#ATUW Bookreview A Thousand Unspoken Words by Paulami Duttagupta

 

 

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Musafir is Riddhimaan or is it the other way round? He is a writer, entrepreneur and A Thousand Unspoken Words is his story. All the other characters support him and help him find his way. He suffers, fails and fumbles his way through life yet he is the chosen one. Tillotama is his fan, girlfriend and much more.

This is a bittersweet love story. Not like the typical boy meets girl story. This has a lot of depth and substance. A bit of struggle, heartbreak, passion, anger and finding oneself. Such a dramatic meeting too!

These lines in the book define the story, as it explores the maze of finding and cherishing your soul mate. It is not an easy journey but a good one. Paulami talks about life and how we fight what is good for us, our loved ones and our goals.

‘It depends; if you find your soul mate, then yes. Silences don’t feel empty, they are companionable. If not, silence can be the most claustrophobic thing.’

This is a story that grows on the reader, initially, I wondered where the story was going but once I was a fan of Musafir I was hooked as I worried about him. I felt his despair and passion while I rooted for him. As the author has said he is a ‘fallen hero’ but we love him nonetheless.

My only crib is that it should have been named ‘Musafir’ since it is so much about him. It is the decision of the author and I agree that there were a lot of unspoken words left but still, in the end, all things got sorted and love survived and triumphed.

All the secondary characters are well etched and add to the story line. The book does slow down a bit but eventually finds its way just like life and is filled with a lot of details that moved the reader in me. Her etching of the characters was so spot on that I was engrossed in their lives and wanted to eagerly know more about their life.  The book transported me back to Calcutta, yes I still call it that even though I left it a few decades ago. It was wonderful revisiting an old friend with this book.

What I liked best was that the characters are strong, well written and they fight for what is important. A Thousand Unspoken Words is a story with a lot of heart and soul. There is passion, drive and compassion that make this a read that should be savoured. A relaxed read that asks you to introspect as well.

(I received a copy of the book from the author and this is my honest unbiased review.)

 

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A hero, a person who displays great courage for the greater good, can also fall. But what happens to a fallen hero? A Thousand Unspoken Words is the unique journey of a hero who falls.
The champion of the underdogs, the writer who uses the nom de plume Musafir is famous in Kolkata. His incisive criticism of the injustices around him earn him many enemies but he holds his ideals above all else. Scathing attacks at his books and a night of hide and seek from political goons leads Musafir unto a path he never liked, faraway from his ideals. He runs away and chooses the comforts of money over the travails of following one’s ideals. The hero falls.
But Tilottama, passionate fan’s hopes don’t. When he comes back after many years, emotions, love and lust take charge and an affair brews. Will she bring back her hero? Will he rise again? Or will the thousand untold words, the many stories of the ideal writer be lost forever?
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About Paulami Duttagupta

Paulami DuttaGupta is a novelist and screenwriter. She shuttles between Kolkata and Shillong. She has worked as a radio artist, copywriter, journalist and a television analyst at various stages of her life, having been associated with AIR Shillong, The Times of India— Guwahati, Shillong Plus, ETV Bangla, The Shillong Times, Akash Bangla and Sony Aath.As an author, her short stories have appeared in various anthologies and literary magazines. A Thousand Unspoken Words is her fourth book. Paulami also writes on politics, social issues and cinema. Her articles have appeared in Swarajya, The Forthright and NElive.
Paulami is associated with cinema and her first film, Ri-Homeland of Uncertainty received the National Award for the Best Khasi Film. Her second film Onaatah—Of the Earth is at post production stage and will release in 2016. She is currently working on her third screenplay. A short film tentatively titled ‘Patjhar’ is also in the pipeline.
Paulami is a complete foodie and is almost obsessed with watching one film every day. She also loves reading—political and social commentaries are her favourite genre. Literature classics and books on cricket are also a part of her library, apart from a huge collection of romances. Jane Austen’s fictional character Mr. Darcy is her lifelong companion. She is an ardent fan of Rahul Dravid and has been following all news about him for almost twenty years now.
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Comments

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    Inderpreet Kaur

    Me too! I love picking books if the name calls out to me. Between the cover and the name of the book, the blurb is secondary while choosing a book sometimes​. 🙂 Thanks Parul.

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