Tall Man Small Shadow provides a philosophical insight into
the mysticism of life and existence. The novel is woven around the lives of
several characters, who, quite enigmatically, are linked with each other. As a
result, the happenings in their lives affect the other threaded connections as
well. Vipin Behari Goyal, the author, tries to present a story with this unique
concept of existentialism, and succeeds to score high in most parts.
The characterization is the highlight of this story. Each of
the characters have been defined prominently, and have important roles assigned
to them in the plot. Anupam is the protagonist who loves to analyse the
spiritual meaning of life and existence. He is a deep thinker and tries to
comprehend the journey of life, and the meaning of death. Sulekha, his wife, is
a quick thinker and an intelligent woman. She is well versed in the art of
manipulation and devises strategies that make events appear as mere
coincidences.
Their daughter, Aalya, young and beautiful, is a student
of research in English Literature. She wishes to pursue her PhD, and is guided
by Seema. The student-teacher relationship gradually turns into a deep camaraderie,
and they start trusting and confiding in each other. They explore the
dimensions of love and relationships, often controversial, but invigorating and
relaxing to them.
Seema’s husband, Paul, is a drama director. He is a perfect
partner to Seema and caters to all her needs. However, his inability to provide
Seema with a child had created a void in her life. Sahil is the neighbor of
Aalya. He secretly likes Aalya, but is afraid to delve deep into a relationship
with her. The failure of his past love had left him insecure.
Vipin debuts with an unconventional theme and succeeds in
presenting the story in an easy and lucid manner. The events flow seamlessly,
and the viewpoints presented by different characters for the same event provide
multiple dimensions to the plot. You find yourself peeping into the minds of
the characters and analyse how they perceive the world around them.
However, the storytelling style often shifts from first
person to third person narrative, which again doesn't augur well for the flow
that the author had intended. This doesn't hamper much since the story
progresses at a regular pace, but to an avid reader like me, this does come out
as a chink that should have been rectified during the editing process. Also,
there are a few grammatical hiccups which again threaten to stall the pace of
the tale, and care should have been taken to eradicate them.
The author tries hard to present his thoughts, and his
sincerity and honesty reflect in the words. The
novel is short and good for a quick read. However, to truly understand the
philosophical ideas imbibed between the lines, you need to read it at a
leisurely pace, perhaps only a few chapters at a time, and then replay the
events in your mind with your eyes closed. You will find the characters come
alive.
Title: Tall Man Small Shadow
Author: Vipin Behari Goyal
Publisher: Cyberwit.net
Publication Year: 2013
Language: English
Binding: Paperback
My Rating: 3/5
Nice review :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Noopur :-)
Delete