OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Epic of Time" by Sandip Goswami.]

This book “Epic of Time” is a collection of poems from an Indian author, Sandip Goswami. His poems center on the four main themes of poetry, love, history, and personal thoughts. After reading through all of the poems, I feel like a get a glimpse of the author, not only what he cares about, but how he thinks and sees the world. He includes his opinions on recent news events, as well as past stereotypes.

I like the variety of poems and poetic styles used in this collection. The different styles are evenly dispersed throughout the book, so you get a taste of everything. I also enjoyed the freedom with which the author gave voice to his feelings. Not only does he relate some of his life events, but he expounds upon his thoughts at the time and later. After some of the poems, he includes notes on the Indian culture that explain words or traditions the readers may not understand at first. These provide a helpful guide to understanding some of the Indian culture. Some of the poems rhyme, and others are more abstract.

I do not like the style of some of the poems. A few are written in such a way that it is difficult to grasp the message being presented. While they seem to present complex ideas, the structure clouds their meaning. I also dislike the formatting errors, as they are somewhat distracting. Some poems did not begin at the top of the page, but rather after a large blank space, and the font changed towards the end. I also did not like the grammatical errors. Several phrases and stanzas don’t make much sense, likely due to a translation error. It seems as though structure was not always taken into account when translating these poems.

I did however like the circular poems. They began with a single idea and transitioned to another. I liked how smooth the transitions were, as well as the visual aspect of the poem. These characteristics worked well together to make a polished piece of writing.

I rate this poetry collection 2 out of 4 stars. While I found these poems interesting, the poor English made several difficult to understand. About half of the poems were either weak, as though not really thought out and developed into a true poem, or not understandable because of poor grammar. The subjects of those that I could understand were interesting, and I was impressed by the ideas presented in a few. If I could understand more of the poems I still would only give the collection 3 out of 4 stars because not all of them are inspiring, or even intriguing. This book would likely appeal to someone more in touch with Indian culture, as well as the structure of their language, because the poems would make more sense.

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Epic of Time
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True review. I appreciate the review with love and respect. Keep it up dear friend. The Almighty bless you. Best wishes from India.

-- 21 May 2015, 23:20 --

Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

Epic of Time by Sandip Goswami is a sweeping collection of brutally honest and mesmerizing poems reflecting the pain, passion, and paradoxes of contemporary India. Complex issues are addressed in staccato phrases brimming with poignant parallelism and a deeply personal sense of urgency. This collection of poetry has the impact of a train wreck in which the twisted metal scraps form exquisite patterns of symmetry and line - one wants desperately to appreciate the art without having to witness its genesis. It is perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of this dynamic collection that the art and the genesis are inseparable. The pain, passion, and paradoxes of contemporary Indian culture exist side by side in a raw, deeply affecting symbiosis that often leaves the reader breathless. From “The Students into Terrorism”: “Believe me dear children/I am crying …/The Soul of India is crying …/The Almighty is crying …/We are powerless in the world like you/We have only tears for you...”

In Epic of Time, Sandip Goswami has penned a masterful portrait of a nation divided by uncertain futures, clashing religions, generational value shifts, and a troubled past. Goswami uses his poet’s voice to lay bare the throbbing nerves of a culture in chaos and mourning for its former identity. Along with the pain, however, there is great joy: an infinite abiding love of country which permeates every poem in the collection. From “Magic of Indian Democracy”: “Prime-minister of India is enchanting to the world/But Prime-minister of India says that/He is a servant of one hundred twenty five crore (1.25/billion) Indians/It’s the magic of Indian democracy/Indians are all kings in their kingdom.” Epic of Time by Sandip Goswami is an exotic, urgent poetic call to reason - truly, a powerful reflection of life among troubled souls in a troubled age, always looking toward a horizon of hope.

-- 26 Jul 2015, 23:23 --

"Epic of Time" by Sandip Goswami is said to be "The fossil of humanity by an individual..."

As that is the first thing I read, I get a certain image in my mind. In millions of years, when future civilizations dig us up, they will find this book. Based solely off the information within, they will come to know our society. That is my mindset going into this, and I should say, I was not disappointed.

Diving headfirst into the book, I feel at first that it is a wonderful representation of who we are. Touching on subjects such as religion, poetry, love, and life, it really expresses the things we hold dearest to us. Three poems in, I feel like the culture described is beautiful, and tries to heal all the wounds it inflicts upon itself by creating. Whether that be art, family, or the idea of a higher power, it really sums us up pretty well.

Bearing in mind my first image of the future civilizations, I appreciate all the little explanations very much. For example, after the poem about Mother Teresa, Goswami puts in a little part at the bottom explaining who she was and what she did to change our world. There are other little things like that throughout the book that make it that much better.

After writing about all the wonderful aspects of the book, I must admit that there are some things that I would change. As this book is supposed to be representing humanity as a whole, I feel like there was too much focus on India. I would have much preferred something with more diversity. While I'm on the topic of India, I noticed that there were two almost identical poems included about the Prime Minister of India. They even had the same format. I would suggest including only one of them, specifically the one entitled "About India." Two other cases of almost identical poems were found, which I won't go into detail about.

Overall, I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The idea of this book was exceptionally unique, and it was executed very well, with just a few exceptions. I'm not the biggest poetry fan, but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and would suggest giving it a read

-- 26 Jul 2015, 23:32 --

Post Number:#1 Unread postby hannahbm13 » 18 Jul 2015
4 out of 4 stars Review by hannahbm13 Share This Review
"Epic of Time" by Sandip Goswami is said to be "The fossil of humanity by an individual..."

As that is the first thing I read, I get a certain image in my mind. In millions of years, when future civilizations dig us up, they will find this book. Based solely off the information within, they will come to know our society. That is my mindset going into this, and I should say, I was not disappointed.

Diving headfirst into the book, I feel at first that it is a wonderful representation of who we are. Touching on subjects such as religion, poetry, love, and life, it really expresses the things we hold dearest to us. Three poems in, I feel like the culture described is beautiful, and tries to heal all the wounds it inflicts upon itself by creating. Whether that be art, family, or the idea of a higher power, it really sums us up pretty well.

Bearing in mind my first image of the future civilizations, I appreciate all the little explanations very much. For example, after the poem about Mother Teresa, Goswami puts in a little part at the bottom explaining who she was and what she did to change our world. There are other little things like that throughout the book that make it that much better.

After writing about all the wonderful aspects of the book, I must admit that there are some things that I would change. As this book is supposed to be representing humanity as a whole, I feel like there was too much focus on India. I would have much preferred something with more diversity. While I'm on the topic of India, I noticed that there were two almost identical poems included about the Prime Minister of India. They even had the same format. I would suggest including only one of them, specifically the one entitled "About India." Two other cases of almost identical poems were found, which I won't go into detail about.

Overall, I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The idea of this book was exceptionally unique, and it was executed very well, with just a few exceptions. I'm not the biggest poetry fan, but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and would suggest giving it a read