Review of 'Letters from an Indian Summer' by 'Siddharth Dasgupta'

Blurb: A love story between an Indian photographer and a French artist, Letters from an Indian Summer is suffused with a strong sense of serendipity and spiritually liberal doses of the things Arjun Bedi and Genevieve Casta hold dear in this world. The past, though, lurks constantly around every chosen corner. Will the secrets they harbour end up destroying them, or will the unspoken belief in their entwined cosmic paths be much too strong a force . . . ?

Verdict: ‘Letters from an Indian Summer’ is the debut work of Siddharth Dasgupta. The most unique thing of this book is the author’s story telling skills.

After holding the book physically the first thing that left my mouth was the word gorgeous. It is one of the best cover I have seen for a story like this till date. The font in which the name is written, the color of the back ground, the dry rose and leaves scattered all over the cover, makes this look blissful. The name is different as the cover and will invite the readers to grab it. The blurb is small but gives a glimpse of the plot. The first look of the book is so good that it will definitely attract the reader’s eyes.

The books starts with Arjun Bedi (the male protagonist), an Indian photographer, meeting a French artist Genevieve Casta (the female protagonist) in a café in Pune. The first thing the readers will notice is the author saying Pune as Poona, but as soon the author describes why, it starts to sound perfect. The story moves on with their first meeting in Kathmandu and with describing exotic places like Kathmandu, Paris, Istanbul, Banaras and of course Pune, in small and charming chapters. The readers are going to like the way the author has framed the whole story and specially the end.

The thing that takes this book to a new height is the effortless describing style of this debut author. The narrating style is poetic and expressive. From describing scenes to conversations all through the story, the delightful words will keep the readers hypnotized. The chosen words are a treat to the reader’s eyes and they will appreciate the author for the rich literary touch. When the author describes outlandish scenes the readers will feel an urgent urge to visit the places or witness the beauty. The author has the ability to mesmerize the readers by his beautiful and calm narrating story telling style.

The way the author created his characters is perfect for a story like this. I loved the names of the characters because those names suits their personality and doesn’t confuse the readers.

There are a few scenes which can make the readers feel a bit bored because of the continuous descriptions and the slow speed. The speed being the one and only drawback of the story and I would say a story and a narrative like this should be enjoyed slowly by sinking himself totally under the author’s brilliantly created atmosphere. A story that will be loved by all those who can appreciate good literature and are in search of a wonderful and pure love story controlled by fate.

Final Words: The serenity and the composure of the author's narrating style and the author's command over the language will enthrall the readers to the core. Kudos to the writer for writing such a book in his debut attempt.

Title: Letters from an Indian Summer
Author: Siddharth Dasgupta
Publisher: Fingerprint!
Page Count: 317
My Rating: 4.75/5

Available at:

Flipkart – http://www.flipkart.com/letters-indian-summer-english/p/itmefgecsxgmxeyh?pid=9788172345495&otracker=from-search&srno=t_1&query=Letters+from+an+Indian+Summer+bu+Siddharth+Dasgupta&ref=b7b64bff-c32b-4c37-8034-f1bd31a0f2ce

Amazon – http://www.amazon.in/Letters-Indian-Summer-Siddharth-Dasgupta/dp/8172345496/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418398949&sr=8-1&keywords=Letters+from+an+Indian+Summer+by+Siddharth+Dasgupta