Title: Dissent
Author: Deepak Kaul
Review:
Broad in scope if somewhat narrow in emotional pitch, Deepak
Kaul’s short story collection, ‘Dissent,’ is the outcome of a contest hosted by the Write India Campaign (an initiative by Times of India) over a period of 11 months. The
contestants were provided with prompts by established writers and in one case,
the title for the story too. Like several aspiring writers, Deepak too
participated in this much ambitious project and even if he didn’t succeed in
making the cut, at the end of the contest he was 11 stories richer which in
itself is no small thing.
The anthology opens with Amish Tripathi’s prompt which was
also the first to be shared by Write India. The story was meant to be one
portraying women empowerment but somewhere lacks the necessary ingredients. The
second story meets a similar fate. From the third story Deepak’s style changes
for the better. It is evident that this competition has given him a dose of
growth and literary development. This is quite visible in the progression of
the collection. The first two stories are a bumpy ride but the writer gets
quite comfortable with his third attempt. But unfortunately the stories do not
leave any lasting impression.
The collection is a largely mediocre fare — with a few
exceptions. The stories, ‘LCA’ and ‘Mirage’ show potential whereas ‘Taboo’ is a little
confusing at the end. ‘Karma Agni’ is one of the finer stories in the
collection. The situation described in the story, 'All in,' is perhaps the dream of every filmmaker. Rest of the stories are average. There are a few noticeable typos. The book cover doesn't quite attract either.
However, there is no denying the fact that the writer has tried to come up with out-of-the-box stories. Anybody interested in reading light, over-in-one-sitting book should try this one. I’ve read another book, Corpokshetra, by this same writer which was quite interesting. I feel his stories make for an entertaining read.
However, there is no denying the fact that the writer has tried to come up with out-of-the-box stories. Anybody interested in reading light, over-in-one-sitting book should try this one. I’ve read another book, Corpokshetra, by this same writer which was quite interesting. I feel his stories make for an entertaining read.
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About the Author:
Deepak Kaul is a chartered accountant by profession, specialising in international tax. He has over twenty years of work experience, of which twelve were spent overseas in Singapore and USA. Deepak has always been fond of reading; writing is his aspirational hobby and he hopes to pursue it as a vocation.
I'd like to thank the author for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!
*'I received a free copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.'
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