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Promises of a Firefly
A blind girl’s chance meeting with a stranger sets her on an unforgettable journey of love and light; a loveless marriage is rebuilt by the very thing that is meant to destroy it; an estranged mother’s fight to reunite with her daughter reveals to her the strengths and flaws of bonds of blood, two women separated by years of hostility discover the many forms of heaven and hell as fate decides to redeem their relationship; an eighty year old man’s chronicle of love and loss that tells us all about the permanent consequences of choosing against our heart’s will. These are stories of promises and letdowns, of faith and betrayal, of sins and atonement; stories that introduce us to lovers, bravehearts, convicts and prostitutes. ‘Promises of a firefly’ binds together eleven tales that remind us of our gifts, our glories and the crushing limits of our lives.
207 pages, Paperback
Published June 10, 2017
3 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Anupam Patra
2 books7 followers'Promises of a firefly' is Anupam’s debut book. His second book Amaranthine is a collection of poems.
He can be reached at anupampatra2017@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 3, 2017
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the author’s debut book and contains eleven short stories and each one is so beautifully written. Not a mean feat for a debut author.
Most of the stories have an element of tragedy to them -death, bereavement, heartbreak and unfulfilled love. Negative aspects of the human psyche such as prejudices, betrayal, selfishness & greed exist side by side with all that is good & noble about humans – courage, generosity, forgiveness, atonement and so on.
I am not going to review each story separately but give you a gist of the book.
These poignant tales will make you feel for the characters – feel their sorrows, feel their triumphs and at times be angered at some of the despicable characters who torment others. All the stories are good but I have to mention three – Promises of a Firefly, Motherhood and Swans.
I prefer my stories to end on a happy note – with good triumphing over evil, the underdog rising above the obstacles/tormentors. But, life is not fair. Hence I can’t complain that the stories don’t always have a happy ending.
The tales are not new – you might have come across them in stories, TV shows or some other place. It was the fine writing which held my attention.
My only criticism is that there were some grammatical mistakes here and there.
I enjoy short stories. Unfortunately, I have not read them much. I have read a few from the masters such as Oscar Wilde, O’Henry, Maupassant and ones published in magazines. Therefore I can’t claim to be an expert – far far far from it. But, I would say one thing – though the stories are “old wine in new bottle” you will enjoy reading them. Such is the storytelling skill of the author.
Please check out the book’s Goodreads page and see if it piques your interest. I would recommend it to people to like to try out new authors as well.
This is the author’s debut book and contains eleven short stories and each one is so beautifully written. Not a mean feat for a debut author.
Most of the stories have an element of tragedy to them -death, bereavement, heartbreak and unfulfilled love. Negative aspects of the human psyche such as prejudices, betrayal, selfishness & greed exist side by side with all that is good & noble about humans – courage, generosity, forgiveness, atonement and so on.
I am not going to review each story separately but give you a gist of the book.
These poignant tales will make you feel for the characters – feel their sorrows, feel their triumphs and at times be angered at some of the despicable characters who torment others. All the stories are good but I have to mention three – Promises of a Firefly, Motherhood and Swans.
I prefer my stories to end on a happy note – with good triumphing over evil, the underdog rising above the obstacles/tormentors. But, life is not fair. Hence I can’t complain that the stories don’t always have a happy ending.
The tales are not new – you might have come across them in stories, TV shows or some other place. It was the fine writing which held my attention.
My only criticism is that there were some grammatical mistakes here and there.
I enjoy short stories. Unfortunately, I have not read them much. I have read a few from the masters such as Oscar Wilde, O’Henry, Maupassant and ones published in magazines. Therefore I can’t claim to be an expert – far far far from it. But, I would say one thing – though the stories are “old wine in new bottle” you will enjoy reading them. Such is the storytelling skill of the author.
Please check out the book’s Goodreads page and see if it piques your interest. I would recommend it to people to like to try out new authors as well.
September 28, 2017
Note: Free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Just this week, I asked a friend to suggest a short book to me, something that I could be done with over the long weekend. I had a few review copies in store but I dared not touch them because of what my last review copy made me go through. And the same day your book came in the mail. Even though I had vowed not to read any review copies for a week or so, on a whim, I decided to read yours! Choices aren’t made. There is no free will. - Jon Basoff.
You sent me this book and honestly, if you read my review of My Jiffies (my first encounter with short stories), it will tell you that short stories have never been my thing! I am strangely attached to long tales, character developments, discovering new sides and talents of a character and many other things that short stories cannot have. Or so I always thought. Then I met Priyanka. She told me at length that I am wrong. That all this can be done even in short stories in the hands of a capable person. But that was her. What about you?
You mentioned Stephen King in your acknowledgments. I assume you’ve read the man quite a good amount. I have only read a few books from him and yet, I am a fan. Someday I will have read all that he has written. Why did I bring him up? That’s what you’re wondering, right? I will not build you up falsely or bring him down by comparing you with him. You have miles and miles and years to go to be even mentioned in the same breath as him, you know that too. But, there is something very specific about King that I love. I love the fact that he is a storyteller. His stories aren’t out of the world. His way of telling them is. And I would be lying my ass off if I didn’t say that you are quite a storyteller yourself! One of high caliber.
Your book is comprised of 11 stories. All of them clichéd. No doubt about it! Not one of them is a story that I haven’t already read, heard or watched in one form or the other. All of these stories have been used in some movie or the other for sure. The same old beat up concept and same age old elements. Then what do you bring to the table? How do I justify my rating of your book?
You brought a fresh breeze of storytelling! You weaved words! And I feel obliged to have read this book from you! I loved every story of yours and trust me, the very first page of the first story told me I was in for a treat and I was hooked. I smiled, I winced in pain, I felt hurt and I am not ashamed to admit that at one point I had a tear in my eye! That is a better testament than my whole review to tell you that you’ve pulled it off.
Your book revolves around the theme of love. But in my humble opinion, this book is overall written in a sad undertone. People oft times forget that love is not always happy. It’s not all puppies and sunshine. It’s not always nurturing and it’s not always peace-giving. It can be brutal, gut wrenching, heart breaking and devastating. Love can be cruel. The core emotion of your book is not a happy one. And it hits home, Mr. Patra, it really really does. I cannot possibly say that any one of the stories was the best among the offerings. They were all absolutely wonderful. But three of them took the cake for some very personal reasons and I will tell you about it.
Let’s start with ‘Lily’.
You literally struck a chord with the opening where the mother doesn’t relish the moment of her own daughter’s birth. This story tells us everything that is wrong with our society. We talk so much about feminism, the girls fight at every turn but do we look at the root cause? Even though you may not have intended it, you highlight the root cause. The upbringing. We nurture our kids wrong. It’s been a practice. Since the very birth, the female child is put down while the male child enjoys love and all kinds of pleasure and treats just because they were born. We raise our daughters to be docile and compliant while our sons are raised to be unruly and entitled. Is it really a surprise then that these sons go on to not treat ladies as equals? And is it then a real surprise that life comes full circle when those daughters grow up to be a mother who brings a daughter in this world and doesn’t rejoice her birth? Weren’t they taught this at home? I do not defend or validate any act and of course there are exceptions to everything. But I feel we will bring change by looking inwards rather than outwards. But I digress from your book to a social issue.
This story reminded me of a friend who is much like Lily. Struggling to be herself in a world that loves to give bullshit to a girl. I didn’t see Lily, I saw my friend in the story.
Let’s talk about ‘Petals in the Wind’.
Let me state this for the record that a setting for extra marital affair never works for me. Atleast it never did. I won’t go as far as saying that you’ve changed it. No. For me it’s still something deplorable. I also cannot believe the concept that a person can love two people at the same time. I am wired very weirdly in this context. But this is the second time, a story about an extra marital thing has touched me. Again, first one was from Priyanka but I dare say that this story of yours was better done than hers, much better.
This story, I connected to on a much more personal level. I loved the characters and hated them at the same time. As it ended, I couldn’t decide if I hate them more or love them more. In your very own words, this story “struck a chord inside of me. Which chord, I couldn’t be sure.”
I guess the mark of any author is to serve a reader with something that they do not believe in and yet, convince them that the act is not all that inconceivable. You did that.
Another thing is, never before has any Indian author that I read thus far, made me pick up a dictionary. You did that too.
For both these things, I love you and I love your book.
But….do not let this review and the rest of reviews out there, goad you into a sense of complacency. There are errors in this book. Quite a few. Grammatical, spelling and even sentence formation errors. At one place, ‘him’ & ‘her’ become interchanged and it really kills the flow of the story. There are commas at wrong places and the quotation marks are used incorrectly at a couple of places. In short, there is much editing to be done. You as an author need to bear in mind how your book comes out. It’s your book. And yet, all of this becomes very much ignorable and less annoying simply because of your flow of writing. You have a great sense of where your sentence needs to go. Your stories are almost poetic. The best thing, about the whole book is how you bring the title of the story to bear and how all your stories come full circle. Simply put, what you wrote, it tugs and pulls at ones heart.
