Book Review: The Hidden Letters by Purba Chakraborty

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hiddenLife is not always simple. The equation of life sometimes becomes too complicated to be solved. For  some people, the apparent tranquility and happiness are like the still water in a lake, a single pebble is enough to make countless ripples. But, unlike the lake water, the ripples of life last much longer, they etch indelible marks and, can tarnish the luster. Life becomes a conundrum. Anaya Chatterjee, a renowned author, a doting wife and a mother whom her daughter idolizes, feels the same way after an accidental encounter with her cousin, Varsha.

Purba Chakraborty has delineated life with its myriad shades in her book, The Hidden Letters, the mentioned character Anaya Chatterjee being the protagonist of the same.

The Storyline

Anaya lives a celebrity life with her husband Nishith and daughter Olivia. The resplendent lady has gained everything in life; fame, money, admiration, and love. But, deep in her heart’s core she conceals a  crime, a crime which she thinks is an outcome of her selfish mind. The plot thickens in the third chapter named “The Silent Storm”. Here we come to know of a bunch of letters from someone, the letters which Anaya has kept hidden from all the mortal eyes. A time comes when she fails to keep the letters away, life brings her to a dead end and, she must confront herself.

The hidden letters will reveal an unknown chapter of her life. Will she be able to gather the courage to re-open the apparently closed chapter? Can she muster enough strength to face the world? Will the secret break her dream life like a house of cards? The book finds  answers to all these questions.

Plot & Writing Style, What Works For Me

Purba knows how to tell a story. Being a woman, she also understands how the mind of a woman works when she falls in love. The incessant ripples made by love, the agony, the ecstasy, all have beautifully come alive through her words. The plot is not a complex one but has enough ingredients in it to  make it delectable. The reader feels the urge to know more and keeps on turning pages till the end.

It is not an easy task to write in a simple yet suave manner. Purba has done that and, her impeccable pen has made the book a delightful read.

I especially like the way the character of Anaya has been unfolded; slowly and delicately. You can almost feel her presence by your side as you read. A complex character- with quintessential femininity, logical understanding, and rational thinking, Anaya is sure to mesmerize you. The psychological undercurrent that keeps on moving the story also owes a lot to Anaya.

The Not-so-good Things

I find the character of Nishith a bit flaccid. As a doctor whose solemn commitment is to cure people, he should have more resilience and resoluteness. His behavior often lacks the strength he should have shown regarding his relationships and profession. A veteran doctor may feel sorry for not saving a patient’s life, but in no way it affects his professional responsibilities. I find it quite strange as Nishith’s gestures and dialogues reveal signs of nervousness before he operates a patient.

I also think the cover of the book could be better.

But, in spite of such trivial shortcomings, The Hidden Letters is a great read and I would like to recommend it for all.

Last but not the least, let me quote a poem from the book:

Love me like you love a feather
Because i am too fragile and subtle
Love me like you love an old song
So that you can hum me at midnight when you are lost in your thoughts
Love me like you love a rose
So that you don’t regret when I get dry and perish.

From my side, it’s 4.5/5

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(For those who do not know): Apart from being a writer, Purba is an avid blogger and a great poet. Her poems show signs of great maturity and profoundness. She is now working on her third novel. The Hidden Letters is her second novel. Her debut publication, Walking in the Streets of Love and Destiny is a bestseller. Visit her blog Love, Laugh and Reflect to know more about her.
Connect to her: Twitter/ Facebook

Buy The Book: Flipkart

28 responses to “Book Review: The Hidden Letters by Purba Chakraborty”

  1. Well done book review, strong vocabulary skills and you included what you called “not so good” feedback as well. Very nicely done, I believe the author would appreciate the review including the gift of what you thought could be improved. You have strong English skills and I sense you are at least bilingual.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. A wonderful review Mani. You have brought out the essence of “The Hidden Letters” so vivaciously! Purba is indeed a versatile personality I ever met. I am still on the verge of finishing the book and would soon highlight my take on it too. 🙂 Cheers!

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  12. Cool. I had seen Purba on the blogging platform and have had the pleasure of reading a few of her articles. Nice to know that she has come up with a book and wishing her all success for the book. Nice review Maniparna, as always, capturing the essence and what the reader looks for from a review 🙂

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  14. Wonderful. It amazes me that the author is so young yet she has come up with something this good. 4.5 / 5 is very good if I go by your review.

    Well I wish her good luck for the future.

    So when can I expect your book? 😀

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  15. Thank you Mani for such a wonderful review. I especially loved the opening lines. They are so beautifully written and the way you have dissected the book of course. Glad to get such a wonderful rating from you. Thanks again 🙂

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    • Hey Purba,

      Congrats on your book. It doesn’t matter if the book is good, bad or average but to publish something is what matters.

      Wish you all the very best for the future. Well, you are the first author whom I am congratulating directly, lol this is a proud moment for me as well. hehe

      Cheers!

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  16. Hi, Maniparna

    Wishing you the serenity of the auspicious Saawan!

    Well, I’m too gonna share my experience with the book very soon, probably this week itself. So I ain’t going in detail now, but would like to mention here that I’m of the same opinion on Book Cover & Nishith’s nervousness before operation. I guess, to give a strong personality to Anaya, Purba made Nishith a flaccid one. It appears from the exchange of dialogues between them. When Nishith asked Anaya: “How do you manage to be so practical despite being so emotional?” Anaya replied giggling: “Because I’m the best.” And yes, I agree that Anaya could be presented with a strong personality without weakening the character of Nishith.

    Have a great day! 🙂

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  17. Hi Mani,

    I like the way you open the book to the review readers and how you make it more intriguing by dropping little clues here and there. I also think that Anaya’s character and mind could be better visualised by a female writer, that is why probably Nishith’s character is having some imperfections or they could have been created deliberately by the author to highlight and idolise a female protagonist!
    Seems to be an interesting book! Thanks for sharing.

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  19. Nice review Maniparna. The character of Ananya, who supposedly seems to have everything good in life and also holds a secret that grows heavy with time sounds interesting, and as you’ve said the writing style of the author that keeps the reader glued to the book. I can imagine that having seen how nicely and emotively Purba writes her posts. My best wishes to Purba for the book.

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  20. A beautiful review Mani . I am much intrigued by Anaya ..and the letters ! I always look forward to read a female mind as at some point the character brings out a revelation about oneself . A great review soul-sis ..as always 🙂 🙂

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