Published on : August, 2016
Publisher : Self-published
Pages : 168
Source : Review copy received from the author
Format : Paperback
Rating : 3.8 / 5
To buy the book, visit Amazon.
Synopsis : A divorcee estranged from her father resorts to extreme measures; A newly-wed woman is brutally raped by her father-in-law and seeks justice; A charming young man plans to seduce a beautiful, blonde tourist; An orthodox Muslim man struggles to adjust to life in the United States. These are some of the tales in this book of captivating short stories.
My view : Rarely does one come across anthologies with varied genres and themes underlying each of the stories. S. R. Nair’s anthology is one such myriad of tales that are whispered from different corners of the world. His short stories touch many taboo subjects that have always been hushed up by the society.
The book has 14 short stories, equally intense and thought-provoking. These are stories that belong to people who are completely different from each other. They belong to separate strata, class and components of society. Their lives are marked with scars so gruesome that it takes years to get over them.
The first story is ‘A Perfect Murder’ and the name itself gives you a hint at the gist of the tale. Hiten, a lazy and opportunistic young man, has his lustful eyes set at an older married woman. His greed and naivety become the means to a horrific end conspired by the murderer.
My favorite tales from the book are ‘Salma’s Fate’ and ‘Total Eclipse’. Salma is married to Hyder and sent off to live at her in-law’s house. Her father-in-law brutally rapes her and then mocks her chastity. In spite of being morally correct, she is subjected to humiliation by authoritative figures. This story is a similar one that innumerable women throughout the world face. Mr. Nair has impeccably brought forth the incident. ‘Total Eclipse’ is one of those open-ended stories that leave you to ponder upon a thousand questions in your mind.
The author’s way with words is captivating and engrosses the readers into the stories. His observation and narration is brilliant and needs appreciation by the readers. The other stories from the anthology ‘iPad’, ‘The Soothsayer’ deserve commendable praise. Mr. Nair has a unique way of bringing together slices of life of different individuals and stringing them together.
Happy reading!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S. R. Nair has lived and worked in India, Hong Kong, Macau and USA. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Advanced Accounting from the University of Bombay and a Masters degree in Social Sciences from the University of East Asia, Macau. Currently he resides in California with his wife, their two children, and Veer their pet dog.
Featured Image courtesy:- Yipa
The Liquid Sunset 
lovely review Aritri. By the way, what does your name mean?
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