What really redeems this book is the last story, my absolute fav, ‘Promises of a Firefly’.
It is as beautiful a story as I have ever read or heard in my life even if it is so clichéd and even if I am living through it, not completely, obviously, there are many chapters to be added for me but they will be and might be along the very lines of your story.
Before I sign off, I want to clarify why I brought up Priyanka so much in this review. For two reason. First is that she is the only real basis for me to measure you and your work. Second is, she moved me with her words and I loved her for it but you, with your last story, you’ve joined her at the top.
You Mr. Patra, you and Priyanka have come in my life and told me why I can never write something worthy of being published. Because I cannot pour in such details and emotions. I cannot paint such a pretty picture and I most certainly cannot create characters that seem real. I have both you authors to thank for making my year 2017 so blessed for I have found not one but two Indian authors I absolutely loved and want to read more from.
You both have also given me not one but two books that I was asked to review and I have absolutely no complaints for, two books that left me satiated and content but asking for more.
And for you both, I would pray the burden that may you never stop writing so that greedy little readers like me shall always feel satiated. Thank you, good sir, for allowing me to read such a lovely book!
I wish you all the luck for all your future endeavors and I shall wait for your next book eagerly.
“I wonder - if it is the ugliness that makes the beauty so precious or if it is only when darkness precedes light that every ray of it is treasured.”Mr. Patra, I’m sorry. I will not review this book. Not in the fashion that I normally do. Because I can’t. However, I will talk to you. So take a seat and let’s talk.
Just this week, I asked a friend to suggest a short book to me, something that I could be done with over the long weekend. I had a few review copies in store but I dared not touch them because of what my last review copy made me go through. And the same day your book came in the mail. Even though I had vowed not to read any review copies for a week or so, on a whim, I decided to read yours! Choices aren’t made. There is no free will. - Jon Basoff.
You sent me this book and honestly, if you read my review of My Jiffies (my first encounter with short stories), it will tell you that short stories have never been my thing! I am strangely attached to long tales, character developments, discovering new sides and talents of a character and many other things that short stories cannot have. Or so I always thought. Then I met Priyanka. She told me at length that I am wrong. That all this can be done even in short stories in the hands of a capable person. But that was her. What about you?
You mentioned Stephen King in your acknowledgments. I assume you’ve read the man quite a good amount. I have only read a few books from him and yet, I am a fan. Someday I will have read all that he has written. Why did I bring him up? That’s what you’re wondering, right? I will not build you up falsely or bring him down by comparing you with him. You have miles and miles and years to go to be even mentioned in the same breath as him, you know that too. But, there is something very specific about King that I love. I love the fact that he is a storyteller. His stories aren’t out of the world. His way of telling them is. And I would be lying my ass off if I didn’t say that you are quite a storyteller yourself! One of high caliber.
Your book is comprised of 11 stories. All of them clichéd. No doubt about it! Not one of them is a story that I haven’t already read, heard or watched in one form or the other. All of these stories have been used in some movie or the other for sure. The same old beat up concept and same age old elements. Then what do you bring to the table? How do I justify my rating of your book?
You brought a fresh breeze of storytelling! You weaved words! And I feel obliged to have read this book from you! I loved every story of yours and trust me, the very first page of the first story told me I was in for a treat and I was hooked. I smiled, I winced in pain, I felt hurt and I am not ashamed to admit that at one point I had a tear in my eye! That is a better testament than my whole review to tell you that you’ve pulled it off.
Your book revolves around the theme of love. But in my humble opinion, this book is overall written in a sad undertone. People oft times forget that love is not always happy. It’s not all puppies and sunshine. It’s not always nurturing and it’s not always peace-giving. It can be brutal, gut wrenching, heart breaking and devastating. Love can be cruel. The core emotion of your book is not a happy one. And it hits home, Mr. Patra, it really really does. I cannot possibly say that any one of the stories was the best among the offerings. They were all absolutely wonderful. But three of them took the cake for some very personal reasons and I will tell you about it.
Let’s start with ‘Lily’.
You literally struck a chord with the opening where the mother doesn’t relish the moment of her own daughter’s birth. This story tells us everything that is wrong with our society. We talk so much about feminism, the girls fight at every turn but do we look at the root cause? Even though you may not have intended it, you highlight the root cause. The upbringing. We nurture our kids wrong. It’s been a practice. Since the very birth, the female child is put down while the male child enjoys love and all kinds of pleasure and treats just because they were born. We raise our daughters to be docile and compliant while our sons are raised to be unruly and entitled. Is it really a surprise then that these sons go on to not treat ladies as equals? And is it then a real surprise that life comes full circle when those daughters grow up to be a mother who brings a daughter in this world and doesn’t rejoice her birth? Weren’t they taught this at home? I do not defend or validate any act and of course there are exceptions to everything. But I feel we will bring change by looking inwards rather than outwards. But I digress from your book to a social issue.
This story reminded me of a friend who is much like Lily. Struggling to be herself in a world that loves to give bullshit to a girl. I didn’t see Lily, I saw my friend in the story.
“I reckon that living with the truth can be tiring sometimes and that hope is nothing but a self-inflicted diversion from truth, one we sometimes choose when we want to get carried away from actuality.”But hope can also be all powering and a great driving force. It is what brings about positive changes, always has and always will and we mustn’t allow it to be snuffed. And so, just like Lily, I sincerely hope and believe that my friend too will win the battle that really matters!!
Let’s talk about ‘Petals in the Wind’.
Let me state this for the record that a setting for extra marital affair never works for me. Atleast it never did. I won’t go as far as saying that you’ve changed it. No. For me it’s still something deplorable. I also cannot believe the concept that a person can love two people at the same time. I am wired very weirdly in this context. But this is the second time, a story about an extra marital thing has touched me. Again, first one was from Priyanka but I dare say that this story of yours was better done than hers, much better.
This story, I connected to on a much more personal level. I loved the characters and hated them at the same time. As it ended, I couldn’t decide if I hate them more or love them more. In your very own words, this story “struck a chord inside of me. Which chord, I couldn’t be sure.”
I guess the mark of any author is to serve a reader with something that they do not believe in and yet, convince them that the act is not all that inconceivable. You did that.
Another thing is, never before has any Indian author that I read thus far, made me pick up a dictionary. You did that too.
For both these things, I love you and I love your book.
But….do not let this review and the rest of reviews out there, goad you into a sense of complacency. There are errors in this book. Quite a few. Grammatical, spelling and even sentence formation errors. At one place, ‘him’ & ‘her’ become interchanged and it really kills the flow of the story. There are commas at wrong places and the quotation marks are used incorrectly at a couple of places. In short, there is much editing to be done. You as an author need to bear in mind how your book comes out. It’s your book. And yet, all of this becomes very much ignorable and less annoying simply because of your flow of writing. You have a great sense of where your sentence needs to go. Your stories are almost poetic. The best thing, about the whole book is how you bring the title of the story to bear and how all your stories come full circle. Simply put, what you wrote, it tugs and pulls at ones heart.
What really redeems this book is the last story, my absolute fav, ‘Promises of a Firefly’.
It is as beautiful a story as I have ever read or heard in my life even if it is so clichéd and even if I am living through it, not completely, obviously, there are many chapters to be added for me but they will be and might be along the very lines of your story.
“When you've foolishly imagined your whole life in a certain way and the very basis of that imagination, one that you'd thought to be irreplaceable, is suddenly ripped away from you; when you've resigned to the safety of the only reassurance you thought was true and then, you are made to return to the insecurity of your solitude, how cheated you feel. How you learn then what unmitigated anger is.”The way you told this story, it moved me and touched my heart. It brought back memories and feelings long since buried. This story was like a page from my past and a glimpse of what my future might look like. And it can be a very weird feeling, when you connect to a story on such a deep level. You either hate it or you love it. I loved it. I loved how you put it in words and how those words reached inside of me and would stay there. It is the story that really lifts your book and might I add that you have pulled the best trick by putting it last or else all the other stories might have seemed lackluster.
Before I sign off, I want to clarify why I brought up Priyanka so much in this review. For two reason. First is that she is the only real basis for me to measure you and your work. Second is, she moved me with her words and I loved her for it but you, with your last story, you’ve joined her at the top.
You Mr. Patra, you and Priyanka have come in my life and told me why I can never write something worthy of being published. Because I cannot pour in such details and emotions. I cannot paint such a pretty picture and I most certainly cannot create characters that seem real. I have both you authors to thank for making my year 2017 so blessed for I have found not one but two Indian authors I absolutely loved and want to read more from.
