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The Other Side Of The Table
Circa 1990.
A world drawn and woven with words.
A bond punctuated by absence and distance...
Two continents. Two cities. Two people.
And letters. Hundreds of them.
Over years. Across oceans. Between hearts.
Between Abhi, who is training to be a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who is just stepping into the world of medicine in Kolkata.
As they ink their emotions onto paper, their lives get chronicled in this subtly nuanced conversation through letters ... letters about dreams, desires, heartbreaks, and longings... about a proverbial good life falling apart, about a failed marriage, a visceral loss, and about a dream that threatens social expectations...
Letters that talk. And don't. Letters about this and that. Letters about everything...
Letters with a story you would never expect.
A world drawn and woven with words.
A bond punctuated by absence and distance...
Two continents. Two cities. Two people.
And letters. Hundreds of them.
Over years. Across oceans. Between hearts.
Between Abhi, who is training to be a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who is just stepping into the world of medicine in Kolkata.
As they ink their emotions onto paper, their lives get chronicled in this subtly nuanced conversation through letters ... letters about dreams, desires, heartbreaks, and longings... about a proverbial good life falling apart, about a failed marriage, a visceral loss, and about a dream that threatens social expectations...
Letters that talk. And don't. Letters about this and that. Letters about everything...
Letters with a story you would never expect.
- GenresFiction
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 18, 2013
6 people are currently reading
326 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
August 25, 2014
Yet another novel written in a letter form. The Other Side of the Table is not any romantic story, instead it talks about the ladder of success, being the boss, being on the other side of the table.
This novel is about Uma, a Calcutta National Medical College student and her pen friend, Abhimanyu, a.k.a, Abhi, a medical resident student at London. It starts off with Uma's letter in which she shares her admission to the city's most elite college to Abhi. They share everything under the sun, their love-life, crushes, teachers, professors, classes, marriage, pregnancy, first-kiss, first love-making, and many more. Whatever was happening in their lives, they promptly shared with each other. We see no romantic connection between them for the whole book. Although they had an age-gap of 10 years, yet we can feel their chemistry, and mentally wanting something more to happen between them. And we get the surprise in the last few letters when Uma mentions in her letter that she was coming to live with Abhi at London. But the author didn't pour any more details further that, it was left to the readers imagination and I liked it a lot.
This novel is purely based on friendship between two pen friends, sharing every emotions of their life with each other. Although it's Madhumita Mukherjee's debut novel, this story is certainly going to be etched in our hearts forever. This novel pays a tribute to the medical science and the field of surgery and also how women, who take up surgery for their practice, gets criticized. Although we don't get to know much about these two characters, but still Uma and Abhi have managed to made their mark in the readers' mind in a very beautiful way. This book ends off on the note that they both have managed to succeed to the other side of the table and hence the title gets aptly justified.
Thanks to Arcopol Chaudhuri for recommending this book.
This novel is about Uma, a Calcutta National Medical College student and her pen friend, Abhimanyu, a.k.a, Abhi, a medical resident student at London. It starts off with Uma's letter in which she shares her admission to the city's most elite college to Abhi. They share everything under the sun, their love-life, crushes, teachers, professors, classes, marriage, pregnancy, first-kiss, first love-making, and many more. Whatever was happening in their lives, they promptly shared with each other. We see no romantic connection between them for the whole book. Although they had an age-gap of 10 years, yet we can feel their chemistry, and mentally wanting something more to happen between them. And we get the surprise in the last few letters when Uma mentions in her letter that she was coming to live with Abhi at London. But the author didn't pour any more details further that, it was left to the readers imagination and I liked it a lot.
This novel is purely based on friendship between two pen friends, sharing every emotions of their life with each other. Although it's Madhumita Mukherjee's debut novel, this story is certainly going to be etched in our hearts forever. This novel pays a tribute to the medical science and the field of surgery and also how women, who take up surgery for their practice, gets criticized. Although we don't get to know much about these two characters, but still Uma and Abhi have managed to made their mark in the readers' mind in a very beautiful way. This book ends off on the note that they both have managed to succeed to the other side of the table and hence the title gets aptly justified.
Thanks to Arcopol Chaudhuri for recommending this book.
April 14, 2013
Another letter-writing theme. Its been done in such a beautiful way that for a moment you get into the character and wait for their letters. Beautifully written. Its not easy to write a book based on letter writing theme. Author has done a wonderful job. Its difficult to believe that its author's first book. I loved it. I wish she comes out with the sequel. I would loved to know what happened to Abhi. Their reaction once they meet after ages. Also, how things would be if they lived together. a part of me is glad that author ended it this way. Either she'd write a sequel or its readers homework to decide what would've happened next. Basically it is based on reader's imagination. Overall a good read.
March 10, 2013
This book is a love letter to medicine. A wonderful, heartwarming story about two doctors, I still can't believe this is Madhumita Mukherjee's debut novel. Some parts of the book made me cry, and the ending - no matter how many times I revisit it - still produces a lump in my throat. I suppose this book would make for a wondeful gifting idea, especially to those connected to the world of medicine.
November 15, 2022
i really don't know what to say after reading the book, i think the title "the other side of the table" metaphorically means the reality of the world, i still don't know if it's true but, thats what i think, i loved how abhi(manyu) and uma, talked through letters and kept doing that, sharing their happiness and sadness with each other and helping each other out with everything in their life, i love books which leave us with our own ending in our head, and this book did exactly that, the first half of the book was more of the unrealistic side of the world whereas the second half of the book was where shit got real, they coped through their own problems, by sharing it with each other, together they stayed afloat on the last lifeboat. a failed marriage, a miscarriage, a brain tumour, long days in the hospital and they did it, they went through all of it, together. to be honest i never expected how sad it would make me feel about how real this world is and we're on a journey in this world, and where does it lead us? nowhere.
April 12, 2013
Unputdownable!! Crisp and is everything that it claims to be, you read the letters like your own, are involved in their life, hint of suspense as to what the next letter might be. very real and believable.
February 25, 2013
Five years ago, debut author Madhumita Mukherjee was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. A paediatrician by profession, she had to take time off work for a year to undergo extensive treatment. For a person who loved travelling, that year the only travel she could manage was from the sofa to the bed. She was scared, bored and hated everything around her. So, she did what people do to get through an unbearable situation - she started telling herself a story.
"It was an exercise to amuse, distract and escape from my own world where nothing seemed to be in my control, into a parallel one where everything was. A world where I decided what happened and I knew how it would end. Writing fiction, I found, can make you feel oddly powerful. After all it is a bit, like playing God", says Madhumita elucidating on how her book, 'The Other Side of The Table', happened.
'The Other Side of The Table' is one of the many books written in the form of an epistolary novel. The narrative comprises an exchange of letters over several years between Uma and Abhi, the two protagonists. I was personally reminded of Tumhari Amrita, an Indian context adaptation of A. R. Gurney's American play, Love Letters (1988) and was intrigued to know why Madhumita chose to write in this particular form? "I have always loved epistolary novels. The first such book that I fell in love with in school was Jean Webster's 'Daddy-Long-Legs'. Later I discovered Alice Walker's 'The Colour Purple', Helene Hanff's '84, Charring Cross Road' and lately Mary Ann Shaffer's 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'. I like the first person narrative. It feels much closer and more real than a third person narrative by an omniscient narrator. Although it can sometimes limit what you can write but since my book is a conversation between two characters separated by several thousand miles, it had to be in this form," says Madhumita.
