Sounds like a magical reading experience? It is!
If you are not aware of what a drabble is, you are not alone. I was one until I stumbled upon this book. A drabble is a 100-word story, that is, within hundred words, characters are introduced, a plot is woven, emotions are made to stir in the reader, and just everything any story can contain. The author, Harshita Nanda, has woven a hundred such stories in A Potpourri of Drabble.
What did it feel to read drabbles?
Nothing less than a full-length-story reading experience! The stories introduce a plot, create the interest in the reader about the characters, develop the thrill of the climax, and each end with a theme or a piercing emotion. Did it even matter in how many words the stories were written? No.
What are the stories about?
The book is rightly titled 'potpourri' because the readers are taken for a ride of variety. Just for discussion, I am categorizing the stories to a few common themes here:
Social Cause
One common subject among the stories that enticed my interest was social causes. In The Breakfast Story, a husband supports his new bride's ambition to go to work after marriage in response to his mother's wish to have her look after the home. Quite a good number of stories are as well centered around women's empowerment.
Stories on compassion toward less fortunate people like in Teacher Didi's Steel Dabba, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Humanity Always Wins were inspiring. A Piece of My Heart will remain my favourite because of the voice of a strong woman-mother against people who pity the birth of a girl child.
Sad Endings
I am unsure if I can coin such a category. I chose to include it because some stories like Consent and Time was Running out have a heart-piercing end. Also, the last few stories toward the end of the book bring out the hard realities of abuse against women.
Heart-warming Stories
Some of it comes packed with beautiful emotions. Mother's love in The First Love, a pet's love in
Love at First Lick, and a husband's love in I Love You will amaze you how in a few words the author has weaved some heart-touching subjects.
Untold, unwritten, and unheard everyday life stories
The Dream of Lights brings out the real emotion of a rag picker when he sees a wealthy house on his way to work. I appreciate the author's observation of the ordinary world around. From the so-made-up busy lives of ours, it is such stories that will make us look out into the world on the other side. It is the power in such stories that will inspire us to thrive as a community that brings forward helping hands to uplift each other. I certainly look forward to more stories of this kind from the author.
Tales with a Twist
Tell me who doesn't like O.Henry's style of twists in stories?! Look for some entertaining and thoughtful twists in stories like The Missing Jewellery, and The Breakfast Story.
Unconventional Relationships
Perhaps at heart one may still long for an unconventional ex-love like Ramesh does in The Last Glance or like the two characters in Over A Cup of Espresso. Sometimes, in life's situations, or as the latter says, "By the laws of society,
they were bound, to someone else," relationships tend to stick to what is seen as moral. A few drabbles in the book portray how what such hearts feel is real despite the life choices they had to take.
What stands out?
Brevity is the soul of wit!
Who is the book for?
Anyone who finds the realities of the world interesting.
A Potpourri of Drabble by Harshita Nanda is a hundred mini tales of life's realities.
A quick but thoughtful read that will stir the readers to contemplate about a hundred realities of life as they put the book down.
Download the book here.
P.S. This review is a part of Blogchatter Ebook Carnival. The opinions expressed are my own and is not influenced by anything external.
Title: A Potpourri of Drabble
Author: Harshita Nanda
Pages: 120
Pages: 120
Format: eBook
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I am glad to share that my ebook, Instilling Social Equality in Children, is also one among the published eBooks at the Blogchatter Ebook Carnival. It is a non-fiction that aims to raise children with a sense of social equality.
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