Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Interesting; got potential; needs better editing
Sutradhar is a collection of seven short stories, retellings of ancient myths and historical incidents from a new perspective. The stories vary in length, themes, and topics. From the time River Sarasvati flowed to the British rule and partition, the stories cover a vast spectrum of history.
Newton’s First: It has strong imagery and sets the tone for the book. I wasn’t sure about the intentions of a character because I have no idea which retelling this is.
The Law: My favorite. It’s about Chanakya, after all. From the IHC project to MBA, my interest in politics and laws is because of this great man.
The Lament: This is set during Asoka’s last days in this world. It has some valuable lessons to offer. The narration is gripping and suits the context.
A Mirror for the Ants: The biggest story in the book and is divided into acts. The second-best, in my opinion, though the philosophical part overpowers the imagery and narration.
A One Penny Tune: Yet another philosophical story with a lesson. Set during British rule, it holds a mirror to the then conditioning of the society.
The Offering: This was the first story I read in the book (it’s the smallest one). Emotions are strong in this one, though I found the shift a little abrupt. A longer version will have a much higher impact.
The Path of a Coward: It is set during the India-Pakistan partition and starts with a bang. The story held the same momentum until about 85%, after which it went philosophical again. Not sure how I feel about ending the book that way.
The overall writing is pretty easy to read, though it’s a little uneven at times. I couldn’t help but notice the adverbs that appear either in succession or don’t show up at all. I did enjoy the seamless interweaving of prose and poetry. The vivid imagery is a plus, though rhetoric makes it a bit too heavy (which wasn’t always necessary, imo).
The author shared his writing experience (when we spoke), and he said how he wrote the book over a few years. That explains the bumps, which can be ironed out with a thorough round of editing (missing punctuation towards the end) and some structural developments.
Overall, Sutradhar is a good collection of historical short stories with a dose of magic and philosophy. The stories have good potential to please a wider range of audiences.
One Liner: Interesting; got potential; needs better editing
Sutradhar is a collection of seven short stories, retellings of ancient myths and historical incidents from a new perspective. The stories vary in length, themes, and topics. From the time River Sarasvati flowed to the British rule and partition, the stories cover a vast spectrum of history.
Newton’s First: It has strong imagery and sets the tone for the book. I wasn’t sure about the intentions of a character because I have no idea which retelling this is.
The Law: My favorite. It’s about Chanakya, after all. From the IHC project to MBA, my interest in politics and laws is because of this great man.
The Lament: This is set during Asoka’s last days in this world. It has some valuable lessons to offer. The narration is gripping and suits the context.
A Mirror for the Ants: The biggest story in the book and is divided into acts. The second-best, in my opinion, though the philosophical part overpowers the imagery and narration.
A One Penny Tune: Yet another philosophical story with a lesson. Set during British rule, it holds a mirror to the then conditioning of the society.
The Offering: This was the first story I read in the book (it’s the smallest one). Emotions are strong in this one, though I found the shift a little abrupt. A longer version will have a much higher impact.
The Path of a Coward: It is set during the India-Pakistan partition and starts with a bang. The story held the same momentum until about 85%, after which it went philosophical again. Not sure how I feel about ending the book that way.
The overall writing is pretty easy to read, though it’s a little uneven at times. I couldn’t help but notice the adverbs that appear either in succession or don’t show up at all. I did enjoy the seamless interweaving of prose and poetry. The vivid imagery is a plus, though rhetoric makes it a bit too heavy (which wasn’t always necessary, imo).
The author shared his writing experience (when we spoke), and he said how he wrote the book over a few years. That explains the bumps, which can be ironed out with a thorough round of editing (missing punctuation towards the end) and some structural developments.
Overall, Sutradhar is a good collection of historical short stories with a dose of magic and philosophy. The stories have good potential to please a wider range of audiences.