What do you think?
Rate this book
The Station Master
What would you do?
When confronted with the impossible? The ghostly? The bizarre? The dangerous? Challenges demanding answers? With or without adequate resources? Against the clock?
Meet Manab Banerjee, the Station Master. A regular guy, like you, or that guy there wearing that rather nondescript shirt. Except, as the quintessential Indian Railways man, he dealt with them routinely…
Strange wails in the still of a misty night… a bloody beheading on the platform… a mysterious lady with an aura of danger… gold biscuits… a brutal murder… a catastrophic accident in the station… and a storm that led to a death and its consequences… all these and more. Manab meets them head-on in this collection of ten stories based on real life, resolute but accommodating, quick yet patient… and always with his heart in the right place.
When confronted with the impossible? The ghostly? The bizarre? The dangerous? Challenges demanding answers? With or without adequate resources? Against the clock?
Meet Manab Banerjee, the Station Master. A regular guy, like you, or that guy there wearing that rather nondescript shirt. Except, as the quintessential Indian Railways man, he dealt with them routinely…
Strange wails in the still of a misty night… a bloody beheading on the platform… a mysterious lady with an aura of danger… gold biscuits… a brutal murder… a catastrophic accident in the station… and a storm that led to a death and its consequences… all these and more. Manab meets them head-on in this collection of ten stories based on real life, resolute but accommodating, quick yet patient… and always with his heart in the right place.
- GenresFiction
198 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2018
About the author
Indranil Mukherjee
3 books8 followersIndranil Mukherjee is a software professional turned novelist. After working for more than a quarter century along with colleagues across the globe, he has plunged full-time to pursuing his passion, writing. He has published three books till now, Re-Kill, a novelette; The Station Master, a collection of ten short stories based on real-life experiences of the eponymous Station Master, followed by a novel, titled Off the Pages, which is close to his heart and part-dedicated to his idol and favorite author, PG Wodehouse. All three books are available worldwide with online retailers like Amazon.
Ananda Publishers, the biggest publishers of Bengali literature in India, has launched the Bengali edition of The Station Master at the largest book fair in the world, the Kolkata Book Fair, in the city of Kolkata, India, in Feb 2020. Bengali is a language spoken by 300+ million worldwide.
He is married to Sanghamitra and they live in New Delhi, while their son, Ayoush, works in the US.
He can be found at www.indranil-mukherjee.com, where his website lives, awaiting updates on life, the universe, and everything.
Ananda Publishers, the biggest publishers of Bengali literature in India, has launched the Bengali edition of The Station Master at the largest book fair in the world, the Kolkata Book Fair, in the city of Kolkata, India, in Feb 2020. Bengali is a language spoken by 300+ million worldwide.
He is married to Sanghamitra and they live in New Delhi, while their son, Ayoush, works in the US.
He can be found at www.indranil-mukherjee.com, where his website lives, awaiting updates on life, the universe, and everything.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 3, 2019
The Indian Railways often makes news for the wrong reasons when major accidents happen. Complaints about trains running late or with pathetic service no longer make news as the shrill middle classes have switched, by and large, to travel by air or road instead of railways.
Yet, it is no exaggeration to say that given the scale of its operations and the number of passengers, besides goods, that it ferries every year, it does a super job within its constraints. It is one the largest railways in the world, employing over a million and carrying over 23 million passengers daily.
However, till I read Indranil Mukherjee's “The Station Master”, I did not really appreciate the human factor of the Indian Railways that works around the clock to keep the mammoth operations going. It involves not only using technology but also a great deal of human interaction, manage the routine operations while also dealing with irate passengers, loitering vagabonds and local mafias.
“The Station Master” is a simply written collection of short stories from the point of view of a young station master Manab Banerjee posted in various railway stations in Bihar. So true to life are the stories that had I not known Indranil as a colleague in the IT industry, I would have imagined this to be an autobiographical account.
