#52BookClub
Prompt: A pun in the title
Serial: 04/52
Book: The People Tree
Author: Beetashok Chatterjee
Pages: 192
Publication: Readomania
Genre: Anthology
This is a re-read of 2025. I had received this author-signed copy of the book from Mr. Chatterjee himself. The potpourri of emotions and plots in the ‘punny’ anthology impressed me yet again.
Book
The People Tree is a collection of 14 short stories. I’ll not be analysing them technically or even rating them. What made these tales click (or not)? That’s what this review is all about.
Language:
I give full credit to the author’s storytelling skills for a breezy experience. The language is crisp, with the occasional vernacular words lending an authenticity to the narrative. It’s not just Bengali, the mother tongue of Mr. Chatterjee, but also Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and other regional languages. The glossary at the end of the page helps the readers unfamiliar with Indian languages. In my opinion, it’s a big plus. Most of the books I have read have this at the end, making it cumbersome for the readers to leaf through countless pages back and forth.
Characters:
A story is incomplete with people, unless it’s a fable or other similar genre. The characters that dot this tree are as varied as they come. Ranjit Singh redeems himself by an act of kindness in his fleeting appearances. Tara Roy is human enough not to like her mother’s lover Ivana, while Peter Fleming affirms that appearances are indeed deceptive. Shantanu Mitra comes across as amiable, while Rishabh acts as the quintessential jerk.
Theme:
I liked the underlying thread of compassion and humanity that binds this anthology. The ghosts of 9/11 can never be exorcised, but the story of a selfless NY police officer will make one smile and weep at the same time. By getting lost in London, Shantanu gained precious friends in two Englishmen. Yet, everything cannot be viewed through rose-tinted glasses. So, one has Rekha fighting for her dead lover, only to be done by evil at the end.
Timelines and Genres:
Mr. Chatterjee has stuck to the contemporary timelines in most of his stories. Some, like The Little Oxford Dictionary, takeone to the testing times of the 1980s. The City is a piece of historical fiction from the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, while Course Correction is humorously dark. Come Home is a heartwarming story of a bonding between a mother and a daughter, just like Two Close for Comfort.
Verdict:
Overall, The People Tree is a wonderful collection of short stories. Barring a couple which I failed to empathise with, the anthology is a reader’s delight. Please note that the likes and dislikes are mine, and others may feel free to disagree with me.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly to all fiction lovers.
It’s available on Kindle Unlimited here
