The Beetles in The Walls
and other short stories and poems
“My mattress, Once soft and welcoming, Now threatened to swallow me whole. The finely aged wine I had had earlier Curdled into a pool of acid Deep at the bottom of my stomach.’’ – ‘Hotel,’ The Beetles in the Walls Imagine for a second that you could taste words. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But imagine, for a moment, that you had the ability to taste words and you could get a taste of the words written in this book. This book would taste exactly like dark chocolate, bitter and sweet at the same time. Bittersweet. The Beetles in the Walls is a compilation of fiction and poetry, dealing with a variety of nuanced, contemporary themes such as coming of age, self-identity and human relationships, which will resonate with teenagers and adults alike. Filled with rebellious poetry, occasionally with underlying social commentary, and short fiction that allows you to step into the skins of various unusual characters—from a woman planning her husband’s murder to a teenager caught in a strange encounter on a midnight joyride as they navigate the complex underbelly of the human experience, TheBeetles in the Walls is thrilling, thought-provoking, and of course, bittersweet.
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** 94-page rollercoaster **
I have certain rules when it comes to reading books. Well, not rules, but general guidelines I follow. Don't pick up the latest release unless it's from an author you've read and loved before. Don't jump on the popularity bandwagon right away. Don't purchase books because someone recommended to it to you once. And I have pretty good reason to follow them but more often than not, I'll end up buying the book and it'll stay on my shelf. While there is nothing wrong with it, at the end of 2018 I decided that one of the first steps to reading more was to have a short reading list. I had also developed a bit of a book ownership problem. Buying more books than reading (which is always), was an unsustainable model. I was often left with mediocre works that now collect dust, and I hate dust.
When my friend's latest blog post A poetry competition and a few beetles in the walls talked about this Indian author at length, I was intrigued. I loved the snippets I read in his blog and proceeded to click on the Kindle sample review. Next thing I know, I am left wanting to read more. I purchase the ebook and start savoring it. The short stories themselves don't have a revolutionary plot but the writing is so easy, crisp, and vibrant, it doesn't matter. The characters feel familiar and you're emotionally invested, all in less than 3 pages. How Eshna manages to do this is a matter of skill, practice, and a lot of talent.
I have never been someone who loves poetry, especially the modern, instagramy poetry. I like the old English poets of yesteryears, maybe its Stockholm Syndrome from English classes. But I do not like this idea that breaking a sentence into multiple lines makes it poetic. Eshna's work is different. Quality poems; easily accessible while encouraging moments of introspection.
Not going to lie, as a 23-year-old, this girl gave me a mini-existential crisis. But I am happy and hopeful that we have such talented writers in the country; creating excellent work. :) The book is less than a dollar on Kindle store, I'd suggest you pick it up for a nice quarantine read.
Looking forward to reading more of her works!