Author : Doris Lessing
What is it about : A collection of 18 short stories and "sketches", ranging from the goings-on in a side-walk cafe, a teenager giving birth next to a dirty slumdog on a rainy night, patients' interplays at a public hospital ward and a number of stories on relationships, love "lost and found" between mother and daughter as well as (ex and present)-husbands and (ex and present)-wives .
Some thoughts after
having read the book : These short stories would not give the reader the "twist-in-the-tale" type of exhilaratinging finales; but having read each story in turn, I came away with deep thoughts - by the author's power of observation and insights into human relationships. I, in particular learnt a lot in how to come up with a "Sketch" of a situation, a weekend or even a stroll in the park; very much similar to how a painter would capture the scene of Autumn colors, a bowl of fruits or a passing bicycle race. I was constantly struck by the everyday settings - a park, the London Underground, a hospital ward, some road-side traffic or even gossipy sister talks at a Heathrow terminal; but the author "sketched" so well as the stories were rich in characters, full-blown details and points of views.
Would I recommend this book to you : You could pack this book with your travels, metro rides as well as a cosy Winter night before-bedtime read or as your Summer vacation extra-curricular reading - all in all, a book for all occasions. Read the book to see a Master at work - effortless simplicity in scene-setting and presentation but powerful insights into human complexity in theme and nature.
