Book Review: A Cage of Desires

Book Title: A Cage of Desires

Author: Shuchi Singh Kalra

Publication Date: May 2018

Edition Language: English

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 175

Firstly thanks to the author for sending across the book for review. This book is a fiction based on a woman's life as evident from the amazing cover of the book. The cover of the book summarized pictorially exactly what the book is about. The title is also apt. I generally don't read erotica, so at first I was apprehensive if I must go with it or not. But the cover was enough to attract me towards it.

I am fond of woman centric stories, and hence opted to read it. The book is of ~200 pages and hence, a breezy read. The flow of the story is straightforward, no confusions at all. Though, during initial few chapters I was suspecting it to be inspired from Indian movies. Gradually I realized it is much more than that. The plot is penned so bravely, boldly and intensely. This is highly uncommon for Indian authors. Being a woman author in India, and keeping the society and culture into consideration, it is in itself a bold step to write a book like this.

The book revolves around the protagonist Renu, a simple home maker, who takes care of her kids and a nagging father-in-law single-handedly while her husband works in another town and is least bothered about the family. She, like other Indian women is bound in the web of her duties but deprived of her rights. She longs for love and affection, the desire of loving and being loved back. Her husband never realizes her worth. She doesn't get back from him what every married women needs. But bound under the rules of Indian society, she isn't allowed to look for alternates to fulfill her desires and to keep bearing her misfortune. The book is an encounter of her with other men in her life, and the fulfillment of her desires with them. The multiple facets of an Indian woman is indeed well depicted. Through the course of the story she finds love, hatred, betrayal and keeps bouncing between all these, angry and unsatisfied. (I won't give any spoilers here :) ). The story progresses on how she combats the destiny and emerges victorious. She chooses the unconventional, something that must be a motivation for other women too.

This book is also a satire on the Indian society where people are fond of reading and watching erotica behind closed doors. But at the same time, are ashamed to know their women being involved in it. (Resisting spoiler again). Maya is a writer who writes erotica under pen name and is loved and appreciated by all, but it becomes a cause of shame if men find their women in Maya's place. 

The scenes are well narrated. Love making is quite descriptive. At times, you can actually imagine what is happening, and that is the quality of a well written fiction. The usage of words and sentences for the portrayal of emotions is appropriate. It is indeed a well revised and wisely edited work.

However, at certain points you may feel that there is exaggeration of emotions, or redundancy of the same thoughts over and over.

Overall the book is a well thought over, emotional roller coaster ride.

I would recommend the book for all those who are fond of women centric Indian fiction books. I rate it 3.5 on 5.

(PS: the reviews expressed here are based on my personal reading experience, and do not intend to defame, derate or 

degrade the sale or vice-versa for the book.)

If you are an author and want your book to be reviewed, drop an email at bookreviews@mansiladha.com.