Book Review: A River of Thoughts by Prayish

A River of Thoughts by Prayish is a masterful exploration of the beauty of hidden silent thoughts and conflicts within the seemingly mundane rhythms of life. The nature of the book is ingrained in riverine scaffold. The author has kept the course of the book silent, philosophical, and metaphorically like river. As human life is divided in some stages, so does the course of a river…upper…middle…lower.

Drawing parallel from the courses of river, the author paints human existence in similar pattern. As river keeps moving towards its destination of sea, at times it is silently chugging ahead, sometimes creating upheaval and roar but ultimately its inner course remain hidden and out of sight to normal existence. The author points out that human life courses ahead like troughs and crests of a river, never uneven.

The first phase of human life witnesses maximum conflicts and intersection of tenacity, as while growing we all tend to define what we are learning and how that is correct and implacable in our lives. Thus, one side argues and the other observes it silently. The author has laid utmost importance on silence – as it speaks to our existence in the universe, it acts like a mute spectator, it observes like a saint. The book as it progresses is sprinkled with intellectually stimulating poems and short stories…the most impactful are the stories about mother and son, and a tiger caught in the dilemma of life partner. Both stories depict conflicts as a profound theme.

Subtly, the book shines with its philosophical yet reflective essence. Being a silent shadow, it is not merely a literary work, rather highlighting the spirit of human existence in all stages while drawing concepts from river. Probably the author wants to suggest that the life’s nature should be riverine, like a river, unstoppable with commotion, intersection, and ultimately silence in its bedrock depth. Not only this, the book explores quite a number of life-oriented themes like creativity, loss, grief, hope, love, duty of the heart vs mind, obligations that turn us stone hearted and much more.

There is thoughtfulness and profoundness in each one of us. The book can leave an indelible mark on soul, inspiring readers to find joy, silent musings, wonder, and meaning in our life.

The book is available to buy from Amazon/Kindle

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