About the book: Uma and Abhi have been friends since childhood. Abhi's parents, we learn through the course of his letters, are no more alive and his only family are his three friends and Uma. He lives in London and is training to be a surgeon. Uma is 10 years younger to him and she too is studying medicine in Calcutta. Their friendship unfolds through the letters written between the years 1990 and 1999. Abhi's nature of presuming things often clashes with Uma's expectations - when she tells him about her medical school building being haunted, he writes back saying, "It's unbelievable how a smart girl like you is afraid of ghosts" and later when she tells him about her crush, he judges her by saying "how can a sensible girl" turn out to be "coup de foudre kind." But then, he is after all her best friend and the only one supportive of her decision to become a surgeon. Everyone else tries to dissuade her from taking up surgery, compelling her to believe that women cannot and do not make good surgeons. But her decision remains firm and she lets no one challenge her.
Uma's husband Mrinal comes across as an absolute wimp. He neither has the personality that deserves special mention nor the decision-making ability of a respectable human. He has no say whatsoever - not when his family nags Uma to quit her job, not when they blame her for the miscarriage and definitely not when she decides to divorce him.
In a sudden turn of events, Abhi is diagnosed with brain tumour. His life, from being an independent surgeon in control of others' lives, takes a detour where he is forced to become a patient, in the process taking a seat on the other side of the table, which essentially explains the title of the book. Madhumita elaborates further, "For me, the main aim was to write about the experience of a doctor when he/she becomes a patient and suddenly finds him or herself on the unenviable 'other side' - the patient's side of the table. For a surgeon too, after years of rigorous training and envying seniors who operate while they only observe and assist, when someone actually finds himself on the 'other side', the surgeon's side of the operating table, they realise the onus of the job."
Uma in the course of time emerges as a stronger person. She eventually gives up on her inability to decode the real meaning of love and marital bliss and focuses on her true calling, becoming a surgeon.
There's a reason why you may think that the book may deserve a sequel but since Madhumita doesn't like the idea of sequels, she is certain that there won't be any. "A book ends where it ends for a reason. Besides, I wanted to leave the ending open to the reader's interpretation and imagination," says she.
About the author: Madhumita Mukherjee grew up in Delhi and did her medical education from Calcutta National Medical College. She has been living and working in England since 2001 as a Paediatrician. She has a special affinity for epistolary novels as well as novels written as journals and diaries like 'Diary of a Provincial Lady' by E.M. Delafield, and 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith. Besides these, she takes special interest in novels with medical themes such as 'A Country Doctor's Notebook' by Mikhail Bulgakov. Her message to the readers as a doctor is to never take health for granted.
'The Other Side of the Table' is an easy and heart-warming read that is sure to leave you feeling positive.
Also read on http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/li...
"It was an exercise to amuse, distract and escape from my own world where nothing seemed to be in my control, into a parallel one where everything was. A world where I decided what happened and I knew how it would end. Writing fiction, I found, can make you feel oddly powerful. After all it is a bit, like playing God", says Madhumita elucidating on how her book, 'The Other Side of The Table', happened.
'The Other Side of The Table' is one of the many books written in the form of an epistolary novel. The narrative comprises an exchange of letters over several years between Uma and Abhi, the two protagonists. I was personally reminded of Tumhari Amrita, an Indian context adaptation of A. R. Gurney's American play, Love Letters (1988) and was intrigued to know why Madhumita chose to write in this particular form? "I have always loved epistolary novels. The first such book that I fell in love with in school was Jean Webster's 'Daddy-Long-Legs'. Later I discovered Alice Walker's 'The Colour Purple', Helene Hanff's '84, Charring Cross Road' and lately Mary Ann Shaffer's 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'. I like the first person narrative. It feels much closer and more real than a third person narrative by an omniscient narrator. Although it can sometimes limit what you can write but since my book is a conversation between two characters separated by several thousand miles, it had to be in this form," says Madhumita.
About the book: Uma and Abhi have been friends since childhood. Abhi's parents, we learn through the course of his letters, are no more alive and his only family are his three friends and Uma. He lives in London and is training to be a surgeon. Uma is 10 years younger to him and she too is studying medicine in Calcutta. Their friendship unfolds through the letters written between the years 1990 and 1999. Abhi's nature of presuming things often clashes with Uma's expectations - when she tells him about her medical school building being haunted, he writes back saying, "It's unbelievable how a smart girl like you is afraid of ghosts" and later when she tells him about her crush, he judges her by saying "how can a sensible girl" turn out to be "coup de foudre kind." But then, he is after all her best friend and the only one supportive of her decision to become a surgeon. Everyone else tries to dissuade her from taking up surgery, compelling her to believe that women cannot and do not make good surgeons. But her decision remains firm and she lets no one challenge her.
Uma's husband Mrinal comes across as an absolute wimp. He neither has the personality that deserves special mention nor the decision-making ability of a respectable human. He has no say whatsoever - not when his family nags Uma to quit her job, not when they blame her for the miscarriage and definitely not when she decides to divorce him.
In a sudden turn of events, Abhi is diagnosed with brain tumour. His life, from being an independent surgeon in control of others' lives, takes a detour where he is forced to become a patient, in the process taking a seat on the other side of the table, which essentially explains the title of the book. Madhumita elaborates further, "For me, the main aim was to write about the experience of a doctor when he/she becomes a patient and suddenly finds him or herself on the unenviable 'other side' - the patient's side of the table. For a surgeon too, after years of rigorous training and envying seniors who operate while they only observe and assist, when someone actually finds himself on the 'other side', the surgeon's side of the operating table, they realise the onus of the job."
Uma in the course of time emerges as a stronger person. She eventually gives up on her inability to decode the real meaning of love and marital bliss and focuses on her true calling, becoming a surgeon.
There's a reason why you may think that the book may deserve a sequel but since Madhumita doesn't like the idea of sequels, she is certain that there won't be any. "A book ends where it ends for a reason. Besides, I wanted to leave the ending open to the reader's interpretation and imagination," says she.
About the author: Madhumita Mukherjee grew up in Delhi and did her medical education from Calcutta National Medical College. She has been living and working in England since 2001 as a Paediatrician. She has a special affinity for epistolary novels as well as novels written as journals and diaries like 'Diary of a Provincial Lady' by E.M. Delafield, and 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith. Besides these, she takes special interest in novels with medical themes such as 'A Country Doctor's Notebook' by Mikhail Bulgakov. Her message to the readers as a doctor is to never take health for granted.
'The Other Side of the Table' is an easy and heart-warming read that is sure to leave you feeling positive.
Also read on http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/li...
January 14, 2014
A well written and yet another letter-writing theme novel I read after "The Perks of being a wallflower". It is nothing better than to lose yourself in a good book. This book exactly did that to me. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.
July 23, 2025
I’ll be honest, I judged this book by its cover. I couldn't stop looking at how the Tower Bridge was reflected in the waters of the Hooghly under the Howrah Bridge, to the point that it was turning out to be rather difficult to tear my eyes away from the cover and get between the covers.
