Thursday, February 10, 2011

Review: Mice in Men

Mice in Men by Anirban Bose is a book of short stories that I read recently. Anirban is the bestselling author of Bombay Rains, Bombay Girls. The stories range from the unexpected to the bizarre said the blurb. The latter is true for sure!

The stories are of ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Mice in Men is a story of a man who saves a mouse. How this simple act helps this insecure, ordinary man to rise above his afflictions and his love. The Magic of Medicine is of a young doctor who sees his patient, an illegal immigrant fighting for his life. Yet, as death slowly but surely beats him down, the doctor awakens to the strange beauty of his profession. Some interesting ones are The Right Way to Eat a Mango, The New Job, The World’s Greatest Oiban …

The writer being a doctor by profession has managed to use his knowledge generously as most of the stories have a medical backdrop. The writer does manage to detail every single story getting the reader totally involved in the lives of each of the character.

While some of the stories are heartwarming some are absolutely bizarre making one skip to the next story. I found most of the stories lacking. They either were too descriptive or too mundane and obvious. Short stories have to be crisp and gripping from the start however it was not the case with this book.

About the Author:

A doctor by profession, Anirban Bose is the author of the bestselling book Bombay Rains, Bombay Girls that was longlisted for Indiaplaza Golden Quill Award. Other than writing he is passionate about guitars, cricket and music. He lives with his wife and children in Pittsford, USA and is currently assistant professor of medicine and nephrology at the University of Rochester.

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