Book Review – Stories of Us
Author – Bobby Sachdeva
Publisher – Pan Macmillan India
Let’s begin with a thought-provoking question raised by the author, Bobby Sachdeva in one of the 41 short stories that the book comprises of.
Why have we become so intolerant towards the secular and rational voices, who are merely questioning and challenging our age-old beliefs irrelevant in today’s times?
About the book:
“Stories of Us” is a collection of 41 stories that directly or indirectly inflict our otherwise beautiful society. We are living in times, where we are recklessly being fed with preposterous propaganda in the name of Truth. The entire mechanism has inveterated its roots so deeply into the system that all we are left with is manufactured information, that in no way presents the true picture.
In such times, when the source of uninfluenced information is limited, this book definitely shows some light.
These stories not only present some of the well-known problems such as the prevalence of classes in the society, fake sages fooling the common people in name of solving their problems, poor people being made scapegoats to save the bigger criminals but also puts forth some of the less-discussed but more important issues such as the need of independence from the over-expectations of the family so that one gets to fulfill one’s own desires too and the reason of excessive gathering at the religious places if the thought of God being omnipresent holds any truth.
Apart from these the book also touches on some current topics such as the hasty implementation of GST which ultimately led to huge loss to small entrepreneurs.
My Opinion:
It’s the first book of the author, Bobby Sachdeva and I must say he has done complete justice to the topic he has chosen. Some might argue that the language of the book is too simple, to which I completely agree. But I believe that that’s the beauty of a good author, a good author adopts his/her words according to the need. In this case, the book is based on the problems pervading the lives of common people. And hence, if any “Social Transformation” is to be bought, the message should be easy to comprehend so that it reaches the multitude and leaves an everlasting impact. And hence, I feel that the easy language has been deliberately chosen. In addition, I believe that a book should be judged based on its content, otherwise, what’s the use of gaudy language if it doesn’t have good content?
The book covers a wide spectrum of social issues plaguing our society through very well- articulated and relatable short stories. Each story carries a message and is followed by a few thought-provoking questions that force the readers to put on their thinking caps.
What I liked the most:-
#1: Coverage of a wide spectrum of Social Issues in an unbiased manner:
The book covers a wide range of social issues. The good thing about the book is that it not only identifies the social issues but also explains through a story why something is a problem and how it is affecting the lives of common people.
#2: Thought-provoking questions:
There are a few thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are capable of creating a positive impact on the reader’s mind.
Some of them are as follows:
1. Do we really need to gather at and outnumber the capacity of places of worship for our prayers to be heard?
2: Are our relationships in the immediate surroundings gradually dying?
3: Why do we create so many hindrances and barriers for people of two communities or two countries to be together? (borders doesn’t matter for lovers).
4: Why are the people left on their own to bear the brunt of abruptly implemented laws?
5: If God is omnipresent, why can’t our wishes be fulfilled from our own homes instead?
6: Do humans obsess over the creator so much that they forget they are exploiting his creation?
#3: Its strong stand against Superstitions/ blind faith:
Bobby Sachdeva, the author takes a strong stand against fake sages and superstitions prevalent in Indian society. Though there are many such instances in the book, here I am sharing an excerpt from the book where the author exposes the Baba business.
The best part of this business is that the one who does not recover, or dies, after seeking my blessings feels that it is God’s will, and do not speak ill of me, but the ones whose wishes are fulfilled sing my praises.
#4: Inclusion of Modern Problems:
The below excerpt shows the plight of a youth who is fed up with putting his family’s desires in front of his own.
I am leaving this city, and do not know when I will ever return. The world is not a nice place, but I must leave to find myself My friend Vikas is aware of my whereabouts, but please do not force him to reveal this. I’m sure I’ll return one day, but until then you need to realize that it is not the duty of the son to fulfill everyone else’s dreams and expectations.
Take care until then.
Your not-so-sincere-son
Vijay
The parents must realize that their children too have lives of their own.
The reason I found this book extremely appealing is because of the approach it follows. Bobby not only identifies common but often overlooked issues prevailing in our society but also helps us in making a better connection with the issue through a relatable story.
Also, with some mind-boggling questions at the end of each story, Bobby succeeds in creating a significant impact on the minds of the readers.
It’s definitely worth reading for the ones interested in reading about the lives of common people. So, if the description appeals to you in any way, grab your copy and do let me know your views in the comment section.
Click here to buy it from Amazon.
That’s all we have for today. Do let me know what you learned from this book in the comment section, once you finish reading it.
Goodbye until the next time.
Zindagi Zindabad!
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- Psychologist | Engineer | Reader | Blogger
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An Engineer-Turned-Psychologist who loves Literature.
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I needed some help in my college project that deals with the problems in the Indian Society. After reading your review I feel that this book may prove helpful to me in my project. Thanks a lot for sharing.
I want to know the person behind this blog. The books you share are completely different from the ones that are generally advertised. They are helpful in creating our perspective. Thank you.