An Offbeat Yellow Back | Aditi Bakshi | Book Review

An Offbeat Yellow Back

THEME: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5          
RELEVANCE: 4/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Here’s a thing about moments, people and places. If your job makes you happy, it tells you you’re on the right path. If your partner makes you happy, it tells you you’ve chosen the right person. If your home makes you happy, it tells you you’ve something to treasure and protect. Losing this won’t teach you anything. You already know its value when something gives you true bliss amidst all fake luxuries. So, stop finding sadistic pleasures in adversities and pain. Stop feeding your wisdom through trauma.” ~ Aditi Bakshi, An Offbeat Yellow Back

My Musings

Short books are always a treat to read. Often fun, easy and quick to read, they provide the necessary respite from the long journey that novels often take us on. So, a break no matter how short is always a welcome one!

I recently read a refreshing short collection of stories, anecdotes, and musings and I was bowled over by how engrossing it turned out to be.

Read on to know more about my thoughts on the book, An Offbeat Yellow Back by Aditi Bakshi.

What to expect?

While picking up An Offbeat Yellow Back expect a read that is a mixed bag. As the subtitle aptly puts it, this is a book with a genre.

There are a lot of musings, a few anecdotes and even fewer tales that the book tells us. But let that not deter you from giving this book a try because it’s an incredibly relatable one and especially so for working women.

All of 67 pages, it hardly takes an hour to read but, in the end, it turns out to be a worthy one.

The stories and the theme

An Offbeat Yellow Back has 16 chapters which have been categorized into 5 sections.

The various sections are titled as follows.

(1) The Pleasantries – which contain some musings about everyday things,

(2) The Awkward Conversations – which deal with some brutal but relevant truths which would be relatable to any independent woman today,

(3) The Part Where I Tell You a Story – where the author tries her hand at fiction and tells us some super short stories,

(4) The Opinionated Anecdotes – where once again the author unleashes some brutal truths and wounds that have been afflicted on her, and finally,

(5) The Last One to Make the Cut – which is the author’s parting note to the reader.

Let’s talk about the author’s writing style

The author writes in a language that is simple and easy to understand and yet there is a melody in her words. Her narratives are thoughtful and engaging and her writing is poetic without being flashy.

She writes about the most basic and mundane of things and yet there is beauty which she attaches to everything that she writes about.

Her ability to ponder over things and look deeper seeking meaning gives her a definite edge, and it is this edge that is the best part of this book.

Be it the chaotic rains, the silence of the night, the process of washing clothes, the phenomenon called insomnia, a routine cab ride, bouts of depression, or even drinking – she makes simple topics come alive either through her stories or through her musings.

The relatability and the relevance of them all

It’s not easy for a girl from a middle-class family when she decides to become independent. While many can afford fancy cabs and single autos, the middle-class woman struggles through overcrowded buses, obnoxious co-passengers, lechers and what not.

Reading An Offbeat Yellow Back took me back into time and I rekindled all those horrendous memories I had hidden somewhere in the deep corners of my heart.

Reading this book was so relatable to me, it was like I am listening to my own story in someone else’s voice. So yeah, in the end, the book turned out both relatable and relevant.

Relevant because when you read, you learn. And becoming aware is always the first step of bringing about change.

It all boils down to the entertainment quotient

Just when you are starting to sink into the book, the epilogue announces the end of it and alas! You are disappointed. You are going great but then all good things come to an end and so does this book (albeit a little too soon).

The fact that the book feels like cakewalk and ends before you know it speaks a lot about how engaging and engrossing it really is.

Unlike conventional collections, this book without a genre doesn’t have the usual stuff to keep its readers hooked, but it is the author’s charming writing which goes a long way in achieving this goal.

Pick up the book if

  • You are an urban professional and want to read something relatable (especially if you are a woman).
  • You like reading musings and rants (albeit nicely penned).
  • You enjoy short, quick and easy reads.

Skip the book if

  • You don’t like short reads.
  • You don’t enjoy short stories and/or musings.
  • You are looking for a novel.

Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of An Offbeat Yellow Back using the link below.

Amazon

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