Review by Nidhi Arora
This book of 151 short stories by Shri Govind Sharma is a winner all the way. I cannot think of ONE story that should not have been there.
Why this book is super special
For starters, because it is a book of super short stories.
The longest story is 3/4ths of a page.
The shortest is about 1/2.
In English, stories that are uber short but carry a deep message are called Zen Stories. These are Zen stories in Hindi.
Whether you are a parent looking for bite sized bedtime stories in Hindi, or someone looking to (re)start Hindi story reading, this book is perfect. It has stories that will appeal to an 8-year-old, and stories for the 70-year-old, and everyone in between.
There are, of course, the standard stories about politics, development, etc. There are tiny stories that reveal the hearts of young people.
My most favourite story is story no. 132 – Samanata – in which an 8 year old takes a stand in a very non-aggressive, assertive manner.
The second prize would have to go to 135 – Seekh.
Each story takes about 2-5 minutes of the reader’s time and leaves a message that stays with us for a few weeks at least.
In spite of being a short, 112-page book, its not a breezy read, because one tends to pause and reflect on some of the stories after reading them.
This is the kind of book that all home libraries should have.
How to get the book
Unfortunately, I could not get an online listing for the book. To get the book, please contact the author, Mr. Govind Sharma, at govindsharma@gvsangria.com or govindsharmasangria@gmail.com. His blog is at www.govindsharmawriter.com
Reviewer’s Note
I have always maintained that great books are rarely found on online bookstore recommendations. Book clubs, maybe. But the relationship between a book and the reader is deeply personal. One has to hold the book, read a page or two, and understand whether there is love to be had there.
I have been an avid reader for over 4 decades. At first, one read all the classics (back in the 1980s and 90s).
But, fortunately for me, a family friend took me to a Book Fair, and asked me to choose the books. That was a 300 sft heaven of books (some of the books bought that day are still in my library, including the most exhaustive volume on American history).
That is where I learnt that the book and the reader have a story of mutual love. The book has to choose the reader as much as the reader has to choose the book.
About 10-15 years ago, I had another revelation – the price of a book, or of any activity, is not the money you put into it. The real price you are paying is your time. So, if an activity is well recommended, but not something I like, I save the time and get up. Same with a book. No matter how well recommended the book is, if it is not adding value proportionate to the time it is taking from my life, the book is put away. I am not a worthy reader of that book.
Therefore, book recommendations from me are few and far between.
This is one of them.