You both have also given me not one but two books that I was asked to review and I have absolutely no complaints for, two books that left me satiated and content but asking for more.
And for you both, I would pray the burden that may you never stop writing so that greedy little readers like me shall always feel satiated. Thank you, good sir, for allowing me to read such a lovely book!
I wish you all the luck for all your future endeavors and I shall wait for your next book eagerly.
October 24, 2017
Renders a carte blanche of panache!
Wintercearig conjures up as the best genre to place this on a shelf .
Motherhood balances over the brim and precariously touches the dog eared pages that I regret not reading.
There's no dearth of tears that you'd shed on the shattering dreams of the characters. The pain of separation searing this short story anthology.
Colors, light and energy. I could throw in some more adjectives, had the need be.
Probably because Anupam Patra beats the purpose with his deftness.
There are and will be many short story books but Promises of a Firefly would be one of the best works that I'm reviewing this year.
An aesthetic cover graces a story well knitted. 5 stars for the front graphic and texture goes as given.
Unfolding tale by tale, Anupam Patra's writing style gets engraved and throws in a paint bucket of imagination. A bucket rather of varied shades of inferences and writing styles.
Reading his books, you can feel how much gravity each of his words carry. Masterfully selected words sing a soothing song for your soul and you never want it to stop.
Embellished by an underlying melancholy, a cluster of 11 narrations muster up enough ammunition to blow the critical defenses.
The words bind to the wings in the story of Lilly and a ray of hope in A Pair of Sunshine.
If you're pondering over the next book, a dreamcatcher falling face first might be your taste.
Verdict : 5 riveting points scored.
Wintercearig conjures up as the best genre to place this on a shelf .
Motherhood balances over the brim and precariously touches the dog eared pages that I regret not reading.
There's no dearth of tears that you'd shed on the shattering dreams of the characters. The pain of separation searing this short story anthology.
Colors, light and energy. I could throw in some more adjectives, had the need be.
Probably because Anupam Patra beats the purpose with his deftness.
There are and will be many short story books but Promises of a Firefly would be one of the best works that I'm reviewing this year.
An aesthetic cover graces a story well knitted. 5 stars for the front graphic and texture goes as given.
Unfolding tale by tale, Anupam Patra's writing style gets engraved and throws in a paint bucket of imagination. A bucket rather of varied shades of inferences and writing styles.
Reading his books, you can feel how much gravity each of his words carry. Masterfully selected words sing a soothing song for your soul and you never want it to stop.
Warming, uplifting and magically heartbreaking.
Embellished by an underlying melancholy, a cluster of 11 narrations muster up enough ammunition to blow the critical defenses.
The words bind to the wings in the story of Lilly and a ray of hope in A Pair of Sunshine.
If you're pondering over the next book, a dreamcatcher falling face first might be your taste.
Verdict : 5 riveting points scored.
July 14, 2017
Like a number of pearls, not being of exact same size being held through a single string; a string that makes the best assortment and gets entitled to be claimed as a beautiful necklace. This description seems to be too apt for this book by Anupam Patra.
Promises of a Firefly, is a collection of eleven short stories that keep you devoted to the writing till the end. It is not about a single story overpowering the other; when you start reading them, a gradual mist of association wraps you up. The stories are of the most ordinary people, probably reacting in the most ordinary manner; the way you and I will, if being thrown into similar situations. What make these stories different are: the narration, a tinge of philosophy that keeps brimming up here and there and the possibility of understanding the people who surround us through these stories.
Each story has a strong protagonist with occasional shades of grey; maybe why they seem people next door. These are stories of fictional characters in the most realistic manner, these are stories of emotions, these are stories of subtle differences.
Seeing through Chinmay’s eyes to reminiscing memories of Javed’s past; this book will give you enough reasons to keep it aside for a while and just breathe. At times, you need a little more time to seep in the most basic information propelled at you.
Promises of a Firefly is that string I talked about, which carefully holds those tales and presents to us in a manner one can hardly resist.
Pride of a girl child; a love for the new born that gives a second chance; finding if Paribartana changed the lives outside; when being able to see equals to enlightenment etc. It’s about the unfulfilled promises, love that could not materialise, forgiveness and finding solace in those finite memories.
The Author not only has a good hold over his pen, but also has an eye for what goes around in the world. The writing seems to flow and take its own shape. A good and satisfying read.
Promises of a Firefly, is a collection of eleven short stories that keep you devoted to the writing till the end. It is not about a single story overpowering the other; when you start reading them, a gradual mist of association wraps you up. The stories are of the most ordinary people, probably reacting in the most ordinary manner; the way you and I will, if being thrown into similar situations. What make these stories different are: the narration, a tinge of philosophy that keeps brimming up here and there and the possibility of understanding the people who surround us through these stories.
Each story has a strong protagonist with occasional shades of grey; maybe why they seem people next door. These are stories of fictional characters in the most realistic manner, these are stories of emotions, these are stories of subtle differences.
Seeing through Chinmay’s eyes to reminiscing memories of Javed’s past; this book will give you enough reasons to keep it aside for a while and just breathe. At times, you need a little more time to seep in the most basic information propelled at you.
Promises of a Firefly is that string I talked about, which carefully holds those tales and presents to us in a manner one can hardly resist.
Pride of a girl child; a love for the new born that gives a second chance; finding if Paribartana changed the lives outside; when being able to see equals to enlightenment etc. It’s about the unfulfilled promises, love that could not materialise, forgiveness and finding solace in those finite memories.
The Author not only has a good hold over his pen, but also has an eye for what goes around in the world. The writing seems to flow and take its own shape. A good and satisfying read.
July 19, 2017
Promises of a firefly is a collection of beautifully crafted and heart touching stories of you and I and the world we live in. Each story has a unique flavor, blended with an equal measure of love and pain. The story 'Petals in the Wind' is the story of a girl Akanksha, living a lie. She has to make a difficult choice to defend her family to break down. 'Games we never forget' is a story of two childhood buddies bonded over a game but another game played with them years later.
The stories of unbroken promises, fate, desires, and betrayal weaved with meticulously chosen characters and their stories tell tales of life and death. I love the book and love the stories. Each story will embark you on a different journey of love and betrayal and you will meet along sinister and brave hearts. Each story is written with perseverance and passion. The book is an emotional joy ride.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
The stories of unbroken promises, fate, desires, and betrayal weaved with meticulously chosen characters and their stories tell tales of life and death. I love the book and love the stories. Each story will embark you on a different journey of love and betrayal and you will meet along sinister and brave hearts. Each story is written with perseverance and passion. The book is an emotional joy ride.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
September 1, 2017
Promises of a firefly by Anupam Patra is a pocket book with wonderful collections of eleven short stories. Every story has a very strong story line based on our emotions, unrecognized feelings and so on.
Also all the stories are very connective to most of us as it sounds like a story we heard through a friend or a story happened to our neighbour. One such story is "Lilly" it's about a girl who is abandoned by father because she's girl. Yeah, you can hear these kind of stories from your elders because its common at that time.
"The stranger" were a writer in search of story and who himself believe his story is fulfilled love story, in one occasion he happened to meet a lady who thought him unfilled love and vanished.
Like that "A pair of sunshine" narrator of the story survives in a accident in which he looses his best friend, the expression of guilt and pain is extraordinary.
While turning each page I can feel the writer's hard work and he covered that so well with ease. It's surely a worth reading in all perspectives. You can learn, indulge in between the stories, smile, cry all together it makes a great read and one of the best anthology I had ever read.
Also, the cover it is simple yet I found it as beautiful and best suited one.
Also all the stories are very connective to most of us as it sounds like a story we heard through a friend or a story happened to our neighbour. One such story is "Lilly" it's about a girl who is abandoned by father because she's girl. Yeah, you can hear these kind of stories from your elders because its common at that time.
"The stranger" were a writer in search of story and who himself believe his story is fulfilled love story, in one occasion he happened to meet a lady who thought him unfilled love and vanished.
Like that "A pair of sunshine" narrator of the story survives in a accident in which he looses his best friend, the expression of guilt and pain is extraordinary.
While turning each page I can feel the writer's hard work and he covered that so well with ease. It's surely a worth reading in all perspectives. You can learn, indulge in between the stories, smile, cry all together it makes a great read and one of the best anthology I had ever read.
Also, the cover it is simple yet I found it as beautiful and best suited one.
September 6, 2017
4.5 Stars
*** Note: I received book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to publisher and author for sending me book. ***
Different kind of people and their different stories– check
All kind of emotions that make you cry or yell – check
Realistic characters- check
Warning in the beginning: this stories will leave you crying mess. Keep tissue available at hands reach.