The stories are about the characters in the railways stations and what seemingly look like ordinary events. Indranil’s style is straightforward, his words are precise and economical. It can be tempting to bring out irony in writing for dramatic effect, but the writer seems to have consciously avoided it choosing instead to focus on the humane aspects and endowing his characters with empathy. The closest comparison I can think of is RK Narayan’s style that recounts the daily life of ordinary people going about their ordinary lives.
The stories in this book transform the daily drudgery of those who deal with the ground realities of running the railways into a page turner. That Indranil manages to sustain the interest of the reader with more or less the same set of characters in more or less the same setting, is a tribute to his masterly skills as a writer.
Yet, it is no exaggeration to say that given the scale of its operations and the number of passengers, besides goods, that it ferries every year, it does a super job within its constraints. It is one the largest railways in the world, employing over a million and carrying over 23 million passengers daily.
However, till I read Indranil Mukherjee's “The Station Master”, I did not really appreciate the human factor of the Indian Railways that works around the clock to keep the mammoth operations going. It involves not only using technology but also a great deal of human interaction, manage the routine operations while also dealing with irate passengers, loitering vagabonds and local mafias.
“The Station Master” is a simply written collection of short stories from the point of view of a young station master Manab Banerjee posted in various railway stations in Bihar. So true to life are the stories that had I not known Indranil as a colleague in the IT industry, I would have imagined this to be an autobiographical account.
The stories are about the characters in the railways stations and what seemingly look like ordinary events. Indranil’s style is straightforward, his words are precise and economical. It can be tempting to bring out irony in writing for dramatic effect, but the writer seems to have consciously avoided it choosing instead to focus on the humane aspects and endowing his characters with empathy. The closest comparison I can think of is RK Narayan’s style that recounts the daily life of ordinary people going about their ordinary lives.
The stories in this book transform the daily drudgery of those who deal with the ground realities of running the railways into a page turner. That Indranil manages to sustain the interest of the reader with more or less the same set of characters in more or less the same setting, is a tribute to his masterly skills as a writer.
December 31, 2020
This book is one of the most enjoyable and enlightening among my reads of 2020.
It is the first time that I was able to read about the actual working of the Indian Railways and the multitude of people who work behind the scenes to ensure its smooth functioning. And I must admit that I learnt about the myriad roles and challenges of a Station Master, solely through this book.
Storylines
This compelling collection of short stories is unique in the sense of the common thread that runs through it - the motif of the railways and the station master.
However, each story is completely independent and different from the last one. The first one, 'The Foundling', is the most endearing, while the 'Accident' and 'Kanausi' are disturbing reads. 'Murda Jaga' while presented in a humorous vein, evokes anger at the missing guard, a slave to alcohol. It highlights the brazen nonchalance of some of the personnel which affects the time, schedules and commitments of passengers. The loopholes inherent in the system, that need ironing out, are articulated with precision.
Another key factor that induces pride and regret alike is the true portrayal of Indianism - not just in speech patterns, but also the behavioural traits of workers and passengers alike.
The best parts are the unpredictable incidents depicted in the predictable world of the station master.
Characterisation
The most interesting aspect of the characterisation is the realism in it. We know from the preface that Manab Banerjee is a real person, Manas Banerjee, and the experiences are real ones that spanned along his long career in the Indian railways.
What strikes us at once, are the achingly genuine characters, each more strangely 'familiar' than the other. All of us have hailed the odd porter or exchanged the time of the day at the corner chai shop or even a few pleasantries with the ticket inspectors during our train journeys. And yet, we may never have delved into their working lives or daily challenges. It is this aspect that is brought out with more clarity in the novel.
The characters are neither glorified nor sidelined, just presented exactly the way they are - in speech, body language and behaviour. Be it Manabji's honest angst or the lies or the drunkard's addictive traits, all of them charm us with their very predictability.
Manab (Manas) Banerjeeji invokes our admiration, praise and respect with each story showcasing his competance and maturity.
Narration
The book reminded me of 'Malgudi Days', where Narayan's magic brings the Indianness of rural India alive in the readers' eyes.
The narrative is full of strong imagery - aural, visual and nasal - that adds charm to the tales. Some descriptions are a wee bit long in some rare parts, but may be percieved as important for readers who'd like to have the entire picture of the scene or details of the storylines.
