Book Review – ‘Four Blocks Wide’ | The Thought Scribbler's Blog

Book Cover – ‘Four Blocks Wide’

Format: Kindle Edition

Print Length: 55 pages

Sold by: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited

Language: English

ASIN: B07JL3NMSP

Blurb

A little girl goes missing.
A newly married couple find themselves in unnerving circumstances.
A girl finds her true calling.
A boy travelling in a train encounters magic.

Review and Rating

Kalyani is sent on an errand to the Postman’s house. Salivating at the thought of jaggery sweets at home, Kalyani is in a hurry to get the letter read. She entrusts the letter to a person she presumes to be the husband of her portly neighbour. A small misconception led her to compromise on the values inculcated by her mother.

Shreeja, who has a non existent personal life and a monotonous professional life is smitten by a man she just met on the Metro. She feels as though she is floating in a bubble mid air. Her fantasies land her in serious trouble.

Rohan agrees to move in to Usha’s hometown after the latter’s insistence. The newly married couple is looking forward to a blissful life far away from the onslaught of their relatives. Usha is on a sabbatical and feels lonely in their 3 BHK apartment. What aroused her curiosity was a dilapidated old age home located opposite to their residential building. She keenly observes the inmates and familiarises herself with each one’s routine. Rohan is concerned by his wife’s aloof behaviour. His efforts to uplift her spirits go in vain and he has a mammoth task ahead of him to take care of his married life which is now in shambles.

A boy travelling in a train encounters magic whilst reading a book.

The characterisation was on point. The protagonists of the stories were not perfect, they clung to their vulnerabilities. They were very conscious about their image as perceived by the society. The descriptive writing brought the scene to life. Even though the author used magical realism in a fiction story, it was not over done. The lucid language is the cherry on the cake.The stories leave enough room for interpretation and introspection.