Review of So-so

[Mandira Samanta]

[Following is a volunteer review of "So-so" by Nicholas A. Ventura.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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So-so is a collection of prose, poetry and short stories by American author Nicholas A. Ventura. So-so is Ventura's debut publication, but the book's description and its unique title nudged me to select this book.

So-so comprises the author's writings from 2011 to 2023 covering a vast span of 12 years to judge his growth as a writer. Though the author works with various literary forms, all his writings explicit deep emotional thoughts and meanings. His characters experience and exhibit depression, nostalgia, longing, heartbreak, frustration, melancholy, solitude, and confusion throughout the book. The author shows his excellence in handling abstract themes.

The book starts with a Spanish piece, ' The Librarian', which seems quite confusing for English readers, but the rest is written in English. The author beautifully blends a Shakespearean sonnet, classical writers and mythological themes in his writings. He provides a unique touch to common themes to make them appealing to readers. He also deals with issues of mental health. He craftily uses nature imagery to depict human emotions.

Though I profusely enjoyed the entire book, I especially love to mention 'Epistle' (prose), 'On Depression' (prose), 'Fool's Gold' (prose), 'Give Up, Says the Cold War' (poem), 'Achilles' (poem), 'Little Bear' (short story) as they succeeded to arouse my genuine feelings. The author uses a surreal writing style and combines classical and modern approaches.

I like how the author experiments with philosophical topics and makes his writing suitable and ideal for seasoned and mature readers. But he keeps his language simple and easy to grasp and maintains his writings short and pithy.

I am disappointed as the author does not take any notice in arranging his writings chronologically. It would help his readers to understand his growth as a writer. I found some of his works too abstract and hard to comprehend.

However, the book is praiseworthy with its professional and flawless editing. As the book contains minor drawbacks, I would like to give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. I would love to recommend this book to mature readers who crave philosophical, insightful and experimental writing.

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So-so
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