Book Review: Almost... Not Quite
Book Name: Almost… Not Quite
Author: Sonali Bhattacharya
Publication: Rupa Publications
Genre: Fiction/Short Stories
“I don’t know how to be the one who needs help.” Sometimes, I feel “Na Pawa” for some people is something that they get that they did not expect.
Almost… Not Quite by Sonali Bhattacharya is a collection of short stories exploring the simple emotion “Na Pawa,” meaning unobtained, not getting, or the state of not receiving or achieving something.
The book is divided into three sections:
The Echoes: The seven stories in this section are the echoes of the past from the characters’ lives that were left somewhere hidden, only to resurface and catch up with them in the future. Each story is rich in emotions and explores themes like longing, happiness, dreams, revisiting the people left behind, and so on. In this section, Na Pawa is about what was wanted.
To summarise this section:
“Indeed, some people, places, memories, and surroundings trigger old pain points. Some make you miss those moments a little more, especially the times spent with someone.
They might bring a tear or two, or perhaps break the dam holding back everything your eyes have been trying not to say.”
The Storm: The eight stories in this section are the gentle aches of the echoes of the part of life lived in the past. The stories will hold the breaths of readers and leave them with the pain of the characters as their own. In this section, Na Pawa is beyond wanting; rather, it is about what is needed to survive.
To summarise this section:
“The one aspect of emotions and attachment that I have always read about, perhaps because I feel so detached at times from the bonds I share, be it with family or friends.
Sometimes, I feel like I simply cannot process those emotions. I hold them somewhere deep in my heart, without acknowledging the guilt that comes with them. And perhaps what scares me the most is the thought that I might carry them with me for the rest of my life.”
The Harvest: The nine stories in this section are about people who lived their dreams through someone else, like a taxi driver who could not fly abroad but his son did, and so on. In this section, Na Pawa is transformed into something that begins when we let our hands free, losing something that we have been holding for a long time, just like dreams we could not fulfil.
To summarise this section:
“To those who nurture others: sometimes, they may not grow as much as the ones they nurture, because perhaps their destiny lies in watching them grow and feeling proud of everything they have passed on to them.”
The characters are well-developed, their emotions are loud and relatable. Each character is raw and unfiltered, sharing their space in the story just the way you or I would do in real life. The essence of “Na Pawa” for each character is unique yet similar, i.e. it shows how the feeling of not getting something leaves a person broken, with a renewed sense of living. From characters who found their Na Pawa through other people to characters who reflected on their past and let go of grudges and longing with time.
The author’s writing style is so vivid and evocative that readers would feel a little too much. The emotions are explored so beautifully that it will make readers pause, think about similar moments in their own lives, and much more. The City of Joy, Kolkata, in itself feels like a character at times. The streets talked about in this book will feel like readers are seeing the people passing by on those streets. The overall writing style was resonating and connecting.
The first two sections will make readers feel stuck with the characters and the lessons from their lives. Though, in the third section, I felt the stories delivered the same essence, I noticed a repetitive pattern in them, like similar kinds of consequences from the characters’ lives, even though the stories were different. But I decided to overlook this fact because the overall impression of this book is so pleasing and calming that I would want everyone to explore this book. Because when you read a short story collection, it’s not necessary that every story is going to stay with you, but what will stay with you will make up for that. So, I will still keep recommending this book for its depth and beauty.
If you are someone who wants to explore deep emotions and mundane life, you can’t miss this book. If it is just one book that you have to read in the remaining part of this year, make sure it is this.
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