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Friday, June 03, 2011

The Kabab Maker and the Consultant




First thing, I loved the cover.
12 short stories, each one dealing with different aspect of human character and belief across social and cultural context.
These slice of life stories carry a realistic flavour, one can almost imagine that one must have met the protagonists somewhere in the past.
The kabab maker and the consultant have their workplace adjacent to each other. While the consultant envies the steady flow of customers in the kabab maker’s shop the kabab maker aspires to be educated like the consultant. In the context of an unrelated incident, the author examines the thought process in the minds of both.
Does things happen by chance or are God willed- 3 Journeys are randomly taken yet end up forming a connection between 4 lives totally disparate. In the end one cannot conclusively decide whether it was ordained by God or pure chance.
3 women in a single kitchen- across social strata – what binds them?
A toy train engine driver goes through a range of emotions has he goes through the motions of his normal working day in the story Derailed.
A Government officer use the tricks of their trade to save organization in Saviour
Gift of Giving is the story of a traveler who defines the past gifting occasions in terms of the reactions of the recipient.
An army widow Ambushes the landlord who is in the process of evicting her using ‘war’ tactics.
These and more stories that delightfully courses through the motions of life and captures the way people tackle situations in life.
A guaranteed enjoyable read.

1 comment:

Swapna Raghu Sanand said...

Am not a fan of short stories, i prefer reading novels. Your review made this book sound interesting. Might give it a try.