Review of Dangle by Sutapa Basu

A
DARING
​'DANGLE'

Star Rating: 5

Girl meets boy, sparks fly and then they see, or do not see each other? Yes, that’s the ‘Dangle’! To meet or not to meet, to love or not to love, to seek or not to seek- the story leaves you with many such dangling moments, creating an impact that is bound to stay in the crevices of your heart and mind forever. 

When the mind treads beyond the realm of existence, it leaves you dangling, somewhere between the real and unreal, the natural and super natural and the credible and incredible. So tighten your seat belts and enjoy the free fall!

The 4Ps confluence perfectly

Powerful, picturesque, pragmatic and panache are the key elements that make ‘Dangle’ a must read. Be it the breathtaking skyline of Chicago, the ethereal beauty of the hidden jewel, Manipur, the exquisite majesty of nature in Batam, an Indonesian island or the charming azure seas visible from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the author with her effective description ensures that you transcend the realm of reality and dive deep into the beauty of all these places. It’s powerful to the extent that it takes you off your reading couch and across the world to several destinations where the protagonist, a travel chat show host, explores not just places but people who compel her to look within herself and discover the undiscovered that was lurking somewhere playing games with her psyche.

The best part about the narrative is that the story unfolds level by level, each in a picturesque location. So while on one hand you are enjoying the picturesque locales, unknowingly you would also be grasping some important revelations about the protagonist. Storytelling comes effortlessly to the author and she has proved that with every chapter.
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The window drew her like a charm opening a wondrous sight painted outdoors. In the far distance, hills wore veils of misty clouds shimmering with sparkles. Awestruck she kept gazing at it as the mist shifted. A golden orb rose between delicate shoulders. One by one, the rays beamed their message to the sleeping world, ‘Awake! Arise! Affirm’.

Her descriptions are so vivid that I actually googled ‘Loktak Lake’, one of the beauties of Manipur that she has described in detail and is a crucial site in the story. This was Nature’s offering; a vision of a lifetime; no way she could miss even a second of it. She would edit later. After two kilometers, the red carpet gave way to creamy whites with orange hearts. Then a stretch of water hyacinth choked the canal. But Ipshita’s lens remained on alert. She was rewarded by blue and purple cups set in jade...lotuses looking like jewels with the sun’s light glancing off them. Ipshita clicked away, frantically.What I liked best about the story was that all the characters were very realistic. You could identify with each of them. They could be you yourself or people next door to you, your friends, your aunts or uncles, each of the characters were identifiable. Each of them very human and very realistic. None of them were too good to be true or too villainous to be true. That’s why I say it’s pragmatic and for panache, well you gave to read it yourself to know why I say that.

The Story

​Ipshita, a smart, stunning, svelte travel chat show host globetrots beautiful locations to identify unique places for her show and present them to her audiences. While she does that she meets three different men in three different locations, and each of them arouse in her desires that she cannot fathom. She is perplexed, her mind plays games with her. She wants to talk it out. But with whom? She has doting parents, but they might get worried, she has a best buddy in Adi, but she is concerned about what he might think of her, she has a loving elder sister too but she is out of bounds for reasons best known to her. So how would Ipshita understand the games her mind is playing with her? Would the snakes coiling within her wriggle out? Will they wreak havoc in the process or will they iron out unsettled scores? There are ‘dangles’ at various levels here. An interesting story that will make you sit up and think where is it taking you from here. He turned his head towards her. ‘You know, Life is always a dangle! Between now or never; between this and that; between being and not being; Life is how you see it, do it, take it.’ And then he was quiet.
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Would I recommend this book?
Of course! If you do not want to miss a good book.
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