The life of anyone is not the same, even in the same home. This variety of experiences makes a person’s life richer and fuller when they interact or read about the lives of many others. This is one of the reasons why literature becomes rich and a plethora in itself replete with experiences and ideas that would otherwise go unheard or unread. An example of this cornucopia is Dr. Bhaskar Natarajan’s boutique collection (as he calls it) with the title, “Love: Hits and Misses,” published by Evincepub Publishing. This collection of stories is born from the experiences he gained in his life and also those which he heard from others. This makes the work a product of many lives and hence, rich in wisdom which one cannot attain in their lifetime only.
For once, the readers would restrict the book to the only subject which the title discloses. But that is the tricky part as there is a lot more that the book explores, which the readers would only get to know when the readers would read one story after the other. Each story is a universe in itself as it is born from the fragment of different lives, which the author concocts on the pages of “Love: Hits and Misses.” He discusses other subjects and themes which form the subject matter of the lives of ordinary people. The book is peopled by people who could be found in any corners of the metropolitan living the attractions of city life and also the ones who could be found in any household. In light of this, the author discusses subjects that may be conventional and unconventional. He takes the liberty to give his characters the centre stage, and they make use of the space to stand for the many people who may be having thoughts like them for once.
These are some of the factors which make “Love: Hits and Misses” an instant attraction for the readers who are in search of finding a diversity of subjects on one platform. As the book cover suggests, it is not restricted to one genre or one theme. It goes on to explore a variety that makes sure one story or the other attracts different readers at the same time. At the same time, there is a third-person appearance of the author time and again, but that only makes the stories appear objective and free of any bias or author’s opinions. He would certainly have his thoughts and opinions on the subjects he discusses, yet he makes sure they do not reflect in his writing. This makes sure that the readers are able to decide for themselves whether the manner in which the characters are reacting is justified or not. Hence, in addition to learning from the experiences of others, the readers also understand things that may prove helpful at one point or another in running their lives smoothly. Natarjan’s boutique collection explores themes that are part and parcel of the lives of many living in urban areas. In his 10 stories, he stretches the limits of his ability to write due to which they are of varying lengths and written from viewpoints of both males, females, and the author as a third person. While “Life is a Song” takes the readers on a trip to the world of nostalgia, it also gives the message of how one should not forget their roots or the ways that were responsible for making their past rich and memorable instead; they should be taken along giving them the necessary modern touch or simply put, a makeover.
Simultaneously, a story like “I Found My Calling” talks about a subject that would not seem to match the title. It may be different, yet the relevance and significance of the story can not be ignored or overlooked in today’s time. Likewise, there are other stories too which may not match the title immediately, yet somehow someway, they do make sense, and their relevance increases because of the themes they cover. “Love at First Sight” may appear to be the closest to the title, but there is a lot more to it than just the mere estimate which comes from the title. In this sense, “Love: Hits and Misses” carries the air of the present-day life, which would give an idea to not just the contemporary readers but also the readers in the future when they would want to look back and see what lives in the past days were like. In light of this, suggesting the book to the readers of the present and future would not be wrong. At the same time, grow-up readers would find subjects of more importance to their understanding, and they would be able to understand the hits and misses of love that the author talks about in his boutique collection.
