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Book Review - Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag

Family. One word, but too many emotions. When you think of family, A lot of scenarios and emotions, come to your mind. Not everyone has the same experiences, so where one can see the happiness, you might see hatred or sadness for different reasons. It is a bond connected by blood where you do not get the choice. So, you got to have what it already serves on the plate. It can contain your favourite dishes along with things you are not so fond of, but you can’t discard anything and, that’s how you can imagine our relation. We can love them or hate them, yet we to stay together. You tend to save your clan when the time comes because it is yours.

This book will take you through phases where it becomes unbelievable to accept the scene going on. Why I’m using the word ‘scene’ because it is a combination of brief moments when compared to your own life, you might go into flashbacks. I could say this because I could relate to many things when I read it. Especially the scene where the protagonist talks about how things change with the flow of money as I have first-hand experiences of such times. It wasn’t easy but, now looking back at those incidents, I find myself above them and tried to judge no one based on those things. Something I learnt at a small age.

It is a story of a joint family who has seen their share of bad times and has come out of it. They care for each other but don’t think it is necessary to show it all the time (basically, a typical Indian household). Yet, you can clearly see how they handle the matter with utmost patience even when they are boiling inside. Prima facie it’s a simple story, but the meaning hidden beneath is very crucial. The ending leaves you juggling with many thoughts as you try to make sense yet know there is nothing serious going on except the usual humdrum of that household which will go on how it used to be. But what can you do with yours solely depends on how you carry it forward!

Go for it,

-if you are a connoisseur of short stories

-if you love reading about family-related stories

-if mundane things don’t bore you

-if you love to explore translated literature

-if reading about relations and their intricacies excite you

Rating – 4/5

Genre – Literary fiction, Indian literature


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