Avijit Sarkar's "A Turn of Events" - A review by Dr. Santosh Bakaya

Santosh Bakaya’s Review
Of
A Turn of Events
By Avijit Sarkar
Published by Ginninderra Press
Adelaide Hills
(Australia)
Dr. Santosh Bakaya is the author of
internationally acclaimed ‘Ballad of
Bapu’ and ‘Where Are the Lilliacs?’

This collection of 14 short stories
has been written with a raconteur’s
lip-smacking pleasure, and an
artist’s sensitivity. The stories are
succinct, surrealistic, satirical, and
even scary and spooky (The Hand
and Mistletoe Creek). The
goosebumps that these stories gave
me during the day, continued to be
there even during the night.
Armed with a keen sense of
observation, like the proverbial fly
on the wall, nothing escapes
Sarkar’s vision. The delightful book
is remarkable for its authentic
dialogues, authentic characters, and
authentic scenes. He has done a
commendable job of weaving
stories, culled from every day mundane happenings and in his
dexterous hands, the ordinary becomes extraordinary; and by the
time one finishes reading the book, one’s face is wreathed in an
unending smile, and the wonderful after-taste refuses to go. One
can, in fact, visualize the scenes and almost stretch one’s hand to
shake the hands of the myriad of intriguing characters in the
stories; they are so palpably real.
With effortless elan, Sarkar has managed to juxtapose the
ordinary vignettes of everyday life with philosophical ruminations
about people’s behaviour – weird, abnormal, normal, abnormally
normal and also absurd. There is a simple majesty in his style,
which remains with the reader, long after the story is over.
I could almost glimpse a naughty twinkle in the writer’s eyes as
he talks of the charlatan in The Holy Man, a smirk lurking behind
his smiles as he writes about the shenanigans of The Street
Hawker, the comeuppance waiting in the wings for The Healthy
Man, and the outcome of The Prediction. The story that went

straight to my heart was the intensely poignant All In the Family,
and I almost found myself strangulated as Jennifer and Gurdas
are caught in the twist in this tale and indeed, the tail.
I am sure, O. Henry would have been delighted at the many
twists there are in the tales presented in this enchanting book.
There is nothing contrived or superficial about these surprise
endings, which jolt you, and make you gasp by the sheer power
of the surprising denouement. O. Henry loved sketching the people
who frequented his pharmacy, where he worked as a young man,
and Sarkar also enchants with his artistry and drawing skills in
this wonderfully illustrated collection. The cover of the book is also
done beautifully by the author himself.
It is indeed a must read for all the lovers of short fiction,
embellished aptly with clever word play and heart-warming
witticisms.