Saturday, January 24, 2009

Book Review - The Eleven

For people who don't know what this book is about : This book contains a collection of short stories written by eleven bloggers. The book is published by SaiKiran Publishers and you could buy a copy here. I got the book on Monday and I finished reading it today. One full week to read eleven short stories! Blame it on my busy work schedule.

Alright, so here goes the review.

Disclaimer: The ratings reflected here shows how much I enjoyed the stories. It should not be used to gauge the creative skills of the authors.

Author # 1 => Aneesha Myles Shewani

She uses her magical words to take us through a world of love, admiration, devotion and obsession. The story ends on a strong note of self realization and delivers a very positive message. A good story to start the book with.

I give this story 8/10

Author # 2 => Harish Narayanan

Quite an entertaining story. Harish takes us through two different eras of life, entwined yet unique. He tries and shows us what today's generation is lacking to see and how our fore fathers enjoyed the little things around us which we choose to ignore these days. Interesting and thoughtful.

I give this story 6/10

Author # 3 => Ketki Yennemadi

The way she walks her readers through the life of her characters deserve an applause. The story starts on a very negative note. I love the way she ends the story delivering a very strong message. A story every soul must read and acknowledge.

I give this story 6/10

Author # 4 => Lena Toporikova

Famous for her Tuesday Love Ramblings section in her blog, I dint wonder when I started reading this story. Every passing line promised me that there is more in store. The way she uses words are just amazing. Though I can relate this story to the life around me, the narration makes it so very unique. Lena, if you read this, I loved the way you wrapped it! Marvellous.

I give this story 8/10

Author # 5 => Meena Iyer

If mystery is what you love, then she is your sweet heart! Centred among two characters, each passing line seems to unwind mystery. As you reach the last page your jaw drops, I m sure you would be surprised :)

I give this story 6/10

Author # 6 => Nivethita Kumar

Another story which is rich with emotions. The author conveys the beautiful relationship of a brother and his sister. The turn of events come unexpected. The smile that the author carries in her profile photograph fails to reflect in the story. I wish it had a happy ending!

I give this story 6/10

Author # 7 => Preethi Ravi

I love this one! I am not sure if its cos of the empathy I have towards the central character of the story, but i read it thrice. The author has done justice to her story and the presentation is just perfect. Walking us through the emotions of a little girl couldn't have been better!

I give this story 7/10

Author # 8 => Rahul Anand

The author introduces us to a teenager and his experiences in the virtual world. Though it looks like a real life experience, I would want to put it in the category of teen fiction.

I give this story 4 /10

Author # 9 => Sameera Ansari

I was too lazy today that I was enjoying these stories lying in the comfort of my bed. I read her story and suddenly I could feel the variation in my heartbeat! One amazing story and a perfect narration. No words could explain how I felt reading the story.

I give this story 9/10

Author # 10 => Sneha Desai

She walks us through a day in the life of her central character. The way she threads incidents through out the story is interesting. Even though I don't fancy sad endings, I admire the way author has narrated the story.

I give this story 7/10

Author # 11 => Suchitra Ramachandran

First let me appreciate the author for her ability to write so well. If I review this work under literature, I would give it a score of 9/10. But then, today I review it with another scale. One that of a short story. For me a short story should be entertaining which would mean that I would give a story with a set of simple words , a common plot and a steady flow better rating than a complex serious structured form of literature [pardon my ignorance]. For me, this story carries a stronger theme than a short story could handle and it is a bit lengthier than I expect a short story to be.

I give this story 5/10



So that was it! Now for you readers: Let me remind you, the ratings are just a measure of how I enjoyed the story. I do not intend to learn from you how I should rate the stories, hence please do not advice on the scales.

Arti, you did a wonderful job by bringing this book to us. This serves as a real inspiration for those who love to write. To all the authors, this was a brilliant effort! Congratz :)

60 comments:

RiverSoul said...

Thank you, Anil, for the review. I've been meaning to buy that book, but i couldn't coz of my schedule.
Will definitely try and procure it asap.
:)
And the slight prob here is that it has to be bought online only.
:(

Anonymous said...

savan,

thanks for the review..
will go through all the stories starting from sameera's (ur top scorer)tomorrow.

i am awed by the dedication u give to ur each post..
and u always spring up with new and surprise gifts :)

Rià said...

Thanks for the review buddy!i will definitely get my hands on the book asap. :) Sounds really good!!

SMRITI said...

Man...I must get it quickly too...I keep forgetting...grrr...Will order....heeehaaa.... :)

Scattered Thoughts... said...

nice!! seems will have to buy one :)

Dr Riya said...

Hey.. Thanks for the book review.. By the way is it available in every store.?where did u get it from?

Anil Sawan said...

Sid, U are always welcome bro. Ill tell you this online thingie is much beter. u send a check or transfer money through paypal, ull get the book at home :)

Anil Sawan said...

Karmanna, m sure u wud luv it :)and thnx once again, uve always been kind with ur words :)

Anil Sawan said...

Ria, do that. m sure u wudn be disappointed :)

Anil Sawan said...

smriti, short term memory loss?? :P try tattoos :P

Anil Sawan said...

ST, ull not be sad tht u bought it.. i cud guarantee tht :)

Anil Sawan said...

Riya, it was my pleasure to write how i felt reading the book. The book is currently available only through online orders. You could order one using the link given in the post. Or write a mail to the publisher. Arti, another blogger owns tht publishing company. She would reply to your mail with more details.

Sameera Ansari said...