Tragedy, Flaws, Mistakes, Regret, Fates, Guilt, Unfair life, Kindness, Forgiveness, Betrayal, and Love. Can you believe all of these emotions were there in the book? Believe me author has done a fantastic job in giving justice to all those emotions in this book.
All of those stories felt so real, happening all around us- some bits of it you have heard from someone while the other you have read in newspapers or you might have experienced yourself.
I was thinking till the end why the title ‘Promise of Fireflies’. In blurb it said it binds all 11 stories so I was expecting something moral kind of thing, but it was nothing like that. It was actually a whole different, touching, and the last 11th story of the book. It was a story about promises and letdown that I loved so much and I’m glad author decide to keep it in last. I’m sure I might not wanted such heavy dose story in the beginning.
I have literally written review for individual stories but at the end I found it too long to post and also might give out too much and spoil the fun of reading them. So, I’m just giving precise review of whole book.
First the writing was great and smooth. I liked how author woven all stories Author’s words made all stories so alive that I almost forgotten the world around me. Loved the beginning of all stories, first lines of each stories gave the feeling like I was reading an artistic work. Title of each stories were so appropriate and the way all stories ended made those titles reasonable.
Some stories included the serious issue of India like dowry, domestic violence, and patriarchal mentality. Some were the family stories like, Mother-daughter relationship; daughter-in-law and mother-in-law relationship. Some were no only one on friendship and lot of sad love stories.
I loved all of them except two that I will tell below. But the best story that I liked was “Stranger” and “Promise of Fireflies”.
Stranger because – The conversation between the stranger and writer in this story. It was cleverly written and the way stranger talked about love, I was totally in different world. Those were the best definitions of love and best pages of the book. Oh and it had little suspense too. If this was the first story in the book, I would have loved this book instantly.
Promise of Fireflies – This was the only story that made me put myself into characters shoe and I could feel the pain of both characters. I felt dislike for both character’s family as well who never stayed to see what they have done with two lives. And the last shot was the reason behind title. It was perfect for the story and I loved that explanation for it as well.
If these stories are read in groups, I bet it will give lot of topics and characters to discuss over.
Why I cut that half star- The only complain I have is with these two stories- Games We Never Forget and Petals in the Wind. Story was okay but felt little cheesy, it was clichéd and another thing I couldn’t understand what went wrong between characters and why they decided to take such drastic decisions.
Overall, this was poignant amazingly written short story collection. I would like to read more from this author. If you like to read good emotional short story fictions, I recommend this book.
*** Note: I received book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to publisher and author for sending me book. ***
Different kind of people and their different stories– check
All kind of emotions that make you cry or yell – check
Realistic characters- check
Warning in the beginning: this stories will leave you crying mess. Keep tissue available at hands reach.
Tragedy, Flaws, Mistakes, Regret, Fates, Guilt, Unfair life, Kindness, Forgiveness, Betrayal, and Love. Can you believe all of these emotions were there in the book? Believe me author has done a fantastic job in giving justice to all those emotions in this book.
All of those stories felt so real, happening all around us- some bits of it you have heard from someone while the other you have read in newspapers or you might have experienced yourself.
I was thinking till the end why the title ‘Promise of Fireflies’. In blurb it said it binds all 11 stories so I was expecting something moral kind of thing, but it was nothing like that. It was actually a whole different, touching, and the last 11th story of the book. It was a story about promises and letdown that I loved so much and I’m glad author decide to keep it in last. I’m sure I might not wanted such heavy dose story in the beginning.
I have literally written review for individual stories but at the end I found it too long to post and also might give out too much and spoil the fun of reading them. So, I’m just giving precise review of whole book.
First the writing was great and smooth. I liked how author woven all stories Author’s words made all stories so alive that I almost forgotten the world around me. Loved the beginning of all stories, first lines of each stories gave the feeling like I was reading an artistic work. Title of each stories were so appropriate and the way all stories ended made those titles reasonable.
Some stories included the serious issue of India like dowry, domestic violence, and patriarchal mentality. Some were the family stories like, Mother-daughter relationship; daughter-in-law and mother-in-law relationship. Some were no only one on friendship and lot of sad love stories.
I loved all of them except two that I will tell below. But the best story that I liked was “Stranger” and “Promise of Fireflies”.
Stranger because – The conversation between the stranger and writer in this story. It was cleverly written and the way stranger talked about love, I was totally in different world. Those were the best definitions of love and best pages of the book. Oh and it had little suspense too. If this was the first story in the book, I would have loved this book instantly.
Promise of Fireflies – This was the only story that made me put myself into characters shoe and I could feel the pain of both characters. I felt dislike for both character’s family as well who never stayed to see what they have done with two lives. And the last shot was the reason behind title. It was perfect for the story and I loved that explanation for it as well.
If these stories are read in groups, I bet it will give lot of topics and characters to discuss over.
Why I cut that half star- The only complain I have is with these two stories- Games We Never Forget and Petals in the Wind. Story was okay but felt little cheesy, it was clichéd and another thing I couldn’t understand what went wrong between characters and why they decided to take such drastic decisions.
Overall, this was poignant amazingly written short story collection. I would like to read more from this author. If you like to read good emotional short story fictions, I recommend this book.
June 30, 2017
This book is a collection of short stories that tug at your heart. It makes us feel a lot of myriad emotions and takes us on a roller coaster ride.
I liked the book for its concept. It has been really long since I read short stories because I was not getting good ones. But this book explores cliched themes in a whole new level of writing. It is very well-written. Apart from the teeny tiny pronoun mismatches, this book is a good read.
I just have one tiny bone to pick. It seems as if the collection largely centers around the theme of death and spirits, I don't know why. It feels a little depressing, especially when the first two stories explore death.
Satisfying read, in short!
I liked the book for its concept. It has been really long since I read short stories because I was not getting good ones. But this book explores cliched themes in a whole new level of writing. It is very well-written. Apart from the teeny tiny pronoun mismatches, this book is a good read.
I just have one tiny bone to pick. It seems as if the collection largely centers around the theme of death and spirits, I don't know why. It feels a little depressing, especially when the first two stories explore death.
Satisfying read, in short!
July 11, 2017
Promises of a firefly is one of the finest collection of short stories that i have read till date. The author beautifully weaves a web of emotions out of which it becomes very difficult, for a reader, to come out .
Though is difficult to pick the best , but still my favourites were THE STRANGER and MOTHERHOOD. The sweet ending of THE STRANGER is something ,being a writer , i too could easily relate to . The connection with the character is beautifully penned down. Also in MOTHERHOOD the sad ending and the shattered hopes of a mother left me in tears .
The title is very sweet and simple . The blurb is crisp and made me to read the book in one go . No doubt, this book is an immediate page turner . The only thing i think could have been better was the cover . It is way too simple for ab awesome collection like this.
The choice and perfect use of words is beautifully done . The writing style of the author is really commendable . The characters were so beautifully portrayed that i could imagine myself in most of the stories. The plot of each story is very fresh and unique.
If you are looking forward to read something very different then you must pick this book . I bet this is going to leave you in tears with a smile on your face .
Congratulations to the author.
Rating - 4/5
Though is difficult to pick the best , but still my favourites were THE STRANGER and MOTHERHOOD. The sweet ending of THE STRANGER is something ,being a writer , i too could easily relate to . The connection with the character is beautifully penned down. Also in MOTHERHOOD the sad ending and the shattered hopes of a mother left me in tears .
The title is very sweet and simple . The blurb is crisp and made me to read the book in one go . No doubt, this book is an immediate page turner . The only thing i think could have been better was the cover . It is way too simple for ab awesome collection like this.
The choice and perfect use of words is beautifully done . The writing style of the author is really commendable . The characters were so beautifully portrayed that i could imagine myself in most of the stories. The plot of each story is very fresh and unique.
If you are looking forward to read something very different then you must pick this book . I bet this is going to leave you in tears with a smile on your face .
Congratulations to the author.
Rating - 4/5
July 7, 2017
Promises of a Firefly is a debut book by Anupam Patra. It isn't a novel but a collection of 11 short stories which would make you feel the words for sure. In fact, I can bet that the readers would surely shed tears atleast for one story or the other as the words were so powerfully used which would make you connect with the stories instantly.
Each story is unique on its own. On one, it talks about how a mother misses her child and on the other, it talks about relationship between Mother-in-Law and Daughter-In-Law.You cannot judge which story is better over the other because of its varied content and emotions attached to it.
The book talks about sacrifice, about the life of a prisoner, about the life of a girl child as to how she fought untiringly to perform the last rites of her father and so on and so forth.
I would better not go too deep into each story because it would become a spoiler otherwise since these are short stories. My disclaimer is this -> If you are a soft hearted person, I would better recommend you to read one story at a time and not all of them together because it would otherwise become too much to bear.
A promising work by the author and has proved his mettle on his debut book itself which certainly needs much appreciation and the readers support.
