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Review: The Narrow Road to Palem by Sharath Komarraju.


Book: The Narrow Road to Palem

Author: Sharath Komarraju

Pages: 100 odd pages

How Long it took me to Read: 4 hours

Read On: Kindle

Plot Summary: Rudrakshapalem lies a few kilometers East of Godavari in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. At first glance, it looks like just another sleepy little village. But as you walk along its borders and peer into the lives of its people, you will find that deep within its breasts are hidden some dark secrets. 

- In the temple compound roams a crazy man named Chander. He hugs a gold pendant and sings lullabies to it every night. What is his story?
- Subbarao, one of Palem's richest men, came up the hard way, having started life as the poor son of a snack seller. But what is the secret that gives him sleepless nights?
- A young couple dealing with loss stand in front of the road to Palem, and there is a seller of mirrors on the sidewalk, welcoming them in. Will they heed his words, or will they run away?
- How much are happiness and peace worth to Rama Shastri, the priest of Palem's Shiva temple? And to what extent will he go to ensure the well-being of his daughter?

In these ten delightful stories, Sharath Komarraju takes you by the hand and gives you a fully guided tour of Palem and its people. But don't fear, he will bring you back home safe and sound, long before it's dark.
 

General Thoughts: I've read two other books by the author before and absolutely loved the first book I read by him- Murder in Amravati- it was a well written and engaging murder mystery set in a little village in South India. I loved the book and I highly recommend it.

The other book I read by him- Banquet on the Dead- was a little bit of a letdown. I found it easy to predict and I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. But I saw this collection of short stories by the same author I had to give it a read and I am glad I did. I got this book under the Kindle Unlimited scheme and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Things I Liked: 

1. I really enjoyed the writing and I really enjoyed the story telling style of the author.

2. I love spooky, scary stories and this book was full of such delightful tales.

3. The setting of this book was simply great- a little village with strange happenings. The author did a  wonderful job of making this village and it's people come alive.

4. There is such a varied and wide range of stories in this collection--- from outright ghost stories to murderers, to spooks and so much more. There really is something for everyone here.

5. This was quick and immersive read. I just couldn't put it down.

6. I loved pretty much every single story in this collection. All very, very good!

Rating: 5/5

I highly, highly recommend this book. I am already making my sister read it and I've recommended to  another friend on Instagram. 

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