They Go to Sleep — by Saugata Chakraborty
Publisher: Notion Press
Pages: 116
Price: Rs. 179 INR(Paperback), Rs. 145 INR(Kindle Edition)
ISBN: 978–1684663613
Buy here: https://amzn.to/2Yt4r9w
A young widow of a drug overdose victim disappears from Goa. Three years later, a British National claims to know her whereabouts minutes before departing for London Heathrow. The Police of two states is pressed into a joint manhunt. ‘They Go to Sleep’ is a racy thriller on police procedure and criminal psychology.
In the year 2043, when nobody sends a letter anymore, an unlikely candidate decides to write about his springtime memories that are soon going to be erased. When his identity gets revealed, the impact on several individuals and the society at large assumes epic proportions. ‘A Man of Letters’ is a science fiction with humane emotions at its core.
A promising poet meets his muse on board a train. They share a captivating conversation but forget to ask each other’s name. Will they be able to meet again in an Indian metro? ‘What’s In a Name?’ is a humorous look at everything Bengali: gossip, fish, cutlets and the Kolkata Book Fair.
These three stories are joined by nine equally exhilarating tales of ordinary people and the choices that they make under extraordinary circumstances. The compilation will surely compel the readers to keep their midnight lamps burning.
About the author:
Saugata is a Central Banker with experience in fields as varied as currency management, human resource planning, financial supervision, foreign exchange dealing, and market intelligence. His career with the Reserve Bank of India has taken him literally to all the parts of India. In his leisure, he likes to travel even more, picking up conversations with absolute strangers along his way, within and outside the country. A voracious reader since his primary schooling days, his foray into creative writing in English started in early teens and gathered steam while studying in the University of Calcutta for his post-graduation in Accounting. He is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance and holds a Certificate in Dealing from ACI, Paris. Trained in Corporate Communications at IIM-Ahmedabad, he is as good a listener as a narrator. In between the University and the RBI, Saugata was briefly associated with academics and both his past students and he cherish the memories from that era till date. Even now, he continues to deliver speeches on different aspects of financial markets and frauds in institutes across the country. His other muse is wildlife photography and he is passionate about the conservation of endangered species.
My take on the book:
They go to sleep is a collection of twelve short stories each with a different backdrop and belonging to a different genre. Once you read the first story, also the title of the book ‘They go to sleep’, you can guess what to expect from the other stories. Pure awesomeness, because the story, backdrop, narration, writing style, characters are all very unique right from the first story itself. The narration is also mostly non-linear going back and forth in time in each of the stories which kind of adds to the charm.
The book demands the complete attention of the reader, which in my opinion is its main attraction. The reader is kept guessing till the end of each story as some stories end abruptly while others end with an unexpected twist. The stories are intelligent and unlike what a reader expects based on their title or how they start. Some stories are very real and hardhitting while others are completely fictitious, some even futuristic, hence making the book a good combination of stories for readers with varied tastes.
While the writing style and narration are sure to indulge the reader, some stories might disappoint, since the story builds up a certain amount of suspense and interest only to not live upto it with a sudden, unexpected and abrupt ending. However, I wish some stories were longer and explored more of the characters, as some of them had potential that was not unleashed to the maximum. Some stories even compelled me to read them twice to relish and to absorb the shocking end. Even the cover is so well planned that the reader will tend to re-look at it to find some clues about what lies ahead. Pick this one to read some unusual, unique and impressive short stories.
“I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset” https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
My rating:
4.5/5.