Author: Vandana Kumari Jena
Publisher: Rupa Publications
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Do you like reading stories that end with a twist?
It begins with a whisper from the pages of a locked diary, a farewell
song, a leap into the void. The surface of life trembles and the ripples spread
outwards, pulling what is hidden into the light. In Swansong, nothing is what
it seems. A birthday marks the beginning of the end, a neighbour hides more
than gossip, an ordinary home turns into a stage for a final performance. By
turns poignant, chilling and quietly defiant, these twenty-four stories do not
soothe. They disturb, provoke and linger. With unflinching honesty and lyrical
precision, Vandana Kumari Jena draws you into unexpected depths, where lives
fracture, certainties unravel, and revelations arrive in ways both devastating
and redemptive. This is not a book of endings. It is a book of reckonings.
The writing in Swansong is quite interesting and as a reader you are presented with stories with endings you would not have guessed at all. Each of the stories is unique and is set in a different setting. While the stories are short, they are precise and deliver the message that they are written to convey. I went into the book expecting a collection of short stories that would have a thriller element, or might also have some bit of twists, but Vandana turns each of the 24 stories into a masterpiece, keeping you turning the pages till you finish the book. It is a page-turner and I can surely attest to the writing prowess of the author, specially with the endings of some of the stories. The very first story, Swansong, presents so many options and opoortunities, yet the author picked the one ending that you would usually not guess at all. Memories of Happier Times is another story that cannot be slotted in any conventional genre, but presents a situation that has become all to common, and the author presents it in a wonderful manner. Angel of Mercy stood out for me for the sheer coldness of the characters and how the author writes the last line of the story, that spine chilling was exhilarating.
Overall, Swansong is a book that I would recommend to anyone
looking to read a wonderfully penned book that would surprise you with each of
the 24 stories. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or a Bookstore near you.
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