Book Review of Mrs Simon is Waiting and Other Stories by Dinesh Pathak

A basketful of the true nuances of life, Mrs. Simon is Waiting and Other Stories by Dinesh Pathak is an assimilation of 10 short stories (translated to English) written by Dinesh Pathak. It is a book you surely cannot miss for the world. Why? A simple person can miss life, but not its wanderings, right? Read on to discover life at its earnest best 

You know, sometimes there are delightful stories scattered across genres and languages, each waiting to be unfolded layer by layer, immersing us in the deep, intricate emotions of life. At times, we may want to bask in the depths of each one of them individually, wanting to discover the hidden layers of meaning in each. And yet, language as a barrier might come in the way, many a time, obstructing us.

I am referring here to translated tales. Mrs. Simon is Waiting and Other Stories by Dinesh Pathak are an assimilation of stories from the daily walks of life, written by the author Dinesh in different languages, accumulated and translated into English to make us enjoy those slices of life. Each tale has been weaved masterfully, taking us a step closer to life and its wondrous nuances, making us revel and bask in the beauty of its enchanting spells. The stories having been translated from Hindi by his daughter, Sneha Pathak, what got me hooked on them was how Dinesh has managed to get everyday life circumstances into the picture. It was heartwarming to be able to dive into these tales of simple, relatable characters, to come closer to their lives, and to look at things from their perspective, making ourselves privy to their paradigms of thought and emotion.

All the stories are multi-dimensional. Having crafted along the passage of time, they incorporated unexplainable emotions yet so brilliantly fused into the main narrative that it was unnerving yet so familiar. Imagine the deja vu of coming back to the same crossroads years after you have been there. People and emotions may also seem similar over time, yet they do change eventually. As unsettling as it may seem, ‘Change’ is our only permanent eventuality. So many tales of this book splay across this “Change” in this flamboyance and glory of its significance.

While some stories use time as an element, others also focus on work ethics, the complexities and webs of emotions and relationships, while many also focus on many other elements such as valuing principles and important work etiquette being followed for life. 

Take the titular story, for instance. I could see the picture of Daniel Simon in my mind’s eye. His approach to life, his dedication and passion for his profession, and most importantly, his perception, were what made me feel that he was surely a person I had indeed met in my life before. And yes, he was trying to find someone to pass on his skills, his heirloom too, again something that we all have seen and will resonate with. It kind of makes me feel as if I am seeing my dad and his persona in Daniel😊

Also, the tale in which the parent is relentlessly on the lookout for a match for his daughter moved me, making me fathom both the helplessness of his inability to do much and also his pain, raw and unbecoming every second.

Life, I feel, has become tricky and tangled of sorts, especially in the past few years. One may blame me and say this is a generational thing; however, I beg to differ sometimes. Our actions in life depend on our choices as well as how we choose to exercise our discretion. And yet, many a time, one action may have multiple reactions. Indeed, that is why they say life is a kaleidoscope, and one can truly understand and decipher it only after having unfurled and decoded it, bit by bit, layer by layer.

Anyway, coming back to this one, brilliant compilation, I must say. A big congrats even to Sneha for having managed to convert and convey Dinesh’s stories so seamlessly, effortlessly conveying his beautiful vantage through this one. The language, being simple, was nevertheless tastefully styled enough to make it indulgent as well as elegant. Sometimes there is a lot of sparkle in one’s rendition, yet often vital alacrities are lost along the way. Sneha has ensured that none of those vitalities are lost along the way. Painting incandescently vivid imagery, these small-town tales do more than give you a taste of the real India, unfiltered and unaltered. They give you the true-blue feeling of living this life alongside these simple yet realistic characters. A great piece of literature, I’d say.

A brilliant compilation, I must say and an amazing piece of work. Painting incandescently vivid imagery, these small-town tales do more than give you a taste of the real India, unfiltered. They give you the true-blue feeling of living this life alongside these simple, realistic characters.

So, I hope you guys liked my thoughts on this one. Stay tuned with us right here at Booxoul for the best in the fields of entertainment, lifestyle, finance, fun, education, food, fashion, lifestyle, tech and gadgets, as well as all things bookish.

Adios Amigos!