PLOT: 5/5 CHARACTERS: 5/5 CLIMAX: 4.5/5 WRITING STYLE: 4.5/5 ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 5/5
With a subtle and aesthetically pleasing cover of the book, The Jamun Tree and Other Stories is a collection of stories by Richa Gupta. This collection is full of real emotions, heartbreak and the need to embrace loved ones in times of crisis.
Most importantly, the collection is full of moral values, but not in a strictly didactic way. He preaches through quotation and example. It explains and expresses the pain of love, loss, and longing, which is a big part of life.
Writing
The collection is made up of nineteen short stories based on the saying of Kurt Vonnegut: “We must be constantly jumping off cliffs and developing wings downwards.” The arguments in each story are varied and unrelated.
Each story follows the pattern of the beginning, middle, and end. They are self-contained and represent the events in the life of the characters.
The meanings that go deep
Like the title story Jamun tree, at the end of each story there is a moral or meaning related to human life and the struggle for existence.
For example, the story of Jamun Tree tells the story of the growth of the tree and the passing of generations of a family. This makes the tree symbolic of mortality and in many other stories, the symbolism goes hand in hand with the texts to enrich it and nurture deeper meanings.
The moral of the story is subtly mentioned. In fact, they are not mentioned, they are to be deciphered through the reading of stories. This can lead to multiple meanings that can be deciphered from the stories.
However, this does not create confusion in understanding the stories. This is because each story is complete and does not require prior knowledge to properly understand them. The stories are full of the pathos of the hardships of life, the struggle to live and the sense of one’s best leg regardless of the circumstances.
Rhythm
Stories move from one end to the other gradually and at a moderate pace. There are not too many turns. They spread out subtly and slowly and make their themes and ideas feel gradual.
Characters
The stories are full of main and minor characters. The characters are of different ages and are young, old, and middle-aged. Each one has a big role to play in bringing the plot to another level. These characters are very round and give a new direction to the plot.
These characters are the archetypes or symbols of a specific goal that they must fulfill. This is seen in the way they deal with obstacles along the way. Some of the characters leave the plot dead, but they remain etched in the reader’s memory, paving the way for the plot and helping to guess the circumstances. Some of the most beautiful stories are Homecoming, The Human Touch, Perspective, and The Cryptic Crossword.
Language
In The Jamun Tree and Other Stories, the writing style is simple and straightforward. The vocabulary is quite difficult but easy for the average reader to understand. In some stories there are dialogues interspersed with narrative.
An emotional walk
The pathos of the third-person narrative style blends with the pathos of the argument that engages the reader, elicits an emotional response, and at the same time creates an atmosphere of sadness and melancholy. This leads to a psychological decipherment of the functioning of the mind in the event of adversity.
Different people respond in different ways and this shows the struggle and beauty of life. In general, the book should be read slowly and carefully. It’s a good read for fans of short fiction and storytelling.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy a copy of The Jamun Tree and Other Stories using the link below.
