Metamorphing - Book Review

Metamorphing

By Kunal Pancholi

Review By Ila Garg

Metamorphing, by the debutant writer Kunal Pancholi is published by Frog Books (an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd). The paper and print quality show that it is a publication house that we should keep an eye on. Metamorphing is a gripping crime thriller which is adorned by an equally illustrative cover design.

The cover shows a half opened door and draws an eerie picture of a murder site with the marked area for a dead body. On the foreground, there is a red butterfly silhouette which doesn’t fit in the murder site but had to be there to emphasize on the title which is related to metamorphosing i.e. Caterpillar - Butterfly. Yes, this misspelled word, ‘Metamorphing’ is deliberately chosen as the title of the book.

Thus, this thoughtful title and cover will instantly make you want to grab the book and read on.

The author graduated from SRCC Delhi in 2001 and completed his MBA from NMIMS Mumbai in 2006. He has worked with banks, co-founded READO – an audio book publishing company and done a marketing stint with a film production company in Mumbai. Currently he heads marketing at a technology start-up. Metamorphing is his literary debut.

The blurb reads as, “28TH APRIL, 2000: Flight No. 9x4876 bound to Srinagar has crash landed into the Everest Base camp. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the flight mysteriously went off the radar for few minutes and missed its landing. All passengers are feared dead… except for three bodies that are yet to be recovered.

8TH DECEMBER, 2050: This, without doubt is the most gruesome murder in recent times. Early this morning, an unidentified woman was found mutilated at the western gates of the abandoned Victoria Terminus Station in Mumbai. Authorities report her head was … well … semi-decapitated and she was drained of all her blood. The shocking part - the crime scene was devoid of any signs of blood spatter…

ROHAN: He was shorter than the shortest girl in school; he had to be ahead in the game!

RUDRA: A man without a past, coaxed into a murder investigation; will he ever grasp the true nature of the crime?

A thrilling tale about two men bound by an untraceable yet undeniable fate - One running away from his past, another unaware of his own.”

The author covers a span of 50 years in this book. Kunal Pancholi weaves an impressive story that narrates the tale of two people who live years apart but still are connected to one another in some bizarre form. One man who is desperately trying to run away from something in his past, whereas another one who would do anything to remember anything from his past.

The story of these two people progresses in alternating chapters. First man, Rudra, wakes up from an accident in 2050, and finds his memories washed away. He manages to get his address and reach his house but still remains clueless. He is then asked to be a private detective by a woman whose son is wrongly accused of murder. Rudra takes up the assignment assuming that he had been a detective in his life before his memories got washed away.

The second man, Rohan is the shortest guy in his class. He is in quest of love and living the life of a normal youngster at the millennium year. His life is perfect when Gina reciprocates his feelings. But a plane crash from which he is the only survivor changes his life forever.

The language is brilliant, easy, with no technical jargon and fluid enough to read. As simple as it may seem, the story doesn’t move on a linear path; it takes a zig-zag pattern. Readers will find it interesting and will not be bored.

The 250 page book manages to a wonderful read. Not exposing the story much, I can easily say that readers will enjoy it despite the non-linear pattern. The plot that is different from the mainstream romance makes you keep turning the pages to reach the climax and unveil the suspense of the lives of the two main characters. The author binds the attention of his readers from the very beginning. He manages to create an aura of confusion and suspicion which compels the readers to read till the end.

For a debut writer, Kunal Pancholi has presented a nice book with a different storyline. The plot and thrill kept me glued to this book. Though the author should have worked more on building the suspense. Also, the narrative style was a little different and is gripping. Readers will find it a comfortable read and the pace is comfortable too. Due to the simple language used by the author, the readers will not find it difficult to comprehend.  

‘Yay’ Factors: The story line and the language. Also, I loved the characterization and the way Kunal Pancholi has created the house in 2050 with his words.

‘Nay’ Factors: The suspense is revealed well before the book ends.

My Verdict: To find out who is Rudra, why is he in the hospital, what is the reason behind his memory loss, how he struggles to recollect his past, who is Rohan, is he successful in his quest of love, what happened with him after plane crash, why cannot recollect from his past, how he gets back to his normal life, who is Ayan, what role does he have in the story, how are both Rudra and Rohan connected; you will have to read the novel, Metamorphing.

Ratings: 4/5

 

Buying Links: Infibeam | Amazon | uRead |Flipkart | Landmark | Crossword    

This (Unbiased) book review is a part of "The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program". To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com. Thanks Nimi Vashi for giving me the opportunity to read such a nice book!

 

In Conversation with Nidhi Saxena :)

Born and brought up in Allahabad, Nidhi Saxena did her MBA from Mumbai's S.P. Jain Institute of Management Studies. She is an entrepreneur, activist in the making and a writer. Love Chameleon, her first literary endeavor perceptibly resonates her eclectic worldview and bohemian spirit. While she travels globally and has lived in Mumbai, Delhi and New York, the writer in her is at best unsettled.

