Anthologies are the latest trending books this season. Many publishing houses and ventures have tried their hands on compiling books to suit the needs of all the readers. Author Pulkit Gupta & Harshita Srivastava in their latest venture "Moonlit Matinee" have brought together some experienced writers to put together an anthology for all types of readers. So have their efforts paid off? Let's find out.
First look at the title and the cover and it speaks volumes about love and romance. A dazzling cover image and a romantic title sets up the mood for the book. The blurb is a summary of what to expect in the book with few adjectives summing up the book completely.
Story No. 1:
It's a story of love, betrayal, hope and repentance where it takes a young man a lot to feel his love for the other person. The story is good with mix of emotions and a lot to ponder about when it comes to being committed to the person you love.
Story No. 2:
A story of a man on a vacation and a loner and when they meet what happens between them. It's a nice story with a touch of realism and hint of sadness but in the ends holds on to the factor of love beautifully.
Story No. 3:
A story of pain and the barriers of caste which create problems between two lovers. It's a nice story with pain, emotions and some realistic touch to it. The story could have been titled better. It just doesn't suits the entire setup.
Story No. 4:
A story of life and death which hampers the progress of love between two people and in the end whether it's a win-win situation for them or something else is planned is there to see for everyone. A good story with a tender and soulful touch and a lot of emotions flowing through the entire narration. It has been crafted in a serene manner.
Story No. 5:
This is a unique blend of poetic and rhythmic verses expressing love and desire for each other. It's a wonderful narrative and equally powerful descriptive. The sync is there and the rhythm makes you sway with every line. One of the best in the entire book.
Story No. 6:
An army captain and his chance meeting with a stranger and a kid to take care of leaves his senses baffled. What is it as both of them try to figure out till the end. It's a story which will make you feel content and some witty narration helps along the way. It's a chirpy and humor filled romantic story. It is enjoyable with a difference.
Story No. 7:
A story of an old rekindled romance at the behest of society and it's rules and regulations. It's an average story with a lot of things happening out of blue. It could have been done better and made it look a bit more realistic.
Story No. 8:
A joyous story of two people, their encounter and then friendship culminating into love. It's a story with surprises and the feel of undying love for each other. It's a beautiful narration along with a lot of hope and positivism.
Story No. 9:
Stardom comes with a lot of ifs and buts. It's glitzy, glamorous and also dark too. It's a story with some deep dark secrets of few people related to this industry. It's an average narration with nothing new to offer in terms of story line.
Story No. 10:
A story of two lovers who are torn apart because of fate and then get back together by fate. It's a positive story with lots of love and romance and enchanting tale of emotions. A good story to read.
Story No. 11:
This is a piece of sonnet which won't disappoint you by any means. It pulls and attracts you to read and feel the emotions attached to it. There's hardly any moment when you can take your eyes away from it. A free flowing narration with passion and feel.
Story No. 12:
It's a story of passion, desire, lust and revenge where in some strings of the past are pulled and few lives are at stake. The story had a lot of guts and has been written with a unique perspective. But the end was a dry without any sparkling surprise in it. It had the right mix of emotions but the tempo was lost towards the end.
Story No. 13:
A story of an orphaned couple and their unique idea to complete their home and family which paves way for the future. It's a beautiful story which is an eye-opener and reminds many of us that people should be loved in life but not discarded. A story with a purpose and intent.
Story No. 14:
A lyrical narration which makes you feel a lot of things and rejuvenates your senses. It has been written in a flowing manner and the impact makes it all the more admirable. A beautiful form of conveying thoughts and emotions.
The anthology has a lot of feel and passion in it. The thoughts have been expressed beautifully. The desire to hit the right chord can be seen from many narratives. The stand out stories in the book are story no. 5,6,11,13,14. The experimentation with adding sonnet adds to the beauty of the book. The narration tempo has been maintained in all the stories and editing has been done with a lot of care and taste. The stories towards the end leave more impact.
The downside of the book is it's initial start. It's not able to stir up excitement in the initial stories. Past is common factor in many stories and this repetition takes away some excitement from the book. The ballad, sonnet and lyrical should have been labelled accordingly so as to give some clarity to the readers. There is lack of freshness in some stories.
All in all it's a good mix of experience and youth and the effort to pull off a romantic book has payed off. Expectations have been fulfilled but that x-factor is found wanted in the book. It is a good book for the hopeless romantics and for seasoned readers few elements will certainly catch their eye.
