Book Review #51: Fables From India

A King’s negligence costs the Prince his eyes. How will the King make amends?

A farmer is torn between resurrecting his wife and upholding his duties. What will influence his choice?

A jester lives two lives – Masked for others. Unmasked for himself. His masked side brings happiness to everyone. But what brings happiness to his unmasked side?

A magnificent tree bears fruits of different kinds, but the King wants it to be cut down to serve justice. How will the tree defend itself?

An orphan boy is in search of the world’s bestselling book. Will he eventually find it?

A dog struggles to uncurl his tail. Will he break the curse that curled his tail in the first place?

A young boy and his pet lamb are separated from each other. Will their friendship stand the test of time?

Set in the ancient times, Fables from India, is a collection of 22 profound and unheard stories from a country known for its storytelling.

Based out of Mumbai, Uday Mane is an entrepreneur, script writer, and a digital marketing professional. He started his writing career with fables, several of which are featured in this collection. His debut novel, The Helpline, was released in 2014 to rave reviews. INR 5 per book was donated towards child welfare through Rotary club and NGO Vidya. Uday Mane volunteers for Storytelling and English speaking sessions for the underprivileged through Vidya. He is an avid reader and admires the writings of Salman Rushdie, Rohinton Mistry, and Charles Dickens among others. He loves to travel and explore places, watch movies, and collect classic novels. You can connect with him on Twitter: @The_Allegorist

MY THOUGHTS:

First of all, I feel the book has not been named suitably. The name gives an impression that it is a translated collection of Indian folk tales. It is actually the author's collection of short stories, set in the times of kings and queens.

The stories remind of stories that we have already heard. Most of them, I felt, were not allowed to mature, but were paced and concluded in haste. In several of them, the names/characters and settings were cliches. In others, I felt, the events lost connection. Basically, I feel the book is not an impressive one and there is nothing profound about the stories as claimed in the blurb. But they did have the potential of being good ones. Nonetheless, it can be recommended to young children as a part of inculcating reading habit.