Summary of August reads

Summary of August reads 

The Ladies midnight swimming club- An endearing story of three women overcoming their own grief and trauma. They find solace in the healing powers of water and eventually come together to form a midnights swimming club. Touches upon several themes- one of the main ones being Friendship. 

How the one armed sister sweeps the floor- A story that starts off as a folklore and tells the stories of characters whose lives unexpectedly intertwine with one another. It’s set in the time of Barbados , quite dark and touches upon aspects of drug, burglary and murder. 

Heaven is a disturbing portrayal of bullying experienced by two adolescents. It showcases the prejudices of society towards those who are different from the rest. What struck me was the voice of the character and the irony of the title. 

Shoko’s smile is a collection of short stories of Korean Women set against the backdrop of political turmoil. It showcases the impact of political events on the lives of these characters who are battling their own turmoil. 

The Blind owl- one of the finest works of Iranian literature. It tells the story of a man who is mourning the loss of the woman in his life. It delves deep into his stream of consciousness, spirals into his psyche and touches upon life and death. The prose is achingly beautiful. 

The Days of abandonment is the story of  a woman who is abandoned by her husband after 15 years of marriage. It chronicles her feelings of despair as she is trying to pull her life together. While the premises isn’t something new, the raw honesty in the voice of the character touches a chord. 

The woman in the purple skirt is an interesting story told from the point of view of narrator who stalks a woman in the yellow skirt. The story gains pace halfway and turns into a thriller of sorts. Aspects of loneliness, inability to connect with others and boredom are touched upon here. 

The Dead is one of the best novellas I’d ever read. Rich in prose, it tells the story of a book reviewer who ends up discovering a secret about his wife at an annual ball party. There is good imagery and descriptions to showcase the how the characters are in a state of paralysis with the monotony in their routine. Interestingly he makes snow as a character that makes the protagonist experience an epiphany.