Each story is unique on its own. On one, it talks about how a mother misses her child and on the other, it talks about relationship between Mother-in-Law and Daughter-In-Law.You cannot judge which story is better over the other because of its varied content and emotions attached to it.
The book talks about sacrifice, about the life of a prisoner, about the life of a girl child as to how she fought untiringly to perform the last rites of her father and so on and so forth.
I would better not go too deep into each story because it would become a spoiler otherwise since these are short stories. My disclaimer is this -> If you are a soft hearted person, I would better recommend you to read one story at a time and not all of them together because it would otherwise become too much to bear.
A promising work by the author and has proved his mettle on his debut book itself which certainly needs much appreciation and the readers support.
October 16, 2017
Note: I received a Free copy of the book from the Publisher in return for an honest review.
Yay! Finally, I get to finish this book. No, not because of the book but, for me Short stories take a long time to finish. This is the first ever Short story work I completed, others are half-read and waiting for me to finish.
Given a fact that this is a debut book for the author he has indeed done a great job in weaving beautiful 11 Short stories into a bundle. The narration was flawless. He definitely struck a chord with every short story of his.
Short stories like Motherhood which explores the yearning of a mother to meet her daughter and the ending was really painful. Lily explores the discrimination faced by many girls in our country. I could relate myself with few and with others I felt like peeping into my neighbours' homes and feeling sad for their sufferings.
I personally feel a collection of Short stories is a space for one to explore various emotions but for some reason, I felt the Author took death, misery and few other sad feelings as a theme for his book. Except for The Stranger Short story, I felt others revolved around death or sorrow. I would like to know why? Many may not find peace in sorrow but reading few stories depressed me actually. Again such feelings are completely subjective.
Nonetheless, I loved the book and I request the author and the publisher to please read the complete manuscript before printing it. There are few minor grammatical mistakes which I found and a re-read would definitely avoid such errors. I as a person read books to learn something from them but not find faults which indeed is a turn-off for me. Hope, the Author take my suggestion into consideration.
In a nutshell: This book is great. Give it a try and I assure you won't regret it.
Happy Reading :)
Yay! Finally, I get to finish this book. No, not because of the book but, for me Short stories take a long time to finish. This is the first ever Short story work I completed, others are half-read and waiting for me to finish.
Given a fact that this is a debut book for the author he has indeed done a great job in weaving beautiful 11 Short stories into a bundle. The narration was flawless. He definitely struck a chord with every short story of his.
Short stories like Motherhood which explores the yearning of a mother to meet her daughter and the ending was really painful. Lily explores the discrimination faced by many girls in our country. I could relate myself with few and with others I felt like peeping into my neighbours' homes and feeling sad for their sufferings.
I personally feel a collection of Short stories is a space for one to explore various emotions but for some reason, I felt the Author took death, misery and few other sad feelings as a theme for his book. Except for The Stranger Short story, I felt others revolved around death or sorrow. I would like to know why? Many may not find peace in sorrow but reading few stories depressed me actually. Again such feelings are completely subjective.
Nonetheless, I loved the book and I request the author and the publisher to please read the complete manuscript before printing it. There are few minor grammatical mistakes which I found and a re-read would definitely avoid such errors. I as a person read books to learn something from them but not find faults which indeed is a turn-off for me. Hope, the Author take my suggestion into consideration.
In a nutshell: This book is great. Give it a try and I assure you won't regret it.
Happy Reading :)
July 3, 2017
Promises of a firefly is Anupam Patra's debut in the world of creative fiction, one in which he has arrived with a collection of eleven elegantly written short stories and I must say, with quite a bang too! But you don't associate Anupam Patra with even a semblance of brashness or aggression or hostility. On the contrary, he is one who would caress, cuddle and even comfort his readers with his delectable choice of words and their skillful weaving into a bouquet that is at the same time breathtakingly beautiful as it is sapient. He takes his readers on highly emotive journeys sans any melodrama - a flight through the stratosphere with feet on bare earth!
Anupam's characters are ordinary beings with no pretensions to extraordinary attainments – their conflicts entirely commonplace. But Anupam is a master of articulation, and he does it with such finesse and craft that leaves the tale hovering around you for long after you've put down the book. Right, let's put this straight - Anupam doesn't tell, he sings the stories to you, for there's a streak of lyrical romance in his tales, imperceptibly manifest, the setting being that of a hospital room or the cremation ground or even a jail, regardless!
In ‘A Pair of Sunshine’ he deals with the hope or the frivolity of it but in the end he himself rests with hope for the balm it turns out for a troubled heart. Swans holds a challenge to our oft-held views on freedom, a bold proclamation that it may not be that lofty a goal to cherish after all and that there could still be a way to peace and fulfillment even in its absence. The Last Penny places the protagonist between two women – mother and grandmother – both loving him equally but with a past sullied with unkindness, unsavory events and even scorn for each other. The tale reveals the mighty healer in time as the older of the two women finds herself locked at the gate of death, a sort of no-man's land, fervently hoping for release but for the sturdy strings of penitence holding her back, a sight that sears through the heart. Vilasini is the mother in Motherhood, the tale that brings out the cry of a mother for her child that takes Vilasini through a court-case that pathetically ends in a paper-verdict. The Stranger is a strange episode in the life of Anwar, an aspiring writer struggling to gather and put on paper the thoughts running amok on his chosen theme. A chance meeting with a girl at the park and her candid revelations about her unfulfilled love serve to fill the blanks complete with the protagonist's name. Promises of a Firefly is the last of the eleven stories and probably sums up the writer's take on the larger periphery of love and not just its accepted mode of proclamation – its usual give and take routine. It is a tale of two persons deeply in love but not with a hint of claim over one another. Their love finds fulfillment not in union but separation and remains forever, quite like the firefly's light that is only overshadowed by brilliance of daylight but never for a moment losing its existence.
Anupam's style is unique – a sort of poetic rendering of prose - if one may say so and bold, not depending on the usual simile-metaphor fuel for support nor on wild allegories to exposit a simple idea. The stories are well-paced, well-structured and mostly pack a subtle punch at their endings. Overall, the book is certainly worth the money spent. On a personal note, I'm now sure that Anupam's book(s) will find a place as much in my bookshelf at its most conspicuous place as it would in all of his readers'. Hoping for many more to come from the fluid pen of Anupam Patra and wishing him God Speed.
Anupam's characters are ordinary beings with no pretensions to extraordinary attainments – their conflicts entirely commonplace. But Anupam is a master of articulation, and he does it with such finesse and craft that leaves the tale hovering around you for long after you've put down the book. Right, let's put this straight - Anupam doesn't tell, he sings the stories to you, for there's a streak of lyrical romance in his tales, imperceptibly manifest, the setting being that of a hospital room or the cremation ground or even a jail, regardless!
In ‘A Pair of Sunshine’ he deals with the hope or the frivolity of it but in the end he himself rests with hope for the balm it turns out for a troubled heart. Swans holds a challenge to our oft-held views on freedom, a bold proclamation that it may not be that lofty a goal to cherish after all and that there could still be a way to peace and fulfillment even in its absence. The Last Penny places the protagonist between two women – mother and grandmother – both loving him equally but with a past sullied with unkindness, unsavory events and even scorn for each other. The tale reveals the mighty healer in time as the older of the two women finds herself locked at the gate of death, a sort of no-man's land, fervently hoping for release but for the sturdy strings of penitence holding her back, a sight that sears through the heart. Vilasini is the mother in Motherhood, the tale that brings out the cry of a mother for her child that takes Vilasini through a court-case that pathetically ends in a paper-verdict. The Stranger is a strange episode in the life of Anwar, an aspiring writer struggling to gather and put on paper the thoughts running amok on his chosen theme. A chance meeting with a girl at the park and her candid revelations about her unfulfilled love serve to fill the blanks complete with the protagonist's name. Promises of a Firefly is the last of the eleven stories and probably sums up the writer's take on the larger periphery of love and not just its accepted mode of proclamation – its usual give and take routine. It is a tale of two persons deeply in love but not with a hint of claim over one another. Their love finds fulfillment not in union but separation and remains forever, quite like the firefly's light that is only overshadowed by brilliance of daylight but never for a moment losing its existence.
Anupam's style is unique – a sort of poetic rendering of prose - if one may say so and bold, not depending on the usual simile-metaphor fuel for support nor on wild allegories to exposit a simple idea. The stories are well-paced, well-structured and mostly pack a subtle punch at their endings. Overall, the book is certainly worth the money spent. On a personal note, I'm now sure that Anupam's book(s) will find a place as much in my bookshelf at its most conspicuous place as it would in all of his readers'. Hoping for many more to come from the fluid pen of Anupam Patra and wishing him God Speed.
