The Degenerate Tales of Decadent Minds: A Book Review

A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature

By Atul Randev and Vidur Moudgil

It’s seldom that I use this space for discussing anything other than cinema. But, today I want to make an exception. For, today I am inclined to throw the spotlight on one of the hottest selling commodities on the Amazon universe. No, I don’t intend to talk about any geeky gizmos. What I am actually interested in talking about has got a soul to it. No, it’s not poetry. But, its mellifluence makes it no less than a poem. It’s essentially a prose that seems to have come straight out of the heart of a poet; the underlining poignancy makes its reading a poetical experience. The work is an eclectic collection of six mesmerizing short stories by Atul Randev and a fascinating novella by Vidur Moudgil. The authors, for some inexplicable reasons, like to call it: “The Degenerate Tales of Decadent Minds”.

“The Degenerate Tales of Decadent Minds” is easily one of the best compilations of indie-fiction that I have come across in recent times. The authors need to be congratulated for conjuring up such an exhilarating, unputdownable storytelling extravaganza for their readers. And the fact that the verbiage is not in the least bit verbose gives this work of fiction a universal appeal. In fact, if the fluency of thoughts is bettered by anything it’s by the lucidity of the language. But, the vocabulary is rich enough to titillate the palates of aficionados as well. The tales serve to be a nice mix of drama, fantasy, magic realism, suspense, thrill, humor (often dark), romance, and tragedy. The effortlessness with which these tales seem to transcend and blur genres is indeed commendable. And no reader, I daresay, gifted with an open mind would be left disappointed. 

“The Degenerate Tales of Decadent Minds” was released on the 6^th of September, 2013 and within a week of its release it broke into the Top 10 on Amazon India, even toppling the likes of Dan Brown’s Inferno and Amish Tripathi’s The Oath of the Vayuputras at one point in time. It is currently positioned at #23.

The Kindle Edition of “The Degenerate Tales of Decadent Minds” is available for download at a nominal price. So what are your waiting for? Please remember that you can extend your support to the authors by purchasing your own copy of the book, right now.

Book Description:

A guy and a girl who could be complete replicas of each other - only for the fact that they have nothing in common, a mysterious girl in a coffee shop, a bottle of Scotch and a book of poetry, a dark morning when dead men arise and a civilization vanishes from the face of the earth, a guy with very considerate flatmates and a girlfriend that is out of his league, a Sadhu who hasn't spoken in 35 years, and the story of a rendezvous that will be hard to forget.

The Degenerate Tales of Decadent Minds may not be stories that'll end up giving you lessons of life, it is not a book that will make you look at shadows with fear, neither will it strengthen the belief you have in your love, it is religious but it is not about God, it is "not" a thousand (or maybe a million) other things.

I'll tell you what it is - it is a book of possibilities, of destinies or what we could make of them if we had the power to change them.

About the Authors:

Atul Randev is a writer of short stories, who thinks he looks better than he actually does. For expressing your appreciation or for berating him for wasting your time, you can contact him at atul.randev@gmail.com. This is his first book.

Vidur Moudgil is a rambler in the world of words. He is in love with the power words have to bend the rules that the world lives by. He likes to write about the strange musings of his mind and can be reached at vidurmoudgil@gmail.com. 

Previous Review: The Great Gatsby (2013)

Next Review: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)

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