The best facet is the slow but steady sense of foreboding that builds up in each story, because we know that something is going to go wrong, invariably so. And yet, one is unprepared for the intensity of what happens - neither the violence nor the deaths, or even the politics - that seem almost commonplace in the rural hamlets tucked away in the north-eastern states of the country.
Language
The language is top notch and the vocabulary is a refreshing mix of English infused with some Indianism, plus the verbiage of the local railway community. It adds to the genuineness of the narrative, while retaining the standards of a well-written English novel.
I'd have preferred the footnotes to have been done away with, in favour of a glossary for foriegn readers. Alternately, they could have been in a smaller font, to reduce the space which may hinder an unrestricted reading experience. Most Indians familiar with Hindi would never need to consult the footnotes, although one must concede that it does offer the old-fashioned touch that gels with the theme of the novel.
Rating
I rate the book a 4.6 out of 5. A must-read for readers who like to savour true-to-life nuances of the common man in general, as well as memorable experiences of key railway personnel in particular.
Hope you found my review enlightening. Do follow my blog for more.
Happy reading, readers!
***
Do Follow my blog for more book reviews and poetry: chethanaramesh.blogspot.com
It is the first time that I was able to read about the actual working of the Indian Railways and the multitude of people who work behind the scenes to ensure its smooth functioning. And I must admit that I learnt about the myriad roles and challenges of a Station Master, solely through this book.
Storylines
This compelling collection of short stories is unique in the sense of the common thread that runs through it - the motif of the railways and the station master.
However, each story is completely independent and different from the last one. The first one, 'The Foundling', is the most endearing, while the 'Accident' and 'Kanausi' are disturbing reads. 'Murda Jaga' while presented in a humorous vein, evokes anger at the missing guard, a slave to alcohol. It highlights the brazen nonchalance of some of the personnel which affects the time, schedules and commitments of passengers. The loopholes inherent in the system, that need ironing out, are articulated with precision.
Another key factor that induces pride and regret alike is the true portrayal of Indianism - not just in speech patterns, but also the behavioural traits of workers and passengers alike.
The best parts are the unpredictable incidents depicted in the predictable world of the station master.
Characterisation
The most interesting aspect of the characterisation is the realism in it. We know from the preface that Manab Banerjee is a real person, Manas Banerjee, and the experiences are real ones that spanned along his long career in the Indian railways.
What strikes us at once, are the achingly genuine characters, each more strangely 'familiar' than the other. All of us have hailed the odd porter or exchanged the time of the day at the corner chai shop or even a few pleasantries with the ticket inspectors during our train journeys. And yet, we may never have delved into their working lives or daily challenges. It is this aspect that is brought out with more clarity in the novel.
The characters are neither glorified nor sidelined, just presented exactly the way they are - in speech, body language and behaviour. Be it Manabji's honest angst or the lies or the drunkard's addictive traits, all of them charm us with their very predictability.
Manab (Manas) Banerjeeji invokes our admiration, praise and respect with each story showcasing his competance and maturity.
Narration
The book reminded me of 'Malgudi Days', where Narayan's magic brings the Indianness of rural India alive in the readers' eyes.
The narrative is full of strong imagery - aural, visual and nasal - that adds charm to the tales. Some descriptions are a wee bit long in some rare parts, but may be percieved as important for readers who'd like to have the entire picture of the scene or details of the storylines.
The best facet is the slow but steady sense of foreboding that builds up in each story, because we know that something is going to go wrong, invariably so. And yet, one is unprepared for the intensity of what happens - neither the violence nor the deaths, or even the politics - that seem almost commonplace in the rural hamlets tucked away in the north-eastern states of the country.
Language
The language is top notch and the vocabulary is a refreshing mix of English infused with some Indianism, plus the verbiage of the local railway community. It adds to the genuineness of the narrative, while retaining the standards of a well-written English novel.
