Sunday, July 14, 2013

Recent Reviews: Biblio and some blog love from here and there

Not Only the Things That Have Happened has been reviewed in several places recently.
Here's Manasi Subramaniam, writing in Biblio:
Koshy’s writing is dense and layered in the way of an onion: peeling involves tears and eating involves pungency, but the stinging rawness of the process is ultimately rewarding, if disquieting...The constant intermingling of timelines is expertly handled by the author with precision and subtlety. The obliqueness of the many layers can be difficult to navigate, but in all its piercing poignancy the book has an edge of empathy that is perhaps the most endearing quality of Koshy’s writing. (Full review available on the author's blog, or at Biblio, registration required).

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I'm also pleased to see the book getting read and reviewed among bloggers. 

Here is Amrit Sinha at Live Your Life:
The story telling is immaculate, brilliant at parts, and accompanied with a beauty that is raw and divine...Like a work of art this novel narrates its tale, and you are drawn hypnotically towards its innate charms. Do not disengage yourself; rather, drift with the flow, and delve deeper into the trance. This book is about emotions of love, loss, trust and more, and once you are done unraveling the numerous tales hidden within the pages, you ponder over the firm faith that served as Annakutty’s strength throughout her life - “If it is real, you can remember not only the things that have happened, but also the things that are going to happen.” (Full review here).
Here's Deboshree, writing at Of Paneer, Pulao, and Pune:
As the 352 pages of Mridula Koshy’s ‘Not Only The Things That Have Happened’ narrate a tale – and so compellingly at that – crypticness gives way to wonder, melancholy and loveliness...‘Not Only…’ is a treat. Befitting for those hours of solitude when life looms large with questions of existence, dependence and persistence. As Anna puts it herself –“If I could, I would go back to the beginning. But I can’t. I can only go the end.” And this tale, by all means, is one that deserves to be accompanied till the last page.  (Full review here.)
Yatin Gupta, at Me About My Thoughts writes:
Mridula Koshy’s this book is a poignant tale about the mother and the son. The love, regret, loneliness, sadness, the search of identity and various other emotions come out beautifully through her words. A reader may find it a bit difficult to get hang of this book in the beginning but once you get hold of the story, you will not be able to put the book down. (Full review here).
And finally, Fiza Patham at insaneowl:
Mridula Koshy has captivated me with her novel ‘Not Only the Things That Have Happened'...the text also allows the reader to indirectly be a sort of ‘back seat writer’ who completes the story with his or her own interpretations… as it is said, the author writes the book but it is indeed the reader that finishes it. I have been deeply affected by this book & I recommend this newly crafted design of words to all & sundry. (full review here).

You can find a summary of reviews so far here 

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