BOOK REVIEW OF- Why Should I Love You?

By- Kamal Paneru
Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: HALF BAKED BEANS (2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9384315559

ISBN-13: 978-9384315559
THE PLOT IN BRIEF-

Have you ever wondered why your partner loves you? How would you feel if consort asks the reason to love you? What if there is no reason? He was debonair engineer but she was a small town lass. He liked her but she loved him. He avoided her but she waited. He slickly fell in love but her family denied him. Raunak and Juhi come close with a platonic relationship and unwillingly abnegate the desire. Meanwhile, Megha peeps from the past. Love changes their lives and then one day everything turns to unexpected. Will time heal their lives? Will love enliven them or leave eradicated? Will Megha make space for everyone? Will their creed in love be judged by crumbled situations? Let’s be the part of this heart melting love story and find a reason to love someone.

THE TITLE-

The title is perfect and very apt for the book. The last time I looked at the research that determines who we fall in love with the best answer they had was proximity. In other words, we fall in love with people that we have access to, with whom we are familiar and more than likely have a chance to interact with often. I know it’s not a very romantic answer, but that’s what science has been able to come up with so far. It makes sense why people who are isolated in small towns or remote villages, before the age of the internet, still are able to find mates. They fall in love with the people they know. As far as the question “why we sometimes can’t love back those who fall for us” that’s a puzzle since one of the things that is MOST attractive is someone who loves you.  If you’re having trouble accepting love or their love is unwanted, then that’s something about your expectations, fears, beliefs, preferences, etc. Perhaps that person who loves you doesn’t fit one of those things. The author beautifully hooks onto this theme to develop his entire emotional senses portrayed through the book. As they say a good love is one that sits you down, gives you a drink of water, and pats you on top of the head. But I say a good love is one that casts you into the wind, sets you ablaze, makes you burn through the skies and ignite the night like a phoenix; the kind that cuts you loose like a wildfire and you can’t stop running simply because you keep on burning everything that you touch! I say that’s a good love; one that burns and flies, and you run with it!

REVIEW OF THE BOOK-

You know when you think you know someone more than anyone in the world?

You know you know them, because you’ve seen them, like, for real. And then you reach out, and suddenly they are just… gone. You though you belonged together. You thought they were yours, but they’re not. You want to protect them, but you can’t.

Rounak, juhi and Megha all there were portrayed with a very deep and sensible characterization. Each one tried to portray that you know someone is special to you when you’re literally captivated by them in even the little moments. The slightest thing they say or do is like watching the universe unfolds. And nothing else matters in those moments. And on the contrast to this they also show that Love is a choice. You can choose to love or hurt but the consequences you suffer will always be based on the choice you make. No one can force you to choose from the two but the state of your heart, soul and mind determines the one you lean towards. Remember, with hurt you can destroy but with love you can CONQUER!

We all have cracks and tears and shattered glass within our souls. Some have more than others. We do not wish to seek one who has none; but we wish to find the one who can say “look at me, look at this.” We wish to find the one who sees every bit of broken glass and who will put those pieces into the palms of our hands and say “please keep them.” And we wish to be that kind of person, too. This is how it should be. And on this note I would like to say that the plot metaphorically brings out the image of being special. Some people are special because they’re princes or princesses; or queens or kings! Some are special because they’re presidents and senators; or because you can watch them on film! But what is the stuff that makes any person special? That makes any person more special than the world and everything in it? That would be love. Once you love someone? They’re special, they’re important. You make them important, it’s your love that makes them more important than the whole world and everything in it! And guess what? That kind of important is real.

Although the central plot of the book is not very unique but the associated plots are very much relatable to our lives. More Importantly it gives you the meaning of love. When someone comes around at that dreary moment, when all hope was lost, and thorns emerged. And that fellow, walks on that thorn just to cross to your side, to bear the pains for your sake, to bleed, to self-destroy himself, just to protect you. He places you above his priorities, and doesn’t give a damn whatsoever taunt he receives, his foremost desire is to make sure you are save, feel loved and cared for, and that’s the true definition of love.

RATINGS-

Overall I would like to rate the book 42 on a scale of 50.

4 stars out of 5

Originality of the plot and sub plots- 9/10

Net emotions in the story- 8/10

Usage of words and phrases-8/10

The title, cover and the illustration-8/10

The net impact on the readers- 9/10

 
Reviewed by-

Sayan Basak

Kolkata