ author has created a paradise of memories using wooden shelves which helped brilliantly to bring forth reminiscence. There are a good amount of pivotal and critical scenes, executed not perfectly but effective enough; scenes that remain vivid for a lifetime in your memories. There are weddings, break-ups, divorces, child adoption, meetings, and dates. The evocative narration makes them striking and astounding.

What make these stories unique, are the unconventional characters who all stand for reality and connect with young readers. At this time, when a celibate chief of right-wing organization projects divorce as something shameful, it is noticeable that Ameya’s characters are fearless in a way, putting the welfare of their loved ones before sanctions of the society; proves that the newness and uncertainty of the matter don’t make it shameful.

Theme

Firstly, it is necessary to understand that human relations have always been intricate, no matter the time, but times have changed since the last few years. Times and circumstances always offered a choice so unconventional for the society, but now the idea of ‘acceptance’ has made society less intolerant (although there are places where it is exactly opposite for some reasons). There is one story about divorce after many years of togetherness, for better of course and the reasons fair enough. Ameya Bondre has covered all the aspects and perspectives that matter in each story. There is adoption of a child, one attending marriage of his ex, getting over the death of your loved one and moving on, a tale of infidelity that sows the seed for newfound love and reunion of a long lost pair. A few of these stories are incredible and stand out from the others.

My Opinion

Now it’s time for my favorites. I loved how Ameya came up with perspectives of both, the parents and the grandparents regarding adoption. Sensing the gravity of the subject, it is great, how the big picture is compacted in a short story ‘Blinkers on’. ‘Trapped’ is an exceptional story, for its narration through the drug itself about its addict. It gets a bit comical when you realize that. However, it tells not to lose hope that it will be fine. Meanwhile, for drugs, they hope that one snort them soon. After reading ‘A Healthy Home’ one realizes how difficult it would be for Dalit women to raise cranky and physically weak children. In a detached village and home rooted in restricted beliefs, far from newer ideas. Here author sharply remarks and I quote ‘No one had impacted her. Not her family. Not those relatives who got excited about the birth of a male child. Not the health worker.’

I think this review is not enough for what all the book contains. If you will try to look for a meaning, you’ll surely find a few which will fascinate you.

Happy Reading!

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Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace. ☮

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