If like me, you've been a letter writer you’ll love this book and it is sad how the art of letter writing has pretty much disappeared, given our preference for other (quicker) forms of communication like e-mails, phone calls and text messages. But then they all lack the beauty and intimacy of a hand written letter. The Other Side of the Table by Madhumita Mukherjee is a beautifully haunting book in the form of letters between two friends- Abhi, who is training to be a neurosurgeon in London and Uma, who is just entering the world of medicine in Calcutta. Each letter acts like a new chapter and leads you on beautifully.
The letters exchanged between Abhi and Uma chronicle the lives of two friends living world’s apart and gives you a peek into their desires and ambitions. Abhi is older than Uma and is already an established surgeon and Uma, who has just entered medical college is a keen student and is determined to shine. Abhi acts as Uma’s sounding board, advising her, guiding her and challenging her. Through the book we see Uma mature from a girl to a woman and Abhi enter a more serious and somber stage of his life.
The correspondence between Abhi and Uma, which spans ten years, gives us a picture of their friendship, their frankness and how vocal and comfortable they are with each other, taking advice from each other on matters pertaining to life, their careers, relationships, marriage, love and sex.
As the book progresses, one sees Abhi and Uma go through defining moments in their lives; marriage, difficult relationships, heartbreak, challenges at the workplace and a critical illness. What I also loved was how we see Uma evolve from a headstrong and stubborn girl to a woman who has tasted heartbreak and defeat and taken it in her stride and moved on and how Abhi, emerges from being a carefree and breezy young man to someone with deeper realizations about life and his purpose and values.
This is a book which doesn't leave you even after you've turned the last page and whose characters you begin to miss because they'd begun to feel like friends. Heartbreaking, yet heart-warming, a beautifully told story; highly recommended.
(This is a book review requested by the publisher)
If like me, you've been a letter writer you’ll love this book and it is sad how the art of letter writing has pretty much disappeared, given our preference for other (quicker) forms of communication like e-mails, phone calls and text messages. But then they all lack the beauty and intimacy of a hand written letter. The Other Side of the Table by Madhumita Mukherjee is a beautifully haunting book in the form of letters between two friends- Abhi, who is training to be a neurosurgeon in London and Uma, who is just entering the world of medicine in Calcutta. Each letter acts like a new chapter and leads you on beautifully.
The letters exchanged between Abhi and Uma chronicle the lives of two friends living world’s apart and gives you a peek into their desires and ambitions. Abhi is older than Uma and is already an established surgeon and Uma, who has just entered medical college is a keen student and is determined to shine. Abhi acts as Uma’s sounding board, advising her, guiding her and challenging her. Through the book we see Uma mature from a girl to a woman and Abhi enter a more serious and somber stage of his life.
The correspondence between Abhi and Uma, which spans ten years, gives us a picture of their friendship, their frankness and how vocal and comfortable they are with each other, taking advice from each other on matters pertaining to life, their careers, relationships, marriage, love and sex.
As the book progresses, one sees Abhi and Uma go through defining moments in their lives; marriage, difficult relationships, heartbreak, challenges at the workplace and a critical illness. What I also loved was how we see Uma evolve from a headstrong and stubborn girl to a woman who has tasted heartbreak and defeat and taken it in her stride and moved on and how Abhi, emerges from being a carefree and breezy young man to someone with deeper realizations about life and his purpose and values.
This is a book which doesn't leave you even after you've turned the last page and whose characters you begin to miss because they'd begun to feel like friends. Heartbreaking, yet heart-warming, a beautifully told story; highly recommended.
(This is a book review requested by the publisher)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2013
vIf you've ever been a letter-writer, you will love this book. The story is told entirely through letters between two people. Letter-writing isn't just a lot art, it's a lost form of conversations. Time is the punctuation for those familiar with the language of letters. An ongoing correspondence is very different in letters than in phone conversations or the modern-day equivalent - email & chat. Because of the time that lapses in between, people's lives move on. Every new letter is both a response to the previous and the beginning of a new chapter. Thus letters are like milestones on life's journey, rather than parts of conversation. No wonder, as the book says,
"We have been storytellers, chroniclers and witnesses of each other's lives. "
At the start of the book, Uma is just beginning medical college, determined to make a mark. Abhimanyu is her older friend, already a successful doctor, who advises her, challenges her idealism and acts as a sounding board through her growing-up pains. Over time, Uma matures to being more of an equal to Abhi just as he enters the second stage of adulthood - questioning his purpose, settling his values etc. Through a correspondance spanning ten years, we see fatal illnesses, marriage and heartbreak.
The intimacy of letter-writing between two people who are very close also lets the author explore such nuances as envy in friendships, materialism, love & sex and the political underside of medicine. The voices of the two main characters come through distinctly even as they evolve with the various life-changing situations they each experience.
I loved the two characters and how their evolution occurs through the book - Uma's naivete, then disillusionment, defeat, resignation, acceptance and renewal and Abhi's breeziness, flightiness, crash landing, devastation, darkness and renewal. It's a lovely story told well. Definite must-read.
"We have been storytellers, chroniclers and witnesses of each other's lives. "
At the start of the book, Uma is just beginning medical college, determined to make a mark. Abhimanyu is her older friend, already a successful doctor, who advises her, challenges her idealism and acts as a sounding board through her growing-up pains. Over time, Uma matures to being more of an equal to Abhi just as he enters the second stage of adulthood - questioning his purpose, settling his values etc. Through a correspondance spanning ten years, we see fatal illnesses, marriage and heartbreak.
The intimacy of letter-writing between two people who are very close also lets the author explore such nuances as envy in friendships, materialism, love & sex and the political underside of medicine. The voices of the two main characters come through distinctly even as they evolve with the various life-changing situations they each experience.
I loved the two characters and how their evolution occurs through the book - Uma's naivete, then disillusionment, defeat, resignation, acceptance and renewal and Abhi's breeziness, flightiness, crash landing, devastation, darkness and renewal. It's a lovely story told well. Definite must-read.
March 13, 2013
There are books that will cry hoarse and demand you to pick them up , and there are the unassuming ones that will quietly work their magic on you . Before you reach the last page of the book , it would have successfully cast a spell on you. The Other Side of The Table belongs to the second variety. I have always loved reading epistolary books ; this books hasn't disappointed me as well .Letters fly back and forth Abhi, who is a neurosurgeon based in London and Uma, a feisty girl stepping into the world of medicine in Kolkatta. What do they write about ? anything and everything that goes on in their life.
Madhumita has done a great job in capturing the essence of both the characters through the letters they pen. Uma who appears rather immature and impetuous at the beginning mellows into a resilient woman as things get tough at work and with her domestic front. Abhi , who initially comes across as a level-headed intelligent chap turns pessimistic when he gets ill.Lovers lost , disappointments faced, new achievements conquered - the letters tell them all.
The language is lovely and the editing taut. Despite being an erudite piece of fiction, the book is amazingly easy to read and not pretentious one bit.The pace is just right and will keep you hooked till the end. I read this book in not more than two stretches , and wanted to sorely get back to the book when I couldn't read it in-between . Which is why I think that this is a rather good book , as not many books make you want to drop everything else you are doing and get back to them pronto.
