Writing With A Knife

A strikingly good writing style that travels seamlessly across timelines building a narrative that is lucidly smooth and very simple to understand despite being in the science fiction genre. A story about longing despite having it all, this story raises the fundamental question - will anything ever be enough ?

A heart touching story about characters dealing with anxiety with a broad spectrum of reasons possibly faced by ninety percent of humanity today.

The writing is clunky but the story has some excellent plot points and weaving a story seamlessly across so many characters without making it feel so overwhelming is a marvel that always pleases.

Centered around the incident of a bank robbery gone wrong and accidentally turning into a hostage situation is a premise that wants you to jump right in stay glued to see how these troubled people bond together over difficulty and tragedy and choose the cure over all anxieties - companionship.

Blythe is the story about two women who share a friendship which is in truth a symbiotic bond between the two where one needs attention and the other feels good about being needed by another whom she deems in certain ways better or superior in some ways.

Groff has an unnaturally canny way of gliding her readers through her stories. That happens here too. We are given hints and backstories as to why these women might have really formed a friendship and a wonderful portrayal of the human nature being dependent on the mould set in by childhood.

This is a beautiful treatise to the flavours of loneliness. It is a work that talks of the fallacy of the idea of being detached and what keeps people aloof and alone. The story progresses into our protagonist discovering that detachment actually lies in taking action and his rise to prestige as he takes a stand for people is endearing. 

Arun Joshi nails it in this one which is a commentary on capitalism, human suffering and the false notion that nothing matters and it is better to only mind one’s own business. The story talks of the need for human connection. The two parallel timelines are very cleverly placed and the story remains largely unpredictable 

This is a special episode - the first cross over episode between Writing with a Knife & Mind Mined, a podcast on mental health. This is an attempt to bring forward the world of writing to our listeners to introduce to them realistic yet entertaining portrayals of mental health struggles.

Hyperbole And a Half is a comic autobiographical portrayal in which we get glimpses of the author's life of incidents which sometimes directly and sometimes through very clever metaphors introduces to us the daily challenges involved with depression.

The narration is very funny, and the experiences shared with us feel so authentic, it warms your heart more than it already is towards people who go through mental health struggles as well as makes you more compassionate towards yourself.

A fantastically delivered narrative, Allie Brosh has won our hearts and respect to have come out the way she has through this journey. Keep going, Allie - we will always be cheering for you.

A girl with a mysterious career, a writer carrying his father's curse, and the story inside this story about a very alive & magical stone.

Murakami takes us yet again on one of his musings.

Writers may note the excellent use of metaphors and their interlinkage.

Sally Rooney amazes us with this short story that peels open the nuances of the egos involved in a relationship.

The 2 main characters cling to each other in seemingly nasty ways just so that they can continue to see each other without having to admit their insecurities, without having to reveal their soft side because it scares them to bare open themselves to each other. So they instead choose the excuse of their bare bodies touching each other, just so that maybe one of them will be able to see what they really want.

The story ends on a seemingly positive note, ending on the incredible metaphorical note that this story rides on.

An incredibly written story, Cusk sweeps us off with her intelligent writing on the inside worlds of people. A beautiful example to understand how one can, with the simplest words used, create a solid portrayal of the inside world of a human mind.

This story is written in retrospect and the story shifts seamlessly between a pivotal point in the narration to which we keep coming back to and the general narration which describes the series of events that happened.

The writing is lucid. The intensity of certain emotions & feelings are displayed with such accuracy - dry exactly where it should be and wobbling with infatuation in an enthralling fashion.

This is the kind of writing that makes you want to immediately explore all the major works of the author.

A beautifully written short story with such lucid nuances you want to read it again just to feel it all over again despite a seemingly sad but triumphant end. This is the story of Peter Watson - an unconquerable soul