Book Title: The Black Dwarves of the Good Little Bay
Author: Varun Thomas Mathew
Format: Paperback
Book Title:
The title of the book ‘ The Black Dwarves of the Good Little Bay ‘ is unique and exclusive.
Book Cover:
The cover image of the book is an abstract image with absolutely no clue about the book and just the title written in bold black colored letters. It is quite uncommon that a cover doesn’t reveal at least a hint about the story. This is one of the most different features of the book.
About the author:
Varun Thomas Mathew studied at the National Law School of India University. He is a lawyer by profession, a calling he found after having started and sold an e-commerce company, studied the euro crisis on a grant from the German government, and been the election agent and campaign manager for a very unique politician. Varun now lives in New Delhi, where he runs a technology law, public policy, and human rights practice. This is his debut book.
About the book:
Set up in the city of Bombay, in the year 2041 with a man who is the last civil servant of India the story takes a flight into the habitat of the city. The city where it no longer rains and people live artificially with technology invaded into the lives and reside in a tower named Bombadrome that actually hovers on the barren lands of the city.
The last civil servant is the only man who is the witness on how things changed, how people transformed and how society has taken a new shape. With a strong blend of political scenarios and crimes going around in the present society, the story takes up a new paradigm shift when this man who remained silent for years finally takes pains to remind the people of what happened all those years, the events that resulted in disasters and so on.
My review:
This is one of the few books that has caught my mind and I would definitely brood over the book for a long time. With an abstract and unique way of showcasing the changes between timelines, the book is arguably a better book.
What I like:
1. The story and the plotline
2. The font and the page styling of the story is attractive
3. The inclusion of some official letters and circulars is a novel idea.
4. The story seems like a citizen’s muted heart and mind.
What I didn’t like:
Nothing to dislike!
Characters:
Apart from the narrator, every other element in the story is a character with its own weight and importance.
Narration:
When the storyline of a book is exceptionally engrossing, the reader automatically gets into the story and becomes a character thus, feeling surreal. In this book, as a reader, I was living alongside the protagonist. Written in the first person, the story is very engaging.
Language & Vocabulary:
The language and vocabulary are simple and rich vocabulary are found. The clarity with which sentences are formed is really appreciated. The author has used a great writing style and thus semantics of words fall in place.
My Final Verdict: A perfect ala-carte of excellent storytelling!
Book Title: 5/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Language & Grammar: 5/5
Final Rating: 5/5
This Book Review was first published in Storizen Magazine December 2019 Issue!
