A review by booxoul
Once Upon A Blink by Pujith Gayon

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Writing flash fiction is an art that teeters on the edge of the impossible. Packing so much meaning into so little space is a task that challenges even the most seasoned writers. Yet, it remains one of the most beloved forms of storytelling, captivating readers with its brevity and depth.

What brings me to this delightful discussion today is my recent encounter with Pujith Gayon's "Once Upon a Blink." Let me tell you, this collection is nothing short of a literary rollercoaster, delivering tiny bursts of adrenaline that jolt you out of the humdrum of everyday life. Each story, barely two pages long, felt like a small explosion of creativity. There was I, sweetly simple, going about my regular reading and bookstagramming. And BAM! Comes this bouquet of short stories, which completely blew me away. Gayon's mastery is evident in how he crafts these miniature tales, each one a testament to the power of concise storytelling. With subtle humour and profound impact, these stories strike a unique balance between depth and detail, embodying the essence of flash fiction.

The collection spans a myriad of moods and tones, ensuring a lasting impact on the reader long after the final page is turned. It's no small feat to balance depth with detail so deftly, but Pujith does so with aplomb. The stories themselves are nothing short of miraculous, ranging from sci-fi to fantasy, inspiration to tragedy, and even tales of ordinary characters like us, infused with the spirit of the past that we often long to revisit and celebrate. Deftly counterbalancing depth with detail is surely no mean feat and Pujith has done a brilliant job on that ground.

As promised in the preface, there are no drawn-out narratives here—each story is a meticulously crafted gem, emphasizing quality over quantity. Take "Mirapur Mela," for instance, a tale so uncanny and intense that it felt as though Saanvi, the protagonist, leapt off the page to explore the fair with a daring spirit that left me breathless.

Then there's "Arguments of a Dog and Cat," an introspective and elegantly written piece that stands out for its rare beauty. The intricate expressions of a dog and a cat are portrayed with such finesse that it's clear Pujith's attention to detail is unparalleled. Small yet powerful, this tale is a testament to his storytelling prowess.

Likewise, other tales such as “The Queen in Gossips”, “Akhri Letter”, “The Crimson Gaze”, “Skeptic Revelation,” and several others were so stupendous and lucid that it is pretty hard for me today to be able to pick out a single favourite.

Log Kya Kahenge, Unseen Scars, and Dreams Unseen were some of those impactful ones as well, which had the power to hold me in their spell. His depictions of grisly as well as horrid are terrifying as well as captivating at the same time. Likewise, his expressions of comic relief come in bursts that are well-balanced and relevant to the tale in which they have been used as a tool.

Pujith's ability to blend elements of comedy, tragedy, horror, and mystique is nothing short of masterful. He creates fantastical worlds, narrates stories set in the future, and brings together diverse human experiences in a way that feels both chaotic and clandestine. This collection is a cathartic journey through the past, present, and future, infused with mythology and realism.

If you're looking to binge on slices of life garnished with slivers of emotion and sprinkled with true realism, "Once Upon a Blink" is the flash fiction collection you didn't know you needed. It's an ensemble of brilliance, offering a unique experience that's both enchanting and exhilarating. Dive in, and prepare to be blown away.