Overall, a thought provoking book that will weave its magic on you.
Madhumita has done a great job in capturing the essence of both the characters through the letters they pen. Uma who appears rather immature and impetuous at the beginning mellows into a resilient woman as things get tough at work and with her domestic front. Abhi , who initially comes across as a level-headed intelligent chap turns pessimistic when he gets ill.Lovers lost , disappointments faced, new achievements conquered - the letters tell them all.
The language is lovely and the editing taut. Despite being an erudite piece of fiction, the book is amazingly easy to read and not pretentious one bit.The pace is just right and will keep you hooked till the end. I read this book in not more than two stretches , and wanted to sorely get back to the book when I couldn't read it in-between . Which is why I think that this is a rather good book , as not many books make you want to drop everything else you are doing and get back to them pronto.
Overall, a thought provoking book that will weave its magic on you.
February 21, 2013
I'd like to put this upfront - I didn't purchase the copy. It was graciously sent over by Arcopol (from Fingerprint). Letter writing is so much intimate and quaint that it requires a reasonable grasp of the voices of the characters to be able to pull off a book that chronicles a decade of letters - "We have been storytellers, chroniclers, and witnesses of each other's lives. You have been truth-teller and soothsayer, critic and fan, confidante and sounding board. Often everything, never nothing."
The "story" isn't what is unusual. The handling is. And, while it stutters a bit initially ("hand-pulled rickshaws tinkle"), it settles into a cadence of human emotions. A back and forth of the daily joys and hurts and, often the uncertainty of decisions. A very neat device is to keep an eye out for how the letters are signed off. I read the book through an afternoon. And, while it is not the best method of judging it, I was left with a feeling that the editor could have tweaked things a bit. There is the standard "length of letter" feel that makes it a plod for a small portion.
It is a good first book (if that is what it is). A much better effort than most of the "first" ones that are available. I'd love to read more from the author.
The "story" isn't what is unusual. The handling is. And, while it stutters a bit initially ("hand-pulled rickshaws tinkle"), it settles into a cadence of human emotions. A back and forth of the daily joys and hurts and, often the uncertainty of decisions. A very neat device is to keep an eye out for how the letters are signed off. I read the book through an afternoon. And, while it is not the best method of judging it, I was left with a feeling that the editor could have tweaked things a bit. There is the standard "length of letter" feel that makes it a plod for a small portion.
It is a good first book (if that is what it is). A much better effort than most of the "first" ones that are available. I'd love to read more from the author.
November 21, 2014
A very simple and poignant story told via letters shared by friends living in 2 continents. Uma , at the beginning is an aspiring medical student, who later completes her course, does her post graduation and survives many upheavals . Abhi is an orphan , 10 years her senior and already a neurosurgeon practising in London. They share their lives via letters.
I was so, so astonished to see that her thoughts and actions eerily paralleled mine. It was as if the writer accessed my thoughts and emotions. Thankful to say that I had a better deal in life. But if I were in her shoes, I would have behaved the same.
This is a must read for all Indian females (males too), especially if they are in the medical profession . The views on love, friendship , marriage and expectations are really really pertinent to the Indian setup .
I was so, so astonished to see that her thoughts and actions eerily paralleled mine. It was as if the writer accessed my thoughts and emotions. Thankful to say that I had a better deal in life. But if I were in her shoes, I would have behaved the same.
This is a must read for all Indian females (males too), especially if they are in the medical profession . The views on love, friendship , marriage and expectations are really really pertinent to the Indian setup .
April 17, 2019
How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen, to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous. – Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
The Other Side of the Table written by Madhumita Mukherjee is in a letter-writing format where the conversation is done through exchanging letters. Where the letters are exchanged between Abhi who is a neurosurgeon in London and Uma who is practicing medicine in Kolkata.
The story described through letters is basically a set up of medical background in two different cities and continents and also describes the hardship faced by women in a medical background and in spite of gender discrimination how a woman strives to be successful and create her own identity with a precise planning and hard work!
The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity. – Walt Whitman
The letters exchanged between them is so full of emotions, dreams, happiness, desires, expectations, achieving success, blooming and bonding of a wonderful friendship across oceans; it makes you imagine it while reading as if you are physically present in that moment over there and it grips you till the end.
There is also hardship, sinking feelings, heartbreaks, sadness described in such a lucid manner that you would never have expected that a story like this can be described through letters. Overall it is a wonderful book with a beautiful story.
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see. – C. S. Lewis
The Other Side of the Table written by Madhumita Mukherjee is in a letter-writing format where the conversation is done through exchanging letters. Where the letters are exchanged between Abhi who is a neurosurgeon in London and Uma who is practicing medicine in Kolkata.
The story described through letters is basically a set up of medical background in two different cities and continents and also describes the hardship faced by women in a medical background and in spite of gender discrimination how a woman strives to be successful and create her own identity with a precise planning and hard work!
The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity. – Walt Whitman
The letters exchanged between them is so full of emotions, dreams, happiness, desires, expectations, achieving success, blooming and bonding of a wonderful friendship across oceans; it makes you imagine it while reading as if you are physically present in that moment over there and it grips you till the end.
There is also hardship, sinking feelings, heartbreaks, sadness described in such a lucid manner that you would never have expected that a story like this can be described through letters. Overall it is a wonderful book with a beautiful story.
Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see. – C. S. Lewis
May 27, 2013
"To be a doctor, then, means, much more than to dispense pills r tpo patch up or repair torn flesh and shatter minds. To be a doctor is to be an intermediary between man and GOD." ~ Page 13. Abhi.
Doctor is one of the word that holds the power to scare me, well not particularly Doctors but the Hospital environment, it always makes me dizzy, all the emotions rolling around makes me nostalgic, It makes me wonder how Doctors control themselves but the answer is simple, their only motive is to save lives.. That's why I have a huge respect for Doctors for working so brilliantly.
I don't remember when was the last time I wrote a letter, well I write it every year when I send rakhi to all my cousins but I don't wait up for their reply, I talk to then so I don't have any memory of writing an actual letter, probably when I was little and my Mum made me write one to my family members or something.
So when I read the summary of this book I was part intrigued by the two and fro letter conversation and part worried that will it be able to Invoke emotions?? Will there be proper story?? A whole book Filled with letter!!
But then as the Summary of the books speaks, these are not mere letters, these are the letters that talk, that narrates a story more radiantly then you can imagine. Letters are not like emails where you just write something or ask something and there is an instant reply. A letter takes one's patience, builds up the excitement to receive the reply, it is more substantial, more real, even though it may take around 20 days to reach the other person especially when they are living overseas. A letter keeps you going, it is something to treasure. This is what I felt when I think back of the story.
Uma is now a beautiful young lady stepping into medical collede in Kolkata. Uma, A girl with braces and pigtails, that's how Abhi, her next door neighbor, now a neurosurgeon in London remembers her.
The first letter is written in 1990, from Abhi to Uma, and in opening lines I am introduced to Brain, in rather a beautiful manner. As time went by, there letters become more deeper and rooted, they are filled with every significant detail, their dilemmas, their happy or sad moments of life, in a way these letters are part of their lives. Uma and Abhi are two people who can always count on each other, through a leaf of paper Abhi is with her through her first heartbreak, her wedding, her ups and down in career. And Uma is with Abhi all throughout his difficult or successful times
"Diagnosis: I am in Love with him.Prescriprtion: More time with him and big dollops of love. If still not better, more love. ~ page 63, Uma.
