Haunting and
mysterious are the first two words that strike your mind as flip through the
pages of The Japanese Wife, by Kunal
Basu. This book has generated a lot of interested especially after Director
Aparna Sen decided to make a movie of the same name based on it. The books
consists 12 short stories which are very beautifully woven across a plethora of
relationships that we as humans are surrounded with. In the author’s own words,
“These are chronicles of memory and
dreams born at the crossroads of civilizations. They parade a cast of angels
and demons rubbing shoulders with those whose lives are never quite as ordinary
as they seem.”
I am sure all
you would be aware of the famous author O Henry and his famous writing style
termed as “The O Henry Twist”
wherein suddenly in the end the story would take an entirely different twist
contrary to the expected. The author Kunal Basu manages to create a similar
twist in each of his stories leaving a tinge of mystery at the end. There is a
hint of innocence amidst the lucid narration as it re-creates the places where
the story is taking place. The common emotion is all the stories is love which
comes out very strongly.
I would not term
it as light reading as the stories have a seriousness around and it requires a
certain level of concentration to understand the real meaning hidden between
the lines. Every story unveils a new facet of life which otherwise would be
unnoticed by us. This book substantiates the fact that each and every
individual in this world has his/her own story to tell. The first story The
Japanese Wife is very grasping but slowly as you progress somewhere the
narration loses its sheen.
Overall it makes
a very interesting read as each story is able to generate curiosity about what
will happen next. It leaves you with a mixed feeling.
*~*~*~*~*~*
This book review was published in Kaleidoscopeofcolours Ezine,Feb 2012 issue.