Here is an honest review of a book that guarantees the readers a trip to madness

The Bengaluru-based author’s writing style reminds us that it’s okay for a narrative to not have a clear-cut beginning and end. Conversations piece together dialogues the way they mostly are — unstructured. And we can’t stop chuckling at the humour

Title: Conver-sations - Regarding the Fatalistic Outlook of The Common Man
Author: Kuzhali Manickavel
Genre: Short fiction
Publisher: Blaft Publications
Cost: Rs 495       

Reading Kuzhali Manickavel’s latest short fiction can lead to two outcomes. You may either feel frustrated at one point — because the writing is ridiculous and thankfully, doesn’t disguise sense in absurdity — or, want to be friends with her. We want to be her 3 am friend. We want to dissect Munni badnaam hui with her over a call. This Bollywood song, if badnaam and badam are the same thing, white men with really white legs, funny English and funnier English teachers and marriage — are some of the topics that feature in Conversations - Regarding the Fatalistic Outlook of The Common Man. As is evident from the title, at least one part of it, it’s an anthology of chats between the author and her friends and acquaintances. In short, the book is a trip to madness.

The Bengaluru-based author’s writing style reminds us that it’s okay for a narrative to not have a clear-cut beginning and end. Conversations piece together dialogues the way they mostly are — unstructured. And we can’t stop chuckling at the humour. The author shares that she recently ran into a teacher from her growing-up days. The teacher wanted to cry a little. Before the other talker could assume they were tears of nostalgic joy, when the narrator clarifies that she had actually run into her teacher, making the elderly woman roll down a couple of stairs. They also discuss another teacher who would generously throw around the command, “I say you get out”. And if anybody moved in response, she would ask, “Are you going for a walk? Is this a fish market.” The narrator — with her readers in tow — wonder who goes for a walk in a fish market. 

We will pick up the short fiction anthology while catching a flight. Or, at any instant to break the monotony of life. Or, just for spare laughs. With its strange lens on the quirks of the human race, the book leaves room for self-interpretation. Everyone can make some sense of the ramblings in their own sweet way.   

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