Why There Are No Noyontara Flowers In Agargaon Colony: Stories By Shahidul Zahir
The cover has a man and two flowers within a huge red blotch. Nothing fancy!
Name: Why There Are No Noyontara Flowers In Agargaon Colony: Stories By Shahidul Zahir
Author: V. RAMASWAMY (Translated)
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 270
Availability: Amazon (Buy it here)
Rating: 3/5
I chose this book because of the word ‘STORIES’. The main title was the title of the book’s 7th story (out of 10).
The English language was easy and simple to understand though you will need Google for the Bangladeshi jargon.
There are 10 stories in the book. They are about society and how it becomes a collective failure, or it contributes to forced marriages. Some stories show how societal greed makes us do horrible things and self-confidence drives us to do anything. Moreover, they tell us that superstitions are born when coincidences and idle minds come together. Mostly, the stories talk about how fickle-minded people live and affect the people around them.
*It was simple and easy to read and understand.
*Some stories had important messages like ‘Society gossip can create chaos’.
*A couple of stories show the reader that sometimes there are no explanations for mysterious happenings.
*There were too many names thrown in. Some of the names were repeated in a few stories with no connection to each other. This was confusing (especially when the names were in the same book).
*There were very long sentences and paragraphs which did not interest me.
*Some stories were incomplete (or so it seemed to me).
*There were too many repetitive occurrences in the first couple of stories which I found unnecessary. The emphasis on the repetitions could have been put in a more interesting way.
Honestly, I found the book to be quite slow paced despite the many words in it. Perhaps I don’t belong to the type of audience the book is meant for.
I believe that maybe, just maybe, a Bangladeshi, preferably a Muslim, could relate to the stories if they ever lived in a ‘moholla’ filled with fickle-minded people. The jargon is purely local and you may have to sit with a Bangladeshi while reading the book. I know the Arabic alphabet and thus got alif, bey, tey, but I couldn’t figure out what the following words meant: kayedas, separa, etc. So, yeah, not my kind of book!
Have YOU come across this book? What were your views? Is the Bengali version better or the same?
This review is powered by Blogchatter’s Book Review Program
I’m participating in Blogchatter’s #TBRChallenge
25 Comments
yes a great book indeed, I like the simple stories and the portrayal but sadly had to google a lot of words and couldn’t get the context easily. I too have similar thoughts about the book
The review was honest and to the point
Will definitely read this book when I get a chance thank you for sharing this
The review is really honest and unfiltered, the title itself doesn’t interest me and your honest reviews strengthen my decision. Thank you
I have not read any of the works by this author. Though I love books from different regions but a slow paced book does not excite me either. Thank you for your honest review.
I didn’t understand the book-title first but I loved your review. I love reading short stories so, this is definitely on my tbr list.
The name sure sounds interesting but from your review I get a feeling that I might not enjoy the read. Local dialects/words must be explained to keep a reader in the loop. Isn’t it?
You’re right, Varsha!
That’s such an unusual and a long title… pretty unconventional. Slow paced books are not my cup pf tea, so yes, will give it a pass. Thanks for an honest review.
This is a really candid review. You have stated it in black and white. I don’t think it would be my kind of book either. If it is a translated book sometimes the essence is lost during translation.
Very true, Harjeet!
I could have helped you if I had read this book… because being a bengali I can connect well with the bengali of Bangladesh . ….. our way of pronouncing is bit different from Bangladeshi people buy still almost similar. Will try to grab a copy to read and give my opinion to you. Thanks for the review
I am checking this book out as ur review has piqued my interest. Gonna add it to my TBR.
Great review! You captured the essence of the book perfectly.
I enjoyed reading your review. Your insights on the characters and themes were spot-on. Will definitely look forward to read it.
I love exploring new books and this book seems to be bit interesting but at the same time, if I go by your review…feels like it will be bit difficult to understand. Definitely going to get my copy from the link you mentioned. Thanks for sharing the review.
A really honest and good review. Even I prefer simple language while reading a book. Will try to get a copy
This is definitely another honest coming from you. The plot look to be interesting.i may or may not give this a read but I will definitely revisit this review sooner
Need to add this in wishlist. I love such practical reads where people openly wrote about the society and people we have around. These stories are the reflection of what society we live in
Wow, what an incredible book “Stories” by Shahidul Zahir is! The author has done a masterful job of exploring the complexities of society and its impact on individuals. I appreciate the author’s skillful writing and the depth of the characters. It was a pleasure reading this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and well-written book.
It’s always great to find a new book to read, and I’m glad you enjoyed the book. It sounds like the book was just what you were looking for. I love finding those perfect books that speak to me, and it sounds like this one did just that. I’m so happy you had such a positive experience reading it.
I was also drawn to the word stories , I love a good compilation of stories but as you mentioned “need to sit with a Bangladeshi” I don’t think I am capable of this.
Its a translated work, and sometimes the translation loosed the essence of the book. I also read both of the books by the author, the plot and stories mentioned are good, but yeah true its slow pace that will indeed hinder the reading pace.
A great book review. This book has some messy name. I do not know why I’m unable to understand this. I have not a good knowledge of books. I loved the way you presented the review.
I really like honest reviews, it seems a really interesting book I will surely get my copy. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I recently read this author’s another book and reviewed it too for Blogchatter. I think the author is a bit overrated.
I’m surely not reading that one then.