Short Story Review | The Red Thread by Debeshi Gooptu



Short Story Review | The Red Thread by Debeshi Gooptu
Cover | Short Story | The Red Thread by Debeshi Gooptu
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Title: The Red Thread
Type: Short Story 
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle 


I came across this book, The Red Thread, on Twitter when the author shared it on her timeline. I am fond of the writer a lot and having read her previous work, The Gurgaon Diaries, few months back, I didn’t waste much time before going ahead and buying the Kindle version that is available on Amazon.   

This is a typical short story about a poor boy named, Adnan, falling in love with a wealthy girl next-door named Rai. The romance was just beginning to blossom when the one of them dies. And the story ends there. Often in stories like these we know there can be two possible endings: either a happy ending or a sad one. This story trends down the second path in a rather matter-of-fact manner.

For a short story, characters are often set in a predefined milieu and they exist there (well, mostly!) for the entire length of the story. There is not much scope for the characters to flourish or change their behavior patterns. Moreover, they have must hit the ground running right from the start to keep the readers engaged.

The Red Thread manages to create the milieu. It manages to grab your attention. However, it gets over before the emotional bond develops with the characters.

I found climax of the story a little rushed. Maybe, I was looking for the romance to blossom and take a certain shape before the catastrophe could hit them? 

I would not like to give away anything further and urge you to buy the book online. 

Book Review | 281 And Beyond by VVS Laxman

Front Cover : 281 And Beyond | Publisher: Westland Sport
Front Cover : 281 And Beyond | Publisher: Westland Sport
Genre: Autobiography
Hardcover: 336 pages 
Language: English 

Most followers of Indian cricket, if not all, would remember the day Vangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman decided to retire from all formats for cricket. 

It was August 2012. He was picked for the home series against New Zealand, which included a match in Hyderabad, his home town, where he could have had a grand farewell had he decided to continue playing. But for a man who always played to contribute to his team’s win, his goodbye from the game would be no different. He quit on his own term, when he thought was the right time to move on and allow younger players to take over.

In his book, 281 AND BEYOND, co-authored by senior cricket writer R. Kaushik, VVS Laxman opens up about his journey from a boy with middle-class values growing up in Hyderabad, to becoming one of the pillars of Indian middle-order batting and carrying the responsibility until his last day as an international player. The book is filled with amazing personal stories and inspiring anecdotes: they are sincere, philosophical and insightful. The narrator, by virtue of his humble and modest upbringing, uses the book to appreciate and thank every soul who had contributed in making him a successful sportsman.

Though VVS Laxman made his debut for India in 1996, his claim-to-fame moment came post the memorable 281 runs knock against Australia at Eden Gardens. For a knock that made him a regular member of the team and redefined Indian cricket in a manner which yielded great benefits in the years that followed, it’s only fitting that the book opens with some words about that great innings in the iconic venue. The writer didn’t disappoint.