Friday, 20 September 2019

Long Short Stories-Chetan Soni

Book: Long Short Stories
Author: Chetan Soni
Publisher: Half Baked Beans

Long Short Stories by Chetan Soni is a collection of 5 short stories that explore the theme of modern day romance and how we are adapting to the same with our changing lifestyles.


The first story, Infidelity, focuses on the concept of infidelity and how things unravel in the life of Raj that change his point of view completely. Despite feeling guilty, he continues his amorous adventures and with a cruel twist, gets poetic justice. The Second Story, The Chronicles of Raghu Kapoor, is an emotional story that focuses on the relationships that fizzle out just because somebody did not have the courage to say, Just Stay. What’s in a Name, the third story focuses on the story of Krish and Lakshmi and how the scars of the past sometimes hold us back and do not let us enjoy the pleasures of the present. Following this, we see the penultimate story, Letters from a Stranger, where the story revolves around Kundan and his broken heart, following which he moves to the mountains after cutting off all his connections in the city. One day, missing Akriti, he decides to check his email, where a surprise awaited him and this story teaches us the value of time in a relationship. The last story, The Long Short Story of Kabir-Sonia, is a cheesy romantic story where love trumps across the barriers of age, distance and time.

The characters in all the 5 stories are crafted nicely. Each of them has a distinct personality and each of them is well-suited to the situation they are set in. Talking about the plot, the stories seem a bit hurried and hence are not very captivating. The essence of the plot is understood but the abruptness leaves a feeling of incompleteness. There are a few editorial errors as well that stand out prominently.

All in all, if you are looking for a quick read, go for it. I’ll give it 3/5.

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