With little doubt, the joy of a short story is in that, that it allows you to succumb to its own delicious reality, pulling you through its twists and turns. With Divya Dubey’s ‘Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales’, the joy is intact. The compilation throws you into a world familiar yet distant, grotesque yet not unreal, pulling you out only to ponder.
Jarring tales follow lazy titles in ‘Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales’. ‘Best Friend’ starts out at the bustling Dilli Haat, lingers through a childhood friendship, and ends in a distant goodbye. ‘Arnab’ portrays a soul trapped in an unrelenting world while, ‘Naani’ brings out the turmoil between a young girl and her grandmother.
Lust meets a startling fate in the title story ‘Turtle Dove’. Ebony-ivory triangles meet shaggy torsos, fire opal rings discover tidal waves of orgasmic ecstasy in this story of tasteless, archaic erotic literature. I’d rather call a penis, just as much, I reckon.
A liberal use of unnecessary adjective takes the trail in Dubey’s compilation. In the end, ‘Barkha Rani’ is too bland a piece, and ‘The Science Wizard’ is a mouthful, too much, too fast. One the ordinary story of an Indian bai, the other, the life of a young genius corrupted by bad company.
Dwelling on unwanted detail, and looming thought, Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales often loses your attention. Almost deceitfully, it uses lust, envy and other discomforting turns to jolt you back in. Needless to say, the book isn’t a smooth read. You may revel in its brave, juicy trail of darkness...or you may cringe, often unnerved.
A self-published book from Divya Dubey, the publisher of all-new Gyaana Books, Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales is worth a chance. Save the last two miseries (stories), the book piques interest. You must know, the tales are anything but simple. However, the aftertaste is much like a turtle dove, a mournful song of love and losing.
This book is reviewed by Gayatri Makhijani.
(Turtle Dove: Six Simple Tales is published Gyaana Books, at Rs 195/-)
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