What strikes us first and foremost is a unique title- Tall
man , small shadow. Since its inception the story line appears to carry a deeper meaning , something more than what is
apparent.
The narrator comes out as someone very frank , readily giving us his honest opinions .Vipin
Behari Goyal has successfully weaved an
interesting story with certain original philosophies. At no point does the author impose his
thoughts and ideologies on us. Instead the novel is crispy enough to make one
read the book in one go . The story is
written in style that is understood easily
considering the complex plot . Events in the story may challenge one’s rigid
traditional beliefs or seem to pose a
threat to the cultural system , yet one cannot deny that these are very much
prevalent in the society.
Salil falls in love with a shadow of Aalya , the girl next door. Both these characters
represent a typical cosmopolitan mindset- where the youth is confused, has
little contemplation about their actions even when all they are doing is
something seriously unethical.
Salil, does not think it incorrect to father the child of
his ex-girlfriend knowing that she is someone else’s wife now. Aalya considers
this lack of morals yet she feels very comfortable in her sexual experiences
with a married woman , her guide , Seema. What she is doing herself never
bothers her .Perhaps she is naive enough to be lured into these adventures or
she is just exploring her sexual orientation. Interestingly , she is very much
attracted to Salil and Seema even goes to the extent of giving her advises to
woo him.
This shows the present situation where youth is facing
identity crises. They are stuck between their own values and that of the rest
of the world.
We see a mention of some social problem here and there. The elderly
suffering due to neglect as the trend of
nuclear families is on a rise. It is very thoughtful of the writer to pen these
current problems subtly pointing out the fact that one suffers because one
expects and when these expectations are not fulfilled, a strange sadness jeopardizes his entire
existence.
While talking about Seema , the author comments that
workaholics are escapists. Indeed so, this shows how minutely the author observes
the world around him. Thus , we find a very matured thought process guiding the
entire story .
The book “ Tall Man, Small Shadow” has its share of cheesy romance
and sizzling scandals yet what makes it worth reading is the journey of the
narrator , his intelligent meditation .
What also provides an uplift to the book is Sulekha, the
narrator’s wife giving a dramatic ending to the series of coincident that we
read about.
While the author gives us
a glimpse into the psyche of major characters- their deepest yearnings ,
their most sophisticated thoughts ,he also wishes to remove the remaining flaws
of his own personality. This shows his critical nature is devoid of any bias!
There are instances of expert sociological explanation in
the text where we see caste system , social change theory being addressed. The
author serves as a torch bearer for the youth to bring change in the society by
setting an example.
Towards the close of story , we find the narrator growing as
a person...his thought process, his mind- set , his very soul. His soul expands
to that peaceful state where he feels unaffected by happiness or
turmoil, profit or loss. This self- enlightenment paves way for hope . The hope
to accept who we are , to be able to face the truth.
Thus TALL MAN, SMALL SHADOW may not be a fable you want to
escape in, it is one book that may help you face life as it mirrors the society
very well...
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