They pour their hearts in those letters. I like the way they address a situation in medical terms, I could pick any latter any line and will know it's written by a doctor. It's a commendable job done by The debut author, she kept the essence of the story intact and their characters are always in sync. Those letters are the reflection of their lives. This story not only made me smile but also filled me with different perspective of looking things in the hospital specially human anatomy.
There was a point where I had to stop reading, something terrible happened to Abhi and I couldn't stop my tears, I was so into the story. I know it was silly of me to put a book on hold specially when I am getting much lesser time to read these days but I needed to collect my scattered emotions to go ahead with the story. Before, things were failing into place as I desired then suddenly there was this terrible news, it felt like a full stop. But of course I could not wait to know what happens next and curiosity was almost killing me so picked it again. And Author Madhumita surprised me. And the ending left me smiling and a lump in my throat.
Uma and Abhi have grown older with each other emotionally through their much valuable letters during the course of 1990-1999. Hundreds of letters. They have been through a lot, they have lived different lives still share a bond stronger. Isn't it surprising.
This story is very simple and easy to understand, it's charm is the word I used the most in this review, yes "letters". Sometimes they ends with "take care", sometimes "truly yours", sometimes "reply soon" or sometimes "Love" but the last letter written by Abhi ends with a line most beautiful of them all.
I would recommend this book to reader who wants a matured yet easy read. who wants to break the monotony of usual reads. And especially those who are linked to the medical field.
Doctor is one of the word that holds the power to scare me, well not particularly Doctors but the Hospital environment, it always makes me dizzy, all the emotions rolling around makes me nostalgic, It makes me wonder how Doctors control themselves but the answer is simple, their only motive is to save lives.. That's why I have a huge respect for Doctors for working so brilliantly.
I don't remember when was the last time I wrote a letter, well I write it every year when I send rakhi to all my cousins but I don't wait up for their reply, I talk to then so I don't have any memory of writing an actual letter, probably when I was little and my Mum made me write one to my family members or something.
So when I read the summary of this book I was part intrigued by the two and fro letter conversation and part worried that will it be able to Invoke emotions?? Will there be proper story?? A whole book Filled with letter!!
But then as the Summary of the books speaks, these are not mere letters, these are the letters that talk, that narrates a story more radiantly then you can imagine. Letters are not like emails where you just write something or ask something and there is an instant reply. A letter takes one's patience, builds up the excitement to receive the reply, it is more substantial, more real, even though it may take around 20 days to reach the other person especially when they are living overseas. A letter keeps you going, it is something to treasure. This is what I felt when I think back of the story.
Uma is now a beautiful young lady stepping into medical collede in Kolkata. Uma, A girl with braces and pigtails, that's how Abhi, her next door neighbor, now a neurosurgeon in London remembers her.
The first letter is written in 1990, from Abhi to Uma, and in opening lines I am introduced to Brain, in rather a beautiful manner. As time went by, there letters become more deeper and rooted, they are filled with every significant detail, their dilemmas, their happy or sad moments of life, in a way these letters are part of their lives. Uma and Abhi are two people who can always count on each other, through a leaf of paper Abhi is with her through her first heartbreak, her wedding, her ups and down in career. And Uma is with Abhi all throughout his difficult or successful times
"Diagnosis: I am in Love with him.Prescriprtion: More time with him and big dollops of love. If still not better, more love. ~ page 63, Uma.
They pour their hearts in those letters. I like the way they address a situation in medical terms, I could pick any latter any line and will know it's written by a doctor. It's a commendable job done by The debut author, she kept the essence of the story intact and their characters are always in sync. Those letters are the reflection of their lives. This story not only made me smile but also filled me with different perspective of looking things in the hospital specially human anatomy.
There was a point where I had to stop reading, something terrible happened to Abhi and I couldn't stop my tears, I was so into the story. I know it was silly of me to put a book on hold specially when I am getting much lesser time to read these days but I needed to collect my scattered emotions to go ahead with the story. Before, things were failing into place as I desired then suddenly there was this terrible news, it felt like a full stop. But of course I could not wait to know what happens next and curiosity was almost killing me so picked it again. And Author Madhumita surprised me. And the ending left me smiling and a lump in my throat.
Uma and Abhi have grown older with each other emotionally through their much valuable letters during the course of 1990-1999. Hundreds of letters. They have been through a lot, they have lived different lives still share a bond stronger. Isn't it surprising.
This story is very simple and easy to understand, it's charm is the word I used the most in this review, yes "letters". Sometimes they ends with "take care", sometimes "truly yours", sometimes "reply soon" or sometimes "Love" but the last letter written by Abhi ends with a line most beautiful of them all.
I would recommend this book to reader who wants a matured yet easy read. who wants to break the monotony of usual reads. And especially those who are linked to the medical field.
February 20, 2013
I was delighted, and a little apprehensive, when I read the back cover. Delighted because three of my favorite books are epistolary works – May Sarton’s Journal of a Solitude; Helene Hanff’s 84, Charring Cross Road; and Mary Ann Shaffer’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Apprehensive because I am generally wary of Indian authors, even though there are some excellent novels out there – Indu Suderasan’s brilliant Taj trilogy comes immediately to mind. But then, there are also disasters, like I, Rama or How About A Sin Tonight. And telling a story through letters isn’t the easiest thing to do.
The Other Side of the Table tells the story of Abhi, who is training to become a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who has just entered medical college in Calcutta. They write to one another about medicine and life, love and friends, about travels and family, and things that are close to their hearts and about nothing at all. Each letter reveals a tantalizing glimpse into their lives.
We learn that Abhi lost his parents in a car accident when he was very young; that he’s known Uma since he was a child living in Calcutta; that since he’s gone to London, he feels that there’s nothing to tie him to India, except his friendship with Uma.
We learn that Uma has dreams and ambitions, which she isn’t willing to sacrifice just because they aren’t conventional; that she’s spirited and fiery and unafraid of speaking her mind no matter what the consequences.
Mukherjee scoffed at my apprehensions with the first letter itself. She uses beautiful language without falling into the trap that most Indian authors find themselves in – that of convoluted sentences and big words.
This is a beautiful story of dreams and love and loss. Each letter peels back the layers of Abhi’s and Uma’s lives, laying bare their innermost thoughts and desires. Each letter gives us a glimpse of their personalities, their little quirks, finely breathing life into the two protagonists, until you feel like you’ve known them all your life. She crafts a story that will make you laugh with them and cry with them. One in which your heart contracts with sorrow and then, a few letters on, surges with joy.
Part of me wanted to devour the book in one sitting, the other part wanted to stretch out the experience. I took the middle ground – I read the book in two days, and then, once it was over, I started it all over again, so I could savor it one letter at a time.
Highly recommended if you enjoy epistolary novels. If, like me, you are generally wary of Indian authors, pick this book up – I promise you won’t regret it!
The Other Side of the Table tells the story of Abhi, who is training to become a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who has just entered medical college in Calcutta. They write to one another about medicine and life, love and friends, about travels and family, and things that are close to their hearts and about nothing at all. Each letter reveals a tantalizing glimpse into their lives.
