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_askthebookbug's review against another edition
3.0
• r e v i e w •
Half-Open Windows captures 2017 in about 200 odd pages. Written by Ganesh Matkari who happens to be an architect and a film maker, it is only apt to see the stories revolving around architects and the people involved in their lives. The translation has been done smoothly by Jerry Pinto and this alone scores few points. As unique and Mumbai-ish these stories might be, they did little to impress me. Probably because I couldn't picture Mumbai vividly while reading the book. I do however enjoyed how cleverly the author brought the book together.
Half-Open Windows has multiple narrators and it won't remotely be possible for me to describe them all. The story mainly revolves around SNA architectural firm and its employees. It further branches out into their families/friends etc. I don't know if it was intentional but the first and last chapters are narrated by the same person while the rest introduces us to different people. They carry no similar theme but are bound together by a fine thread. There's a lonely widow who dreads moving abroad, a young couple going through a turbulent time, a corrupted architectural firm, a suicidal man and stories of betrayal. Each story is different from the other. But these weren't extraordinary. I couldn't connect with a few of them while few, I did enjoy reading. Overall, I felt it didn't portray enough of Mumbai. I wouldn't recommend it but there's no harm in giving it a try either.
Rating : 3.4/5.
Half-Open Windows captures 2017 in about 200 odd pages. Written by Ganesh Matkari who happens to be an architect and a film maker, it is only apt to see the stories revolving around architects and the people involved in their lives. The translation has been done smoothly by Jerry Pinto and this alone scores few points. As unique and Mumbai-ish these stories might be, they did little to impress me. Probably because I couldn't picture Mumbai vividly while reading the book. I do however enjoyed how cleverly the author brought the book together.
Half-Open Windows has multiple narrators and it won't remotely be possible for me to describe them all. The story mainly revolves around SNA architectural firm and its employees. It further branches out into their families/friends etc. I don't know if it was intentional but the first and last chapters are narrated by the same person while the rest introduces us to different people. They carry no similar theme but are bound together by a fine thread. There's a lonely widow who dreads moving abroad, a young couple going through a turbulent time, a corrupted architectural firm, a suicidal man and stories of betrayal. Each story is different from the other. But these weren't extraordinary. I couldn't connect with a few of them while few, I did enjoy reading. Overall, I felt it didn't portray enough of Mumbai. I wouldn't recommend it but there's no harm in giving it a try either.
Rating : 3.4/5.
ameya88's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful slice-of-life set of stories set in the Mumbai of 2017, each narrated from a different lens and tied in together. Relatable characters, relatable problems, relatable rationalization to decisions. With the metropolis as a central character in the backdrop of every one of them.
You will probably enjoy it more if you've stayed in Mumbai or you're in Architecture, but you'll enjoy it anyways. Finished it in almost one-sitting.
PS - Knowing the language it's translated from busies you in a slightly guilty exercise of trying to second guess what the original Marathi text/statement was. Nonetheless, a seamless translation - the kind where you wouldn't know it's a translation if you hadn't been told about it.
PPS - a small critique would be that in hindsight some of the stories just seemed to be thrown in there, without really tying them in to the larger plot. Also the blurb on the inside cover was unnecessarily judgemental and spoiler-ish (skip that if you can)...
You will probably enjoy it more if you've stayed in Mumbai or you're in Architecture, but you'll enjoy it anyways. Finished it in almost one-sitting.
PS - Knowing the language it's translated from busies you in a slightly guilty exercise of trying to second guess what the original Marathi text/statement was. Nonetheless, a seamless translation - the kind where you wouldn't know it's a translation if you hadn't been told about it.
PPS - a small critique would be that in hindsight some of the stories just seemed to be thrown in there, without really tying them in to the larger plot. Also the blurb on the inside cover was unnecessarily judgemental and spoiler-ish (skip that if you can)...
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