Book Blitz : The Broken Home by LOPAMUDRA BANERJEE

THE BROKEN HOME

English Translation of 

Rabindranath Tagore's 

Nastanirh

by

LOPAMUDRA BANERJEE

Blurb

The Broken Home (Nastanirh), the novella, takes place in late 19th-century Bengal and explores the lives of the aristocratic Bengali gentry who were part of the Indian Renaissance. Within the peripheries of such a distinct, culturally liberal society, the world of Charulata, Bhupati and Amal unfolds. Charu, the dreamy, melancholic young woman dreams of an idyllic literary world where she and her brother-in-law Amal, a budding writer would remain two discreet, indispensable entities. However, Amal’s estrangement destroys her creative passions and creates an ocean of turmoil in her life that turns her marital world upside down. Her husband, Bhupati, despite his liberal ideas, is blind to her loneliness and dissatisfaction. It is only with the appearance of his cousin, Amal, in their lives, who incites passionate feelings in Charu, that Bhupati realizes what he has lost.

Nastanirh is the basis for the noted film, Charulata (1964), by Satyajit Ray. 

Grab your copy @

Amazon.in | Amazon.com

About the Author

Lopamudra Banerjee is a writer, poet and translator, currently based in Dallas, USA. She is the co-editor of ‘Defiant Dreams: Tales of Everyday Divas’, published by Readomania in collaboration with Incredible Women of India. Her unpublished memoir Thwarted Escape has been First Place Category Winner at the Journey Awards 2014 hosted by Chanticleer Reviews and Media LLC. She is also the Creative Editor of Incredible Women of India and a resident editor with Readomania.

Her poems, stories and essays have appeared at numerous literary journals and anthologies, both in India and the US.  She is a regular contributor for Café Dissensus, Different Truths, Readomania.com. She has received the Reuel International Award 2016 for translation also a Certificate of Merit as part of the Reuel International Award 2015 for Writing and Literature. 

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Book Review : Panorama by Shilpi Chaklanobis

Book- Panorama: A collection of short stories

Author- Shilpi Chaklanobis

Genre- Fiction (Short stories)

Publisher- Notion Press

Price- 150

Pages- 134



Blurb-

Panorama is a book containing fifteen stories of varied emotions and situations. Some relationships between a mother and daughter, an inner conflict in the mind of a professor, the gap between two friends etc are some of the thoughts that the author has brought in the book.



Title and Cover-

The title and cover can surely be loved after completing the book. The book this time compliments the other factors. The simplicity of the book is well matched with the name of the book and the serene background which is shown in the cover. With beautiful colours, everything is working in good way to make things better.



Characters-

There were few characters which were mysterious, beautiful and worth remembering. I can surely pick Rani, Vimala, Roma, Prabha, Swati, Kamla, Padma, Payal, Arnab and Martha. The characters were brought to life by the way author has weaved a story around their lives.



Review-

Fifteen great stories with mind blowing concept, I haven’t felt the same for any short story collection in a very long time. I can’t pick any one favourite story because all were complimenting the book in a really larger sum.

I was impressed at the very start with the story like “Wok”. It was so deep and down to earth that I almost felt an ache in my heart after I read the end. The characters, their conversations and the mood that the author was able to create were really beautiful. So many emotions were brought in front in few pages.

“The Thirst” made me a bit anxious for the lead. I so wanted the end to change but I knew that the essence could have only been brought in front due to this magnificent and well thought of climax. I really liked all the facts which the people like our main lead face. There is always this dilemma in them; this hope inside that everything is not that bad. This dilemma was well penned.

The story “Forever” is engrossed in my mind deeply. It was not any different love story but there was something in it that made it beyond any normal lines of worthiness. With a lot of serenity the author put in front the images of longing and gaps that comes in between different sort of relationships with time.

“The Wait” shows the real face of India in depth. I was touched by the simplicity of Kamla. She brings in front the sarcastic flow of our values. The end was unacceptable and that is the cherry on the top too. It can make you think deeply that which path you need to follow ahead, the one which is your own creation or the one that is made for you by others.

After this comes this dreadful story “The Second Tsunami”. It was one of a kind story and one of the best in the book. The transitions in the relationship of the two kids made me feel high. A well thought and well executed story.

“The Example” and “The Meeting” showed two different things at length. Firstly, the need of self satisfaction and secondly, the changes that the time can bring. You can never know how and why things change. Sometimes it’s for good and sometimes for the worse. Both the stories were very deep and analytical.

The author was at her best in “Mirage”. There was a lot of detailing in explaining the relationships and the way they progress from two point of views.

“Destiny” “The untimely death” and "Before it’s too late” were continuing the same legacy and were superb in their own way.

The author started well and ended magnificently with the story “The sealed wish”. I loved the way the story progressed and the intuitions, the magic were brought nicely in the story.

