唳∴唳班唳曕唳熰 唳溹唳唳班唳曕唳班Ω唳苦 by Shoroli Shilon represents various perspectives and stages of human life through it's thirteen short stories.
The first one, 唳班唳囙Θ唳熰唳班, is intriguing鈥攊t weaves hints of Lovecraftian horror with the eerie concepts of 鈥楪litch in the matrix鈥� and 鈥楧imension jumping鈥�, blending cosmic dread with the fragility of human perception.
唳曕Ο唳监唳曕唳� 唳唳� 唳忇Μ唳� 唳膏Μ 唳忇Σ唰嬥Ξ唰囙Σ唰� portrays a man's midlife crisis, grappling with his career and future. The protagonist felt relatable to me, as I too sometimes experience bizarre, meaningless dreams like he does. It also reflects the desi brown people tendency to pull others down when they reach a high position, rather than striving to achieve that success through their own efforts. Overall, a good one.
唳忇唳熰 唳椸唳佮Η唳� 唳� 唳多唳曕唳距Ε唳� has glimpse of 鈥楤aader-Meinhof鈥� phenomenon aka frequency illusion. It highlights how we are trapped in a robotic routine in today鈥檚 society: waking up, going to work, returning home, and sleeping鈥攋ust a never-ending loop. We're working like donkeys, and this capitalistic mindset has stripped away the joy of our life. Seeking the true essence and meaning of existence is now considered as a trivial pursuit. However, there are still a few who want to break the cycle but have no clue how to do so. Trapped in uncertainty, they simply wait for death to set them free. I absolutely loved this story鈥攄efinitely one of my favorites. Besides, the story 唳Η唰嵿Ο唳班唳� 唳曕唳傕Μ唳� 唳曕唳唳曕唳Θ唳� carries a similar vibe. The author could have blended these elements together to make it more cohesive.
唳嗋Ξ唳距Π 唳唳唳� 唳膏唳む唳� 唳ㄠΞ唰嵿Μ唳� 唳曕Μ唰佮Δ唳� has a quiet melancholy throughout the whole narrative. The writer skillfully uses metaphor in this story, offering a poignant yet subtle portrayal of mothers in our country. They sacrifice their own desires to ensure the happiness of everyone around them, loving selflessly鈥攅ven caring for a coucal bird, despite its association with misfortune. Eventually, they too fly away, just like a pigeon. In their absence, all we can do is mourn, like a lonely stray cat left behind. It is one of the best stories of this book.
唳∴唳班唳� 唳班唳∴唳唰囙唳苦 唳ム唳班 唳嗋Ο唳监唳� is one of the most concise stories. It鈥檚 an okayish one. The author could have extended it a bit further. The main character experiences a precognitive dream before an epidemic strikes. The nightmare's description, rich with metaphors, is eerie and unsettling, raising a question in the reader鈥檚 mind: has the protagonist already been affected or not?
唳熰唳侧唳唳� 唳班唳� 唳曕唳班唳� 唳曕唳班唳� 唳曕唳班唳� 唳呧Ε唳 唳曕唳涏唳熰 唳ㄠΠ唳撪Ο唳监唳溹唳唳距Θ 唳夃Α 唰�.唰� illustrates how deeply we long for our loved ones, that even after letting them go, we still wish for a call from them, out of the blue. I know expecting an unexpected call sounds contradicting, right? But it is what it is. Charlie Puth captures this essence in one of his songs: "There must be a good reason that you're gone. Every now and then, I think you might want me to show up at your door, but I'm just too afraid I'll be wrong." Anyway, the writing is captivating. I especially loved the part where the writer so beautifully describes the early winter weather.
唳溹唳膏唳� 唳� 唳侧唳熰Σ 唳ム唳� and 唳︵唳� 唳膏唳班唳曕唳� reflect the friendships in our lives, showing the profound impact they have while they last, as well as how fragile they can sometimes become. Both also explore the struggle of surviving after a heartbreak. Overall, they feel deeply relatable to our life experiences. However, the writing needs some enhancement here.
唳唳栢 唳� 唳む唳� 唳椸唳� is filled with profound metaphors. While I'm not entirely sure, it feels as though the writer is depicting human life cycle through the story. At the end of the day, no matter how many people surround us, we are ultimately alone. People may care for a moment after you're gone, but life quickly moves on, and another life is born to take your place.
唳侧唳囙唳灌唳夃 explores decision-making, regret, and, above all, the existential crisis of human life. Like a lighthouse we seek but can never reach, we are led astray by illusions and wrong choices, guiding us toward the wrong beacon. In the end, all we can do is long for death, hoping for a chance to start the search anew. The plot is engaging鈥攁nother compelling tale by the author.
Once again, 唳熰唳唳唳ㄠΜ delves into the consequences of making wrong decisions and the repetitive cycle of life. When we love someone profoundly, they leave a part of themselves within us鈥攕omething we carry, consciously or unconsciously, for the rest of our lives. Sometimes, that part becomes so significant that we start to mirror that person, and the cycle of events continues, repeating itself in an endless loop.
唳∴唳班唳曕唳熰 唳溹唳唳班唳曕唳班Ω唳苦, the shortest story of the book, tells us about hope. After walking through twelve gloomy black stripes, we finally step onto the white one. The metaphors in this narrative encourage us to dream and depict the heavenly life we all desire. Yet, we must endure the pain to reach the pleasure as they are inseparable. One follows the other, much like the two sides of a coin or the contrasting black and white stripes of a zebra crossing. It is truly a remarkable one.
As a whole, if you're into magical realism or new to the genre, you should definitely give it a try. It鈥檚 a short and easy read, unlike other complex books that can be hard to follow. Despite being the author's first book, her writing style is quite impressive, particularly how assiduously she uses metaphors in simple sentences throughout the stories. The only downside is that the stories are quite short鈥擨 hope she explores longer formats in the future. The cover is minimal but cool, adding to the book's appeal. Best wishes to the author for her upcoming books!