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Urban Shot: Love Collection
I loved Siddhartha, I told myself. Loved him for his handsome dignity, for the way he loved me, for the way he cared about me, for the way he looked at me as if I was his… Why was it that I could only think of Atul then? Of our illicit meetings, of his hungry kisses, of his cardamom-ey taste?'
Sometimes touching, at times funny and always straight from the heart, Urban Shots: Love Collection is a compilation of love stories - with a distinctly contemporary Indian flavour. Spanning arranged matches, premarital sexual encounters, same-sex relationships and extramarital affairs, this book paints for us an urban landscape of contrasts - where astrological charts and the need for parental consent coexist with casual dating.
In the poignant 'Making Out', motivated by compassion, a girl unlocks the painful secrets of her date's past and offers a healing touch. In the funny 'High Time', a potential groom's conservative Tamil parents beat a hasty retreat when they realize that the NRI match they've chosen for their son has 'boyfriends' hidden in her past. And in the grungily unromantic '32 B', a prank backfires when the protagonist realizes that she desires the guy she has been leading on.
Sometimes touching, at times funny and always straight from the heart, Urban Shots: Love Collection is a compilation of love stories - with a distinctly contemporary Indian flavour. Spanning arranged matches, premarital sexual encounters, same-sex relationships and extramarital affairs, this book paints for us an urban landscape of contrasts - where astrological charts and the need for parental consent coexist with casual dating.
In the poignant 'Making Out', motivated by compassion, a girl unlocks the painful secrets of her date's past and offers a healing touch. In the funny 'High Time', a potential groom's conservative Tamil parents beat a hasty retreat when they realize that the NRI match they've chosen for their son has 'boyfriends' hidden in her past. And in the grungily unromantic '32 B', a prank backfires when the protagonist realizes that she desires the guy she has been leading on.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 1, 2012
The short story in English is alive and well and living in India. Several Urban Shots anthologies of short stories have been released here by Grey Oak/Westland in the last two years. This anthology, The Love Collection, edited by Sneh Thakur, is a worthy addition to the collection.
Contrary to what one might initially suspect, this is not escapist romantic fiction. Although the stories deal with love of the romantic type in its many manifestations, this fiction is rooted in harsh reality. It is none the less enjoyable for all that. Each story is comfortably short and can be read during lunch hour or coffee break.
There is a variety of situations to deal with when it comes to love in urban India. The girl in a northern town, debating whether to marry the man she loves instead of the man who could give her an affluent life. The ‘happily’ married man who regularly meets a girlfriend for a quiet date. The earnest young man in a southern city who consults an astrologer regularly to discover God’s plan for his future and believes that he met his wife as a result. And many more. Each situation unique yet somehow familiar. If you live in India, as I do, these characters could be your neighbours and colleagues.
Some stories tug at your heart. One, set in Pune left me particularly moved, as it concerned the bombing at the German Bakery which occurred in the recent past. That was quite apart from the killer twist at the end of the story, which took me completely by surprise.
Since this is an anthology of fiction and not a novel, there’s a veritable choir of writing voices. I particularly enjoyed the work of Ahmed Faiyaz, who happens to have three very distinctive stories here.
I noticed some technical flaws. That poignant story about an ageing couple could have been drastically improved (in my humble opinion) by losing the first one and a half pages. Characters don’t leap off the page when they don’t speak until half way through page two. Readers don’t need to wade through interminable narrative. They learn about the characters by seeing them speak and interact. Another story, in which the main character makes love to a ghost didn’t convince me either. A ghost is a spirit, not flesh and blood and even if paranormal romances are becoming popular, I couldn’t suspend my disbelief to enjoy the story as much as I wanted to. I’d have been convinced had the writer dreamed the lovemaking instead of ‘doing it’. Also, I detest point of view (POV) shifts in short fiction. Having to jump from inside one person’s head to another’s,breaks the flow, for me at least. Thankfully, it occurs in this volume only occasionally.
Stray flaws notwithstanding, I still say this book is paise vasool. An attractive yet discreet volume which can be easily carried around to keep you entertained on the bus, the train and the waiting room. I recommend this.
Contrary to what one might initially suspect, this is not escapist romantic fiction. Although the stories deal with love of the romantic type in its many manifestations, this fiction is rooted in harsh reality. It is none the less enjoyable for all that. Each story is comfortably short and can be read during lunch hour or coffee break.
There is a variety of situations to deal with when it comes to love in urban India. The girl in a northern town, debating whether to marry the man she loves instead of the man who could give her an affluent life. The ‘happily’ married man who regularly meets a girlfriend for a quiet date. The earnest young man in a southern city who consults an astrologer regularly to discover God’s plan for his future and believes that he met his wife as a result. And many more. Each situation unique yet somehow familiar. If you live in India, as I do, these characters could be your neighbours and colleagues.
Some stories tug at your heart. One, set in Pune left me particularly moved, as it concerned the bombing at the German Bakery which occurred in the recent past. That was quite apart from the killer twist at the end of the story, which took me completely by surprise.
