A BOOK WITH EMOTIONALLY- STIRRING PROSE AND POETRY

Book Review: "Pentacles" by Sabarna Roy

The book “Pentacles” by Sabarna Roy comprises of one long story and four short poems, and all these are individually independent in their own right. The author seems to be adept in both the forms of literary expressions, poetry and prose, and these have been used in this book with great poise to showcase vivid perspectives and delve into emotionally resonant themes, with an elegant writing style.

The story in the book, titled “New Life”, portrays the teenage angst and psychological hurt that the protagonist Kingshuk Sen faces as his mother had deserted the family for another man. The emotional stirrings and the feelings of loss and longing have been portrayed well, and the characterisation is such that the readers will root for his character.

The readers will be awed by the elegant writing style used in the book. The first lines of the story are “Loneliness is like smoke. It starts from a definite point and ends up everywhere indefinitely. It eats up the soul, actually chews it to miniscule shreds, from inside and out.”

The story has been written with intellectual musings and thorough contemplation. The work is interspersed with thought-provoking views on issues like love and socio-economic conditions in India. The story also has a lyrical prose and the author also gives closure to the metaphors. His protagonist says in the end- “my pursuit in life had to be to move away from the epicentre of my fundamental loneliness.”

The first poem in the collection is titled “The Tower”. The poem is a seeming take on the haphazard urbanization and the proliferation of urban jungles, with agricultural land and forests being used up in the process. It also depicts the theme of the concrete prison of urban life and the unfulfilled desire of the poet to escape to a simple life.

The other poems of the collection are more biographical in nature with the protagonist being the member of the fairer sex. The poems in the book are unshackled by the bonds of rhyme and metre. These free verse poems delve into the themes of love, art, emotions, arcane philosophies and everyday mundane things.

With heart-touching poems and an emotionally resonant story, combined with an elegant, yet unconventional writing style, this book should be picked up by readers interested in short reads or those wanting to read sharp and searing prose by an Indian writer.