I'd have preferred the footnotes to have been done away with, in favour of a glossary for foriegn readers. Alternately, they could have been in a smaller font, to reduce the space which may hinder an unrestricted reading experience. Most Indians familiar with Hindi would never need to consult the footnotes, although one must concede that it does offer the old-fashioned touch that gels with the theme of the novel.
Rating
I rate the book a 4.6 out of 5. A must-read for readers who like to savour true-to-life nuances of the common man in general, as well as memorable experiences of key railway personnel in particular.
Hope you found my review enlightening. Do follow my blog for more.
Happy reading, readers!
***
Do Follow my blog for more book reviews and poetry: chethanaramesh.blogspot.com
December 30, 2020
Indian Railways play a pivotal role in our nation's progress and bolstering our economy and it is also the most preferred way of travelling personally for me. Before reading this mysterious thriller, I never knew a tale can be carved out of it and a station master has to go through various not so desirable experiences all through his life.
The book is a visual delight in more than one ways. Through ten delightful short tales, author has displayed his talent of story telling and set the bar high for other contemporary writers. Every tale talks about not so usual experiences of the protagonist Manab Banerjee who is a station master. Most of the stories are breathtaking and heart touching. Also the essence of Karma theory and how only one's actions are controllable and not its outcome is well presented. Some stories give a glimpse of human values and kindness while there are some that narrates the quintessential ways in which a typical Indian traveller makes it difficult for the fellow passengers to have a memorable train trip. How cumbersome the job of a Station Master is and how against all odds they still keep their duty as their priority moved me. The solidarity with which all the railway men come together to fight for the justice of their honest friend who is murdered in one of the stories teaches us the essence of integrity and moral values.
The best part about the book is the crests and troughs of emotions author has successfully able to create from his humorous approach and sarcastic wit to bringing some of the most delicate heartthrob emotions . Not just mere tales, writer has also vividly described the station scenes, the food items, the stalls on display at every station and the highly responsible nature of job of people working in railways which shows how meticulously writer has done research and put his observation in the words. The character development though could have been a bit better plus at some places author has gone over the board with his description which kind of obstructs the seamless reading experience. Also, unlike most Indian authors, the book isn't written in a very simple English and make good use of most of the literary tools so it might make the reading a bit complicated for the regular readers with too many details.
But for me personally, it was an enriching feeling of sailing through it and can confidently say no other book has offered such content on Indian Railways.
The book is a visual delight in more than one ways. Through ten delightful short tales, author has displayed his talent of story telling and set the bar high for other contemporary writers. Every tale talks about not so usual experiences of the protagonist Manab Banerjee who is a station master. Most of the stories are breathtaking and heart touching. Also the essence of Karma theory and how only one's actions are controllable and not its outcome is well presented. Some stories give a glimpse of human values and kindness while there are some that narrates the quintessential ways in which a typical Indian traveller makes it difficult for the fellow passengers to have a memorable train trip. How cumbersome the job of a Station Master is and how against all odds they still keep their duty as their priority moved me. The solidarity with which all the railway men come together to fight for the justice of their honest friend who is murdered in one of the stories teaches us the essence of integrity and moral values.
The best part about the book is the crests and troughs of emotions author has successfully able to create from his humorous approach and sarcastic wit to bringing some of the most delicate heartthrob emotions . Not just mere tales, writer has also vividly described the station scenes, the food items, the stalls on display at every station and the highly responsible nature of job of people working in railways which shows how meticulously writer has done research and put his observation in the words. The character development though could have been a bit better plus at some places author has gone over the board with his description which kind of obstructs the seamless reading experience. Also, unlike most Indian authors, the book isn't written in a very simple English and make good use of most of the literary tools so it might make the reading a bit complicated for the regular readers with too many details.
But for me personally, it was an enriching feeling of sailing through it and can confidently say no other book has offered such content on Indian Railways.
January 7, 2021
A great amalgamation of interesting stories with a common theme of Railways.
Most interesting points about this book are:
(1) Touching stories...the message of each and every story stays with you for long
(2) Visual language...loved the use of good action verbs and adjectives
(3) Beautiful characterization....Manab dada truly touches your heart
(4) Engaging narration and description with humor and sarcasm sprinkled in the right amount.