We learn that Abhi lost his parents in a car accident when he was very young; that he’s known Uma since he was a child living in Calcutta; that since he’s gone to London, he feels that there’s nothing to tie him to India, except his friendship with Uma.
We learn that Uma has dreams and ambitions, which she isn’t willing to sacrifice just because they aren’t conventional; that she’s spirited and fiery and unafraid of speaking her mind no matter what the consequences.
Mukherjee scoffed at my apprehensions with the first letter itself. She uses beautiful language without falling into the trap that most Indian authors find themselves in – that of convoluted sentences and big words.
This is a beautiful story of dreams and love and loss. Each letter peels back the layers of Abhi’s and Uma’s lives, laying bare their innermost thoughts and desires. Each letter gives us a glimpse of their personalities, their little quirks, finely breathing life into the two protagonists, until you feel like you’ve known them all your life. She crafts a story that will make you laugh with them and cry with them. One in which your heart contracts with sorrow and then, a few letters on, surges with joy.
Part of me wanted to devour the book in one sitting, the other part wanted to stretch out the experience. I took the middle ground – I read the book in two days, and then, once it was over, I started it all over again, so I could savor it one letter at a time.
Highly recommended if you enjoy epistolary novels. If, like me, you are generally wary of Indian authors, pick this book up – I promise you won’t regret it!
April 2, 2013
Sometimes it’s very difficult to narrate a simple story. A story that has no layers of profound intellectuality or psychological complexity. A story that is so easy to understand that it feels like it’s your own. The other side of the table is one such story. A story that, perhaps, might not be liked by a generation that loves the frivolous works of Chetan Bhagat, Durjoy Dutta and the likes. But Madhumita Mukherjee shouldn’t be bothered about losing such readers, it’s their loss.
The other side of the table is a story told through the letters of two pen pals – Abhi and Uma – from the year 1990 to 1999. While Abhi is training to be a neurosurgeon in London, Uma is a student of medicine in Kolkata. Over the years, they narrate significant things that happen in their lives, ask for advice on issues and share their desires and heartbreaks as well. They argue, they cry, and they laugh through their letters. The bond that Uma and Abhi share is worth envying. It’s amazing really, to read about this simple camaraderie, this sense of belongingness that the two have.
Who doesn’t like reading letters? And that too someone else’s letters, however morally incorrect that might be? Epistolary works like The other side of the table offer a peek into someone’s life. Narrating a story through letters is one of the most difficult things to do, if not impossible. It’s her début novel, yet Madhumita shapes the characters of Abhi and Uma through their letters so gracefully. Her Abhi is a mature guy with his own quirks and habits and a slightly poetic aura. Her Uma is a feisty girl who dreams, and is spirited enough to achieve them.
For those who have not seen Grey’s Anatomy, this book might be a bit boring with the medical jargon it uses. But since I’m a fan, I was delighted. I mean sample this – Abhi says, “The real showstopper though, is the heart. You can see it go lub-dup, lub-dup, lub-dup... It’s mesmerising and close second, I suppose, is the glistening, frilly, vulgar and voluptuous beauty of the gut...” You can’t be disgusted with this poetic description! Madhumita’s The other side of the table is a journey you must embark on! (as published in Sakal Times)
The other side of the table is a story told through the letters of two pen pals – Abhi and Uma – from the year 1990 to 1999. While Abhi is training to be a neurosurgeon in London, Uma is a student of medicine in Kolkata. Over the years, they narrate significant things that happen in their lives, ask for advice on issues and share their desires and heartbreaks as well. They argue, they cry, and they laugh through their letters. The bond that Uma and Abhi share is worth envying. It’s amazing really, to read about this simple camaraderie, this sense of belongingness that the two have.
Who doesn’t like reading letters? And that too someone else’s letters, however morally incorrect that might be? Epistolary works like The other side of the table offer a peek into someone’s life. Narrating a story through letters is one of the most difficult things to do, if not impossible. It’s her début novel, yet Madhumita shapes the characters of Abhi and Uma through their letters so gracefully. Her Abhi is a mature guy with his own quirks and habits and a slightly poetic aura. Her Uma is a feisty girl who dreams, and is spirited enough to achieve them.
For those who have not seen Grey’s Anatomy, this book might be a bit boring with the medical jargon it uses. But since I’m a fan, I was delighted. I mean sample this – Abhi says, “The real showstopper though, is the heart. You can see it go lub-dup, lub-dup, lub-dup... It’s mesmerising and close second, I suppose, is the glistening, frilly, vulgar and voluptuous beauty of the gut...” You can’t be disgusted with this poetic description! Madhumita’s The other side of the table is a journey you must embark on! (as published in Sakal Times)
June 1, 2016
This is my third reading of this book. This book is extremely close to my heart, special thanks to the one who recommended it to me and who used to be very close to me (atleast I can claim that). Everytime you read this, you feel a new freshness in the story and one gets to know a newer depth of human relationship. I don’t know if it is possible to write a book in letter form and that too as the first book of any author. While reading it you simply wait for one letter after another. When you see a gap in between two letter dates, you wonder how two people who shares so much cannot write and share more frequently.
Even though the characters, Uma & Abhi, had an age difference of 10 yrs, yet they were comfortable sharing each and every aspect of their lives (even their love making). Though Uma and Abhi never talked to each other romantically or had any such connect, yet one can feel the feel a definite chemistry between them. A connect which is beyond the boundaries of physical love. A connect which is rarely felt by most of us. I was surprised that when two people shares so much about each other how can they cannot be in love with each other, how they can stay apart from each other for so long. But as I read the book again and again I feel I have the answer to this. The author, Ms. Madhumita Mukherjee, has brought the book to the logical conclusion when Uma finally asks Abhi if she can come down to London and stay with him to which Abhi says that he will wait for her at the Heathrow Airport. I simply loved the ending, infact the entire story narration.
It is rare to find people who genuinely want to share their life with someone for mostly you will find people who share their lives for a specific purpose only and after that through you out of their lives.
Even though the characters, Uma & Abhi, had an age difference of 10 yrs, yet they were comfortable sharing each and every aspect of their lives (even their love making). Though Uma and Abhi never talked to each other romantically or had any such connect, yet one can feel the feel a definite chemistry between them. A connect which is beyond the boundaries of physical love. A connect which is rarely felt by most of us. I was surprised that when two people shares so much about each other how can they cannot be in love with each other, how they can stay apart from each other for so long. But as I read the book again and again I feel I have the answer to this. The author, Ms. Madhumita Mukherjee, has brought the book to the logical conclusion when Uma finally asks Abhi if she can come down to London and stay with him to which Abhi says that he will wait for her at the Heathrow Airport. I simply loved the ending, infact the entire story narration.
It is rare to find people who genuinely want to share their life with someone for mostly you will find people who share their lives for a specific purpose only and after that through you out of their lives.
February 6, 2017
For a moment I wasn't sure whether it was the writing or my curiosity in reading others' letters that boosted up the pace. Not to mention this is my first epistolary novel. It is about two friends living miles apart sharing their every emotion in letter form for a period of almost 10 years. They talk about practical problems dealt in life and how they try to handle it. And through the letters, the friends talk about gender discrimination, social constraints, human nature and morals as they are handling them.