Summing up- The book was a great collection of short stories, ranging from emotions, relationship and lifetime lessons. From all the stories “Bribe”, “The sealed wish”, “Wok”, “The meeting” etc were some of my favourite ones.



Eye-catchers-

• “...the dust can only cover your memories for some time but the feelings that lay buried beneath them remain the same, forever.”

• “In the process of winning the race of life, he had forgotten the basic rule of living. You have to catch the spring before it’s too late. You cannot expect the freshness and aroma from a flower after it’s dried.”



Turn-on’s-

• A different concept and set of emotions in the stories.

• Great to the point stories with balanced starting and climax



Recommendation-

A wonderful collection of short stories the author has penned. Every story is better than the previous one. I can highly recommend it to avid readers.



About the author-

Shilpi Chaklanobis hails from the beautiful city of Kanpur and has spent the majority of her adult life in Delhi. She currently heads the digital marketing division at an MNC. She aims to translate her experiences and understanding of human relationships in to stories that not only move people but also resonate with them. This is her first endeavour as a writer.



Buy the book-

• Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/9352069668/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472713265&sr=8-1π=SY200_QL40&keywords=panorama+by+shilpi&dpPl=1&dpID=41dB10%2BAimL&ref=plSrch

Book Review : The Colour of Love by Jagdish Joghee

Book- The Colour of Love

Author- Jagdish Joghee

Genre- Fiction (Romance)

Publisher- Notion Press

Price- 199

Pages- 155



Blurb-

Sarfaraz is from a mediocre family with high values. A bright student and a gym freak who isn’t certain that who actually his soul mate is.

In college after time passes he realizes the value and meaning of true love. But great starts meet tragic ends sometimes.

What happens when there is an attack in the city? How all this will affect Sarfaraz and people associated to him? Will things change for better?



Title and Cover-

The title and cover both are nice and suiting the tale well. I loved the colours of the cover and the elements shown. But definitely the cover lacks detailing. Different aspects of the tale could have been incorporated in order to make the cover look more lively and extravagant. For now, neither the cover nor the title has that power to make any reader have a good look at the book before picking it.



Characters-

I loved to notice different characters; mainly they were the college going students and their family. The characters were unique in their own way. There was a complete buffet in the book.

From the major characters I surely loved Sarfaraz, Meghna, and Siddhartha. I found them really capable of drawing attention towards them whenever there part came in the story.

And from the minor characters I loved Avantika and Rameez. The way Avantika was heading in her life can be seen from two perspectives but only those who are in her shoes can understand the trauma behind her moves. I totally loved her. And Rameez well yes he was a very interesting character without a spine and he stole the show for that.



Narration-

The narration was kept simple and to the point, same like the first book written by the same author. Same design, same short chapters, same easy vocabulary. I liked the fact that the author has his own style of taking his book forward.



Review-

The story showcased in “The Colour of Love” is a great balanced tale of a group of people that are ruling the book. What I liked about the book is the subject. The story is not just the love story it’s much more. The story has elements of rage, harmony, unity, fondness, love, lust, pride, honour and what not.

I liked the complete concept of the book. It was working in all terms for me. Though the book was short but I felt that it was complete in its own way, because it was capable of showing what many big sized novels can’t interpret.

Talking about the story, well I thought that the start of the story was magnificent. The story if one talks in larger terms is based on the college life of our male lead, Sarfaraz. I found a very drastic change in his life from first year of his college till the last. And that is the exciting factor of the book. I loved the transitions in the story and in the characters too.

What I liked is the outlook of the characters over relationships. The author has kept everything sorted yet complex at the same time. And this has made the story touch different heights altogether. I liked the movements in the story when the chapter of Avantika was started. I found her to be a really interesting character. At one point of time she was termed as shy and at the other end she was termed to be something very different. I like when the characters change themselves for some good with the story.

Meghna was an interesting character. The changes in a person when the middle portion of the story arrives really help things in great length. I loved the whole episode of Valentine’s Day. I inspected great changes in the story. The characters changed colours. Everything mixed well to create a great end point.

But the climax was really not matching the subtlety of the ending chapters. I found it to be really over the top. But the way things progre ssed in the climax are nice. There could have been better way to wrap things up but that was the author’s call definitely.

Summing up- The book was a great encounter. There were a lot of things to experience and see apart from some people in love. I liked the way things were progressing. A smooth flow was maintained till the climax. A little more work on the end and the book could have become a complete package.



Eye-catchers-

• “When love happens to you, the world becomes a better place.”



Recommendation-

A mixed tale of romance with different elements, it can be your pick if you are into uncomplicated books.



