Review: AN UNTOLD STORY | Raj Abhishek Singh


                                                                                                     AN UNTOLD STORY: ALL HAPPENS FOR GOOD eBook: Singh, Raj Abhishek ...

Genre: Narrative fiction
Pages: 56
Edition: Kindle edition (priced @ Rs 49)
Year of publication: 2020

RATING :  1/2  (3.5/5)

Our past does influence how we are today. Our past can also loom large over us; blocking the path of certain opportunities that come our way and cast a shadow that doesn’t let us stay at peace. Raj Abhishek’s book is themed on such a backdrop. The book begins at a point well within the storyline, raising a hundred questions in the readers’ mind about the series of events that must have taken place prior to it. So, the starting of the book is captivating and sets the mood for the remaining course of the story. The author then takes us back to the past as a flashback and after a while the narration again shifts to the present. The two main characters, Rajiv and Sahil are on a journey, en route Delhi, for Rajiv’s medical appointment. The choice of destination Delhi evokes certain changes within Rajiv, but he is not ready to share this cause of uneasiness with his friend Sahil. Sahil understands that some distant association with Delhi keeps on haunting Rajiv, but even after his repeated attempts to know further, he stays clueless.
As they reach Delhi and board a hotel, Sahil overhears Rajiv talking to someone on the phone about a meet up. Soon after his appointment, Sahil follows Rajiv secretively to check who he was willing to meet up with. But what he discovers is a massive chunk of Rajiv’s past all at once, undoubtedly what had been the cause of his friend’s distress. This revelation is not only a revelation to the cause of Rajiv’s uncanny behaviour in Delhi, but is also a revelation to parts of Rajiv’s personality that Sahil was unaware of. On a broader perspective, it is a story of how the devils from our society—corruption, betrayal, bribery, ungratefulness – can completely overcast the bright sunshine of someone’s career, and cover it with dark, ominous clouds.  In all, it is a story based upon relationships we can count on, relationships that are broken and then mended and an interesting account on how destiny can be both threatening and promising.
Raj Abhishek’s writing style is easy, devoid of any metaphorical or analytical details—the kind of writing even the most inexperienced reader can grasp. His descriptions are to-the-point and precise, and he seldom makes any effort to showcase the characterisations in unconventional ways; resulting in a very linear and fast-paced story. The book has been written in a way as if someone is recalling his own past, sitting in front of us, while we listen intently just taking in the fun of hearing a genuine story. This is the kind of book readers will be able to relate to and it has situations in striking resemblance to what we actually come across in our lives.

Title: ☆ (5/5)
Plot: ☆ (4/5)
Characterization: ☆ (3/5)
Writing style: ☆ (3/5)
Overall impact: ☆ (3/5)

I noticed a few glitches in the kindle version, mostly grammatical errors. I’m listing them down below:
1.     LOC 119 : Dialogue—“….lets go Delhi” (the word ‘to’ is missing)
2.    LOC 156: Last paragraph from below—“birth” instead of “berth”
3.    LOC 156: second last paragraph from below—“…could not sleep the whole night..” (incorrect sentence construction. “could not sleep through the whole night” or “could not sleep last night” will be apt)
4.    LOC 168: last paragraph—“ …station approaching nearer…” (‘nearer’ word is extra. Approaching means coming nearer)
5.    LOC 231: second paragraph— “…but this act of his, I could not get. I found it normal” (contradictory sentences)
6.    Lastly, many dialogues do not begin with a capital letter. Certain colloquial terms could have skipped in the dialogues.  


→  Want to grab a copy? Buy the book here .
→  Reach out to the author : @rajabhishek1205.


Disclaimer: This review is in lieu of a review copy. 





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