September 6, 2017
thanks for the free copy of book Anupam. a nice attempt , given that its your debut book. nice collection of stories, to an extent good narration . apart from the story titled Lily, i really dint like any other at all. Lily is indeed a very beautiful, a well thought work which does impress readers and which does bind a chord . but apart from this one story of your collections no other story impresses much, even the title story which i read with much hope at the end, could not amuse me could not saddened me either with the sorrow love and loss that u have dealt with there.
one extra star in my rating is just for Lily.
but sorry i can't say i enjoyed much reading this book. it seemed as if you were in a hurry to finish your book and not worked well to complete your book.
the collection of stories, where in all death and sorrow and loss is the most striking feature, but it just failed to make the reader be sympathetic forget empathetic. it fails to bind a chord with the readers, it seems a simple narration where one is just recounting tales, and fails to engage the readers.
my best wishes for your future endeavors , hope you come with much better works in future.
one extra star in my rating is just for Lily.
but sorry i can't say i enjoyed much reading this book. it seemed as if you were in a hurry to finish your book and not worked well to complete your book.
the collection of stories, where in all death and sorrow and loss is the most striking feature, but it just failed to make the reader be sympathetic forget empathetic. it fails to bind a chord with the readers, it seems a simple narration where one is just recounting tales, and fails to engage the readers.
my best wishes for your future endeavors , hope you come with much better works in future.
July 21, 2017
This collection of 11 stories is remarkable considering the fact that it is the debut book of the author. I know Aupam as a fellow blogger for the last one year and I have been a regular reader of his blog posts that had a distinctive artistic quality. I am happy to note that the same quality has been carried on to his book.
While the first story - 'A pair of Sunshine' moved me to tears, was touched equally by the second one 'Lily'. In addition, 'Lily' raises an important social issue that of discrimination of the fairer sex not only be the society but by the womenfolk themselves.
'Promises of a firefly' is the last story in the collection and the book has been aptly named after it. It is also the story that I liked the most, next to the 'Last Penny'.
In fact a range of human emotions have been weaved into each of the stories, raising important social or existential issues at the same time.
Promises of a Firefly definitely fulfills the promises of its debutante author. I strongly recommend the book to the fellow readers.
While the first story - 'A pair of Sunshine' moved me to tears, was touched equally by the second one 'Lily'. In addition, 'Lily' raises an important social issue that of discrimination of the fairer sex not only be the society but by the womenfolk themselves.
'Promises of a firefly' is the last story in the collection and the book has been aptly named after it. It is also the story that I liked the most, next to the 'Last Penny'.
In fact a range of human emotions have been weaved into each of the stories, raising important social or existential issues at the same time.
Promises of a Firefly definitely fulfills the promises of its debutante author. I strongly recommend the book to the fellow readers.
November 26, 2017
Anupam has had an excellent hands on fiction, poetry and weaving words with emotions. This debut novel is a complete hook on book. Complete set of stories that anybody can relate to and narrated in the rich literary fabric. Narration with emotions. Words just melt down. Stories to feast on.
I have always enjoyed his blog and his poetries. Hoping to see many more books of this kind.
I have always enjoyed his blog and his poetries. Hoping to see many more books of this kind.
July 7, 2017
A person cannot direct his emotional life in the way he bids his motor system to reach for a cup. He cannot will himself to want the right thing or to love the right person or to be happy after a disappointment, or even to be happy in happy times. People lack this capacity not through a deficiency of discipline but because the jurisdiction of will is limited to the latest brain and to those functions within its purview. Emotional life can be influenced, but it cannot be commanded. Anupam Patra’s ‘ Promises of firefly’ amalgamates “A blind girl's chance meeting with a stranger sets her on an unforgettable journey of love and light; a loveless marriage is rebuilt by the very thing that is meant to destroy it; an estranged mother's fight to reunite with her daughter reveals to her the strengths and flaws of bonds of blood, two women separated by years of hostility discover the many forms of heaven and hell as fate decides to redeem their relationship; an eighty year old man's chronicle of love and loss that tells us all about the permanent consequences of choosing against our heart's will” together.
The book beautifully describes gifts and the spirit of celebration. Sometimes people appear in your life unexpectedly like a gift from the Universe. You didn’t even know you needed them, or that you had called out silently to them. They appear when you needed them most, to lift you, educate you, wake you up, or shine a light on your path. They sprout the seed that was in you, and patiently watch that seed emerge from the soil. Sometimes it wears them out to water and fertilize you every single day as you grow. This is a delicate time, you as the plant, and they as the nurturer. You as the plant need them for your growth, and they as your nurturer, have to have the energy to believe in your growth. Then, one day you blossom, and awaken to the beauty around you and rejoice. The only thing you ask from them anymore is to celebrate the flower they have brought to life, and to accept the riches you now will give to them. The book also portrays beautiful messages like “Happiness should not be a struggle nor a privilege , because feelings are priceless. So we can’t buy how we feel. You can be happy anytime you want. Stop making money an excuse of why you are not happy. Stop making excuses of why you are not happy, but find reasons why you should be happy.
The book also speaks metaphorically about the celebration of life. What really annoys me very often is when People start comparing two individuals. This clearly indicates that they have not lived their life at all. They are insulting themselves by resorting to these practices. They do not have even an iota of understanding as to how unique and gifted they are. Once you start living intensely, only then will you come to recognize your self, then you will be surprised how different you are, in your responses, in your actions - In Your Individuality, only then will you appreciate the uniqueness of others, not before. So, start living joyously, Celebrate Life!
And as the title suggests, the book also creates a scene revolving around promises. When we get married, we promise a person the rest of our lives, "Till death do us part". But what if in another life we promised someone forever? What if ten lifetimes ago we promised someone lifetime after lifetime after lifetime? Think about it. Maybe that's why marriages fail when they do fail. Because maybe promises are never really broken.
Indeed ‘promises of a firefly’ is a very beautiful book which will take you on an emotional ride.
The book beautifully describes gifts and the spirit of celebration. Sometimes people appear in your life unexpectedly like a gift from the Universe. You didn’t even know you needed them, or that you had called out silently to them. They appear when you needed them most, to lift you, educate you, wake you up, or shine a light on your path. They sprout the seed that was in you, and patiently watch that seed emerge from the soil. Sometimes it wears them out to water and fertilize you every single day as you grow. This is a delicate time, you as the plant, and they as the nurturer. You as the plant need them for your growth, and they as your nurturer, have to have the energy to believe in your growth. Then, one day you blossom, and awaken to the beauty around you and rejoice. The only thing you ask from them anymore is to celebrate the flower they have brought to life, and to accept the riches you now will give to them. The book also portrays beautiful messages like “Happiness should not be a struggle nor a privilege , because feelings are priceless. So we can’t buy how we feel. You can be happy anytime you want. Stop making money an excuse of why you are not happy. Stop making excuses of why you are not happy, but find reasons why you should be happy.
The book also speaks metaphorically about the celebration of life. What really annoys me very often is when People start comparing two individuals. This clearly indicates that they have not lived their life at all. They are insulting themselves by resorting to these practices. They do not have even an iota of understanding as to how unique and gifted they are. Once you start living intensely, only then will you come to recognize your self, then you will be surprised how different you are, in your responses, in your actions - In Your Individuality, only then will you appreciate the uniqueness of others, not before. So, start living joyously, Celebrate Life!
And as the title suggests, the book also creates a scene revolving around promises. When we get married, we promise a person the rest of our lives, "Till death do us part". But what if in another life we promised someone forever? What if ten lifetimes ago we promised someone lifetime after lifetime after lifetime? Think about it. Maybe that's why marriages fail when they do fail. Because maybe promises are never really broken.
Indeed ‘promises of a firefly’ is a very beautiful book which will take you on an emotional ride.
July 24, 2017
Some stories taste sweet, some sour but they all have taste in common – uniqueness.
‘PROMISES of a FIREFLY’ by Anupam Patra is a delightful collection of eleven heart-warming tales that unfold the truths of life and beauty of emotions. The stories have been compiled meticulously by the author. Some of them are-
A pair of sunshine: Humanity is the greatest religion and if your life can illuminate the others, it shall not go in vain.
Lily: Despite all hardships, the young girl charts out an impressive career on her own. She was a girl and so her existence was looked upon but her mother keeps her spirits pepped up. Ultimately, the girl turns out to the savior of her bereaved mother.
Games we never forget: some relations are special and their memories are winsome in the unique ways. They are beyond the norms. Time might advance by leaps and bounds but their glimmer never recedes away.
The author has crafted the book splendidly. It is an iridescent book that will make you experience the varied hues of life. The stories from all walks of life have been included which makes the book interesting to read. One won’t experience monotony savoring these stories since their narration is wonderful. The author has put each element of language perfectly to pan out this fabulous book. The coherence of the narration makes reading blissfully.
