Next Door: Stories

by Jahnavi Barua

In eleven superbly crafted stories Jahnavi Barua takes us into the private, individual worlds of a varied cast of characters and exposes the intricate mesh of emotions so often concealed under the facade of everyday lives.
Innocent desires and furtive longings, the complexity of fierce love and the terrible consequences of its betrayal, simple aspirations that compel brave action, lie's startling reversals that reveal deep insecurities and yet pave the way for forgiveness and recondition—these are just some of the themes played out in these remarkably nuanced snapshots of life.
Predominantly set in the verdant, politically charged landscape of Assam, yet constantly transcending the particular, the stories in Next Door are unerringly human. Subtle and evocative in their telling, they mark the introduction of a highly accomplished voice.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, India

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 10, 2018

Reviews

[Ayati Choudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncertain. That's how I can describe the stories in this collection. In this collection of short-stories, Jahnavi delves into the minds of her characters, revealing their emotions and the working of their psyche, which so often goes unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of daily life. The stories are subtle and profound.The writing style is simple and poised. Jahnavi has a knack for leaving the endings unclear or hanging, and she does this brilliantly in this book. Another amazing thing about this collection is that the stories are named correctly. By that, I mean that the name of these stories play a significant role in them and as you'll finish reading these stories, you'll realise why are they named so.

The story Holiday Homework, brings to us the beautiful bond shared between three people — a mother, her son and an old man. This story was one of the most beautiful ones in this collection, I was constantly rooting for these characters and I was numb by the ending even though I saw it coming. The Patriot was a beautiful, heartwarming story and I'll always fail to describe this story, so I'll just tell you to read it. The Favourite Child was a really poignant story about four sisters who come together when they know that their mother is in coma. Awakening tells us about a mother who has lost her only child and is grieving for it. At first glance, you may think that this mother is a simple, weak woman but as the story progresses, she rises like a phoenix. These were some of my favourite stories in this collection.

I really enjoyed reading this collection and I'm definitely a fan of Jahnavi Barua now!

[Anand Pradhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An inconsistent collection, to say the least. Some stories are interesting, some totally forgettable. However, none of them is extraordinary. Many of the stories try too hard to rise above mediocrity, to sound more profound than they actually are. I was half expecting the Brahmaputra river to be seamlessly interwoven into the narrative of the stories, but it is just forcefully inserted like an unnecessary backdrop with no connection to the narrative. Indeed, there are some interesting pieces of storytelling here and there, but they are drowned in the repetitive cacophony of countless deutas and baideos. A decent one-time read, nothing that stays with you for longer.

[Antara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it about Jahnavi Barua's writing? Whatever she writes turns to gold, leaving the reader breathless, and infinitely richer.

Beautiful, sensitive and heartwarming tales to tug at your heartstrings, as you connect to the simple, painful and poignant truths of life.

This book has a mystical, surreal quality about it. It is as if the writer has delved so deep into her characters that they come out alive, skin and bones, breathing and heaving right beside you.

I'm so glad, I discovered this sensitive, wonderful writer whose work I will forever look out for. ❤

[Meghaa Pradyumnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

📑 : 231
🔖 : #fiction
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🚪Some stories soothe your nerves, calm your distressed soul and lull you to a wondrous dream. Well, this collection of eleven humanely powerful stories had this effect on me! "Unexpected" would be a better word to describe them.
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🚪The Brahmaputra river is the riveting hero in almost all the stories woven in this delicacy of a book. Just like the river, the stories are rich, full, and flow with ease, with sudden and startling glimpses of turbulence concealed beneath the placid surface of human emotions. Through each story, we are taken into the private, individual worlds of varied humans and exposed to the intricate mesh of their emotions, innocent desires, furtive longings, the complexities of fierce love, and terrible consequences of its betrayal, seeking closure to certain traumatic events, and so on. These are just a few of the themes played out in these stories that depict what it means and takes to be a human!
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🚪 Predominantly set in the verdant landscape of Assam, each story brims with deft descriptions, heart-wrenching surprises, an understanding of how the landscape enters and affects the human patterns of living and loving. The characters are unerringly human and the author has delved so deep into them that they come out alive, flesh, bones, and skin, breathing right beside you. Each story doesn't prepare you for the next, with the simple prose hiding its dark nature!
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🚪My plaudits to the author for effortlessly weaving such simple yet effective stories. The profoundness of what is left unsaid and subtle handling of the human mind are some of the strongest points in this book. She has a knack for leaving the endings unclear or hanging and does so brilliantly. My favorite was a story titled 'Holiday Homework' that brings to us a beautiful bond shared between three people — a mother, her son, and an old man. The end left me numb, despite me seeing it coming. That's the power of Janhavi's words!
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🚪I read this book for #underratedbooksreadathon and I'm glad I picked this wonderful and moving book of timeless tales!

