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A review by tiash
Fragments of Riversong by Farah Ghuznavi
4.0
[3.5 ✨]
Fragments of Riversong is a grandiloquent celebration of life in Bangladesh. Author used rhetorical wording to convince the readers to see her viewpoint, which in a manner of speaking was cristal clear and eloquent. Themed on basically a feministic tinted lens to observe deeply rooted patriarchy and It's toxic practice in daily life, these stories are poignant, triggering, also at times unpleasant.
Short story, probably is the trickiest genre to write, read or review, As the abundance of topic requires a gentle handling. Making the plot enticing, characters relevant and also adding individuality, that within a very limited space, making it sententious, lovable is not a piece of cake. To author's credit it was mostly (!) executed idiomatically. Fragments of Riversong is a collection of 12 stories of slice of life genre that allows you to peak in the life of native as well as immigrant Bangladeshi people.
The Mosquito Net Confessions is my favorite story from this lot which focuses on stereotyping people, existential crisis and a journey of self discovery and finally coming out as a better, stronger version of yourself. This Succinctly executed story is relatable, effective and motivating. The pacing and span suited the plot through and through.
I wholeheartedly believe a story should be as long as it requires to be. So It's a vital thing to know what to focus & where to finish off. A Thing short story writers often tend to mess up, making it either a verbosely wordy mess or a redundantly convoluted piece. Big Mother, a content heavy, potential story from this collection can be an epitome of such classic case, that explores deeply rooted patriarchy, household conflicts, polygamy, interfaith relationship, favouritism towards male child, sexual assault, trauma and to finish it off sprinkle Rana Plaza Tragedy. It's a mess of content, none being explored properly. Characters not getting enough room to grow, ultimately not resonating with us at all.
To be brutally honest , Fragments of Riversong is a weird assembly of stories, some with paper thin plot, some are overly complicated. The inconsistency in writing is apparent. Few poorly conceived, poorly executed story felt out of synchrony in contrast to other pitch perfect stories (like, The Mosquito net Confessions). You see the conflict? Whilst i was blown away by the skeletal development of some of the stories and well chosen vocabulary, It's the sloppy execution at times that lessened my reading experience to a degree. Considering all of it, I'll go with a rating of 3.5 stars.
Fragments of Riversong is a grandiloquent celebration of life in Bangladesh. Author used rhetorical wording to convince the readers to see her viewpoint, which in a manner of speaking was cristal clear and eloquent. Themed on basically a feministic tinted lens to observe deeply rooted patriarchy and It's toxic practice in daily life, these stories are poignant, triggering, also at times unpleasant.
Short story, probably is the trickiest genre to write, read or review, As the abundance of topic requires a gentle handling. Making the plot enticing, characters relevant and also adding individuality, that within a very limited space, making it sententious, lovable is not a piece of cake. To author's credit it was mostly (!) executed idiomatically. Fragments of Riversong is a collection of 12 stories of slice of life genre that allows you to peak in the life of native as well as immigrant Bangladeshi people.
The Mosquito Net Confessions is my favorite story from this lot which focuses on stereotyping people, existential crisis and a journey of self discovery and finally coming out as a better, stronger version of yourself. This Succinctly executed story is relatable, effective and motivating. The pacing and span suited the plot through and through.
I wholeheartedly believe a story should be as long as it requires to be. So It's a vital thing to know what to focus & where to finish off. A Thing short story writers often tend to mess up, making it either a verbosely wordy mess or a redundantly convoluted piece. Big Mother, a content heavy, potential story from this collection can be an epitome of such classic case, that explores deeply rooted patriarchy, household conflicts, polygamy, interfaith relationship, favouritism towards male child, sexual assault, trauma and to finish it off sprinkle Rana Plaza Tragedy. It's a mess of content, none being explored properly. Characters not getting enough room to grow, ultimately not resonating with us at all.
To be brutally honest , Fragments of Riversong is a weird assembly of stories, some with paper thin plot, some are overly complicated. The inconsistency in writing is apparent. Few poorly conceived, poorly executed story felt out of synchrony in contrast to other pitch perfect stories (like, The Mosquito net Confessions). You see the conflict? Whilst i was blown away by the skeletal development of some of the stories and well chosen vocabulary, It's the sloppy execution at times that lessened my reading experience to a degree. Considering all of it, I'll go with a rating of 3.5 stars.