Overall, go for the book to understand human emotions. The storytelling technique is a treat for both writers and non-writers alike.
Most interesting points about this book are:
(1) Touching stories...the message of each and every story stays with you for long
(2) Visual language...loved the use of good action verbs and adjectives
(3) Beautiful characterization....Manab dada truly touches your heart
(4) Engaging narration and description with humor and sarcasm sprinkled in the right amount.
Overall, go for the book to understand human emotions. The storytelling technique is a treat for both writers and non-writers alike.
October 18, 2020
The Station Master: The title and the cover itself connected with me at a personal level on two accounts; the first being that I am related to a SM of Lumding, as small and quaint a station as Mokameh of Bihar, the station mentioned in the first two stories and secondly, train journeys are my favorite mode of travel, notwithstanding the smell and cockroaches.
Beyond this, The Station Master is a brilliant example of lucid storytelling, the visual wordplay by the author Indranil Mukherjee taking the reader on a breathtaking trip to Bihar's interiors through the spidery network of the railway stations. The book is an anthology of short stories, each story emerging from ordinary as well as extra-ordinary real life incidents experienced by a Station Master who is an acquaintance of the Author. Indian Railways is a vast ocean of stories that was just waiting to be tapped into and Indranil Mukherjee took a head-start in diving into this ocean emerging out with a handful of thrilling and amazing stories, told from the perspective of ground level working personnel of the Indian Railways. The stories are retold as incidents experienced by the protagonist, Manab Banerjee an Assistant Station Master rising up to the ranks of a Station Master, during the course of his tenure in Indian Railways.
The very first story, The Foundling, will grip you and won’t let you go till you come to the last sentence of the last story. The Foundling will touch your heart after making it leap into your throat for the first few pages. It’s a beautiful story of courage and humanity set up amidst “mists swirling like gossamer” and ghostly railway tracks.
The second “What goes around comes around” is a grisly tale of retaliation with a message that Karma is a bitch and you reap what you sow. Minute attention to details like the food Manab Banerjee is having, local gossips at a popular chaiwalla's brings the story alive.
The third, “A Lone Passenger” is a poignant tale of trust and kindness and of such human values being sometimes exploited by unscrupulous people as the clever thug who loots a dilapidated station in a sleepy village after poisoning the very people, the railway man manning the station, who gave him food and shelter. Again vivid descriptions makes the sleepy town come alive in the mind’s eye of the reader.
The fourth has a thrilling aura with the mysterious Maya Devi, the disappearance of a consignment and a link to gold smugglers.
The fifth, Murda Jaaga, is a humorous tale and allows a glimpse of the humorous nature of Manab Banerjee as he plays a prank on a drunk porter.
In the sixth story Manab Banerjee becomes a detective on a quest to find a pair of missing gold ‘kanausi'.
The seventh story reveals the typical unhygienic ways of the Indian traveler who renders a train journey into a horrific experience for ones who prefers train journey over flights. The Golden Fortune is also about integrity and coupled with a gold smuggling angle it will keep your nails biting to the end.
The eighth story The Strike, is about solidarity amongst the railway men who joins hands to support and bring justice to a colleague murdered because of his dedication to the Railways. It also allows you a peep into how the Railways works and the perks and cons of being a railwaymen.
Indranil Mukherjee has a knack for narrating two or more stories simultaneously, finally amalgamating all into one whole story, lending an interesting twist to a tale. The Accident, which is the ninth story in the anthology, demonstrates that very ability as he narrated the circumstances leading to a horrifying accident.
Both this and the tenth story, “The Hoarding” drives home the precarious nature of a railway man's job and how even a minute deviation from duty and schedule can endanger lives.
Manab Banerjee dealing with all these and more with integrity, honesty, quick thinking, courage and compassion and rising above and beyond the call of duty, transforms him from the ordinary to the extraordinary, a superhero of sorts.
