THE INIMITABLE CHAOS OF LIFE :
Book Review
A short story is like a kiss in
the dark from a stranger, as Stephen King puts it. A short story is a success
only when it actually disturbs the buried emotions that exist within a reader.
The Inimitable Chaos of Life is a collection
of 14 short stories by Maliny Mohan. The stories in this collection are not
only very touching, but are really well-written. It is not easy to write
stories with their themes being different phases of life, but Maliny Mohan has
done a really commendable job by telling stories the way it is difficult to
tell and is delightful to read.
The story Sara is one of my
favourite stories from this book. It begins from an orphanage where two kids,
Thomas and Sara live like siblings, though they are not. Thomas is four years
older to Sara and pampers baby Sara like an elder brother does. The two cannot
live without one another, but there arises a twist in their fate. A family
comes to adopt Sara and Thomas could not stop them from taking her away,
though he was able to, keeping patience with the thought of a beautiful future
that Sara would get with the family.
Sara grows old and through all
the year she keeps telling everyone her story so that someday she might get to
find Thomas. The story ends in an emotional scene which reveals that Thomas was
with her all along in different roles. Sara meets death in the climax when
Thomas was working as servant in her son’s house under a pseudonym.
Another touching story which I
would like to mention is A Soulful Chapter – Sonu. This is the story of a
housemaid’s son, Sonu, who aspired to become a pilot when he grows up. This
story touches the reality of many such children who have the will and the
capability of achieving success in their lives but cannot meet their own
expectations because of financial crisis of their family. The end of the story
is realistically happy. Sonu’s mother dies of some disease and the family in
whose house she used to work adopts him after considering various factors.
The Inimitable Chaos of Life is
one of the most beautiful collections of stories I have read lately. The
narration is professional, and there is no doubt the book has been through
quality editing. Overall, this book is an impressive job done by Maliny Mohan.
If one is looking to read short stories by an Indian author, then The
Inimitable chaos of Life is a perfect choice.
ALSO READ : Oh My Goddess by Rohan Govenkar : Book Review
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