Title- A Basketful of Lies
Author: Geetashree Chatterjee
Publisher: Creative Crows Publishers
ISBN: 9789384901687
MRP: Rs 199/-
When
I received an autographed copy of this book, sent lovingly by the author, I was
excited about the cover. You will come to know the reason by the end of this
post. However, as and when I started reading the stories, the cover took a
backseat and I could not stop wondering at the mesmerizing lyrical prose with
which the author has clothed her brainchild. This work is her debut collection
of short stories that revolve mainly around urban life and complexities in
coming to terms with an inevitable change. Be it the old dignified ‘Maamone’,
who chooses an austere life and self-respect over everything or a shrewd small
town girl ‘Aninda’ who makes a whole career out of a yesteryear’s superstar,
the characters in these 15 stories are very relatable and one can feel them
popping out of the paper, for the portrayal is so real.
A
few stories have spooky and surreal plots that are fun to enjoy and offer
nail-biting twists. Some are about star-crossed lovers and those stuck in sepia
memories buried under the nostalgia. Reading these, I felt a range of emotions,
from a surge of sympathy for the sincere ‘Probir’ to pity for the old ‘Kaku’
managing a forgotten bookshop.
I
will call this remarkable collection as a very ‘balanced’ one for many reasons.
The plots are varied yet connected with a common thread, like beads in a string.
The prose is lyrical yet it does not crash under its own weight; the passages
are beautifully described yet the writing does not go overboard with
unnecessary descriptions. The author has a very good command over the language
too. So, in a nutshell, if you are a lover of meaningful, clean and well penned
literature, this one is not to be missed. I am sure you will thank me after
reading this book!
Regarding
the cover, I am glad to have sketched the cover artwork. Each painting is done
in color pencil and conveys the respective story-line.
Rating-
4/5
The
author blogs @ Panacea
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