Here she lets her readers know a little more about herself and her journey so far. Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you Nidhi Saxena:

1. Tell us something about your book?

Love Chameleon is my labor of love. It is a collection of poems that simply lends a voice to my life’s experiences, especially those pertaining to love, which arguably is the most engaging human endeavor of all times.

2. Why Partridge Publishing House?

This is my first book and that too in a very niche genre like poetry that is not seen as commercially viable. So going ahead with Partridge Publishers, the self-publishing arm of Penguin Random House seemed like the best bet to get the book out to the audience quickly and efficiently.

3. What inspired you to write this particular anthology?

The book is a result of intense introspection over various questions pertaining to the nature of love, attachment, separation and pain. Love itself has been the biggest inspiration.

4. What do you think is your biggest strength when it comes to writing?

Ms. Nidhi Saxena, At a recent launch of Love Chameleon

I believe that the biggest strength of my writing is the conviction to present the truth in its absolute naked form without any apologies whatsoever. I believe that a writer cannot just be a fence-sitter but needs to take an unequivocal stand on issues that matter -  a writer acts like the conscience of the society and takes the poison on his or her own self by exposing and thereby purging the bitter truths that are buried in deep layers of hypocrisy and denial within a society and form part of our collective pact of silence lest they become too huge a burden to carry. I have tried to do the same with my book.

The other aspects of my writing are of course technical, I like to focus on subtle nuances; the choice of words, the lyricism of the sentences, the power of imagery and impactful endings as these are vital to my craft.

5. Share some of your interesting memories you lived while writing this book.

Waking up at 5.00 am, having a cup of strong adrak chai and get going on the book. Or sometimes, missing flight announcements or the thread of daily human chores and normal office conversations while being so lost in composing a poem and then being suddenly jolted out of my reverie. So many times, I rang the bell on my neighbors apartments one floor above or below mine thinking it was my own flat!

6. If you were to describe your book in one line, what would it be?

The book is a chameleon, it changes color and takes you through a plethora of diverse moods and emotions, it is like unhurried love making, take it slow to truly enjoy it.

 

7. What made you decide on the title of the anthology?

The title was something that came to me as soon as I started compiling the poems. The chameleon has been used as a metaphor to reflect the transient nature of love and relationships. At another level, the chameleon also reflects the insatiable nature of human desire. I couldn't think of any other title that would be more apt.

8. What is your least favorite part of the writing process?

Editing is a necessary but extremely painful process, especially as you are not creating anything new but correcting what you have already written. A good poem usually gets composed in a single, masterful stroke and does not need much editing. It is only the mediocre works that need to be edited and sometimes you just never seem to get it right!

9. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.

Intense, Introspective, Bold, Succinct and Sophisticated.

10. Is there a key person or group that has inspired you in the process of writing?

All my lovers... that has been my real source of inspiration and this book is clearly dedicated to them.

11. What are some things you like to do when you’re not writing?

Listening to classical music, savoring art or running my business.

12. How do you feel when someone disagrees with something you have written?

A writer has to be very open to taking in diverse viewpoints including contrary ones and sublimating them into writing.  The whole idea of writing is to spark off a debate and discussion and it would defeat the very purpose if you expect all to agree.

13. What’s the biggest mistake new writers make according to you?

Expecting too much and too early. Writing is a laid back endeavor and should be totally unencumbered from any populist or commercial compulsions.

14. It may be unfair to ask but we’d love to know your personal favorites from ‘Love Chameleon’?

Love Sabbatical from the Chapter “The Irreconcilability of Loss”. I think it is the poem that is very intense and deep and expresses the emotion of pain and loss better than any other work. It is my personal favorite.

15. Tell us something about your future projects.

Having launched my first book in a niche genre like poetry, I am now working on my first full fledged novel. While the project is extremely nascent at this stage, I am working on a plot which involves the twists and travails of an ambitious and idealistic entrepreneur who eventually turns into a power hungry politician. Enough said!

16. Lastly, is there a message you would like to convey your readers?

Poetry, one of the most beautiful and expressive of all art forms, is fast becoming an endangered species in the realm of literature. The world may not have the same charm if we no longer have the luxury of relishing fine poetry, be it in English, Urdu, Hindi or any other language. Therefore, we must do all we can to revive poetry and you readers have a big role to play in continuing to encourage and appreciate good poetry so more gets churned out!

Love Chameleon is an anthology of contrarian poems penned over 20 years by Nidhi Saxena, an established entrepreneur, activist in the making, and writer.

Description

Love Chameleon is an anthology of poems wherein the poet uses the metaphor of the “Chameleon” to elucidate the complex themes of love, lust, loss, longing, fidelity, sexuality and outdated social mores. The book is paradoxical in that it blends several contradictory elements to make a powerful whole – it is at once intrepidly bold and sensual, movingly sensitive and absurdly hilarious. The poems are further multi-layered in that they exist at the level of words but also convey higher meaning at another, more metaphysical level. In the end, the book truly captivates by its sheer candidness matched in equal measure with a witty and vibrant play of words.