I adored this book, this one reaffirming my belief that letters are better means of communication than these instant ways of getting to people. As I read through it, I never failed to notice the dates on which letters are written and try to figure what took so long or what would have happened in the mean time that delayed replying back. Maybe I should say I was spellbound by the book, so touching so inspiring that I almost imagined myself in the profession while reading. Talking about the medical field primarily, it reveals its moving moments, dark truths and challenges. As one who is in no way related to the medical field, this book uplifted my respect for doctors. Also great mentorship on moves of life for women irrespective of their profession. An amazing read recommendable to all.
I adored this book, this one reaffirming my belief that letters are better means of communication than these instant ways of getting to people. As I read through it, I never failed to notice the dates on which letters are written and try to figure what took so long or what would have happened in the mean time that delayed replying back. Maybe I should say I was spellbound by the book, so touching so inspiring that I almost imagined myself in the profession while reading. Talking about the medical field primarily, it reveals its moving moments, dark truths and challenges. As one who is in no way related to the medical field, this book uplifted my respect for doctors. Also great mentorship on moves of life for women irrespective of their profession. An amazing read recommendable to all.
December 3, 2016
Just finished the book and I have to say I didn't expect to like it so much especially since it is written in the letter style!
A heartwarming story, written just beautifully... it was my 'tiramisu' tonight!
Written in letters, I can't imagine any other way it could be told better. It feels like the letters written to each other in a way keep the characters true to their real feelings and the author has expressed this well... making the characters so endearing that there is this protective feeling for them... set in medicine, the story captures the reality of life through two people in the field of medicine.. living in two continents .. across oceans and yet connected enough to share and understand each other's darkest emotions... the books leaves you calm and hopeful... life happens...
I look forward to reading more of Madhumita's work.
A heartwarming story, written just beautifully... it was my 'tiramisu' tonight!
Written in letters, I can't imagine any other way it could be told better. It feels like the letters written to each other in a way keep the characters true to their real feelings and the author has expressed this well... making the characters so endearing that there is this protective feeling for them... set in medicine, the story captures the reality of life through two people in the field of medicine.. living in two continents .. across oceans and yet connected enough to share and understand each other's darkest emotions... the books leaves you calm and hopeful... life happens...
I look forward to reading more of Madhumita's work.
August 8, 2015
I am an old world kind when it comes to communication..i love letters in all forms and manners
This book has two protagonists who stays in two different continents and communicates only through letters as the story is based in 1990's. These letters show us both their worlds/lives for almost 10 years which is the time span of the story here. A very moving and touching story which builds really well and concludes on a great note.
A perfect book for me in all ways. BIG thanks to the author and my friend who gifted it :-)
This book has two protagonists who stays in two different continents and communicates only through letters as the story is based in 1990's. These letters show us both their worlds/lives for almost 10 years which is the time span of the story here. A very moving and touching story which builds really well and concludes on a great note.
A perfect book for me in all ways. BIG thanks to the author and my friend who gifted it :-)
March 2, 2013
Friendship is the strongest form of devotion ever available to man. It has no expectations. It embraces you as you are. This book depicts such devotion. Spellbound.
July 27, 2013
My first book in letter format and I loved it, how years passed by in those letters. lovely read :)
July 28, 2019
What a lovely read this was. I've always enjoyed the epistolary format but this was the first time I found myself noticing the dateline - imagining how much time may have passed in anticipation of receiving each other's letters. In the world of instant and short-lived, their relationship through letters was the comforting sense of forever I needed to witness. Pure. Joyous. A poetic spin on the world of medicine. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
May 15, 2017
The author's engaging, storytelling voice sucks you in right from the first page. I love when I learn something new, which is especially why Uma's journey from a medical student to a surgeon was very interesting. Especially the specific medical details that were inserted with a light yet passionate hand. The editor could have done a better job though.
October 18, 2021
This book has all my heart! I randomly read it in a library but GOD! This was a wonderful book! I can read it twice, thrice even 100 times ... Being a aspirant in the medical field I was just amazed at the accuracy !
Abhimanyu and umas chemistry is just on point
Relatable!
Abhimanyu and umas chemistry is just on point
Relatable!
June 6, 2019
One of the purest form of love and sacrifice that I get to witness. Never gonna forget this book.!!
September 4, 2019
REVIEW SOON!
July 26, 2021
Riveting and beautiful. I am short of words to describe such a lovely piece of writing where we all find ourselves in some or the other places. For the Indian readers, I can’t recommend this enough.
May 24, 2013
By Madhumita Mukherjee. Grade: A
When did you last receive a hand written letter?
When did you last write one? Well, I wrote one after reading this book. Actually this is not a book but a treasure trove of lovely moments, every letter packed with something to adore. The letters are about friendship but without being schmaltzy. It would not be right to call this a book because it’s a piece of art – delightfully feisty art, packed with magnificently colorful moments.
The Other Side of The Table
Circa 1990.
A world drawn and woven with words.
A bond punctuated by absence and distance…
Two continents. Two cities. Two people.
And letters. Hundreds of them.
Over years. Across oceans. Between hearts.
Between Abhi, who is training to be a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who is just stepping into the world of medicine in Kolkata.
As they ink their emotions onto paper, their lives get chronicled in this subtly nuanced conversation through letters … letters about dreams, desires, heartbreaks, and longings… about a proverbial good life falling apart, about a failed marriage, a visceral loss, and about a dream that threatens social expectations…
Letters that talk. And don’t. Letters about this and that. Letters about everything…
Letters with a story you would never expect.
Before iPads or iPhones or eBooks or emails, there was paper, and there was ink. Taking the time to write a letter was considered something personal, special, and most often worth the wait. Call me old school but for me writing a handwritten letter is beautiful, it requires taking time and putting thought into what you are going to say, exuding warmth and intimacy. Also I like like buying stamps—especially with pictures of dead people.
Yes! Letters and more letters and more more letters, this is what ‘The Other Side of The Table’ is. It tells the story of Abhi, who is training to become a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who has just entered medical college in Calcutta. They write letters to one another expanding from the year 1990 to 1999, about their lives and they are so wonderful because you can peek inside the lives of characters with each letter unfolding in time and space. It’s like as if you are talking to the person, watching them having a conversation.
My grandfather never read a novel but he was interesting, enriching and a novel in himself. This book reminds me of him. This is such a singular reading experience that its difficult to decide how I feel about it. It’s complicated, my relationship with this book. It doesn’t make sense even to me. I am overwhelmed, exhausted even, but completely thrilled to have experienced this gorgeous piece of art. Mukherjee has weaved a rich melange of emotions that break your heart. It is impossible to detail the number of ways where The Other Side of The Table is awesome.
The author explores this idea of women’s life but never in a weighty, heavy-handed manner. It is a book that celebrates books, and it plays as homage to epistolary classics like “Frances and Bernard” and “86 Charing Cross Road”. There is this simple truth reflecting in this book that when you read a beautiful book, it duplicates the feeling of being in love. You just need to let this book sit and saturate into you, every part of you because it can, and it will, and you will let it. Buy it now.
Originally reviewed at : http://vaultofbooks.com/
When did you last receive a hand written letter?
