Book Review: That Woman You See
I absolutely love reading a collection of short stories. This book, That Woman You See by Sujata Parashar has all nine dedicated to women. I just had to pick this one up for the mix it provides.
Ganga: She who is pure – This describes the girls of the night. How a girl full of love gets into the flesh trade business. It is just an average read. It is not a story that touches your heart despite of such a strong premise. There are a few grammatical errors. Better editing could have sorted that out.
Gauri: She who is fair – This tale is about Gauri’s son – Shyam and her daughter in law – Shweta. The MIL comes to stay at their place for a while and that is when she notices their marital discord. Is she able to solve the issues or does she accept the disharmony is what the story encompasses. The story is written well. Also the character of Shweta has been written to perfection. You almost feel the pain she is going through. A good read. But more than Gauri’s story it sounds like Shweta’s story, therefore a little discomfort there as a reader.
Radhika: She who is successful – This is the story of a woman who picks herself from the dumps and emerges a winner. Another favourite topic – Politics is also imbibed in this. The way it starts out, it evokes the right amount of curiosity. Considering that, the climax is a disappointment. One almost feels incomplete. Could have been developed brilliantly as the character of Radhika is etched to perfection.
Riddhima: She who is full of love – This story is about Ridhima – her brother -Rishi, her sister-in-law – Pratima and a certain Mr.Aman. Rishi dotes on Riddhima as they have lost their parents. Again the interest developed in the start is good. Keeps you connected. Urges you to read further. But the climax is hastened. If worked better, this would have been the pick of all the stories. Nevertheless, it is written well.
Sheeba: A Promise – This is a very sly story of how Sheeba teaches her colleague Rajeev a lesson. How she realises that he always took her for a ride by his sweet talks and uses that to move forward in his career. This one is written really well.
Shikha: She who is powerful – Shikha is one of those women who have husbands who do not have time for them. They are always away leaving the wives to sulk at home. A very common subject and the story is about how to cope in such a situation. An expected climax but nonetheless, liked reading this one. It has an element of feel good factor.
Shivangita: She who has courage – This is a mother’s letter to her son which reveals a lot of things about her life which the son was unaware of. It leads to a point where the son feels that he didn’t know about his mother’s life at all. Does his perception about his mother change or does he understand his mother’s plight, is the story of Shivangita. The author has done justice to this one. A brave, courageous and a very different attempt.
Shruti: She who hears – I really cant review this one as I didn’t understand the purpose of this story and what the author is trying to say through this tale.
Sona: She who is valuable – This one is a beauty. My favourite from the lot. It has been written well. An unexpected climax. Touches your heart.
Title: That Woman You See
Authors: Sujata Parashar
Publisher/ Imprint: Alchemy Publishers
Pages: 110
Genre/ Sub-Genre: Fiction/ Drama
Rating: 2.75 of 5.00
Reviewed for: Publisher
Read the reviews of other books rated 2 stars by Team TP HERE
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