Written by: Suprabh Acharya - 27014, Grade IX
Posted on: 17 August, 2023
“Arresting God in Kathmandu” is one of the best books written by Samrat Upadhyay. The book is full of beautifully written stories. There are 9 stories in the book which collectively have the same genres. The stories in the book talk about prevalent problems and common activities happening in a typical Nepali neighborhood. The stories are written in such a way that the reader finds themselves experiencing the moment while reading them. Personally speaking, I found myself being lost in the different alleys of Kathmandu, inside slums and rich households, even in countries outside Nepal. I felt myself sitting on a chair and listening to the characters talk.
Likewise, talking individually about the stories in the book, the first story, “The Good Shopkeeper” is about a common topic of stress in typical Nepali households, ‘losing jobs’ and finding themselves doing something out of their comfort zone and interest line. In this story, the main character loses his job and finds himself being comfortable around other females but his wife and starting a business.
The next story however is about the great poet, Bhanubhakta Acharya but with a twist, sharing his hobbies and showing a never-seen-before lifestyle. Similarly, the stories go on and on with different plots starting from a high post person falling for his secretary whilst constantly thinking about getting together with his ex-partner. The other story is about a limping bride being married to an alcoholic man. The bride later on also shows intimacy with her father in law but it however isn’t the ‘main deal’ of the story.
“The Man with Long Hair” is a story that shares about how people can truly be confused with their emotions and feelings. In this story, a man finds himself being attracted and intrigued by another man. He finds him beautiful and interesting but seems to drift his feelings away. He constantly thinks about how he was never attracted to his wife in the first place. Then, he proceeds to be friends with the man and have his wife know and introduced to him too. In the end, he most likely thinks that his wife might indeed be his perfect pair and then the story ends.
These stories have a slow but harsh ending at the same time which makes the stories fascinating. The stories flow in a perfect way but they end suddenly. Which I think is not a problem at all. This makes the reading even more interesting and simpler to understand. It also leaves our reading minds to fill up the gaps about the stories on our own. Likewise, it makes us think about where the story might flow or what the characters might think at that moment. Then, the stories go on and on with very interesting plots that leave us shocked and amazed. Some stories even have plot twists and some are left knowingly by the author for us to think about.
In conclusion, what matters for a book to be liked by many readers is the way of the storytelling and the flow of the stories written. I think Samrat Upadhyay’s books always make sure to provide us with that. His books are a must read. Especially the book, “The Royal Ghosts” which has similar plot lines and similar themes.