[Aoitishjya Tridip Neelam]

h1) The Magic Spell - A child's attempt at terminating her parents' regular quarrels and a terrible mood? Loved it. The irony in the name of Happy Villa! The ending ultimately underscores a selfless love between the two adults in the story, who love their daughter unconditionally. But it also highlights the inevitable sacrifice of a mother's quitting her job in as realistic a circumstance as that of Nilima's. A subtly sad ending.

2) Holiday Homework - A first person narrative of a 75 year old lonely retired policeman, who has recently lost an old friend, mesmerized by the love between a mother and her child. In the beginning, Shiva laments about nobody ever feeling his need like Amrita and Xon, but love how the story ends with Amrita fully trusting him, handing over the holiday homework list to take care of her son after her seeming death from breast cancer. It's a long story, but doesn't feel rushed at all. Almost feels like a novella. Loved the symbolism (holiday homework list, Shiva's puja gifts to Amrita and Xon, the bird book and the snake). The perspective of an old man is brilliantly done.

3) River of Life - Another new perspective. Santanu chasing the government to Dispur and afterwards to Delhi for The Brahmaputra's survival, indeed becomes his river of life. An old retarded man, but his deceased mother's words and his cultural identity achieve victory.

4) Honeybees - A culturally rich story but the ending, while realistic, didn't do it for me. It felt perfunctory. So many characters were introduced and so many pages have been taken, only to end all of it abruptly. I didn't connect with any of the characters either, not even Anupam.

[Natasha Borah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Next Door Stories" by @jahnavibarua A collection of 11 short stories, it is the debut book of the author, published in 2008.

Coming from northeast India, where the stories are plotted, the characters and landscape felt strangely familiar. The stories are emotional with a lasting impression. Several of the stories are heartrending and I am still thinking about them. Also I loved the vivid and poetic descriptions of the landscape.

My favourite are:
🌱 "The Magic Spell"- A little girl looks for magic to make her parents stop squabbling.
🔥"A Fire in Winter"- A man reminiscing about his motherly nanny who died recently.
🥀"Awakening"- A mother's ordeal on losing her only child.
🐯"Tiger"- A family holiday in the forest and a young girl coming of age.
🚪"Next Door"- A noisy family next door that becomes eerily quiet. (Just 3 pages long but very impactful)

VERDICT: If you loved the author's recent book or love short stories, don't miss this one!

[Parikhit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad that I picked up this book of short-stories and mighty impressed I am after having read them. If there was one word I could use to describe them, I would definitely have to say poignant. Jahnavi Barua has a way with her words and narration; she picks up themes, mundane, from our day to day lives and weaves a story that leaves you desiring for more, leaves you pondering about the daily grind of life and the lives of people all around us-be it the house help, the neighbour next door, that cranky old man who walks each morning, irritable. My favourites would be the tale of Buri and the impact she leaves upon the household where she worked until she was old, and Holiday Homework.

That the stories were set in and around Shillong and Guwahati made it all the more nostalgic and familiar-the places, the people, the terrain and the lives that I had witnessed first hand growing up in Shillong.

This was my first Jahnavi Barua and I cannot wait to read more of her works.

[Manoj Karki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful stories revealing under currents of human relationships, emotions, struggles and solitude as well. Depths in characters, their braveness, eccentricities, their calmness, vulnerability is weaved together in magical, lyrical narrative.

I read some of these stories in slow paced afternoons of my village where weather was cool with plenty of rains, where wind was whooshing through windows throughout and birds were giving me company in rain soaked green woods all around.

A lot was said in these stories, but the real beauty was in things that were left unsaid.
Thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Kuntal Sensarma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this collection of short stories by Jahnavi Barua. Published in 2008.

The stories are based in Assam and deals with human relationships, emotions, insurgency in Assam etc.

Some are good like Holiday Homework, The Patriot and The Favourite Child. Simple stories written in an easy style. But the topics and style appears repetitive in few stories in the collection.

Somehow, I enjoyed her second book "Rebirth" (2010) much more.

[Anand Bansod · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didnt find it engrossing, the stories are depressingly boring and have sad or unclear endings. Atleast the stories should have an definite endings.. Waste of time

[Arpita Bhuyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect each story to pull me in as much as the one before, but they did. And the simple prose really doesn't prepare you for the complex and dark nature of the stories.

Trigger warning for death, murder and rape.

[Ekta Talwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is such a rare treat to read a book of this calibre that pulls you into the stories. Stories are so humane and the way she writes is so poetical and simple. Stories that make you see beyond the mundane realities.

[Michelle D’costa · Rating 3 out of 5]

fine style of narration...

[Archana Sarma]

'Nest door Stories' is a pleasant read.

[Akshita Rawat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book at the Daryaganj Sunday book market and i picked it up merely because i liked the cover. But i am glad i did. It is a good read. Set against the backdrop of Assam, it is definitely something different. Worth it!