The Boundaries of Sanity-Mira Saraf

Book: The Boundaries of Sanity
Author: Mira Saraf
Publisher: Readomania

Which is the best psychological thriller you have read?

The Boundaries of Sanity by Mira Saraf is a collection of 5 short stories which explores the limits to which 5 distinctly imperfect people can go to as they battle their demons-guilt, anxiety, alcoholism, and others. Each of them faces a situation they have created themselves, and how they cope with it. In Solitary Confinement, we see Mrinalini facing her demons in a setting she would have never imagined herself in. Spilling Over the Edges tells us the story of a woman, wracked with guilt as she considers her emotions as she comes to terms with her life, and imagines the consequences until reality hits her. In Senseless Worries, Tanya finds herself on the wrong side of the day as she lives her life with a throbbing arm, and with a possible chronic disease. The Mirage is a chilly tale that tells us how things that seem real, can be unreal, until the other shoe drops. The Storyteller is a perfect story that closes the book with a story that transcends time, yet feels eerily real.

The stories in the book are very well crafted and the title of the book justifies each of the 5 stories that make up this book. Mira has taken five very different situations and characters to drive home the point that sanity is truly a state of mind we control, and that an external locus of control is just a part of that illusion. From a lonely island, to the hustle-bustle of the lanes of old Delhi, the locations differ, but they play a very crucial role in the unfolding of events in the book. Despite being a collection of short stories, the details are explained to the core, with the texture of the coconut to the carved elephant, and the routine of an obsessive husband. The storytelling is quite imaginative, and as the story moves, the reader is pushed into a trance, so much so that he/she becomes a part of the narrative, living it. If I had to pick my favorite from the lot, it would have to be The Storyteller for the simple fact that I could relate to it. The climax of each story was unexpected, well-crafted, and well-executed.

Coming to the characters, each of the story had a distinct character, who had their own secrets and demons. Each of them was very detailed, and had their own quirks that made them unique as well as interesting. There were just enough characters to move the stories, and no fillers were introduced, which was something truly commendable.

Overall, the book is a definite recommendation from me with a rating of 4.13/5 from me.

Grab a copy of the book here.