About the author-

Born and brought up in the beautiful hill town of Coonoor in the Nilgiris, Jagdish Joghee has always been attracted to the hills and the forests. His passion for writing started early, during his school days. Being a closet writer, Jagdish’s writing was initially confined to journals and scrapbooks. He considers himself more of a story teller than a writer. The book is his second attempt at fiction.



Buy the book-

• Amazon link- http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/1945400781/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472709523&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=the+colour+of+love+by+jagdish&dpPl=1&dpID=51vgsYpSdXL&ref=plSrch

Book Review : In Love and Free by Jagdish Joghee

Book- In Love and Free

Author- Jagdish Joghee

Genre- Fiction

Publisher- Notion Press

Price- 149

Pages- 108



Blurb-

Shruthi is from a well to do family. God’s grace is on her and she attains everything she desires. A degree from a reputed college, a great job, supportive parents and the love of her life is also beside her.

But then something happened and she was travelling in two boats at the same time. Things were good but then came the doomsday.

What happens when the truth is unleashed and trust is broken? Will her life mend? How will Shruthi and her family deal with the catastrophic scenario?



Title and Cover-

I didn’t quite understand the title of the book. I don’t know how to deduce the meaning in a nicer way. And as far as the cover is concerned I liked the shades, I liked the lead and I liked the vast sea in front of her. The cover shows deep images.



Characters-

The balance which the author created by showing a lot of positive and negative leads was great. At every point of time I saw people who were shown with great precision. I loved the changes that came from time to time in the people.

From the major characters I loved Shruthi and Rahul a lot. I found great potential in them. They always brought surprises for me by their acts.

From the minor characters I liked Meera and Shruthi’s father.

I didn’t like Madhan. I found his character highly dramatic. The transitions in him were just showing a male chauvinist. And with a character like Shruthi in hand I didn’t find him equally competent.



Narration-

The narration was average. There was nothing bad and there was nothing extra-ordinary. Things were executed nicely by the author and everything complemented each other to bring out the whole story in larger terms. The short chapters were the lifeline of the book.



Review-

“In Love and Free” is a fictional tale of Shruthi and the level of fiction is well maintained in the book throughout. What I liked about the book is the movement in the story. There was not even one place where I felt that the story was lacking behind. In every chapter there was always something happening and it kept me engaged all the time. I liked the fact that the author avoided extra explanations and kept the book short, crisp and manageable.

The first part of the story don’t have much turns and twists but still it helps in creating a perfect background for the upcoming drama. I loved the idea of keeping the chapters short and to the point. This gave the zeal of turning pages without stopping to know what more is in store.

I liked the transitions that were shown in the relationships between the couples. They were of high order and also entertaining. The author kept himself away from penning a simple love story and that brought several crests and troughs in the book that made things worthy.

I loved the whole episode that happened in Sri Lanka. This was an exciting and well crafted phase. The fact that the author has framed a strong protagonist is helping the story in one way or the other. I liked the fact that the author hasn’t presented Shruthi as a victim in the book. The story revolves around her but the ball keeps changing courts and that makes the characters more lively and this also drifts there traits for good.

The middle portion had all the suspense and drama. After that I felt that the end was loose. I didn’t like the proceedings and there was no such moment where I felt great. The story moved and moved and moved and ended. I felt everything was over dramatic after a certain point of time. If and if the end was moulded in a more subtle and less heard way, things could have reached another tangent for sure.

Summing Up- The story crafted in the book is nicely shown but I don’t think that it was extravagant. Everything was moving nicely and things wrapped up in an average manner. All in all the entire book was a nice read, with a strong female protagonist.


Eye-catchers-

• “If your spouse wants to cheat on you, he or she will. This world is a haven of opportunities. But no matter what, in any relationship, on e must never doubt the spouse.

• “I quietly watched the waves forcing their way to the land; they retreated only to come back with force. I too like the waves wanted to keep trying to get ahead in life.”

• “Love or arranged marriage, the enthusiasm and euphoria is short lived.”



Turn-on’s-

• The simplicity of language.

• Clean plot.



Turn-off’s-

• Minor editing errors.

• No point of great nature.

• Movement of story in a monotonous way after a certain point of time.



Recommendation-

The book can be read as a light read for a bit entertainment.



About the author-

Born and brought up in the beautiful hill town of Coonoor in the Nilgiris, Jagdish Joghee has always been attracted to the hills and the forests. His passion for writing started early, during his school days. Jagdish is an active blogger and writes on issues that have a social impact, apart from reviewing Indian movies. He is keen to explore the realm of fantasy.



