Review of Vivid Visions

[Anu Anand]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Vivid Visions" by Seyed Mosayeb Alam.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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“Vivid Visions” by Seyed Mosayeb Alam is a collection of nine short stories. These stories explore the human mind and emotions.

I like reading books that explore human emotions, and I wanted to read this book since I read a few reviews of it. The stories are dark and sad. These stories have things that some of us can relate to, like the kind of guilt that we pretend doesn’t exist, the kind of loneliness we build around ourselves, and the kind of memory we try to forget but find a way to slip into reality anyway. These are the kinds of emotions we often hide away, pushing them to the back of our minds. So, when we see them in a story, they feel eerily familiar, yet too fictional to accept as our own.

The book is short and gripping; I finished reading it in one go. However, the stories are deep and thought-provoking. My favorite story was ‘Mirror Mirror On The Wall.’ It tells the story of a man named Leon who is trapped in endless loneliness. It was fascinating how Leon created a world of his own to escape his miseries.

The author did a wonderful job crafting these mysterious short stories. The simple language and creative imagination made them memorable. There was nothing I disliked about this book. I loved reading each and every story. The story ‘The Hollow Embrace’ was the creepiest out of them all. I wasn’t expecting the twist at the end. To overcome her fear of loss, the mother in this story went to extreme ends that we could never imagine.

There were also some stories that weren’t dark, like ‘Love’s Last Dance,’ ‘The Old Flame,’ and ‘The Christmas Confession.’ These stories give a feeling of satisfaction rather than sadness.

The editing of the book was impeccable; I didn’t find any grammatical errors in it. However, the author uses asterisks to highlight some words instead of italics, but this didn't distract me from enjoying the book. Overall, I rate this book 5 out of 5. And I recommend this book to those who love mysterious dark stories. As such, I wouldn't suggest this book to readers who are looking for something light or uplifting.

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Vivid Visions
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[Arshadq]

I read a couple of reviews of this book, and I was compelled to read it as well. I bought it off amazon, and finished it in one go! I agree with all you have said, it was a very mysterious book. Thanks for your honest review!

[Julie Marie Basil]

I haven't read any short stories recently, but this sounds like a great collection. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[Priya Murugesan]

I have read this book and loved it. Glad that you too enjoyed it! Thanks for your awesome review!

[Seetha E]

Short stories and human emotions! Great combination as it gives multiple storylines within a book. And I can see other happy feedback on the previous posts as well.
Based on your @Anu Anand review, I will also look for this book. Adding it to my reading list for now.