RATINGS:
3 OUT OF 5
Welcome this ‘Season of Love’ with a never before effort by twelve resplendent writers to pen most fascinating love tales. Cheer the feeling of love with ‘Moonlit Matinee,’ coming up this Valentine. This is a unique concept which is a blend of Prose, Sonnet, Ballad and Poetry. It contains tales of Love, Emotions, Lust, Passion and Relationship. This is a perfect gift which you can give to your Valentine or you best friend
First look at the title and the cover and it speaks volumes about love and romance. A dazzling cover image and a romantic title sets up the mood for the book. The blurb is a summary of what to expect in the book with few adjectives summing up the book completely.
Story No. 1:
It's a story of love, betrayal, hope and repentance where it takes a young man a lot to feel his love for the other person. The story is good with mix of emotions and a lot to ponder about when it comes to being committed to the person you love.
Story No. 2:
A story of a man on a vacation and a loner and when they meet what happens between them. It's a nice story with a touch of realism and hint of sadness but in the ends holds on to the factor of love beautifully.
Story No. 3:
A story of pain and the barriers of caste which create problems between two lovers. It's a nice story with pain, emotions and some realistic touch to it. The story could have been titled better. It just doesn't suits the entire setup.
Story No. 4:
A story of life and death which hampers the progress of love between two people and in the end whether it's a win-win situation for them or something else is planned is there to see for everyone. A good story with a tender and soulful touch and a lot of emotions flowing through the entire narration. It has been crafted in a serene manner.
Story No. 5:
This is a unique blend of poetic and rhythmic verses expressing love and desire for each other. It's a wonderful narrative and equally powerful descriptive. The sync is there and the rhythm makes you sway with every line. One of the best in the entire book.
Story No. 6:
An army captain and his chance meeting with a stranger and a kid to take care of leaves his senses baffled. What is it as both of them try to figure out till the end. It's a story which will make you feel content and some witty narration helps along the way. It's a chirpy and humor filled romantic story. It is enjoyable with a difference.
Story No. 7:
A story of an old rekindled romance at the behest of society and it's rules and regulations. It's an average story with a lot of things happening out of blue. It could have been done better and made it look a bit more realistic.
Story No. 8:
A joyous story of two people, their encounter and then friendship culminating into love. It's a story with surprises and the feel of undying love for each other. It's a beautiful narration along with a lot of hope and positivism.
Story No. 9:
Stardom comes with a lot of ifs and buts. It's glitzy, glamorous and also dark too. It's a story with some deep dark secrets of few people related to this industry. It's an average narration with nothing new to offer in terms of story line.
Story No. 10:
A story of two lovers who are torn apart because of fate and then get back together by fate. It's a positive story with lots of love and romance and enchanting tale of emotions. A good story to read.
Story No. 11:
This is a piece of sonnet which won't disappoint you by any means. It pulls and attracts you to read and feel the emotions attached to it. There's hardly any moment when you can take your eyes away from it. A free flowing narration with passion and feel.
Story No. 12:
It's a story of passion, desire, lust and revenge where in some strings of the past are pulled and few lives are at stake. The story had a lot of guts and has been written with a unique perspective. But the end was a dry without any sparkling surprise in it. It had the right mix of emotions but the tempo was lost towards the end.
Story No. 13:
A story of an orphaned couple and their unique idea to complete their home and family which paves way for the future. It's a beautiful story which is an eye-opener and reminds many of us that people should be loved in life but not discarded. A story with a purpose and intent.
Story No. 14:
A lyrical narration which makes you feel a lot of things and rejuvenates your senses. It has been written in a flowing manner and the impact makes it all the more admirable. A beautiful form of conveying thoughts and emotions.
The anthology has a lot of feel and passion in it. The thoughts have been expressed beautifully. The desire to hit the right chord can be seen from many narratives. The stand out stories in the book are story no. 5,6,11,13,14. The experimentation with adding sonnet adds to the beauty of the book. The narration tempo has been maintained in all the stories and editing has been done with a lot of care and taste. The stories towards the end leave more impact.
The downside of the book is it's initial start. It's not able to stir up excitement in the initial stories. Past is common factor in many stories and this repetition takes away some excitement from the book. The ballad, sonnet and lyrical should have been labelled accordingly so as to give some clarity to the readers. There is lack of freshness in some stories.
All in all it's a good mix of experience and youth and the effort to pull off a romantic book has payed off. Expectations have been fulfilled but that x-factor is found wanted in the book. It is a good book for the hopeless romantics and for seasoned readers few elements will certainly catch their eye.
RATINGS:
3 OUT OF 5
Thank you for the detailed review, Meghant. I'm glad we were able to entertain you and promise to work out on the flaws so that we are able to offer the best :)
ReplyDelete~Stay blessed~
Thanks for such an honest and detailed review :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Harshita & Pulkit. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Meghant, This is Rachna!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome review and i appreciate your words for my sonnet, Lyrics of Lavish Rain! Stay Connected!
Take Care! Great Job!!
You're welcome Rachna. :)
ReplyDelete