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Hey, everyone! Today, I’m going to review the book “Unfinished Business and Other Short Stories” by Jayadeep Krishnan, a first-time author. And, guess what? I’ve already acquired a copy after attending the book release by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, in Trivandrum last week, and I’m impressed by the quality of the book. I promise not to spoil much—just a tiny peek into the book as well as my personal opinion on the book.

Let’s get into the content of the book. It’s not just a good read; it’s an amazing read that takes you on a voyage through multiple cities and countries around the world via multiple short stories and various settings. It’s shorter than a novel but it’s still a good read. I felt sad, confused and entertained at times while I was reading the book, which is a good thing because a good book should be able to stimulate an emotional reaction in the reader. Although all the stories in the book are amazing, the one I though was the best was definitely the one where they steal a car and take it for a joy ride, with a not-so agreeable ending for the perpetrators.

Now, what adds an extra layer of intrigue is my personal connection with the author. Knowing Jayadeep on a personal level gives me this unique insight into the stories, because it’s a book in the style of autobiographical fiction. And there certainly is an autobiographical undertone, like in the tale where the protagonist stubbornly avoids calling 911 after cutting his hand—a direct nod to a real ‘avocado hand’ incident. A funny thing that happened after he cut his hand in real life, was when he went to the emergency room, and after seeing the cut, the doctor immediately asked him:”Avocado or mango?” Afterwards, Jayadeep also told me that there must be a lot of careless people who cut their hands like that if the doctor could instantly recognize the injury.

Despite being an avid reader, I have to admit that “Unfinished Business and Other Short Stories” is the first piece of autobiographical fiction that I have ever read. Due to the fact that I enjoyed reading this book, I plan on reading more books in the genre, from the Indian subcontinent, such as:

• “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy.
• “Chemmeen” by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai.
• “My Story” by Kamala Das.
• “Khasakkinte Itihasam (The Legends of Khasak)” by O. V. Vijayan.

Now, after Jayadeep has published his book, his whole family has published at least one book each: his daughter Tamaara Nambiar has published “Undiscovered”, a book of poems and his wife, Lakshmi Nambiar has published the book “The dot that went for a walk”, a book of 51 stories about women role models in India. Jayadeep’s father Sri. Kunhikrishnan Nambiar has published 14 books and nearly 2500 articles, essays and reviews. A true family of bookworms!

For a debut work, it’s not just good; it’s impressively good, therefore I am rating it 4.1 stars. Jayadeep Krishnan has set the bar high, and I’m looking forward to reading his future works and savoring them. But for now, I’m content with reading this book, as well as the other new ones I received over and over again. Anyway, bye everyone and see you later!