Book Review: Afsaane by Ameya Bondre
Afsaane by Ameya Bondre is a collection of short stories exploring emotions, experiences and nuggets of instances from daily life. Realistic, short and yet thought-provoking, read the blurb, publication history, genre, book review and buy links for this book in this post.
About Afsaane by Ameya Bondre:
Publication Date: December 27th 2019 by Blue Rose Publishers
No. of Pages: 208
Genre: Indian Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Anthology, Short Story Collection
Blurb:
A sky-blue paper bird glued to a mirror. A handmade book on music to be gifted. A pair of mud-brown tea cups without handles. A shelf to hoard dying memories. A little home tucked away in a remote village. A haunting voice after boarding an empty bus… The images on the cover belong to people whose stories are packed in this book: A man who meets his lost friend in a new world. A seeker who resists everyone to reach an unwanted place. Lovers that separate, only to find some hope. A failed artist who finds another voice. A new entrant in a home who creates turmoil. A cheated girl who makes a desperate call. A shattered man who pegs on a sudden dreamy trip. With eleven stories of unrequited love, hope, acceptance, heart breaks or just needs, ‘Afsaane’ will tug at your heartstrings and open windows to people that experience unusual situations in far too usual lives.
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Afsaane by Ameya Bondre Review:
Afsaane by Ameya Bondre is a collection of short stories exploring emotions, experiences and nuggets of instances from daily life. Hence realistic, short and yet thought-provoking, the author explores a kaleidoscope of emotions with these stories that had me jumping from happiness to sorrow to yearning.
Likeable aspects of the book:
“Afsaane” means “tales, fiction or romance” and in this book there are eleven unique short stories unconnected in any way. All stories are super short with open endings that leave the readers to reach their own conclusions. This is, perhaps, the first book where I have come across stories with open endings and titles that are just a word and that which give no initial clue to what the story is about. As a result, even after reading the story it is up to the readers to connect that word as they see fit. This is a daring and risky move on the part of the author because such stories can either make a reader love them or hate them. There is often no in-between in these cases. However, I loved reading this divergent anthology and applaud the author on taking this risk.
Another aspect of this book that I liked is the narrative. Simple, concise and frank, the narration is yet vivid and impresses in the few pages devoted to each story. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised in the book several times; like in the story titled “Distances”. Here initially it looks like it is a romantic tale but then comes the twist that had my heart twisting with unexpected emotions. Quick, impactful and entertaining, these stories can be read in between breaks and even as your night time reading fix.
Aspects needing improvement in the book:
The only thing that I feel stops me from giving this book the highest rating is the confusion I felt in a few stories that left me unsure about what was being portrayed and hence, teir intent remained vague till the end.
Apart from this, this book is well-written, professionally edited with no grammatical errors, and diligently planned to bring to life stories that are realistic, enjoyable and identifiable.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Afsaane by Ameya Bondre is an impactful short story collection with stories that explore a plethora of emotions and situations. While entertaining, they also leave readers speculating “what will happen next?” and stay in their minds long after finishing the book. Therefore, 4 out of 5 stars to it and Njkinny recommends this book to everyone. If you love short thought-provoking, enjoyable and realistic stories featuring life’s many nuances then this is the book for you.
Ameya Bondre is a promising new author and I look forward to reading more from him in the future.
Buying Links:
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