Book Review: Picture Imperfect and other Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries

 

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This is my first read of 2022 and penned by an Indian Author, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay. The original work has been in Bengali and the English Version is a translation by Sreejata Guha. Infact, one of the stories has been made into a movie featuring the late Sushant Singh Rajput.

Our protagonist is Bymokesh Bakshi who prefers to call himself the “The Inquistor” meaning seeker of truth rather than a detective. The Book has 7 short stories and each one of them revolves around a crime and how Byomkesh cleverly seeks out the truth.

The positive is that there are very good plots set against the early 1900s in Calcutta, Bengal. The crime is old but the modus operanda of each crime is succinctly intriguing and different. There are lot of similarities to the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot but honestly it is difficult not to be inspired. Fortunately, the characters have their own unique characteristics and hence although there is familiarity, it does not breed contempt. Also, Byomkesh Bakshi has a writer friend, Ajit Babu, who publishes Byomkesh’s Exploits in the newspapers. So you see, the author clearly has been inspired!.

The drawback is probably the language and the way the book is written. The flow of words does not sync in harmony and it seems to stop and start. Possibly, this is because it is a translation from a different language.

This is not an absolute must read .However, if you are keen to explore and taste the labyrinth of crime stories set against the Indian tapestry, it is definitely worth a go.

 

VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE-BOOK REVIEW

                      

A review for this book was a challenging task. I say challenging because the scope of interpretation was wide and every time you reflect, one will discover a new meaning. Paulo Coelho is the author of this book. This literary genius is deeply philosophical and the story is a means of presenting his thoughts on life and its its intricate and delicate patterns.

As the title of the book states, it is about a girl who decides to commit suicide and what happens in the aftermath of this event. Veronica who decides to die has no mental health issues or any other problem. Her life is perfect and somehow, therein lies the crux of the dilemma. Apart from Veronica ,there are only a handful of characters and each of them have their own set of visions, ideals, problems and solutions. In fact, as each of them progress through the story, the authors provokes us to think outside the box, challenges our notions and even tries to unlock our own fears. In contrast to the rather turbulent beginning, the ending is happy and predictable but is just as subtly brave and adventurous.

To be honest, It can be a disturbing read as it questions our fundamental ideas about life, suicide and death, why we do what we do, explores our fears and can lay it bare if you are willing. There is a palpable anxiety created for which the author himself a solution and you would be genuinely surprised that it is something we all know but never pays attention to.

I was quite intrigued in the beginning, anxious as the pages turned but inspired at the end. The take home message from the book is to be cherished forever.I would not want to say it as it would be a unforgivable spoiler. To sum it up, it is a really good read and is ideal if you want a mental makeover and a reminder to how beautiful life can be if we are prepared to be a little mad or possibly madder!