Synopsis: Ronojoy’s mother dies alone in the Ashram she had abruptly retreated to twenty-eight years ago, leaving him – then only twelve- to fend for the emotional needs of himself and his six-year-old brother.
When the cremation rites are complete, Ronojoy is handed a letter from his mother that is not so much a farewell as a confession. As before, it is left to him to decide whether to share the disturbing contents with his brother, whom he has always sought to protect.
Thus, begins another tumultuous cycle in the lives of the two brothers who already carry deep scars from their childhood; their fragile minds ever at risk of succumbing to the dark.
Written in spare, stark prose, Dark Circles deftly weaves past and present, offering tantalizing glimpses of bottled truths buried deep in the recesses of repressed memory; brilliantly exposing the dark undercurrents that swirl under the seemingly placid lives of families.
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Review: Let me start this review by saying that, if you are looking for a cheery read then this book is not for you. As the name depicts and the cover, this book is dark and gloomy and exactly like the weather outside.
Dark Circles starts off with a letter written by a mother(Mala) to her eldest son Ronojoy. This is her last letter and in it, she divulges a secret that would change the lives of her two sons forever.
As the story progresses, we learn of the many tragedies the brothers-Ronojoy and Sujoy- had to face and the way those tragedies shaped them.
This is a tale of love and loss, how to deal with mental health and how to not.
I finished the book in one sitting because of two reasons: one, it was short and two, the writing kept me hooked. Yes, I would have liked to know more about some characters to understand their actions but I felt the book was well executed if not perfect.
This was a bittersweet tale of a family who fell apart a long time ago and it left me out of sorts after I finished reading it.
My final verdict: Buy it, read it, feel dejected then eat some chocolate cake(or whatever cheers you up).
Last but not least, thanks to Bloomsbury for providing me a review copy.
Verdict: 4 stars out of 5
- Publisher: Bloomsbury India
- Publication Date: November 2018
- Hardcover(ARC): 215 Pages
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