Life is a circus
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be lost in a giant shopping mall? Have you ever watched in amazement as blue flames danced over a banana pudding ? Or have you ever been consumed by an irrational love that affects your daily life? Life seems to be a series of circuses that sweep through the landscape of Tejaswini Apte-Rahm’s collection of short stories in the book of the same name.
“These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscape”is delightful book recently launched by Aleph Book Company . Furthermore, Trilogy, the quaint bookshop and curated library tucked away in the labyrinthine mess of the Raghuvanshi Mills compound was a complementary host to this event.
Meet the Author of “These Circuses”
Tejaswini Apte-Rahm is the author of the short story collection “These Circuses That Sweep Through the Landscape” published by Aleph Book Company in December 2016.
She is a full-time writer from Mumbai.
Her short stories have been published in Himal Southasian (Nepal), BLink (Hindu Business Line, India) The Big Chilli (Thailand), Six Seasons Review (Bangladesh) and The Daily Star (Bangladesh), as well as in Monsoon Midnights, an e-book anthology of stories about Bangkok.
Tejaswini worked as an environmental researcher for ten years, during which time she wrote two non-fiction books. She was also a journalist in Mumbai, and has written on cinema, photography and environmental issues for Screen, The Times of India, Hindustan Times and The Asian Age.
She studied at the JB Petit High School for Girls (Mumbai), the United World College of South-East Asia (Singapore), the University of Sussex and the University of Kent (England).
Tejaswini has lived in Serbia, Israel, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Bangladesh, spending a year or two in each country with her husband and daughter.
Currently she is based in London.
The Book
In this collection of ten diverse stories, the common becomes uncommon. And the author’s rather unconventional approach, slowly peels back the layers of complex human emotions through ordinary characters with a dark and quirky side.
I found this book an interesting read and relaxing despite its somewhat twisted characters and unexpected endings. Where else would you find ten stories with different emotions? Through ordinary situations, the author reveals fear, greed, passion and love.
An excerpt from the book
“A loud crackling breaks through the dust and then melts into a deep voice, mellow like wood-smoked honey, gentle and heartbreaking as lips against skin… he sings a song of seduction, how playful, how tantalizing his invitation to fly to the clouds, to sing together and find a rainbow away from the crowds. He switches to Italian. I have no idea what the words mean.”
End word
Sadly, many people give the short story the go-by. But it is a form of prose that should resonate well with Millennials and a digitalized audience. It’s length and pace is just right for readers on the go. The beauty of the short story is the pithiness and distinct economy of words. And Apte-Rahm displays a distinct aptitude in conjuring characters and retelling stories with just the right words.
[Tweet “Definitely a must read this holiday season. Let the surreal world of these circuses sweep through your landscape as you sip a hot cup of tea”].
Twenty- five Seven 
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