The vivid imagery of the locales and the characters ranging from the Assistant Station Masters to the Officers, from the chaiwalla to the wheeled bookstore to the beggar enlivens each of the story.
So of the stories do not have neat endings and will leave you feel like hanging on a cliff in a purely Hollywood style. The stories are ordinary occurrences made extraordinary by brilliant use of vocabulary, allegories and phrases. The dialogues, interspersed with local dialects, makes the stories realistic. Attention to details of the workings of the Railway department, the workers, the guards, the station masters, etc, demonstrates the research that went into the stories to make it authentic yet interesting to the readers.
The only drawback, I feel, are the long winding sentences which may seem complicated and confound a new reader. Besides this, I think that Indranil could have avoided the more technical parlance and depicted Manab's reaction as he faced each situation more elaborately.
A better editing team has the potential to catapult Indranil Mukherjee into the leagues of Jeffrey Archer, et. al.
Overall, excellent story telling that will hook readers of every generation. I would definitely recommend that readers pick up the book and take on an enthralling journey during these dreary days.
Beyond this, The Station Master is a brilliant example of lucid storytelling, the visual wordplay by the author Indranil Mukherjee taking the reader on a breathtaking trip to Bihar's interiors through the spidery network of the railway stations. The book is an anthology of short stories, each story emerging from ordinary as well as extra-ordinary real life incidents experienced by a Station Master who is an acquaintance of the Author. Indian Railways is a vast ocean of stories that was just waiting to be tapped into and Indranil Mukherjee took a head-start in diving into this ocean emerging out with a handful of thrilling and amazing stories, told from the perspective of ground level working personnel of the Indian Railways. The stories are retold as incidents experienced by the protagonist, Manab Banerjee an Assistant Station Master rising up to the ranks of a Station Master, during the course of his tenure in Indian Railways.
The very first story, The Foundling, will grip you and won’t let you go till you come to the last sentence of the last story. The Foundling will touch your heart after making it leap into your throat for the first few pages. It’s a beautiful story of courage and humanity set up amidst “mists swirling like gossamer” and ghostly railway tracks.
The second “What goes around comes around” is a grisly tale of retaliation with a message that Karma is a bitch and you reap what you sow. Minute attention to details like the food Manab Banerjee is having, local gossips at a popular chaiwalla's brings the story alive.
The third, “A Lone Passenger” is a poignant tale of trust and kindness and of such human values being sometimes exploited by unscrupulous people as the clever thug who loots a dilapidated station in a sleepy village after poisoning the very people, the railway man manning the station, who gave him food and shelter. Again vivid descriptions makes the sleepy town come alive in the mind’s eye of the reader.
The fourth has a thrilling aura with the mysterious Maya Devi, the disappearance of a consignment and a link to gold smugglers.
The fifth, Murda Jaaga, is a humorous tale and allows a glimpse of the humorous nature of Manab Banerjee as he plays a prank on a drunk porter.
In the sixth story Manab Banerjee becomes a detective on a quest to find a pair of missing gold ‘kanausi'.
The seventh story reveals the typical unhygienic ways of the Indian traveler who renders a train journey into a horrific experience for ones who prefers train journey over flights. The Golden Fortune is also about integrity and coupled with a gold smuggling angle it will keep your nails biting to the end.
The eighth story The Strike, is about solidarity amongst the railway men who joins hands to support and bring justice to a colleague murdered because of his dedication to the Railways. It also allows you a peep into how the Railways works and the perks and cons of being a railwaymen.
Indranil Mukherjee has a knack for narrating two or more stories simultaneously, finally amalgamating all into one whole story, lending an interesting twist to a tale. The Accident, which is the ninth story in the anthology, demonstrates that very ability as he narrated the circumstances leading to a horrifying accident.
Both this and the tenth story, “The Hoarding” drives home the precarious nature of a railway man's job and how even a minute deviation from duty and schedule can endanger lives.
Manab Banerjee dealing with all these and more with integrity, honesty, quick thinking, courage and compassion and rising above and beyond the call of duty, transforms him from the ordinary to the extraordinary, a superhero of sorts.
