I have always preferred novels to short stories, although I have read many. When I picked up the book, “By the River Dibang” by Udayaditya Mukhopadhay, that features four short stories from the North Eastern part of India, I wondered how I would like them. It was a pleasant surprise when the first story itself had me hooked. It weaved a tale of Hindu mythology that I had not known before. Mythology is one of my favorite subjects to read about, and I finished this story in record time. And when I did, I realized I had to read the second one too. This one also had a mythological theme but with a freshness that made it appealing. The author has also helpfully added some notes to the two first stories explaining the origin and history of the mythology used in the stories.
By now, I expected the other two stories to be along the same lines. Imagine my surprise, when they were not. However, they were well-told tales, that did not ramble too much, yet managed to be descriptive enough to capture the reader’s imagination. Each one left me with poignant thoughts. When I read these two stories, I realized how much we take our armed forces for granted. The people who give their lives so that our safety is guaranteed, and who undertake many hardships to protect the motherland – here is my heartfelt salute to them.
Udayaditya’s style of writing is an easy one, in which the language flows smoothly and the reader has no difficulty in making headway into the book. If you are like me, you will not be able to stop until you have read all four stories.
My only complaint about this book is that, I wanted to read more. Hopefully, this new author will keep writing and entertain us with more such beautifully woven stories that capture the imagination and warm the heart! “By the River Dibang” makes for a great reading experience and does not take up too much of your time…
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