Since this is an anthology of fiction and not a novel, there’s a veritable choir of writing voices. I particularly enjoyed the work of Ahmed Faiyaz, who happens to have three very distinctive stories here.
I noticed some technical flaws. That poignant story about an ageing couple could have been drastically improved (in my humble opinion) by losing the first one and a half pages. Characters don’t leap off the page when they don’t speak until half way through page two. Readers don’t need to wade through interminable narrative. They learn about the characters by seeing them speak and interact. Another story, in which the main character makes love to a ghost didn’t convince me either. A ghost is a spirit, not flesh and blood and even if paranormal romances are becoming popular, I couldn’t suspend my disbelief to enjoy the story as much as I wanted to. I’d have been convinced had the writer dreamed the lovemaking instead of ‘doing it’. Also, I detest point of view (POV) shifts in short fiction. Having to jump from inside one person’s head to another’s,breaks the flow, for me at least. Thankfully, it occurs in this volume only occasionally.
Stray flaws notwithstanding, I still say this book is paise vasool. An attractive yet discreet volume which can be easily carried around to keep you entertained on the bus, the train and the waiting room. I recommend this.
May 8, 2012
A lot of stories are heart touching and holds you in a grip so that you cant keep the book down till u have read it all
September 5, 2012
Many of the stories r simply wow , u never wish them too end , they r simply awesome .Stories are simple in writing but full of emotions . Great collection !!!!
September 25, 2012
Urban Shots, a collection of short stories redefines love in the urban context. Many of its stories are located in the new India that works in software firms, banks and advert-ising and migrates to other countries.
The stories transpire over mobile phones and text messages, in coffee shops, food courts and on psychiatrist couches.
The collection walks the razor’s edge between romance and lust, sensuality and sentimentality, to bring forth a sensibility not much explored either in poetry or in the movies which now-a-days have become an index of reference in our society.
Urban Shots is not subtle and romantic, neither is it loud and indiscreet. The collection of 31 short stories by 27 authors is quite in your face, straight talking and does not cover love or its associated emotions behind two roses coming together on the silver screen or in lyrical expansiveness.
Sneh Thakur, the editor has taken care in picking stories that are not only about love but also about break ups and separations and not so happy endings. This is the matter of fact love of the consumer generat-ion.
The stories do represent the new India that is emerging on the merit of its economic buying po-wer and irreverence to tradition. But it also seems that this very India is becoming more and more puritan and flimsy about its love and desire.
The older passion and diversity is replaced by a more assembly line, factory-finished, uniformity. Some of the stor-ies like The Coffee Shop, Reality Bytes, The Girl of the Train, and Pause, Rewind, Play, even play with the format of stories bringing in the new media like blogs and brochure copy and almost post-it notes into the shape of the stories.
Most of them work though the collection itself in uneven content. While some stories shine, others tend to lose their main thread. Look out for the ones by Arunava Sinha (translated from Bengali), Hina Siddi-qui, Sneh Thakur herself, Shoma Nara-yan, Naman Saraiya and Bhabani Shan-kar Kar.
The stories that hold attention are mostly those that either go into the psyche of the characters or depict a short time period or very few events.
Though some writers make the mistake of trying to say too much in the few pages, most hold their stories firmly and they work as light reads but hardly linger in the mind for too long.
Just a few stories like Twisted, Sahana or Shamim and The Jhalmuri Seller capture larger political events or how a different social strata creates a dramatic twist.
Love is Blind deals with a cougar but it is surprising how pretty and middle class the rest of the collection remains.
There is no gay love or alternative sexuality. In fact, there is a lack of even good decent sensual passages. Still, read the book on a flight. The stories are short and crisp.
This review appeared in deccan chronical - http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channe...
Amandeep Sandhu is the author of Sepia Leaves and Roll of Honour
The stories transpire over mobile phones and text messages, in coffee shops, food courts and on psychiatrist couches.
The collection walks the razor’s edge between romance and lust, sensuality and sentimentality, to bring forth a sensibility not much explored either in poetry or in the movies which now-a-days have become an index of reference in our society.
Urban Shots is not subtle and romantic, neither is it loud and indiscreet. The collection of 31 short stories by 27 authors is quite in your face, straight talking and does not cover love or its associated emotions behind two roses coming together on the silver screen or in lyrical expansiveness.
Sneh Thakur, the editor has taken care in picking stories that are not only about love but also about break ups and separations and not so happy endings. This is the matter of fact love of the consumer generat-ion.
The stories do represent the new India that is emerging on the merit of its economic buying po-wer and irreverence to tradition. But it also seems that this very India is becoming more and more puritan and flimsy about its love and desire.
The older passion and diversity is replaced by a more assembly line, factory-finished, uniformity. Some of the stor-ies like The Coffee Shop, Reality Bytes, The Girl of the Train, and Pause, Rewind, Play, even play with the format of stories bringing in the new media like blogs and brochure copy and almost post-it notes into the shape of the stories.