The vivid imagery of the locales and the characters ranging from the Assistant Station Masters to the Officers, from the chaiwalla to the wheeled bookstore to the beggar enlivens each of the story.
So of the stories do not have neat endings and will leave you feel like hanging on a cliff in a purely Hollywood style. The stories are ordinary occurrences made extraordinary by brilliant use of vocabulary, allegories and phrases. The dialogues, interspersed with local dialects, makes the stories realistic. Attention to details of the workings of the Railway department, the workers, the guards, the station masters, etc, demonstrates the research that went into the stories to make it authentic yet interesting to the readers.
The only drawback, I feel, are the long winding sentences which may seem complicated and confound a new reader. Besides this, I think that Indranil could have avoided the more technical parlance and depicted Manab's reaction as he faced each situation more elaborately.
A better editing team has the potential to catapult Indranil Mukherjee into the leagues of Jeffrey Archer, et. al.
Overall, excellent story telling that will hook readers of every generation. I would definitely recommend that readers pick up the book and take on an enthralling journey during these dreary days.
May 17, 2021
I found a reference to this book on a web site which had listed 81 books for the Indian Railway Fan. As an Indian Railway Fan, I expected the book to focus more on the technical aspects of the job a station master (i.e signalling, block working, coordination with section control etc. etc.).
This book has no jargons, or no complex railway procedures expained; but focuses purely on the human part of the railways. It has short stories about the various railway staff, the passengers who use the train all seen and and narrated through the eyes of an assistant station master who joined the service in late 1970s who works through stations of various sizes and retires as the station superindent of a big station.
Some of the stories really are touching, like that of a baby found near the railway tracks and that of a beggar who happened to be at a wrong place at the wrong time. Some of the stories also show the innate greed amongst people even when their close relatives are lying dead.
A good book which can be enjoyed by even a non-Indian Railway Fan, which also shows some of the leadership qualities which comes when in Government service. As for my want to know more about station master's job technicalities, I should have tried to get hold of a training manual/guide which would be issued to trainee station masters.
This book has no jargons, or no complex railway procedures expained; but focuses purely on the human part of the railways. It has short stories about the various railway staff, the passengers who use the train all seen and and narrated through the eyes of an assistant station master who joined the service in late 1970s who works through stations of various sizes and retires as the station superindent of a big station.
Some of the stories really are touching, like that of a baby found near the railway tracks and that of a beggar who happened to be at a wrong place at the wrong time. Some of the stories also show the innate greed amongst people even when their close relatives are lying dead.
A good book which can be enjoyed by even a non-Indian Railway Fan, which also shows some of the leadership qualities which comes when in Government service. As for my want to know more about station master's job technicalities, I should have tried to get hold of a training manual/guide which would be issued to trainee station masters.
March 29, 2020
THE PLOT:
This book narrates ten incidents from the life of the author’s brother-in-law, who worked in the Indian Railway Services, in the State of Bihar. As the Station Master, he often found himself in various quandaries and peculiar situations, that required presence of mind and nerves of steel, making for interesting stories. Through his illustrious career, the protagonist deftly deals with train accidents, smugglers, abandoned babies and much more.
THE COMMENTARY:
From the blurb, the title and the classification at the end, the book is presented as a collection of short stories, but it doesn’t read like a work of fiction. Without the use of standard plot developments like climaxes and resolves, the chapters are mere narrations of incidents and not stories. That’s not a bad thing, but I’m making a distinction in order to alert other readers. The book will appeal more to people who enjoy biographical memoirs over fictional tales.
Mukherjee has an impressive vocabulary, but I feel he tends to write long-winded sentences, preferring to use fancy words where simpler ones might be more effective. I hope this beginner’s habit will change with time, as will the length of the stories, replete with commonplace and unnecessary details.
Despite the above shortcomings, I recommend the book for the incidents themselves, which are thoroughly interesting, and enlighten the readers about the workings of a government job that many are unaware of. As long as you don’t expect the juiciness of fiction with flair and well-placed denouement, reading them instead as memoirs, you will enjoy them.