I was completely dazed by the refreshing stories that have the ability to seep into your hearts and give you the feeling of butterflies in the stomach. The blurb of the book is powerful and intriguing. The cover of the book is in sync with the title of the book which is again quite attractive. A Firefly keeps its promise of burning enough even to out-dazzle the bright sun to illuminate the lives of others and also to get itself rid of the obscurity of the loneliness.
If you wish to feast your heart upon the delectable and lovely stories, read this book!
‘PROMISES of a FIREFLY’ by Anupam Patra is a delightful collection of eleven heart-warming tales that unfold the truths of life and beauty of emotions. The stories have been compiled meticulously by the author. Some of them are-
A pair of sunshine: Humanity is the greatest religion and if your life can illuminate the others, it shall not go in vain.
Lily: Despite all hardships, the young girl charts out an impressive career on her own. She was a girl and so her existence was looked upon but her mother keeps her spirits pepped up. Ultimately, the girl turns out to the savior of her bereaved mother.
Games we never forget: some relations are special and their memories are winsome in the unique ways. They are beyond the norms. Time might advance by leaps and bounds but their glimmer never recedes away.
The author has crafted the book splendidly. It is an iridescent book that will make you experience the varied hues of life. The stories from all walks of life have been included which makes the book interesting to read. One won’t experience monotony savoring these stories since their narration is wonderful. The author has put each element of language perfectly to pan out this fabulous book. The coherence of the narration makes reading blissfully.
I was completely dazed by the refreshing stories that have the ability to seep into your hearts and give you the feeling of butterflies in the stomach. The blurb of the book is powerful and intriguing. The cover of the book is in sync with the title of the book which is again quite attractive. A Firefly keeps its promise of burning enough even to out-dazzle the bright sun to illuminate the lives of others and also to get itself rid of the obscurity of the loneliness.
If you wish to feast your heart upon the delectable and lovely stories, read this book!
October 12, 2017
There are books and then there are petals, carefully picked to not ruin the beauty of the flower. Life is such a flower and the petals are the stories the author beautifully picks. In the stories that are so close to life, so common in their appearance that you almost feel you have been there and done that, the woes, the joys, the idiosyncrasies of the characters are so mediocre, yet who says mediocre can’t be great. The secret is in the way those are presented. I always have a thing for longer narratives but then when those are found in short stories, I couldn’t be a more of a hypocrite to not like it. Skeptical about the narratives as I was, when I held the physical copy in my hand to read. A copy that came as a surprise, and what a pleasant surprise it was.
Who says there needs to be a particular style of story writing, who defines that style. If a book can make you feel all sorts of emotions then it wins hands down. Yes, I know the author and yes one can get biased, but when it comes to literature, it’s like either you have a taste for it or not, either it appeals you or not. The same was the feeling when I was reading this book. He did surprise me with his style of narration of which I was always so doubtful about, but I couldn’t be more wrong. And happy to be proven wrong. If you pick this book, be prepared to proven wrong, because it’s not like something you will always read. There are best sellers and there are authors who claim a place as an artist, I would categorize these stories as pure literature. And what fun to read.
I promise a complete review of each story. I just couldn’t stop myself from congratulating the author for presenting these little gems in such a beautiful manner. More of the review coming soon. Might be brutal but I owe it to the book as much as to the author.
“The spring rain has always been my favorite...” – Some lives are just ‘Petals in the Wind’
Who says there needs to be a particular style of story writing, who defines that style. If a book can make you feel all sorts of emotions then it wins hands down. Yes, I know the author and yes one can get biased, but when it comes to literature, it’s like either you have a taste for it or not, either it appeals you or not. The same was the feeling when I was reading this book. He did surprise me with his style of narration of which I was always so doubtful about, but I couldn’t be more wrong. And happy to be proven wrong. If you pick this book, be prepared to proven wrong, because it’s not like something you will always read. There are best sellers and there are authors who claim a place as an artist, I would categorize these stories as pure literature. And what fun to read.
I promise a complete review of each story. I just couldn’t stop myself from congratulating the author for presenting these little gems in such a beautiful manner. More of the review coming soon. Might be brutal but I owe it to the book as much as to the author.
“The spring rain has always been my favorite...” – Some lives are just ‘Petals in the Wind’
August 6, 2017
11 short stories collections. Each and every story with unique storyline is just marvelous. Author penned down every story beautifully. Author’s narration style and the command over words are commendable. You can feel actually the every story as it will connect you very easily and the characters portrayed well enough that you can relatable. The flawless stories describe every elements of life with rich diction and amazing narration, are just adorable.
It says: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Well, this English idiom is proven very true here. Frankly speaking the cover didn’t much enticing me at the first sight but after reading this book I must say it’s the best short stories book I have read. Simple cover but the title is much effective and attractive moreover inclusive title such as it’s a perfect match with all the stories.
If I talk about the blurb then the enticing sweet blurb make you to grab this book for sure. It is no doubt a page turner book make you to read it in one go.
If you want to try something very different, if you want to read some powerful in a way that could connect you so well, if you want to feel the emotions in a book which could make you sad or happier while reading it then this is the perfect book to pick up.
It says: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Well, this English idiom is proven very true here. Frankly speaking the cover didn’t much enticing me at the first sight but after reading this book I must say it’s the best short stories book I have read. Simple cover but the title is much effective and attractive moreover inclusive title such as it’s a perfect match with all the stories.
If I talk about the blurb then the enticing sweet blurb make you to grab this book for sure. It is no doubt a page turner book make you to read it in one go.
If you want to try something very different, if you want to read some powerful in a way that could connect you so well, if you want to feel the emotions in a book which could make you sad or happier while reading it then this is the perfect book to pick up.
August 3, 2017
what do i call this... a beautiful garland of emotions and love and lessons in the form of words. everything in the book is soothing to eyes, feelings, heart, right from the book cover to the stories. (nitish-storymirror.. great job. yes i so loved the book that i checked each corner :-p) The blurb is well written to make people more interested.
Every story takes you to a different level of emotional world, where all you do at end is fall in love with the characters and the story with a smile. Unlike other anthologies,the language and the way of writting just so superb to make any person hooked up to it till end. though every story is different to each other but once you finish reading the first two stories, the eagerness to read all automatically comes, so as to discover a new life, a new feeling.
From a friend's love and care to a person's superirity even after death, from a daughter;s love to gender biasness, from strange love to ignorance of physical disabilities, love loss, gain pain. every human emotiuons are beautifully cocktailed to be served to audience.
life is limitless and gainless if you dont realise pain
Every story takes you to a different level of emotional world, where all you do at end is fall in love with the characters and the story with a smile. Unlike other anthologies,the language and the way of writting just so superb to make any person hooked up to it till end. though every story is different to each other but once you finish reading the first two stories, the eagerness to read all automatically comes, so as to discover a new life, a new feeling.
From a friend's love and care to a person's superirity even after death, from a daughter;s love to gender biasness, from strange love to ignorance of physical disabilities, love loss, gain pain. every human emotiuons are beautifully cocktailed to be served to audience.
life is limitless and gainless if you dont realise pain
July 22, 2017
Recently read Promises of a Firefly by Anupam Patra and I am still recovering from the after effects of being subjected to emotionally intense, tear jerking, depth defying tales of love and longing, for the entire journey of 209 pages.
Phew! What a feat by a debutant writer.
I am amazed, sweetly shocked and ready to proclaim this book as one of the best collection of short stories I have read recently.
The book has eleven neatly stacked stories, told in natural fluent style of a nature lover. All the stories are steeped in real life, complete with the serpentine complex emotional turmoil, all of us are entangled in and thus are savored best, without going into nitty gritty of the whole experience.
An excellent book if you are interested in reading good stories, short in length but capable of pulling your heart strings for a long long time.
Read my complete review at http://scribblesofsoul.com/promises-o...
Phew! What a feat by a debutant writer.
I am amazed, sweetly shocked and ready to proclaim this book as one of the best collection of short stories I have read recently.
The book has eleven neatly stacked stories, told in natural fluent style of a nature lover. All the stories are steeped in real life, complete with the serpentine complex emotional turmoil, all of us are entangled in and thus are savored best, without going into nitty gritty of the whole experience.
An excellent book if you are interested in reading good stories, short in length but capable of pulling your heart strings for a long long time.
Read my complete review at http://scribblesofsoul.com/promises-o...
