Lucknow: After the Lamps Go Out-Parveen Talha

Book: Lucknow: After the Lamps Go Out
Author: Parveen Talha
Publisher: Rupa Publications

I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Have you heard the stories of ghosts and jinns of Lucknow?

When the lamps go out, Lucknow becomes another city. In Lucknow, after the Lamps Go Out: Tales of Ghosts and Jinns, Parveen Talha gathers stories that move through the old quarters, ruined buildings, graveyards, railway platforms and forgotten houses of the City of Nawabs—stories of spirits, apparitions, unexplained visitations and jinns whose presence lingers just beyond the visible world. These are not conventional horror stories. They are tales steeped in Lucknow’s history, tehzeeb, memory and loss. The city’s past—especially the violence, grief and dislocation surrounding 1857— presses constantly against the present, giving rise to legends attached to places such as the Residency, Begum Kothi, La Martiniere, Firangi Mahal, Aminabad and Malhaur station. Moving between folklore, faith and lived recollection, the book evokes a Lucknow where the dead are not always gone, where jinns may intervene in human lives, and where memory survives in eerie, intimate forms.

Parveen explores the stories of Ghosts and Jinns in Lucknow through these 15 stories that span across the city-from La Martiniere to the Residency, and tell us how a different city lives within the boundaries once night arrives. What stands out in the book is that each of the stories is unique and while the theme remains common, the concept and idea is not the same, each story has its own essence that shows that not all apparitions are necessarily malevolent. The story titled “The Good Old Doctor” was one such story which I loved reading. Similarly, “Who Did the Surgery on Her” was another story that shows that all the stories about ghosts and jinns need not have unfavourable consequences. “Where Did the Delicacies Come From” and “Coronavirus and the Funeral” were stories that show that if your intentions are pure, then the jinns do help a person in the time of need.

The overall experience of reading the book is good and the stories are written with a good pace which prevents the reader from getting bored. The writing is engaging and keeps you turning the pages and move forward with the book. The sourcing of the stories is commendable, and I loved that it is not just the commonly known places, but places such as Malhaur that the author has covered in her book. Having lived in the city for quite some time and heard a few stories myself, this was a read that took me back to the lanes and the roads of Lucknow once again.

Overall, this is a book that is recommended to anyone looking to read about some of the hauntings of Lucknow. The book scores a 4.25/5 for me.  

Grab a copy of the book from a bookstore near you or on Amazon India.

People We Love-Preeti Shenoy

Book: People We Love
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Have you ever wanted to explore the stories of the characters you read in a book, before the events in the book occur?

The people we love never truly leave our story. In these tender yet piercing stories, Preeti Shenoy returns to some of her most beloved characters to reveal who they were before they appeared in her bestselling novels It's All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have. Aniket, a coder, carries the weight of a longing for Trisha that he cannot bring himself to act on. Nidhi abandons her corporate life to teach pottery, only to discover that clay is far more forgiving than the people she loves. A quiz competition sparks an unlikely romance between Aman and Shruti, one that must withstand parental disapproval and class divides. And Anjali, a journalist, is so busy chasing stories that she almost misses the one unfolding in her own life. Set against the pulse of contemporary India, People We Love explores the tug-of-war between duty and desire, family and freedom, who we are and who we dare to be. Intimate and deeply felt, these are stories about love that stays, leaves and almost slips away ... love that quietly and irrevocably shapes the people we become. For fans of Preeti Shenoy's It's All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have

It's All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have were two of my favourite titles from Preeti and to meet the characters once again, after almost a decade, was an interesting experience for me.

Aniket and Trisha’s story- “Before the Planets Aligned” gives us a brief peek into how Aniket gets the opportunity to meet Trisha, and how Nidhi comes into the picture. The entire office romance has been written quite nicely and I loved that hesitancy in Aniket’s approach, and Subbu’s reaction to his friend’s situation. The story is simple and I loved how Preeti shows the entire arc of a relationship, from longing, to meeting and the slow development of cracks in a relationship. The hesitations in the beginning of a relationship to the insecurities towards the later stages are wonderfully captured. I also loved how Preeti uses clay and pottery as a way to put forth some very poignant life lessons for the readers.

The One Who Changed Everything, where we meet Aman and Shruti starts off as a meet cute romance. The first half of the story makes you smile with the small, romantic gestures. As things progress, conflict arises and the classic chasm of class, caste and region take over the story. I loved how the story gives context to Shruti and Aman’s story that we see in The One You Cannot Have. Preeti’s writing in this story keeps you engaged, and at the same time raise an important question-Isn’t just love enough for two people to be together. I loved the visual aspect of the storytelling that Preeti uses in this story to show the gap between the families. Be it Aman’s house in Gwalior, or Shruti’s house in Bangalore, the descriptions are vivid and you are able to visualize the difference that the author wanted to portray.

The One I Almost Missed takes the previous story forward and we see the moment Aman and Anjali interact for the first time. Here again, the storytelling keeps you hooked, specially the email exchanges that are a highlight of the story. I loved the tennis metaphor and somehow I resonated quite a bit with it.

While each of the story is a standalone, discrete story, there is a common theme of a sense of duty, desire, family and the idea of freedom-how it changes for each person. I liked the idea that Preeti wove in all the 3 stories that if it hurts you, sometimes walking away and starting fresh might be a better option, rather than holding on. I just have one grouse that since all the stories are in based Bengaluru, I was low-key hoping for a cross-over of our characters. It would have brought an interesting perspective into the stories as well.

If you’ve read Preeti’s previous works, specially It's All in the Planets and The One You Cannot Have, then these 3 stories would definitely enhance your memory of these books. If you’ve not picked up the books, then start with this book and then take up the other books to have a complete experience of the stories of Aniket, Trisha, Nidhi, Aman, Shruti and Anjali. The book scores a 4.75/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a Bookstore Near you! I sourced my copy from Crossword Cyber Hub.

Grab the books referenced:

It's All in the Planets

The One You Cannot Have