Close Your Umbrellas | Book Review

 Review of V.S.Arunachalam's  book - Close Your Umbrellas

At a Glance

• Title - Close Your Umbrellas
• Author - V.S.Arunachalam
• Publisher - The Write Order Publications
• Year published - 20 April 2022
• Pages - 200
• Genre - Anthology [Poems, prose,   short stories]
• Reading Age- 12 years and up
• Format -Paperback

Blurb:

'Close Your Umbrellas' is a compilation of poems, prose, and short stories which transports the reader back

 in the ages and every piece is an interpretation of a philosophically analytical mind, inspiring, 

educational and thought-provoking.

My Thoughts:

The first thing that caught my eyes was the simple yet nostalgia-inducing look of the book! The sepia-toned cover with a typical studio pose photograph, with a crease across, gave it an authentic vintage look. This is so apt and connected to the contents of the book. I felt drawn to dive into the pages immediately.

This book is an anthology- a collection of poems, prose, and short stories by Mr.V.S.Arunachalam, written between 1916 and 1956, is published now by his grandson.

Coming to the contents of the book, it is literally a treasure trove! The poems, prose, and stories bring out the sentiments and state of affairs in the pre-independence era and the happenings post-independence. We can gain an insight into the political and social standings of those times. Not only that but the author’s patriotism and his views on the political and social conditions can also be understood.

As I read through the prose, it took me back to the times my grandpa told us about the things that happened here during the world wars and how people were treated, and the economic conditions of the families.

The poems cover several themes and the short stories are crisp and echo the essence of the yesteryears.

In all a five-star read that made me quite nostalgic and kudos to Mr.Ravi Iyer for publishing this wonderful book.A fitting tribute to his grandfather!

Author Bio:

Close Your Umbrellas, is a compilation of poems, prose, and short stories which are handwritten manuscripts by my V.S.Arunachlam that have been compiled, digitized & published by his grandson. Ravi Iyer. A highly philosophically analytical mind that he was, this book is a treat to own and it transports the reader to a century-old era.