Most of them work though the collection itself in uneven content. While some stories shine, others tend to lose their main thread. Look out for the ones by Arunava Sinha (translated from Bengali), Hina Siddi-qui, Sneh Thakur herself, Shoma Nara-yan, Naman Saraiya and Bhabani Shan-kar Kar.
The stories that hold attention are mostly those that either go into the psyche of the characters or depict a short time period or very few events.
Though some writers make the mistake of trying to say too much in the few pages, most hold their stories firmly and they work as light reads but hardly linger in the mind for too long.
Just a few stories like Twisted, Sahana or Shamim and The Jhalmuri Seller capture larger political events or how a different social strata creates a dramatic twist.
Love is Blind deals with a cougar but it is surprising how pretty and middle class the rest of the collection remains.
There is no gay love or alternative sexuality. In fact, there is a lack of even good decent sensual passages. Still, read the book on a flight. The stories are short and crisp.
This review appeared in deccan chronical - http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channe...
Amandeep Sandhu is the author of Sepia Leaves and Roll of Honour
June 16, 2015
With 31 stories contributed by 27 authors, Urban Shots - The Love Collection is an interesting anthology of short stories that traverse's the magnitude of love and will make you smile once in a while as you read on since there’s a lot you’ll be able to relate to- not because you've been in similar situations but because love is cuts across all barriers of location, culture, language and gender!
Ira Trivedi’s 'In Love With A Stranger' talks about a bride’s conflicting emotions on her wedding day. Lipi Mehta’s 'Twisted' on the other hand tells us how love is equally strong among gay lovers. 'A Good Day' by Richa. S. Chatterjee is the tale of a young married couple whose feelings for each other are rekindled after a rather devastating experience. '32 B' by Varsha Suman had an undertone of lust and was an entertaining read. 'Pause, Rewind, Play' by Shoma Narayanan question the acceptance of homosexuality in India.
My personal favourite, however is 'Sahana or Shamim', written by Sangeeta Bandyopadhay and translated by Arunava Sinha. It takes an unusual fetish and turn it on its head by roping in a love story across a suffocated marriage. Along with this, 'The Jhalmuri Seller' by Bhabani Shankar Kar and 'Sleepless in Night' by Mona Ramavat create genuine pathos and a credibility that is hard to ignore. Some of the dispappointing ones, though comes from the senior writers - 'Coffee?' and 'Rishta' by Ahmed Faiyaz are predictable and you can guess the climax from the word go.
Overall, the anthology has most of the areas covered as far as emotion of love is concerned. Read it on a day when your romantic hormones are in an over drive and you are bound to enjoy it even more. You will like it, just don't keep your expectations too high.
Ira Trivedi’s 'In Love With A Stranger' talks about a bride’s conflicting emotions on her wedding day. Lipi Mehta’s 'Twisted' on the other hand tells us how love is equally strong among gay lovers. 'A Good Day' by Richa. S. Chatterjee is the tale of a young married couple whose feelings for each other are rekindled after a rather devastating experience. '32 B' by Varsha Suman had an undertone of lust and was an entertaining read. 'Pause, Rewind, Play' by Shoma Narayanan question the acceptance of homosexuality in India.
My personal favourite, however is 'Sahana or Shamim', written by Sangeeta Bandyopadhay and translated by Arunava Sinha. It takes an unusual fetish and turn it on its head by roping in a love story across a suffocated marriage. Along with this, 'The Jhalmuri Seller' by Bhabani Shankar Kar and 'Sleepless in Night' by Mona Ramavat create genuine pathos and a credibility that is hard to ignore. Some of the dispappointing ones, though comes from the senior writers - 'Coffee?' and 'Rishta' by Ahmed Faiyaz are predictable and you can guess the climax from the word go.
Overall, the anthology has most of the areas covered as far as emotion of love is concerned. Read it on a day when your romantic hormones are in an over drive and you are bound to enjoy it even more. You will like it, just don't keep your expectations too high.
May 21, 2014
I have read 'Bright Lights' under the Urban Shots series, which is a collection of 29 stories by 21 writers. Bright Lights was a nice read with many different flavors of Urban Life, with ironies, romances, memoirs.
With the experience of Bright lights I ordered "The love collection".
The story-lines are not very impressive, with most of them very predictable and cliche stories. A few stories like "Written in Stars" are good. But for most of the stories I had to make an effort to read, as they felt easily put-down-able.
With the experience of Bright lights I ordered "The love collection".
The story-lines are not very impressive, with most of them very predictable and cliche stories. A few stories like "Written in Stars" are good. But for most of the stories I had to make an effort to read, as they felt easily put-down-able.
April 5, 2013
The title led me to think that love would be a dominating factor in the book. Whereas it does show its essence in many stories, quite a few others seem like a drag rather than about love. I'd go back to read some of the stories that I did enjoy, but overall, this anthology didn't have a very big effect. 2.5 stars is agreeable.
Review at the blog: http://bit.ly/11vIhl3
Review at the blog: http://bit.ly/11vIhl3
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September 7, 2012Some of the stories are soo touching that your brain just keeps on clinged to its expression and depth....amazing collection of sweet and simple love stories
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews