Book Review: Abyss by Sabarna Roy

Abyss
Author: Sabarna Roy
Publisher: Leadstart Publishers
Rating: 2.5/5

It has been rightly said that whoever tries to fight the monsters should ensure that he doesn’t turn himself into a monster. It is also true that the longer you stare at the abyss, the more it pulls you towards itself. ‘Abyss’ is based on the above notions. Amidst greed for power, wrath, envy and lust, the characters in Abyss find themselves trapped in an unfathomable chasm. The escape seems like a distant dream. What lies in store for them are the consequences of their choices.

Abyss is a short play that is divided into two acts. With limited characters, the narrative grips the attention of the readers with ease and thereby makes the story intriguing. The dialogues have been crafted deftly. However, a deeper insight into the character’s mind or personality is missing. Generally in plays, the author uses soliloquy to ensure that the persona of the character in question is enhanced and the various hues are portrayed. This missing link might leave the readers baffled, for half of what happens does not make sense. For instance, the quick break-up of Oindrila and Mriganka did not quite add up logically.

Nevertheless, the revelation of clues by peeling off the layers one by one was something to look forward to. The murderer’s identity was predictable yet the reasons were unanticipated. The play exposes the readers to the idea of the capital vices taking over the clear conscience! However, there is no conclusive lesson or ending. It is not even a cliffhanger. Another point that irked me was the editing- the lack of proper punctuation and missing spaces.

Overall, Abyss, as the name suggests, gives a peek into the gorge that a human mind can create and how that can swallow relationships, morality and humanity as well.

Best wishes to the author!

Buying link: Amazon