A MELANGE OF SHORT STORIES, ENCOMPASSING DIVERSE GENRES

Book Review: "Slices of Life" by Richa Gupta

Short stories, with all the brevity that they entail, are certainly more difficult to write than novels, since the character development and plot outline has to be done in a few pages. Most short story collections have stories of a specific genre, but some editors and authors are nowadays coming up with anthologies and books consisting of short stories from myriad genres, to cater to the modern readers’ tastes. A mixed bag of stories, delving into diverse genres, is certainly a treat to read. The author Richa Gupta has come out with such a book “Slices of Life”, which consists of short stories having an assortment of genres, which includes bathos, futuristic sci-fi, realistic fiction, and whodunit.

This short story collection consists of 12 stories. The story ‘The Young Visitor’ is about a woman’s quest to find a maid for doing household chores. The story ‘Future Love Story’ is a futuristic twist on a love story, with technology playing a role in matchmaking. Other stories in this collection include ‘Disclosure’ and ‘Bridal Wear’.

The stories in this collection have an expansive palette for the readers to get immersed into. The intricate stories in this book traverse different backdrops, geographies, milieus, and social classes.

The author offers a diverse motley of characters and experiences for the readers to comprehend, contemplate, imagine and relate to; and the characters come from different walks of life. Along with the characters, the author also portrays the character of every setting, be it a mofussil or rural setting, or the posh locales of Delhi, through small and austere details, but an astute depth.

The stories foray into themes like love, loyalty, friendships, human struggle, courage, and relationships. Rich language and adorned words have been used in the stories, which certainly elevate the narrative. However, whatever the genre or the theme of the stories, they all are brimming with heartwarming emotions.

The characters navigate their relationships with élan, and the author is incisive in her dissections of relationships and contemporary developments. There is also a story of a migrant family trudging to their home in rural India during the Coronavirus lockdown.

The alternating perspective of different characters has also been shown. The protagonists of almost all stories are women, and they have been depicted realistically. However, some stories do put forward an orthodox view about women, and some are more liberal in their outlook. Also, minor glitches are there in some stories, such as mistakes in the names of characters.

Readers, do pick up this book if you love to read stories delving into diverse genres, all accommodated in a single read. Some short stories in this collection foray into standard and familiar themes, and some also provide an insight into futuristic topics. Some stories are acerbic, some kitschy, some contemplative, while some outright cheesy. However, the threads connecting the characters, storylines, and the themes have been weaved with an elegant prose in all these stories. This one is an entertaining and eclectic read.