Confessions On An Island by Ayan Pal – A Review

Ayan Pal has been a brilliant short story teller for quite a while now, with both print and online presence. I have read Pal’s previous works and my favourite has been his story which is featured in Readomania’s anthology Rudraksha.  

So I was curious to read what he has come up with in a form of a Novel.

Pal tells the story with the flair of a seasoned writer, nothing about the language or finesse would give it away that this is his debut book. He masters the story with élan.

As the blurb suggests “An abducted woman trapped on an island is given a chance to escape, provided she tells stories emerging from the stories her intriguing abductor tells her. Clueless about why she is being forced to participate in this game of Russian Matryoshka Dolls, the woman, a bestselling author, decides to play along. And therein begins a thrilling tale narrated by an island…”

To dissect and discuss the plot would give away the storyline, so am not going to do that.

What I found quite enthralling is that use of short stories, within the main story to take the story forward. Pal has done a commendable job in using the short stories, which are his strength to take the main story forward.

However there are some graphic descriptions and explicit sexual content which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.  Although I can understand it was needed in the story, it got bit too much for me at points.

The multiple stories within the main plot keeps the readers thinking, guessing, racking their brains trying to figure out the connections, and by the time you reach the end everything falls in place like a perfect jigsaw puzzle. The book is complex and challenges the reader’s mind quite often.

Pal’s narration is near perfect which is from multiple point of views. His characters feel real, you can feel he has drawn inspiration from a lot of real life people while he was sketching the characters. The setting and food plays an important role in the book, and it is evident that Pal has done his research quite well. Excellent use of imagery and metaphors.

Another great thing, which is normally overlooked in a lot of books, is the editing. The sharp and flawless editing by Indrani Ganguly has made the book unputdownable.

It is fast, it is racy, and it is something completely different from what we have been reading from the new Indian authors lately. It is a bold attempt to explore storylines which normally popular authors avoid.

It is definitely a great debut, it leaves you with a lingering feeling of wanting to know more. Overall, a must read if you enjoy, fast, complex, racy thrillers with great plot structure and impeccable language.

To follow Ayan Pal’s work click on the following links:

FB Author Page: Author Ayan Pal

Buy the book here: Amazon India

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Please Note: This is not a commissioned review, I bought the book on amazon and reviewed it. 

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