Blurb:

A fanatical collector of beetles finds out too late where his passion has led him. A woman out on a shopping spree in a glitzy mall finds she can’t go home again. A servant girl experiences a cruel loss of innocence when she eats something that wasn’t meant for her. In the sweltering heat of Bombay, a schoolgirl finds the ground slipping beneath her feet except when she’s watching Star Trek. Four friends meet for drinks one evening, only to find that their friendship is not what it seems. And, in the extraordinary title story, a student who has worshipped his teacher for decades comes to a terrible realization about him. Meanwhile, his old mentor is planning a cunning legacy of his own.

Review:

These Circuses that Sweep Through the Landscape is a collection of ten short stories which grabs the interest of the reader from the first page itself. The stories are very short but the impact they have on the reader is very powerful. Some of the stories can be said to be microtales, yet they did their job in impressing me.

Each and every story deals with the complex human emotions. They are intense, emotional and thoughtful that compel you to think about the complexity of human behaviour and psychology. The narration is so powerful with strong and vivid imagery that every story appears like a short film unfolding right before your eyes. The author has done a marvellous job in intriguing the readers’ interest. It is very difficult to engage and entertain a reader with a short story as they are supposed to give us a plot, substance, back story, emotions, characters, settings, etc. in a few pages. Yet at the same time they are required to stay with the reader long after s/he finishes the book. And I must say that the author has become successful in achieving this.

Another aspect of the about that impressed me was the variety of topics chosen by the author.

The writing style is crisp and to the point without the usage of any unnecessary prose. The language is simple and easily understandable yet engaging.

The cover of the book is very attractive. Simple yet elegant. There are not many pages in the book therefore can be finished in a single sitting. A quick read.

In a nutshell, “These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscape” by Tejaswini Apte-Rahm is a highly engaging book that has all the ingredients of keeping the reader hooked to it from the very beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Recommended to everyone who love reading good stories especially short stories dealing with complex human emotions.

I received a free copy from Writersmelon in lieu of an honest review.

My Rating: 4/5