My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Many thanks to the author for a copy of the book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

A collection of short stories, Kaleidoscope by Ranjit Kulkarni as the name suggests reflects the different colors that fall on a mirrored glass. Each story offers a stimulating experience of life in its assorted forms thru the eyes of the protagonist. The multifarious themes of coma, cancer, pandemic, old age, stock market, hidden treasures, antique books, family secrets during partition, funeral mix-ups, mercy killing, even some fantasy, just to name a few subjects, there’s so much in this book.

Like the multicolored sugar candies that offer a variety of flavors, this collection is sure to give pause to all readers and make them think. Some of them like the Coma, Fountain Pen, and Grace Ayah are my absolute favorites. The Fountain pen, in fact, deserves a special mention, coz it has been intruding into my thoughts ever since I have read it. Imagine the conundrum of not knowing whom to accord the blame to?

The tongue-in-cheek humor that shines in some of the situations was blessedly a relief coz hidden behind that dry sarcasm were the facts of life and choices that impact us in the long run and it is something that is to be dwelled upon by each one of us.

Ranjit’s writing is fluid, there’s a sense of gliding thru the absolutely impressive stories.

Recommended!

Do you like stories about life, death, and human behaviour with a twist?

Welcome to Kaleidoscope – short stories of many hues – which will haunt you, tingle your spine, provoke thought and, often, bring a smile.

What if a patient in Coma can hear everything around her?
Why does an old man find An Apple a Day at his door?
Do bacteria have a Gut Feeling that the human exists?
Do you know of a Dream Train that takes you not where you want to go, but where you need to go?
Can an experienced doctor handle his young daughter’s terminal illness and Prognosis?
What does a Garbage worker who finds a treasure do with it?
Why do two teenagers pass a Novel exam they should have failed?
What secrets does a golden wedding Anniversary reveal?
What happens when a dead body is lost just before the Funeral?
How does a youth discover that he was, after all, Grandpa’s Pet?

With twenty two stories of mystique, tragedy and comic irreverence, Kaleidoscope promises the reader the many tragic, comic, and spooky shades of life, death, and human behaviour, with an odd turn. Grab your copy now!

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