The lead character of Manab Banerjee is the central figure on which the book is based. The readers are offered a glimpse of his personality, such as his uprightness in not accepting bribes, his efficacy as a figure of authority, among others, but his character is not as well-etched as it could have been. Personally, I would’ve preferred the author cutting down on the railway jargon, and exploring Manab’s character more.
The right editorial team might have properly addressed each of my suggestions. Having said that, I reiterate that Mukherjee is a talented first-time author, and I commend his work. It is not easy to write a coherent and well-researched book and edit the same to perfection on your own, when the subject is so close to home.
THE VERDICT:
I recommend you buy a copy of Indranil Mukherjee’s “The Station Master” to support a first-time writer, as well as to enjoy a glimpse into the action-packed life of an Indian Railways Station Master which includes smuggling, robberies, accidents et al! It is a fast and easy read and will make for a good distraction on your next train journey, or while you’re stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
This book narrates ten incidents from the life of the author’s brother-in-law, who worked in the Indian Railway Services, in the State of Bihar. As the Station Master, he often found himself in various quandaries and peculiar situations, that required presence of mind and nerves of steel, making for interesting stories. Through his illustrious career, the protagonist deftly deals with train accidents, smugglers, abandoned babies and much more.
THE COMMENTARY:
From the blurb, the title and the classification at the end, the book is presented as a collection of short stories, but it doesn’t read like a work of fiction. Without the use of standard plot developments like climaxes and resolves, the chapters are mere narrations of incidents and not stories. That’s not a bad thing, but I’m making a distinction in order to alert other readers. The book will appeal more to people who enjoy biographical memoirs over fictional tales.
Mukherjee has an impressive vocabulary, but I feel he tends to write long-winded sentences, preferring to use fancy words where simpler ones might be more effective. I hope this beginner’s habit will change with time, as will the length of the stories, replete with commonplace and unnecessary details.
Despite the above shortcomings, I recommend the book for the incidents themselves, which are thoroughly interesting, and enlighten the readers about the workings of a government job that many are unaware of. As long as you don’t expect the juiciness of fiction with flair and well-placed denouement, reading them instead as memoirs, you will enjoy them.
The lead character of Manab Banerjee is the central figure on which the book is based. The readers are offered a glimpse of his personality, such as his uprightness in not accepting bribes, his efficacy as a figure of authority, among others, but his character is not as well-etched as it could have been. Personally, I would’ve preferred the author cutting down on the railway jargon, and exploring Manab’s character more.
The right editorial team might have properly addressed each of my suggestions. Having said that, I reiterate that Mukherjee is a talented first-time author, and I commend his work. It is not easy to write a coherent and well-researched book and edit the same to perfection on your own, when the subject is so close to home.
THE VERDICT:
I recommend you buy a copy of Indranil Mukherjee’s “The Station Master” to support a first-time writer, as well as to enjoy a glimpse into the action-packed life of an Indian Railways Station Master which includes smuggling, robberies, accidents et al! It is a fast and easy read and will make for a good distraction on your next train journey, or while you’re stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
February 12, 2019
The book is written in a narrative style. The dialogue is edgy, witty and colloquial. The book would be an easy and fast read considering the writing style, which is very direct, but still elegant. Brevity and clarity is the key. This book portrays the true meaning of honesty, humility and gratitude, at times with a touch of mystery and will make the reader realize how small incidents can help to understand the myriad nature of human beings along with their virtues and vices. However, though the author rejoices the little things in life and has a positive outlook, I wish Manab Babu had some idiosyncrasies…. A character’s weirdness can keep readers guessing all the way; it can keep them compelled, as they try to understand and spin theories on how the story will turn [like Poirot or Holmes or Hagrid or Rachel Green or even Batman]. Matter-of-fact writing keeps the pace going but at times lacks an emotional connect with the reader and leans a bit towards the mundane and boring. I loved Indranil’s anecdotic story-telling and though physically an adult, the child in me still loves to see some illustrations – maybe looking to reinforce my mental imagery of the content & character in the book!!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews