Book Review - The Old Man and The Nymph

About the Book

Title: The Old Man and the Nymph

Author: Vipin Behari Goyal

Publisher: Blackbuck Publication

ISBN: 978-163102608-9

No. of Pages: 192

Price: 140 INR

Genre: Fiction

  

About the Author

Born (1954) and brought up in Ajmer, Rajasthan, Vipin Behari Goyal did his post-graduation in Botany followed by a degree in Law. After completing his education, he worked for a bank and then joined the Rajasthan Government where he presently works as a financial advisor.

His previous work includes a travelogue about Pushkar, Hindi poetry collection and popular English novels "Tall man small shadow" and "Maya in search of Tantric father." Connect with him at www.vipinbeharigoyal.blogspot.com

The Cover Speaks

The cover page of the book depicts an old man lurking on a tree and a naked girl with wings sitting down with mushrooms around. The cover goes with the title of the book but leaves the reader in the curiosity to find out how the book connects a story with the picture depicted at the front.

Synopsis

The book is based on Greek Mythology which describes four types of nymphs. These are the nymphs of water, clouds, plants and underworld. Incarnated as beautiful nubile girls who were full of passions each of them enticed old man to satisfy their sensual desires. They loved to laugh, dance and had fun in breaking the rules of the society of mortals. What happened when the three of them met with Colonel under the same roof ? One of them had escaped from Colonel in her past birth and had gone underworld. What would she do now? A strange story set in Indian context.

Book Review

The book is divided into four parts namely The old man, The nymph, The colonel and The secret of water meadow. These four parts are set to weave a complete story but I think the author was not successful in conveying the real story. Actually the story is based on Indian Philosophy of Samyakh Darshan. Any reader unaware of that will not be able to understand what the author is trying to convey. The story seems scattered in bits and pieces and one will loose interest in the way. Somewhere the story picks up but at the very next page the languid description might ask the reader to put down the book. But the sensuous topic of young beauties enticing the old men might ask the reader to continue with the book. The story seems more of a fiction where a father is wooed by a young girl (relative) and the wife pays no attention, instead finds nothing wrong in it. The daughter aware of the lurking danger beside her steps ahead to indulge in activities and starts finding pleasure in it. If one tries to connect it with the real world, the story stands impotent. But if one tries to get the hidden meaning of the story then the author wins in explaining the Indian philosophy of Prakriti and Purush.

My Rating

 3/5

¡Salud!

JJJ