About the Book:
“Manjima Misra masterfully crafts a novella that tugs at the heartstrings while offering a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges women face in modern society. It is a must-read for anyone seeking a gripping story of resilience, family, and the pursuit of one’s dreams amidst the trials of life. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder that, even in the most unexpected circumstances, one can find the courage to chart their own course.”~ Jitendra Dixit, Award-winning Journalist and Author
The Ocean Is Her Title by Manjima Misra is the closest that any Indo-Anglian author has come to the sensibility of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. No one can miss its poignancy, thanks to the tragic sense subsumed in Poulomi, transfixed between poetry and pathology, struggling through a welter of feelings, incapacities, and anxieties to shore up her beleaguered existential coherence. Here the poetry of a fractured existence is sung as sincerely as may be expected only from one who has seen it all from within. As a result, the narration is distinguished by sincerity. The novella merits a read, perhaps more than a read, especially by those who regard the human condition with creeping anxiety as to where we are headed, what we are out to achieve, and at what cost. ~ Valson Thampu, Former Principal, St Stephen’s College.
My Thoughts:
The Ocean is Her Title is a literary masterpiece from author Manjima Mishra. Through prose and poetry that invoke strong imagery and thoughts, the author forces the reader to take a journey through the various trials of life. She brings out the many of the challenges that women face in society along with the effect of anxiety and other fears a person has.
This novella demands some time and care in reading in the way it is written. At first, it is not clear as to what is happening, but as you progress through it, the author starts to reveal the true intentions behind her writing. The author has a very unique style of writing which is clearly seen through this book.
Poulomi as a character can be any one of us, lost within the tide and trying to find our way through without drowning. I loved the imagery and comparisons that the author used to describe the different fears that plague us and how we tackle them. There are different points of view brought out in through Poulomi’s journey as well as through her conversations with her father.
Though it took me some time to really understand the story, I truly believe that this novella is worth reading!
redpillows 