Book Review: The Blogchatter Book of Friendship
Book Name: The Blogchatter Book of Friendship
Author: Multiple Authors
Publication: Notion Press
Genre: Fiction
The Blogchatter Book of Friendship is a collection of 18 short stories with a core theme of friendship, written by 18 community writers from one of India’s largest blogging communities, Blogchatter.
Each story in itself is different but follows the same theme, so readers will meet relatable characters and explore themes like longing, betrayal, grief, jealousy, insecurity, and more. What makes this book a good read is that it is written from the perspectives of eighteen writers whose stories do not coincide, yet they all feel like something you might have read somewhere or something you might have witnessed in real life. That’s the beauty of anthologies, where multiple writers come together to write on similar themes with their own versions, making it a wholesome reading experience.
As the book is written by eighteen different writers, the character development in each story is different. In some stories, the character arc is vivid; in a few, the character depth was missing, and in some, there were too many characters to process within a short story.
The writing style of each author is different. Some stories will stay with readers for a long time, while some may be left behind as they turn the pages. The emotions in each story vary, from exploring the depth of finding an escape in friendship bonds to leaving a friend behind because one of them thought it was for the best. The stories are quick to read, and readers can finish this book in just a few hours.
Though the central theme of the book was friendship, in a few stories, the theme felt slightly less prominent. The stories themselves were well-written, but the friendship element did not always feel organically woven into them. In a few, it felt like a small touch of friendship was added towards the end to connect the story to the central theme, which made it feel slightly forced. Some of my favourite stories from the collection are Four O’clock at the Terrace, Better Together, The Tide That Stayed, and The Double. There were a few other stories that left an impression on me as well, but I felt the friendship theme was slightly forced in them. The craft was good, but it did not always feel like it belonged to the theme.
While reading this book, at one point, I felt that I also have a story on friendship, and maybe I will sit and write that soon, or maybe not. My Substack notification will give you an update on that, hahaha! Jokes apart, this is a feeling I got while reading it. Friendship is a relationship that we often don’t place in the same category as other relationships. It has its own unique space, its own language, and its own way of evolving.
Sometimes, friendships are about longing and missing someone. Sometimes, they are about finding a safe space in another person. Sometimes, they bring betrayal, jealousy, insecurity, or grief. And sometimes, they simply exist as a quiet presence that shapes who we become.
That is what makes friendship such an interesting theme to explore, and this anthology brings together eighteen different interpretations of it. If you are someone who wishes to explore the different shades of friendship through short stories, then this book is for you.
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