A House is a body : Book review









Book Review

 

Title: A House is a Body

Author: Shruti Swamy

Genre: Fiction/Short story collection

 

'A House is a body' is a collection of twelve short stories centered around characters living in India and abroad. 

 

In the first story 'Blindness', we have a woman who is newly married and her husband is unable to understand her depression. In the second story 'Mourners', we have the protagonist who has lost his wife and his baby is cared for by his wife's sister.In the 'Wedding Season', we have two women who are in love with one another. One of the women is Indian and her values do not comply with traditional norms. In 'The laughter artist' we have a woman trying to make an art of laughter. In 'A house is a body,' we have a mother with an ailing daughter who is trying to escape the raging forest fires. 

 

The language is more poetry than prose. Her usage of imagery lends authenticity to the setting and also to some of the recurring themes in her stories.The color blue is mentioned in many of the stories. In a a couple of stories the author has used mythology to depict significance of this particular shade. 

 

In some places, the author offers a closer narrative, making us privy to the character's thoughts and feelings. In other instances, she creates this distance and offers a telescopic view of the setting. It's interesting to observe the transformations and transitions experienced by the characters. There is an element of mystery present in some of the stories and the author tends to make readers make their own inferences. Motherhood seems to be another theme that links the stories together. 

 

A House is a body is an interesting collection that is complex and compelling. It captures the little moments of life and a kaleidoscope of emotions-grief, joy and pain.












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