The Great Blindness is a novel written by Shivangi Menon Sreekumar and published by Samasya Publications. When I was given the opportunity to read it, I jumped for joy at the opportunity to read a book from a new face and a new publication.
The Book
"Don't judge a book by it's cover" has been repeated time and time again, but I find it hard to believe that the people who created such a saying actually picked up a single book in their lives. The greatest stories may flop due to a reader thinking that the cover art was "boring". Thankfully, that's an area in which The Great Blindness excels, with a scaly finish to the outside that immediately sets it apart from other debut novels. The illustrations by pentooldsigns do a wonderful job of catching potential readers' eyes and the publisher's mark does a delightful job of staying out of the way; something some other publishing companies may want to take note of.
The Story
Something that's amazing about The Great Blindness is the writer's (seemingly innate) ability to shape characters by their personalities, not their physical features. As the main protagonist is blind and this is told in first person, the characters end up becoming abstract, with some being portrayed as haughty and arrogant while others as down-to-earth commoners, all in a way that doesn't seem overly simple or complex. Instead of characters, the reader is able to connect with the writer and imagine them more as spirits who just so happen to inhabit a body. The story begins with exposition, in which we learn that a catastrophic event, the cause of which is unknown, leads to some people losing their sense of sight. Vyom, our blind protagonist, is rescued from a box by some soldiers; namely, Aiwa, a woman traveling with said soldiers. The story contains themes of gender issues, with both Aiwa and Vyom being regarded as lesser to everyone else in the group as a result of them being female.
However, despite her blindness, Vyom learns self-defense from Aiwa, who she now thinks of as the person she trusts most. On the 30th day, unknown to Vyom, an initiation occurs, where she has to prove herself in combat. Despite her disability, she manages to win the battle and earn another night's rest. The next morning, she magically gains the powers of sight. Because this blindness was thought to be incurable, she is expelled, with Aiwa acting as her guide. They come across a battalion of soldiers and take the place of two of them by murdering them and stealing their clothes, Hitman-style. Going to the castle, both Vyom and Aiwa are revealed as the soldiers are ordered to take off their helmets. They are nearly executed by the ruler's men, but the ruler's daughter (the Princess Haven) intervenes and employs both of them as her maidens.
What follows is a series of events in which Vyom is unable to adapt to ordinary life. However she tries, she is unable to fully grasp civilized mannerisms due to development stunts caused by her not being able to see since the age of 5. This culminates in a mad dash, in which she causes a chandelier to crash onto one of the men, killing them before being tasered into unconsciousness. Waking up, she finds herself moving up toward an execution platform. Her last thoughts are for the potential future she could've had with her best friend Aiwa before she is run through with a sword.
The Takeaways
While the initial concept was interesting, the story seems to tear slightly at the seams when it comes to its final execution. The loss of disability removed what I saw as the "X-factor" of the story; the thing that truly set it apart. The plot itself is full of great ideas such as Vyom finding self-worth through a mentor. As for the "death ending", well, as a writer, it feels good to create a self-contained story. As a reader, it didn't sit right with me. At 16, Shivangi Menon Sreekumar has done something most people wouldn't attempt in their life, but the ending felt a bit underwhelming.
In Conclusion
The Great Blindness is an interesting concept thought up by a brilliant mind.Samasya Publications and pentooldsigns have done an amazing job at giving Shivangi Menon Sreekumar's ideas a platform on which they can stand.
I like your book review...you should review vritikas book