Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A TO Z STORIES OF LIFE AND DEATH by D. Biswas

Title: A to Z Stories of Life and Death
Author: D. Biswas
Format: eBook
Source: Author
To Purchase: Amazon Kindle   

Description: Twenty-six A to Z stories, based on the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, question our moral compass: How do you judge a teacher toying with the sexuality of her teenaged student? A boy who decides to murder his mother? What thoughts rage inside a pedophile serial killer before he shoots himself? They challenge the concepts of beauty, truth, and morality, by revealing the face of the other side.

The stories focus on a crucial juncture when a character's life changes, for the better or worse, because of a choice or decision. Some of the characters in the stories confront death, others talk about life with its quirks and whimsies. Each voice, ranging in age from a six-year-old to a centenarian, has its own riveting story to tell. Together, this collection of stories at over 12000 words attempts to prove that when it comes to stories, depth can sometimes replace length and breadth.

Review: D. Biswas lures the reader into fascinating and powerful glimpses of humanity in her A to Z Stories of Life and Death.

From god-like nature in "A for Aquarium" to orphans in India in "G for Girls" to loss of a child in "N for Nothing" and more, these flash fiction stories encompass the realm of human emotions and invoke philosophical discussions on life and death.  

Each piece from A to Z needs to be savored. These are not flash fiction pieces read on a whim. Biswas engages the reader through beautiful and dark imagery and a sense of poetry in each word. This collection isn't only about life and death, but human nature and emotions bloom in every piece. The reader tastes the grittiness of life for orphans in India to vengeance for wrongs committed. Some stories invoke the fantastical, nearly whimsical with touching undertones that pull at the heart. Some of my favorite pieces included "C for Commas," "G for Girls," "J for Jasoda's Children," and "Y for Youth."

D. Biswas's literary flash fiction collection is not for the faint of heart. A to Z Stories of Life and Death will linger in your mind through their gritty, dark, and most of all beautiful tales long after you read them.