I am not a huge fan of books that make you feel ‘always wanting’ for an explanation and you keep dying to understand the story, the plot or even the very basic storyline. A Song for the Road by Kathleen M. Basi is a rather simple, singular and gradually developing novel that might come out, for many, as a hopeful peace allowing the readers to reflect upon the lost opportunities, life in the past and life at hand… this work of fiction has emotions and you will have a chance to feel the same in abundance.
I cannot take away the joy of reading this novel from the readers who can manage a slowly peaking work. Yes, the novel describes a few selected days but it might be a tough task to get it done because it is too long; it seems at times difficult to come to the end of a chapter because events are a little detailed and emotions have been unfolded in episodes… which, in turn, might enhance the reading pleasure for the readers who want to come to terms with characters by knowing each and every dimension.
Well, looking at it from the inside, you might feel like watching a movie and I am sure it should be translated into a movie as that experience will be far better than reading this book which, somehow, hangs suspended in such a situation that it keeps oscillating between a romantic comedy and realisation novel. You might find it difficult to ascribe a certain fixation to this piece and then, you might ask, what’s the need to fix the genre of work? Let it be perceived the way a reader wants…. let it be construed the way a reader wants!
A Song for the Road is the story of Miriam who finds herself fixed by her fate… she thinks that she could not do justice with those who loved her and this guilt keeps her conscious to the next level until she discovered a surprise by her children and she hits the road with no intentions to find the destination. Her journey becomes very likeable and that’s where the spirit of the novel lies. You will find hope, realisation, acceptance and finally moving on with all these aspects of a human being’s basic construct. I would certainly say that the work may be longer than it could have been but it’s not at all depressing in spite of the negativity that it deals with. Kathleen Basi has done wonders when it comes to language, imagery and keeping things simple in the narrative. However, she could have tried to make it a little more plural and a little racier… it’s about a journey by the road and that part seems lacking at times.
Kudos to the spirit!
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Review by Madhav for BookWorm Reviews
A Song for the Road: A Novel
1266 RS
I enjoyed
- Easy to read
- Jolly & Hopeful storyline
- May be read in patches
I suggest
- Too long
- Too costly