That was a great review!You have given quite a lot of thought to each story.Glad to know you enjoyed my story so much :)

I am yet to get the book in my hands and your review makes me even more curious to read the stories now!

Sameera Ansari said...

P.S. I am linking this review to my blog if you don't mind.

Anil Sawan said...

Sami, u are welcome to link this post :) that story of yours was marvelous. m happy i read it :)

The book is really worth the money spent. Congratz once again. You name looks good on print :)

yamini meduri said...

nice post sawan...!!!

i heard about the book too....and after reading your post...i decided to get a copy of it..!!!

thank you friend...!!!

felinemusings said...

Thanks for the taking the time out to review this book and the 8/10 score. Its very encouraging.
PS: I reached this blogpost via Sameera's blog link and I would also like to dedicate a blogpost to this review, if you will permit.

prithz said...

First time here. Thanks a lot for the review. Its really encouraging to get a a positive feedback like this. I had a desire to read a review about the book and you gave it. Thank you very much. :) Really glad you enjoyed it.

Anil Sawan said...

yamini, any time mate..

i shud consider demanding commission from Arti :P

Anil Sawan said...

Aneesha, you are the author boss.. u dont need permission to use this review :) i am not charging anything as of now.. its free :P

Thnx Sami, i got a new visitor.. Aneesha keep visiting :)

Anil Sawan said...

Preethi, Welcome here. m really glad i read this book. It was worth the wait. Keep writing, u just earned one more follower :)

Lena said...

:)
:)
:)
:)
loved it :D
i knew you would love the book, your ratings are quite like mine, though on some points i would disagree.
Anyways, great review :)
Am not linking anything, is it ok? :P :P
Kidding.
And thanks for promoting love ramblings!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Good review Sawan! I will be sure to get it now-have to get some with the prize money-will see if its available here. Where did you get it from? Will it be available from CCD?

Anonymous said...

@sawan: you have been awarded.. visit my blog... :)
http://lifeofthepinkorchid.blogspot.com

Toon Indian said...

Hey sawan, here comes your lowest scorer :)), it's nice that you enjoyed the book, and it's pure fiction, real life is not that interesting :P

Hopefully, next time I will be in your top scorers!!!

Rià said...

hey there's something waiting for u on my blog. So do drop by.

Anil Sawan said...

Lena, it is okie in one condition- u r gona double my share of Russian chocolates :P

Anil Sawan said...

Mithe, m not sure what CCD means! If you are talking about the book, u could order it online using the link given in the post.

Mithe, thank you so much for the honor given in ur prev post. luv u :)

Anil Sawan said...

Kajal, wow, thnk u girlie.. i so luvd it :)

Anil Sawan said...

Rahul, I appreciate ur words! I really do. And I am sure u wud be in the top list :) good going bro..

Anil Sawan said...

Ria, thats so sweet of you! Its a beautiful poem and congratulations :)

Luscious Sealed Lips said...

Thanks foe introducing me to this book.

It solves the 'Which book to carry for the Vacation?' problem.

Thanks.

Kisses.

Anil Sawan said...

LSL, u better carry more books cos u wud finish this in hours :P

swati said...

hey tat was a good review sawan..i'll buy a copy soon.. :)

Unknown said...

ohh cool there is a book that contains short stories written by bloggers..:)

thanks for letting me know..
i will check that book out soon..:)
by the way you had some doubts..on my post ths cleared..:D:)

Cess said...

hey, good reviews, i ll have to get that book asap too!

Suchi said...

Thank you! It was wonderful getting the perspective of a reader on the book :) I am linking your review to my page!

Nivi said...

Thanks a bunch for your review. Its nice to read a review from someone who has read our stories. Many people told me about the ending. I guess I felt this more fit :)

Thanks a lot for buying the book and the review! I am linking the review to my blog too.

Anil Sawan said...

Swati, m sure u wud luv it :)

Anil Sawan said...

Crazyheart, i wud check it soon :)

Anil Sawan said...

Cess, go grab it :P

Anil Sawan said...

Suchitra, its a pleasure and honor. Ur words were marvelous. m happy i read it :)

Anil Sawan said...

Nivi, i checked your new page. its beautiful!

and thnx for linking my page :)

Anil Sawan said...

crazyheart, i replied to that :)

Anonymous said...

thanks for reminding me to order this book .. :) and also thanks for following my blog :)

Preetilata【ツ】 said...

thank you for the review anil. :)

my wishes to the published authors

vinny said...

hey Sawan, great job man...u really took the effort to read n review !!
ab tho lena hi padega :)

Anonymous said...

Nice! :D
I'll go through all of em...promise. :)

Anil Sawan said...

Pretty, yo are most welcome :) and your blog is worth the time spent there, so dont thank :)

Anil Sawan said...

Preetzi, add my wishes to yours :)

Anil Sawan said...

Vinnie, :) lelo lelo, u wud luv it :)

Anil Sawan said...

keerthi, authors would thank you :) and its a great book, u wud luv it :)

Winnie the poohi said...

Ah finally i landed here :)

Thank you so much for liking the story

As you reach the last page your jaw drops


Did it really ? :D :D

athi said...

hand over the book :)

________ said...

good review.....however, just wanted to know something.....do u review many other books??

Anil Sawan said...

Winnie, yesh really :)

Anil Sawan said...

athi, take it frm my place :)

Anil Sawan said...

_______, i am no proffessional if tht wut u wanted to know.

MuddassirShah said...

Sawan ,
THat was a nice review.
I d love to read that book.
Any idea if we get that in any of the bangalore based book stores??

Anil Sawan said...

not sure :O i bought it online :)