Author: Nalini Dhiman
Genre: Poetry
Order Here: Amazon Paperback
Publisher: Pothi, 2019
My Review
The plots are clean, it mentions only what is absolutely necessary and required to allow for the stories to flow smoothly through. In this sense the plots are rather linear and far from intricate. Their complexity comes in holding up of the suspense till the very last word. Kudos to her for a successful implementation. This book, The Labyrinth of clouds, by Nalini Dhiman is a phenomenal work of poetry that touches the heart in every word it contains from cover to cover, owing to the fact that every word jotted down here has somehow been very close to the poet’s heart.
The Labyrinth of clouds is not any book with a random collection of poems. This book is an art in itself, painted through different shades of words, each piece focusing on a different aspect of life. Every poem in the book is in itself a well narrated story. And one story has been intricately woven with the other and a collection of such entanglements have produced this splendid fabric that unfurls numerous thoughts, emotions, situations and in short, provides a glimpse to the entire life of the author.
The contents of the book have been grouped into certain sections, with each section containing a collection of few short as well as long poems, pertaining to various events or thought processes of the author’s life. There are 9 such divisions starting from Infinity to Reality.
Infinity is the first division and deals with the grief and sadness of the author as she reminisces her late father. She paints a divine picture of his divine nature through her divine compositions. From Papa’s Eulogy to Goodbye and Without you she mentions the innumerable sweet memories, the minute details of the unconditional love of her father, and expresses her desire to reunite with him again as his daughter in their future births. The sentiments that each of the poems portray are deep, and a thorough reading of this section will surely bring tears to the eyes of the reader. It makes the reader aware that life is short and uncertain, hence one must love their loved ones as much as they can, while they still can. This is the most important and heart touching section of the entire book.
As we progress through the subsequent divisions from Moon to Asphyxiation and Gratitude, we get trapped in the eloquence of the language. Every poem is either about a unique situation, or a unique perspective to a familiar situation, to which the reader can relate.
From Internal appeal of love and life to One way ticket to hell, from You are not a planet in their universe to Look into the cracks, the fire burns, from A span of weathers to Depression in the simplest of complicated words, the reader would be forced into an emotional roller coaster ride, from which he/she might find it impossible to get off at any point between the two cover pages. From friendship to love, betrayal to depression, recovery to happiness, inspiration to love for animals and possibly every possible aspect of human’s existence has been depicted in this spine chilling collection.
The title The Labyrinth of clouds is justified as it takes the reader on a journey of the author’s life as if it were their own. Any reader with this book will experience the bolt of ups and downs, the feeling of being choked, lost and broken, and the author’s quest for redemption from these dense “clouds” that have caused havoc in her life. Yet, she refuses to give up. She stands strong in the face of ordeal and bounces back, and the successful publication of this book is the best example of it.
This book through its twists and turns, ups and downs is ultimately inspirational. Every word engraved within a page is the scar of a conquered battle, as every intense reader will make of it. This book by author Nalini Dhiman is a living proof that writing is not something to be only appreciated and awarded for possessing the skill of it. Rather, it is the ink to paint the picture of one’s life, the fibres to weave the fabric of one’s existence.
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