August 20, 2017
Some books leave you with longing and a sense of home,this book is one of them. A collection of story always ready on to the go to read indulging you with parts of the world. such a great book one must definitely have a hands on to. the book gives such an amazing feeling right from its simple yet elegant cover. the title felt a little abrupt but makes all the sense. This book will hold you in the toughest times. will make you learn alot of things and even make you learn to let go through. the words are simple and hard hitting. the stories are connecting and really mesmerizing. it will keep you hooked. each story is woven in it's very own individuality. all of them were amazing, I not have just one favourite as the whole book is a personal favourite and i will definitely read it again! very few books can have effects on you. this book is definitely one! the stories are based on observations and even on society norms.
overall- 5/5
overall- 5/5
August 11, 2017
Book name: Promises of a Firefly
Author : Anupam Patra
Publication house:Story mirror
Promises of a Firefly by Anupam Patra is collection of eleven heart warming tales of emotions.
The title of the book is simple but the blurb is catchy.Every story crafted splendidly and it shows a different shades of love and emotions.The author has done acommendable job on language and narration.The characters were so beautifully portrayed one can easily realte to them.No doubt these book is an immediate page turner.
The cover of the book is also beautiful but it's better if author has choose a different cover.
If one you want to read something different with a different unique plot you can grap these book.
Overall ratings:4.5/5
©Baber Samira
Author : Anupam Patra
Publication house:Story mirror
Promises of a Firefly by Anupam Patra is collection of eleven heart warming tales of emotions.
The title of the book is simple but the blurb is catchy.Every story crafted splendidly and it shows a different shades of love and emotions.The author has done acommendable job on language and narration.The characters were so beautifully portrayed one can easily realte to them.No doubt these book is an immediate page turner.
The cover of the book is also beautiful but it's better if author has choose a different cover.
If one you want to read something different with a different unique plot you can grap these book.
Overall ratings:4.5/5
©Baber Samira
August 3, 2017
Promises of a Firefly is one such book created by Anupam Patra including an emotional and inspirational bonds with life. The book is a binds of eleven tales includes with all the limitless circumstances of life and it’s diligence. This is a pure gem and a MUST READ IT ONCE for every one..
Life is a journey of thorns to reach the flower. This book is an overall experience of what -not you have thought in your life. All the eleven tales give an experience of pleasure, emotions, love, wants, desires, weakness, strength and the seven colors of the rainbow.
The Author knows very well to make a splendid creation. I am amazed with each story generated and thrown into words.
Life is a journey of thorns to reach the flower. This book is an overall experience of what -not you have thought in your life. All the eleven tales give an experience of pleasure, emotions, love, wants, desires, weakness, strength and the seven colors of the rainbow.
The Author knows very well to make a splendid creation. I am amazed with each story generated and thrown into words.
November 29, 2017
One word : Unforgettable.
The best short stories should haunt you for days, weeks, every moment you breath, every moment you think of your existence. They must pierce your heart till you bleed, till there's no more blood left. The best short stories should do just that and Promises of a firefly promises you the same.
Reading Promises of a Firefly was soothing like a spring in the middle of a winter.
The best short stories should haunt you for days, weeks, every moment you breath, every moment you think of your existence. They must pierce your heart till you bleed, till there's no more blood left. The best short stories should do just that and Promises of a firefly promises you the same.
Reading Promises of a Firefly was soothing like a spring in the middle of a winter.
August 11, 2017
Short and Heart touching stories.You can easily connect to stories.
This book was a giveaway from Goodreads.Inspite of it being a debut book of author, I loved it.
This book was a giveaway from Goodreads.Inspite of it being a debut book of author, I loved it.
August 2, 2017
When you look at this book its a very small book but it has the power to attract you towards it,that's what happened with me.
Promises of a firefly by Anupam Patra is a collection of 11 beautiful short stories. It's a debut novel by the author. The emotions are perfectly blended in all the stories which keeps you engrossed since the start.
Some stories are sour, some are sweet, some are bitter but every tale has its own magic into the reader's life, it keeps you connected throughout.
My favourite tale is of Lily. It's a story of a girl Lily, who matured at a very tender age grows up to be a women who is admired for her deeds by her mother.
All the stories are simple yet heart touching, short ones yet fulfilling the mind of the reader. The words used to describe each and every story is what something I loved about this book. In just 11 stories author has conveyed beautiful messages about life.
Every story has a different plot which makes you read more and more. Title of the book suits all the stories. Cover of the book is adorable. Characterisation and narration is just perfect. The entire journey of 209 pages is like a roller coaster ride.
Anupam has conveyed lessons on life in such a small book thats what is commendable. I'm sure this book will change your perspective towards life.
All in all this book won't disappoint you. One of my best reads of 2017!
Rating-
Title - 4/5
Cover - 5/5
Blurb - 3.5/5
Presentation - 4/5
Stories and Plot - 4/5
Final rating - 4/5
Promises of a firefly by Anupam Patra is a collection of 11 beautiful short stories. It's a debut novel by the author. The emotions are perfectly blended in all the stories which keeps you engrossed since the start.
Some stories are sour, some are sweet, some are bitter but every tale has its own magic into the reader's life, it keeps you connected throughout.
My favourite tale is of Lily. It's a story of a girl Lily, who matured at a very tender age grows up to be a women who is admired for her deeds by her mother.
All the stories are simple yet heart touching, short ones yet fulfilling the mind of the reader. The words used to describe each and every story is what something I loved about this book. In just 11 stories author has conveyed beautiful messages about life.
Every story has a different plot which makes you read more and more. Title of the book suits all the stories. Cover of the book is adorable. Characterisation and narration is just perfect. The entire journey of 209 pages is like a roller coaster ride.
Anupam has conveyed lessons on life in such a small book thats what is commendable. I'm sure this book will change your perspective towards life.
All in all this book won't disappoint you. One of my best reads of 2017!
Rating-
Title - 4/5
Cover - 5/5
Blurb - 3.5/5
Presentation - 4/5
Stories and Plot - 4/5
Final rating - 4/5
August 31, 2017
The anthology "Promise Of A Firefly" written by Anupam Patra will change the way you look at life.
The author has beautifully described the little details of life which we tend to ignore or never try to see the beauty in it. He took the relationships and the truthfulness in them together and beaded them in a beautiful story.
The book comprises of eleven wonderful stories and each story has its own uniqueness. the most favourite story of mine from the book are lily and the promise of firefly.
It is really worth reading such work which add some values to life and help us see the world beyond its real existence.
It's highly recommended to all the people who love reading stories which gives them light in the darkness of life.
Title and cover : 5/5
Stories : 5/5
Narration : 4/5
Overall : 5/5
The author has beautifully described the little details of life which we tend to ignore or never try to see the beauty in it. He took the relationships and the truthfulness in them together and beaded them in a beautiful story.
The book comprises of eleven wonderful stories and each story has its own uniqueness. the most favourite story of mine from the book are lily and the promise of firefly.
It is really worth reading such work which add some values to life and help us see the world beyond its real existence.
It's highly recommended to all the people who love reading stories which gives them light in the darkness of life.
Title and cover : 5/5
Stories : 5/5
Narration : 4/5
Overall : 5/5
October 11, 2017
Read a more detailed review on my blog : www.wordscantfathom.wordpress.com
The book is an anthology of short stories, narrating the impending blows of emotions that keep us alive. Eleven short stories written with a careful touch, and the writer did not pull any punches while exploring some of the most controversial issues of today's world. Each story brought with it a different taste, tinting the readers' mind with the colours of a myriad emotions, impelling one to divulge into a certain point where pain and happiness are tangent to each other.
In this world, where everyone is a novelist, I was astounded by how effortlessly the author could create ELEVEN short stories which were so out of the world!
Honestly, I was intrigued by the title of this book which compelled me to give it a read. And then that stunning cover blew me away. I'm not a person who judges a book by its cover, but I do believe that a good book MUST have a good cover. If you can't attract the bees to your flower, no one would ever know how sweet your honey tastes. So yeah, that's how the book scored an extra number.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This is again an honest call to all the literature lovers out there. If you ever loved well versed short stories with depths unfathomable, I'm sure you'll love this. And seriously, it's quite astonishing to know that this is the author’s debut book.
The book is an anthology of short stories, narrating the impending blows of emotions that keep us alive. Eleven short stories written with a careful touch, and the writer did not pull any punches while exploring some of the most controversial issues of today's world. Each story brought with it a different taste, tinting the readers' mind with the colours of a myriad emotions, impelling one to divulge into a certain point where pain and happiness are tangent to each other.
In this world, where everyone is a novelist, I was astounded by how effortlessly the author could create ELEVEN short stories which were so out of the world!
Honestly, I was intrigued by the title of this book which compelled me to give it a read. And then that stunning cover blew me away. I'm not a person who judges a book by its cover, but I do believe that a good book MUST have a good cover. If you can't attract the bees to your flower, no one would ever know how sweet your honey tastes. So yeah, that's how the book scored an extra number.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. This is again an honest call to all the literature lovers out there. If you ever loved well versed short stories with depths unfathomable, I'm sure you'll love this. And seriously, it's quite astonishing to know that this is the author’s debut book.
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