Enakshi reviews William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories, a collection of five short stories, by Christopher Griffith. An exclusive for Different Truths.
Book: William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories
Author: Christopher Griffith
Publisher: Self-published
Rating: 4/5
Utopia is a place of ideal perfection and not looking for such a place would nearly be impossible.
Utopia is a place of ideal perfection and not looking for such a place would nearly be impossible. The chaotic and mundane life forces us to escape the monotony by concocting our lives in cloud-cuckoo-land. Hence, this method of escapism often helps us reset our minds and be back to the salt mines with a renewed spirit. William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories is a collection of five short stories that portray the innate quest to search for peace and ease amidst the tumultuous incidents of life.
I cannot refrain from mentioning the creative license being put to complete use by the author here because he preferred to merge a play, a short story and poetry together in all the stories. The result is beautiful yet a little confusing, for you have shorter and crisper dialogues, the precision of narrative and layered characterization. The first story is the titular story ‘William Ottoway’s Utopia’. This reminded me more of Walter Mitty’s delusional moments of utopia where he emerged as the sole hero! William and his obsession with his television set is something to look out for. The climax is unprecedented and something that might urge you to re-read the story.
Rick, a victim of bipolar disorder, aces the gig that he gets and basks in the glory of his achievement.
The second story ‘Rick with a (Bipolar) View’ is a simple story that shows how courage can overcome any obstacle in the pursuit of dreams. Rick, a victim of bipolar disorder, aces the gig that he gets and basks in the glory of his achievement. What happens to his bipolar problem, you might ask? It stays, it tries but Rick wins. So subtle yet impactful, this story is my favourite amongst the lot.
The third story ‘Break Out the Bubbly’ is more inclined towards mystery and ways of the world. The curious case of the missing champagne is exciting to read yet slightly predictable. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable. The fourth story ‘Saman’s Revenge’ has an eclectic flavour to it. An amalgamation of fantasy and reality, this story traces the journey of Saman who pledges to take revenge on a goddess with the help of a group of teenagers who are caught in this mess. Somewhere, doesn’t this sound like Jumanji? But believe me, it is different and pleasurable.
Filled with moments of genuine sympathy and unplanned twists, this story is sure to appeal to all your senses.
Last but not the least, is my second favourite story ‘Young Shakespeare’ that explores how the life of young Shakespeare would have been in London. Filled with moments of genuine sympathy and unplanned twists, this story is sure to appeal to all your senses.
Overall, William Ottoway’s Utopia and Other Stories is a delectable concoction of words that is sure to blow away the cobwebs and serve as a delightful read.
Best wishes to the author!
Photos sourced by the reviewer and visual by Different Truths
Enakshi is an educator, an author and a traveller. She loves to learn. Her writings have appeared in The Speaking Tree (Times of India), Woman’s Era, Alive, Infitithoughts, SivanaSpirit, Women’s Web, EfictionIndia and Induswomanwriting. She is an eminent book reviewer and she reviews books by Penguin, Rupa and Hachette India. Her stories and poems have been anthologised widely. She conceptualized two books- ‘Unbounded Trajectories’ and ‘Poison Ivy’.
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