Review by Shailza Gupta -- Ironing by Navajo
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Shailza Gupta
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Review by Shailza Gupta -- Ironing by Navajo
[Following is a volunteer review of "Ironing" by Navajo.]
Book Review- Ironing
The book, ‘Ironing’, by Navajo, provides an exhaustive snapshot of life in London. This has been done through intertwined descriptions of the lives of various characters unrelated to each other. Interestingly, most of these are connected by being on the same bus trip, getting on and off the bus at different stops. The story of three college friends, Emma, Ginie, and Royanda has been used as the main stem that traverses through the entire book. Stories of others seem to stem out of this main stem, connected to it through either lengthy talks or just a hand wave, or by merely traveling with them.
The girls understand each other as old friends do. They crack jokes, protect and advise each other, and sometimes argue in good humor about all aspects of life, without reservations. Emma is often talking strange things her mother tells, which make others on the bus, and the reader laugh. She believes and listens to whatever her mom says. She loves her mom unconditionally, in spite of being aware that she tells her some strange things. The girls are traveling to a dog race to the other end of the town. On the way, their lives are discussed through their chattering amongst themselves and with co-passengers, and through their phone calls. They plan to have fun at the race, but is that what ensues? Is there any twist happening? Read it to find out.
The life of typical young adults of the present times, their worries about dating, video games, and friends dominating over other issues of life, and some vices like substance abuse, work avoidance, and minor mischief are described. Also included are the lives of the poor, the middle class, and the elite of different age groups, their worries, and struggles, making it a snapshot of London life in general. The lives of the characters go through the shades of grey, blue to the brighter ones. There are moderate degrees of suspense and humor that held me to the book. Descriptions are vivid. The characters come to life. You hate some and love some.
There are some limitations to the perfection of the writing style. Shifts between the characters are abrupt. There is a disappointment when some of them come and go. Nothing is said about their lives later in the narration, making it a typical snapshot description. The characters appear very suddenly, causing confusion more often than not. I had to re-read sentences many times, in order to understand where the author was taking me. Soon after I started understanding what was happening, the characters disappeared.
There are a few typos and grammatical errors. The writer has a tendency to describe situations, thoughts, and surroundings more extensively than required. Profanity makes it an unsuitable read for many who dislike it, like me. I give it a rating of 2 out of 4. The concept is good but the not-so-perfect writing style and the inclusion of profanity do not warrant a higher rating. It would be suitable to the audience that likes light reading, more common amongst the younger generation.
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Ironing
View: on Bookshelves
Book Review- Ironing
The book, ‘Ironing’, by Navajo, provides an exhaustive snapshot of life in London. This has been done through intertwined descriptions of the lives of various characters unrelated to each other. Interestingly, most of these are connected by being on the same bus trip, getting on and off the bus at different stops. The story of three college friends, Emma, Ginie, and Royanda has been used as the main stem that traverses through the entire book. Stories of others seem to stem out of this main stem, connected to it through either lengthy talks or just a hand wave, or by merely traveling with them.
The girls understand each other as old friends do. They crack jokes, protect and advise each other, and sometimes argue in good humor about all aspects of life, without reservations. Emma is often talking strange things her mother tells, which make others on the bus, and the reader laugh. She believes and listens to whatever her mom says. She loves her mom unconditionally, in spite of being aware that she tells her some strange things. The girls are traveling to a dog race to the other end of the town. On the way, their lives are discussed through their chattering amongst themselves and with co-passengers, and through their phone calls. They plan to have fun at the race, but is that what ensues? Is there any twist happening? Read it to find out.
The life of typical young adults of the present times, their worries about dating, video games, and friends dominating over other issues of life, and some vices like substance abuse, work avoidance, and minor mischief are described. Also included are the lives of the poor, the middle class, and the elite of different age groups, their worries, and struggles, making it a snapshot of London life in general. The lives of the characters go through the shades of grey, blue to the brighter ones. There are moderate degrees of suspense and humor that held me to the book. Descriptions are vivid. The characters come to life. You hate some and love some.
There are some limitations to the perfection of the writing style. Shifts between the characters are abrupt. There is a disappointment when some of them come and go. Nothing is said about their lives later in the narration, making it a typical snapshot description. The characters appear very suddenly, causing confusion more often than not. I had to re-read sentences many times, in order to understand where the author was taking me. Soon after I started understanding what was happening, the characters disappeared.
There are a few typos and grammatical errors. The writer has a tendency to describe situations, thoughts, and surroundings more extensively than required. Profanity makes it an unsuitable read for many who dislike it, like me. I give it a rating of 2 out of 4. The concept is good but the not-so-perfect writing style and the inclusion of profanity do not warrant a higher rating. It would be suitable to the audience that likes light reading, more common amongst the younger generation.
******
Ironing
View: on Bookshelves
