Review of “A Ticklish Affair and Other Stories” by Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor

Title: A Ticklish Affair and Other Stories

Authors: Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor

Publisher: Rupa Publications

Publication Date: 5 October 2019

Genre: Short Stories; Fiction

Pages: 201

Purchase Link: Amazon

The cosy winter months are meant to be spent curled up with a good book– at least in my opinion! Stay tuned to my blog and Instagram page for many book reviews coming your way this month. Today I am reviewing Rupa Publications’ “A Ticklish Affair and Other Stories” by brother/writer duo Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor. Read on to know if this book is worth reading.

AUTHORS BIO:

Sunil and Sudhir Kapoor both hail from financial services backgrounds, and have a host of illustrious clients in their respective fields. The former is a lawyer turned tax consultant and the latter a Chartered Accountant, based in Delhi. They both don multiple hats as sportsmen, musicians, avid readers, contributors to social causes, as well as authors and screenplay writers. This is their third book together.

THE PLOT:

“A Ticklish Affair and Other Stories” is an anthology of ten fictional stories. Each one focusses on unfortunate situations that take place in ordinary people’s lives, and how unfair life can sometimes be. Each story has a different set of characters, is set in a different place and centres around different phases and circumstances of life. Yet, the theme of sadness and misfortune run through all the stories.

THE COMMENTARY:

I must be honest- it was a real struggle for me to read this book. Every book deserves a fair chance at being read, and as an impartial reviewer, I try my best to read through even the most boring of subjects. However, in this case, I couldn’t get on board with even a single story. That is not to say that everyone will dislike this book- this is just my personal opinion.

These stories are more like movie scripts than short stories. Readers who enjoy short and easy-to-read books, might like the swiftness and tone of these stories.

I feel the real problem lies in the excessive melodrama portrayed in the stories, which makes them incredibly hard to believe. Many of them seem inspired by the old, theatrical Bollywood films of the 70s, 80, and 90s. I doubt there is a single story in this collection, that will appeal to young and modern readers.

The stories attempt to be creative but are also replete with unnecessary and endless details. Roundabout events are thrown in that could easily have been edited out. Some stories work on building their characters, while some gloss over personality development entirely, leaving the reader cold.

Despite their considerable shock value, a highly moralistic and slightly patriarchal tone peeks through each tale- another reason the book may not appeal to modern readers. Overall, the stories and the book are quite dated- something that might have done well 30 years ago, but not in the 21^st century!

THE VERDICT:

If you enjoy reading about misery, adversity, and troublesome situations of life that somehow always end on a happy note; you will enjoy this book. It is a fast and easy read and can be picked up and left off without trouble. However, avoid reading this if you don’t like excessive melodrama, unbelievable storylines or soppy literature in general.

RATING: 2/5

Buy the book from Amazon here

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*I’d like to thank Rupa Publications for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. The post is not sponsored, but it contains affiliate links. When you purchase a copy of the book through my link, I earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. Please support my blog by purchasing through my link!

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