Human Lives then versus now

Instagrammer Bookish witch88 has reviewed the Chronicler of the Hooghly and other stories as under:

My ratings: 4.6/5
Consisting of 4 short stories (Ashtami, Pandemic, Fault Lines, and The Chronicler of Hooghly) that span across cross generations, this book is a thought-provoking, enlightening as well as knowledgeable read.

What I liked about the book:
-> All the stories compare a time in India (especially Kolkata) from pre-independence vs now, making us ponder whether things have really changed.
-> The most striking feature of the book is how the author has let his creativity rewrite history.
-> The writing holds the capacity to make a reader fall in love with old Calcutta.
-> The stories are thought-provoking and represent various human nature/emotions.
-> The distinct messages from each story:
a) In Ashtami, our aversion as humans to differently-abled individuals.
b) In Pandemic, the comparison between 1920 pandemic and 2020 pandemic. Also, how the lockdown brought us closer to our families.
c) In Fault Lines, the karmic endings of our actions over time.
d) In The Chronicler of Hooghly, how certain actions have their impacts felt over generations.

What I did not like about the book:
-> Certain bits in some stories did not make much sense, as to why they were part of the story.
-> In The Chronicler of Hooghly, the to and from between the past and present was a little complex to follow at times.

Quotable quotes:
-> Just like we do not change even when we replace our old garments with new, so does the soul remain unchanged as it discards its worn-out body and takes birth in a new one.
-> Tragedies happen to good people to make them stronger.
.
More via link in bio. 🔗 👆🏻
.
QOTD : Which is favourite pre-independence story /book?

The book continues to make emotional waves worldwide with more than one hundred and sixty excellent reviews and ratings on Amazon and Good Reads

http://www.shaktighosal.com
.
#hooghly #kolkatadiaries #calcutta #shakti #shaktighosal #shortstories #bookstagramindia #2021reading #readsof2021 #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #authorsofinstagram #writersofig #indianauthors #indianwriters