Blurb: 12 strokes
of life is a collection of 12 short stories. From the hilly terrains of
Matheran to the IT hub of the country, from the historically rich city of Bihar
to one of the fastest growing cities of India, Coimbatore, these stories are
set in varied locations. From an overconfident youth longing for success to a
determined old man termed insane by neighbors, from a married lady in search of
true love to a young girl fighting against all odds to overcome her worst
fears, the characters are very much alive and can be related to people around
us.The stories belong to different genres and try to send across a message to the reader which is though everyone paints a unique picture of life based on their experiences; it never stops to amaze us. After all, life has infinite strokes. Read the 12 strokes of life to know the hues and shades of the journey of a few.
Verdict: ’12 Strokes of Life’ is a collection of twelve short stories written by author Durgesh Shastri. Each every story has a different message to deliver and a different tale to tell which I think is the most interesting fact about the book.
The name sounds very impressive and will definitely drag the reader’s attention. Twelve stories which tell different tales of life can easily be termed as the strokes of life. I appreciate the designer for such a wonderful cover which makes the first impression quiet striking.
This is not regular that an author choosing to write an anthology collection because I think conveying a message through a short story is much tougher that conveying through a full fledged novel but this author has shown the guts and came up with a short story collection which is commendable. Needless to say; the author has a story teller within and also has a fluent narrating style. The easy going words will help the readers to maintain the flow.
Each and every story has a very good message to convey. Not every story ends with a good note but will definitely have something to learn from the story and I believe that is where the author has focused more, on giving a moral. Stories have different scenes, different background and have unfolded in different states of India, which makes this book all the more interesting. All the characters are so real, that one can easily relate them.
At times I felt few stories lack description, few stories feel like they are written in a hurry and there are few which couldn’t connect with the readers. A few editing errors are also spotted here and there. I would appreciate the author for this attempting and would love to read some more in from his in future and would expect that he will keep this things in mind.
There are four or five stories which immensely touched my heart but the best of the series was ‘The Anonymous Donor’
Final Words: A very nice attempt by Durgesh Shastri and I appreciate the author’s effort for penning down wonderful short stories which left lasting effects among the readers.
Title: 12 Strokes of Life
Author: Durgesh Shastri
Publisher: Gargi Publishers
Page Count: 160
My Rating: 3.5/5
Available at –
Flipkart - http://www.flipkart.com/12-strokes-life/p/itmdwkewtmckhytt?pid=9788192960906&otracker=from-search&srno=t_3&query=durgesh+shastri&ref=45b27e85-b0ca-4a3d-9490-64578c8a5f80
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