Life An Existential Cocktail BY Bienu Varma Vaghela – BOOK REVIEW

‘Life an Existential Cocktail’ by Bienu Varma Vaghela, is a compilation of poems. Priya Raj, who has written the preface of this book, suggested I read the book. Maybe he was reacting to my book reviews or perhaps the post on UNCAGE THE BOOKS, I insisted he must send me a hard copy as I do prefer reading a physical copy. The author and poet Bienu Varma Vaghela later sent me a hard copy.

When I wanted to start reading the book- I could not find it. I realised, maybe I have left it in the seat pocket of 6E932 or 6E5624—the Indigo flights I have been using for Mumbai-Nagpur-Mumbai travel. Indeed, I could not ask her for another copy. Now cornered, I used my Kindle Unlimited account to access the book.

HONEST TITLE.

I found the title of the book ‘Life An Existential Cocktail ‘one of the most honest titles in recent times. It completes matches what you get to read inside.

Existentialism is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores human existence and centers on the lived experience of the thinking, feeling, acting individual. … A primary virtue in existentialist thought is authenticity.

TWO DIMENSIONAL LIFE.

It also is in sync with my thought of Experience and Expectation two-dimensional life. After all, we are born as a blank slate and then create our definition of life and its essence through unique experiences which keep on calibrating our expectations.

The set of poems by Bienu Varma Vaghela brings alive authenticity. There is an understanding that everything cannot and must not have a reason. Reasons like explanations are impotent excuses. However, passion and emotions fly on their own radar.

PROBE AND QUESTIONS.

There is a lot of questioning in almost every poem. Some of them are just questions. Bienu Varma Vaghela has a unique style in crafting these cocktails of words in a world that is often alienating and full of Estrangement. She drills down to note and refers to the chosen subject- questioning the polarity of experiences and expectations, emotions, and feelings. That is what makes each of the poems powerful. There you can feel the challenged freedom to make decisions. Checked by the morals based on evidence and the fear and anxiety amplified by experience. Causes fear and anxiety.

SUGGESTED READING STYLE.

Do not disrespect the rich narrative by trying to read all the poems at one go. Well, you will get tired. Most have the same polarisation- deep dive- questions- sides- and then no real solution. The aim is to make words count and create a picture. Make you think.

So, to enjoy and appreciate, read a few at a time- or rather read the section at a time. There is freedom, and then there is nothingness probed. Sometimes you feel irritated by Bienu’s unidirectional frames of references and boxing of the absurd thought. She is full of predictability till she suddenly flips it for you to think again.

All the poems reflect the human tendency to search for inherent value in everything. The questions. Why this & why that, why not this & why not that, why me and why not I find amplified echoes in the poems. It keeps hitting the pages with its inane inability to find any answers.

There you find that even love- faith- care all have the bad and the good side.