When did you last write one? Well, I wrote one after reading this book. Actually this is not a book but a treasure trove of lovely moments, every letter packed with something to adore. The letters are about friendship but without being schmaltzy. It would not be right to call this a book because it’s a piece of art – delightfully feisty art, packed with magnificently colorful moments.
The Other Side of The Table
Circa 1990.
A world drawn and woven with words.
A bond punctuated by absence and distance…
Two continents. Two cities. Two people.
And letters. Hundreds of them.
Over years. Across oceans. Between hearts.
Between Abhi, who is training to be a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who is just stepping into the world of medicine in Kolkata.
As they ink their emotions onto paper, their lives get chronicled in this subtly nuanced conversation through letters … letters about dreams, desires, heartbreaks, and longings… about a proverbial good life falling apart, about a failed marriage, a visceral loss, and about a dream that threatens social expectations…
Letters that talk. And don’t. Letters about this and that. Letters about everything…
Letters with a story you would never expect.
Before iPads or iPhones or eBooks or emails, there was paper, and there was ink. Taking the time to write a letter was considered something personal, special, and most often worth the wait. Call me old school but for me writing a handwritten letter is beautiful, it requires taking time and putting thought into what you are going to say, exuding warmth and intimacy. Also I like like buying stamps—especially with pictures of dead people.
Yes! Letters and more letters and more more letters, this is what ‘The Other Side of The Table’ is. It tells the story of Abhi, who is training to become a neurosurgeon in London, and Uma, who has just entered medical college in Calcutta. They write letters to one another expanding from the year 1990 to 1999, about their lives and they are so wonderful because you can peek inside the lives of characters with each letter unfolding in time and space. It’s like as if you are talking to the person, watching them having a conversation.
My grandfather never read a novel but he was interesting, enriching and a novel in himself. This book reminds me of him. This is such a singular reading experience that its difficult to decide how I feel about it. It’s complicated, my relationship with this book. It doesn’t make sense even to me. I am overwhelmed, exhausted even, but completely thrilled to have experienced this gorgeous piece of art. Mukherjee has weaved a rich melange of emotions that break your heart. It is impossible to detail the number of ways where The Other Side of The Table is awesome.
The author explores this idea of women’s life but never in a weighty, heavy-handed manner. It is a book that celebrates books, and it plays as homage to epistolary classics like “Frances and Bernard” and “86 Charing Cross Road”. There is this simple truth reflecting in this book that when you read a beautiful book, it duplicates the feeling of being in love. You just need to let this book sit and saturate into you, every part of you because it can, and it will, and you will let it. Buy it now.
Originally reviewed at : http://vaultofbooks.com/
January 15, 2015
Note : A Review of this book is up @ Readers' Muse
Yet another book that is written as a collation of letters! Is writing a story in the form of letters the latest fad?! Some writers weave exceptionally cohesive stories in spite of writing in a format that by default renders the story incoherent and there are the others, who are fascinated by the concept of “letter narration” and fail miserably at it. Uma and Abhi inadvertently end up being each other’s punching bag.
This book/writer belongs to the neither category. Uma and Abhi exchange a series of letters until Uma finally lands in Abhi’s doorstep. The letters are about mundane things to their lives’ most important events.
The book opened with a great momentum, the letters back and forth seemed utterly fascinating. Unfortunately, there came a point when the narration got utterly boring and the story line began to slack. The pace had dropped so low that a novice reader would probably chuck the book midway. On the other hand, a seasoned reader would be patient enough to wait for the momentum to pick up. This is one such book that requires its readers to wait patiently for the pace to pick up.
The other major disadvantage of such a book would obviously be the story line itself - Unless the protagonists exchange chronicles of murder or some topic which could be classified as borderline explosive, narrating mundane emotions would certainly backfire. That is precisely what happened with this book. The writer promised an array of intense emotions in her summery, but ended up writing a bland story which lacked finesse to produce that emotional bang. Normally a story line containing a miscarriage, a brain tumour and a failed marriage (not in that particular order) would evoke a sea of emotions even from a seasoned reader who has probably shed more tears over characters than in real life people. This book managed to just skim through all those heavy emotions instead of creating a wave.
The writing isn’t stellar either. The letters at time became a bit incoherent but the writer somehow managed to veer them back to track post an incoherent thread. This steering back tends to create a zigzag effect on the readers making them unsure of how to rate the book.
The characterisation is rather commendable. The writer has managed to show various shades of the protagonists in-spite of all those discoloured emotions she ended up with. The writer sure needs to be lauded for her effort to portray gender inequality prevalent amongst doctors. In fact, it was rather surprising to read that even such a critical profession suffers from the common evil of gender inequality. Hats off to the writer for bringing to light the stigma attached to a female surgeon. It is rather apparent that the writer might have had such an experience first-hand given that she is doctor herself.
In a nutshell, this book requires the patience of a season reader just for the discrimination thread of the story.
VERDICT: Not for people with a patience range of a teaspoon.
RATING: 3 on 5
Yet another book that is written as a collation of letters! Is writing a story in the form of letters the latest fad?! Some writers weave exceptionally cohesive stories in spite of writing in a format that by default renders the story incoherent and there are the others, who are fascinated by the concept of “letter narration” and fail miserably at it. Uma and Abhi inadvertently end up being each other’s punching bag.
This book/writer belongs to the neither category. Uma and Abhi exchange a series of letters until Uma finally lands in Abhi’s doorstep. The letters are about mundane things to their lives’ most important events.
The book opened with a great momentum, the letters back and forth seemed utterly fascinating. Unfortunately, there came a point when the narration got utterly boring and the story line began to slack. The pace had dropped so low that a novice reader would probably chuck the book midway. On the other hand, a seasoned reader would be patient enough to wait for the momentum to pick up. This is one such book that requires its readers to wait patiently for the pace to pick up.
The other major disadvantage of such a book would obviously be the story line itself - Unless the protagonists exchange chronicles of murder or some topic which could be classified as borderline explosive, narrating mundane emotions would certainly backfire. That is precisely what happened with this book. The writer promised an array of intense emotions in her summery, but ended up writing a bland story which lacked finesse to produce that emotional bang. Normally a story line containing a miscarriage, a brain tumour and a failed marriage (not in that particular order) would evoke a sea of emotions even from a seasoned reader who has probably shed more tears over characters than in real life people. This book managed to just skim through all those heavy emotions instead of creating a wave.
The writing isn’t stellar either. The letters at time became a bit incoherent but the writer somehow managed to veer them back to track post an incoherent thread. This steering back tends to create a zigzag effect on the readers making them unsure of how to rate the book.
The characterisation is rather commendable. The writer has managed to show various shades of the protagonists in-spite of all those discoloured emotions she ended up with. The writer sure needs to be lauded for her effort to portray gender inequality prevalent amongst doctors. In fact, it was rather surprising to read that even such a critical profession suffers from the common evil of gender inequality. Hats off to the writer for bringing to light the stigma attached to a female surgeon. It is rather apparent that the writer might have had such an experience first-hand given that she is doctor herself.
In a nutshell, this book requires the patience of a season reader just for the discrimination thread of the story.
VERDICT: Not for people with a patience range of a teaspoon.
RATING: 3 on 5
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