Success, Wealth, Recognition – Do these `happy-to-hear’ words serve the sole meaning of life? Do these abstract nouns fulfill the eternal desire of any logical and thoughtful person in his/her ‘one and only’ life? To seek answers, one must read Café Latte by Amit Shankar, the author known for his innovative way of expressing literary emotions.
Here the author has displayed eighteen sumptuous culinary arts [short stories] with a meticulous selection of ingredients [characters] belonging to wide range of cuisines [economic and social rung]. Usage of dialogues like `You crazy son of life’, `Glory at its best, making death more glamorous than a million lives’, ‘We have turned literature into a cesspool of mediocrity’ and likewise, create a perfect ambience whereby one can lavishly cherish the sip of each story having a taste of ‘Kopi luwak’; accompanied with mysticism , apprehensions, capriciousness with a slice of conscientiousness, being worth of signifying various domain of human emotions- be it hate or love, loss or gain, suspense or inevitability, chutzpah or catharsis; leaving a curious impact in one’s heart thereby deciphering a new meaning to his/her life integrated by moments.
The cover of the book has a stoic background [shades of grey] with Café Latte written in ardent [green and pink] , perfectly in harmony with the unpredictable plot of most of his stories. In `Temple Of The King’, The Jazz Player’ the author has intentionally maneuvered certain twists and turns; primarily camouflaged as trivial but ultimately being visualized as an ingenious meaning towards life. In some stories the author has portrayed the beauty of leading a life `full of moments’, meanwhile death being the most inevitable and glamorous part of it. In ‘True lies’, A Highway Called Life’ he has paved the way how a painful life looks beautiful when viewed through the empathetic eye of others. `Writer’s Block’ is an enthralling masterpiece full of melodrama, tastes the patience of his beloved readers as it seems beyond their plausible anticipation.
I think that the author can be momentarily termed as `connoisseur of human psychology’; he has emphasized a particular human sentiment in each of his stories and that too depends on the socio-psychometric nature of the chosen character. Thus he deserves this above title with all it’s associated credentials.
Book Details:-
| Author: | Amit Shankar | ||
| Publisher: | Vitasta Publishing | Year of Publication: | 2014 |
| ISBN-13: | 9789382711445 | ISBN-10: | 9382711449 |
| Cover: | Paperback | No. of Pages: | 208 |
| MRP: | Rs. 150 | Buy From: | Flipkart.com Amazon.in  |
My Verdict
4
I am rating Café Latte 4 out of 5 and heartily recommend it to read more than once to feel an serendipitous empathy towards his/her ‘one and only’ life.