Buy the book-

• Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/9352063198/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472622784&sr=8-1π=SY200_QL40&keywords=in+love+and+free+by+Jagdish+Joghee&dpPl=1&dpID=51u6maXMrCL&ref=plSrch

Book Review : World Full of Needles by Bhawna Monga

Book- World Full of Needles: Great way to reinvent your relationships

Author- Bhawna Monga

Genre- Fiction (Self-Help/Motivational)

Publisher- Notion Press

Price- 199

Pages- 123



Blurb-

Fifteen stories showing fifteen needles that are piercing people really hard and affecting their normal life. From a father son duo to a married couple, the stories have touched different corners to bring out some simple but strong concepts to be understood and adapted in the long run.



Title and Cover-

On one hand I liked the title, I also liked the subtitle. I think the author has summarized her book well with the name. But not full justice was done with the cover. The author has taken help of fictional tales in order to explain some things, so keeping the cover so bland was not acceptable. The author could have played well with the colours as we were talking about life in the book. But there is this simple white coloured background with no stills.



Characters-

I loved all the characters in all the stories. I liked the approach of the author of picking one thing at a time and doing full justice to it. There were a small group of people in every story and I didn’t felt lonely at even one point.

From all the characters I liked Zeeshan, Claire, Neha, Anamika, Mugdha, Riya and Aisha. I found all these characters very strong. Some were dark while some were radiant. It was fun to see so many human nature's in one book.



Review-

World Full of Needles was a great compilation of fifteen stories which were providing a great path to feel certain things which we tend to neglect or overlook. I thought the book would be a deep analysis of some concepts but to my surprise the author has kept things as simpler as she could. The way of explaining something to someone must follow a path where one can analyse the pros and cons himself/herself.

Bhawna has made her lessons so to the point that there is no space for one to lose the essence of the talk. The chapters are actually fifteen lessons which are showing the lives of fifteen families/groups/couples. The way author has first presented the story and then deduced the meaning is phenomenal.

The chapters don’t drag your brains unnecessarily they just open the pores that can judge the right and the wrong. And the way the author has related the things is a very smart move. It made things catchy and interesting.
From the fifteen stories I have my personal favourites.

Happily Never After is a very simple story of two people who are married for quite some time and then comes a usual turn, they feel claustrophobic. Well, the situation was kept normal but the inferences which the author made were very deep and helpful. They are worth remembering and it can work as a great advice for couples.

Then there was this chapter, Grass on the other side which was well portrayed. The motive of the author was not to show antagonists or protagonists in a family, her main objective was to show the meaning of acceptance and moving together. I really liked how all the concepts were arranged and explained. I loved the five bulleted points. There grasping can heal things and mend many ways.

I liked the approach of the story “Why Me?” it is a must read for the people who always blame others. I liked the idea of the story, on one end the author explained the idea of victimizing oneself and on the other end the author shows the negligence and movement of a person in his life so much that what he was leaving behind couldn’t come in his notice. It was a nice mixture of two things said in one go.

Give Me Some Sunshine Give Me Some Rain is the same story of an over enthusiastic parent and a boy with minimal wishes. It is not just about the same differences that bulge in between the two generations, it is about how we can mend ways. The story shows very clearly the two sides and whosoever reads this can surely take a lesson for a lifetime, if they are in the same shoes as the leads.

Wise and Prejudice is a great story presenting the concept of over-thinking and getting stressed for no reason. I loved the way things settled in the story.

And last but not the least I was touched by the story “Deep End of the Pool”. I loved the idea behind the story and the flashbacks mixed with the present lives gives a wider insight over what one must do to live their lives at the fullest. The author has presented the meaning of living for oneself crystal clear. The old whims and fancies compared to plethora of issues of today are well constructed and shown.

Summing up- The book can leave a large impact in the mind of any reader. The book shows issues of normal hue but a different side is shown at large and can be helpful for any age group who are dealing with various anxiety disorders. I loved each and every story so much that I can pick the book again for some motivation and advices at any point of time.



Eye-catchers-

• “The human brain does not work in a monotonous way. It needs supplements as well.”

• “You’ve known me for a few hours but I’ve known myself forever.”

• “The fear of unknown keeps you rapped where you are and doesn’t let you explore and understand the world with an open mind.”

• “Marriage is like a 3-legged race where rhythm of both partners matters, which help them win in the end.”



Turn-on’s-

• The way of explaining the concepts.

• Keeping things really meaningful.

• Creating a whole new world to understand the basic things.



Recommendation-

I can strongly recommend the book to any reader irrespective of their preferred genre choices. It can be read by any person and entertainment is guaranteed.



About the author-

Bhawna Mona an MBA in HR, a master’s in sociology, a post graduate diploma in education planning and management and a post graduate in psychological counselling. She works in the domain of Emotional wellness and has touched many lives.



Connect with the author-

• www.bhawnamonga.com



Buy the book-

• Amazon Link- http://www.amazon.in/gp/aw/d/8175110775/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472622542&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=world+full+of+needles+by+bhawna+monga&dpPl=1&dpID=51or8QP2WLL&ref=plSrch