Book Review: Lonely People Meet by Sayantan Ghosh

 

Book: Lonely People Meet 

Author: Sayantan Ghosh 

Publisher:Bloomsbury India 

Pages: 218

Price: ₹282 on Amazon 

(Kindle copy available).

Unique storyline, interesting storytelling and very engaging writing. 

I don't want to reveal much about the plot because it would ruin the fun; I’ll just say that, as the title suggests, it's about dealing with loneliness and holding on to memories. 

On an extraordinarily ordinary day, Karno accidentally meets Devaki. An instant bond is formed and thus begins a friendship —one that gradually leads to love and longing, one-sided perhaps. Just when Karno begins to absorb the feeling of love, one morning — right after a beautiful night — Devaki is no longer a part of his life, and he is left struggling to deal with her absence and the ache it evokes. 

‘I never knew the weight of an absence could be this heavy.’

—from the book.

Lonely People Meet is an intriguing story that encloses a deliciously sharp twist at its core. As the story unfolds, you find yourself walking alongside Karno, searching for answers with him.

I had earlier read a lovely story by Sayantan Ghosh featured in an anthology ‘Best Friends Forever’, and when I came across his debut novel, I really wanted to pick it up. This book carries several striking stories within the story, which I loved. I instantly connected with the author’s writing style and the feel of it. For me, it was a slow burn read, not because it lacks pace, it's just my mental state was a bit different when I started reading it; I just wanted to savour it. 

Devaki is a fascinating character and I found Karno endearing, a lost soul in several ways. Another character who stood out for me was Faiza. 

The only thing that bothered me was that, at certain places, the writing becomes overly descriptive and reads like political commentary. It feels more like the author's personal opinion rather than the character’s narrative, which is fine but it felt slightly out of place for a fictional story. 

Overall, it's a different, soothing read, which I genuinely enjoyed. Definitely looking forward to his next book.

Some quotes that touched me:

‘All of us die twice in a single lifetime. Once when our body perishes and our mortal remains are buried or sent to the pyre. And again, when we fade from the memory of the last living person who remembered us.’

‘Sometimes sadness can be strength.’ 

‘One of them was meeting a long-lost lover, while the other was looking at a total stranger.’

‘In abandonment she had found the strength to renounce her memories.’