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kavyajanani's review
4.0
First of all, let me applaud this book's alluring premise, which made me take it up for review. I stopped book reviews a long time ago. But now I am back reviewing this mind-bending novel that takes its readers on an ecstatic journey through space and time. I couldn't encompass the story within one genre - there's science fiction, horror, romance, philosophy, and thriller packed into one book. It's a total package for someone looking for something new to read in Indian writing.
I haven't read any of Kiran Manral's previous works. So, I was totally mind-blown by her narration which was lyrical, flowery, empathetic, and intense. Though the core theme is science fiction as it involves a lot of time travel and futuristic scenes, there is this deep story of a woman who had a traumatic childhood and a romance that acts as a much-needed breather. Kiran adopts a non-linear narrative that you'd keep wondering how the chapters are interconnected. But it is her astounding prose that draws you in right from the first chapter.
The protagonist is Ana who is also known as Nayna and sometimes as Sue (though we can assume that she is a different person). Ana can travel through time and space involuntarily just by looking at her reflection in any mirror. She is flung into her own past and future mercilessly, while she can also travel through multiverses, meeting multiple versions of herself. She tries to change her fate by pulling out one of her versions and putting them in another universe. Is she successful? How are the other versions of her intertwined with her own life? These are some of the questions that the book might answer or might not.
Read the full review here: https://kavyajanani.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/book-review-all-those-who-wander-by-kiran-manral/
I haven't read any of Kiran Manral's previous works. So, I was totally mind-blown by her narration which was lyrical, flowery, empathetic, and intense. Though the core theme is science fiction as it involves a lot of time travel and futuristic scenes, there is this deep story of a woman who had a traumatic childhood and a romance that acts as a much-needed breather. Kiran adopts a non-linear narrative that you'd keep wondering how the chapters are interconnected. But it is her astounding prose that draws you in right from the first chapter.
The protagonist is Ana who is also known as Nayna and sometimes as Sue (though we can assume that she is a different person). Ana can travel through time and space involuntarily just by looking at her reflection in any mirror. She is flung into her own past and future mercilessly, while she can also travel through multiverses, meeting multiple versions of herself. She tries to change her fate by pulling out one of her versions and putting them in another universe. Is she successful? How are the other versions of her intertwined with her own life? These are some of the questions that the book might answer or might not.
Read the full review here: https://kavyajanani.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/book-review-all-those-who-wander-by-kiran-manral/
afew_handpickedthings's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book is about Ana, Naina, Sue who are all at different times and places, who are all connected, and weave in and out of the story. Disappointment and despair runs throughout the book and though I enjoyed reading it at first, it gradually began impacting my mood, pulling me into a dark space. This is why I have given a low rating. The writing, the way the chapters are arranged, the plot, are all well crafted. I also thought that descriptions and metaphors ran into paragraphs which was monotonous and unnecessary.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
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