Publisher:
LiFi Publications Pvt Ltd
Publication
Year: 2016
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 978-9382536895
Pages: 256
False
Ceilings is the debut novel of Author Amit
Sharma. I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an
honest and unbiased review.
I have
always liked stories that are spread into different generations especially
those that revolve around human relationships and emotions. The
very first look at the cover gives the reader an inclination that they are
going to read something that is interesting and complex. The beautiful
compilation of the cover left me mesmerized and wondering as to what the story
would be about. And as I stared turning the pages, I knew that it was going to
be a winner.
False
Ceilings is a family saga and story of generations inheriting a secret. The
story ranges through a vast period starting from pre Independent
India and expanding to the futuristic modern era. There are many
characters and the author has done a wonderful job in defining and developing
each one. They are very much relatable, flawed and do not seem made up.
The
language is simple and easy to read. The book is recommended to those who love
mature stories that have some depth. This
is a book you would not find many first-time writers writing.
The
book takes us through the tale of Shakuntala, a young girl, who has a dreamlike
life despite some adversities in the beautiful town of pre-Independence
Dalhousie when life changes completely due to a turn of events. The book takes
you on a journey through her life and times, her children, grandchildren and
beyond. The novel explores India of 1920s and spans to a period in the future
till 2050. The tale moves ahead as India undergoes her own period of churning
and evolution. The book is an epic tale about a dysfunctional family, as real
as it can get and a family secret that binds them and destroys them. There are
parts of the book that stun you with the accuracy with which he has got
under the skin of the women’s emotions, expectations, their angst and their
struggles. The silly tiffs that spiral into larger issues. The daily struggles
and the lack of equation between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in turn
poisoning the lives of many others.
Amit
has researched his facts extensively. The story cleverly jumps between fast
forwards and flashbacks non linearly. The story spans more than a century, a
time which was very eventful in India’s history straddling India’s struggle for
independence to freedom, partition, dislocation of people and events beyond right
through the wars, 84 riots, Mumbai blasts and so on. He has carefully woven the
doom and gloom of the events as they cast their shadow on the life of this one
family. His description of Delhi in the pre-independence era to the
post-independence era is something that is worth a mention. It is not everyday
that you read of how contrasting the two Delhis are. Even the simple and
steady lives in the hills of Dalhousie are beautifully described and the
characters from the various eras connected to it in some way or the other. A
lot of history goes into this writing and I admire the efforts of the author in
weaving them seamlessly within the plot.
Amit's
prose flows naturally, soothing at times and troubling at others as he gets
under the skin of emotions and issues we normally like to sweep under the
carpet. He also leaves clever questions along the way that will make you uncomfortable,
will make you pause and look for their answers within. Questions we all can
relate to.
For a
first-time writer to attempt writing of this scale is commendable. The sheer
number of characters and events is mind boggling. He has brought out the
dysfunctional family beautifully. I think that is how most families are under
the gloss and shine. He has chosen a different style of storytelling wherein he
has divided all the characters as if they were the piece of a puzzle and
jumbled them up, telling each ones story one by one in a random order.
For me, there are two things that stand out
about the book. One is the non - linear narrative that the author very
skillfully employs and the other is his stark exploration of the human psyche.
False
Ceilings is a very intense book. It makes you realize that life itself is
nothing but a weird combination of circumstances, missed chances, grabbed
opportunities and those almost anguished thoughts of ‘What If ?’ False Ceilings has a secret not
to be missed.
Negatives: The book would have
done with better proofreading. There are many grammatical errors and typos in
the last few pages that distract and take away from the beauty of the
storytelling.
Overall
it is a good story made beautiful and mysterious by a well-crafted strategic
writing.
Rating: 4 on 5
