Writing With A Knife

Sonia and Abhishek
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Books
  • Updated weekly

In this podcast, writer Sonia Chauhan and host Abhishek Singh explore life through fantastic pieces of fiction. Every now and then, we read a book or a short story and then sit down to unwrap theme, characters, plots, emotions, structure, writing styles, and the motivation of great authors who wrote these wonderful stories. Every episode is a voyage to discover what makes some stories so striking and yet so life like.

  1. 09/10/2024

    Longing & Love | The Day before the Revolution by Ursula Le Guin

    A strikingly good writing style that travels seamlessly across timelines building a narrative that is lucidly smooth and very simple to understand despite being in the science fiction genre. A story about longing despite having it all, this story raises the fundamental question - will anything ever be enough ?

    44 min

  2. 18/08/2024

    9 Worried Hostages Protect The Even More Worried Bank Robber | Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

    A heart touching story about characters dealing with anxiety with a broad spectrum of reasons possibly faced by ninety percent of humanity today. The writing is clunky but the story has some excellent plot points and weaving a story seamlessly across so many characters without making it feel so overwhelming is a marvel that always pleases. Centered around the incident of a bank robbery gone wrong and accidentally turning into a hostage situation is a premise that wants you to jump right in stay glued to see how these troubled people bond together over difficulty and tragedy and choose the cure over all anxieties - companionship.

    46 min

  3. 07/08/2024

    How Far Can You Hold Out For a Friend | Blythe by Lauren Groff

    Blythe is the story about two women who share a friendship which is in truth a symbiotic bond between the two where one needs attention and the other feels good about being needed by another whom she deems in certain ways better or superior in some ways. Groff has an unnaturally canny way of gliding her readers through her stories. That happens here too. We are given hints and backstories as to why these women might have really formed a friendship and a wonderful portrayal of the human nature being dependent on the mould set in by childhood.

    1hr 13min

  4. 15/07/2024

    Can Humans Truly Detach | The Foreigner by Arun Joshi

    This is a beautiful treatise to the flavours of loneliness. It is a work that talks of the fallacy of the idea of being detached and what keeps people aloof and alone. The story progresses into our protagonist discovering that detachment actually lies in taking action and his rise to prestige as he takes a stand for people is endearing.  Arun Joshi nails it in this one which is a commentary on capitalism, human suffering and the false notion that nothing matters and it is better to only mind one’s own business. The story talks of the need for human connection. The two parallel timelines are very cleverly placed and the story remains largely unpredictable

    1hr 3min

  5. 01/07/2024

    Greed & Justice | The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman

    You know the writing is good when you don't even stop to question the supernatural or fantastical elements in a story. You know the writing is solid when all elements of foreshadowing fit perfectly right up till the last line. We are absolutely floored with Neil Gaiman's writing in this story of a man whose mystery bounds you to the very end as he embarks on a dangerous journey with a hidden motive.

    1hr 7min

  6. 04/06/2024

    What Depression Looks Like | Hyperbole And a Half by Allie Brosh

    This is a special episode - the first cross over episode between Writing with a Knife & Mind Mined, a podcast on mental health. This is an attempt to bring forward the world of writing to our listeners to introduce to them realistic yet entertaining portrayals of mental health struggles. Hyperbole And a Half is a comic autobiographical portrayal in which we get glimpses of the author's life of incidents which sometimes directly and sometimes through very clever metaphors introduces to us the daily challenges involved with depression. The narration is very funny, and the experiences shared with us feel so authentic, it warms your heart more than it already is towards people who go through mental health struggles as well as makes you more compassionate towards yourself. A fantastically delivered narrative, Allie Brosh has won our hearts and respect to have come out the way she has through this journey. Keep going, Allie - we will always be cheering for you.

    52 min

  7. 16/05/2024

    The Imperfect Pursuit of Perfection | Kidney Shaped Stone by Haruki Murakami

    A girl with a mysterious career, a writer carrying his father's curse, and the story inside this story about a very alive & magical stone. Murakami takes us yet again on one of his musings. Writers may note the excellent use of metaphors and their interlinkage.

    32 min

  8. 08/05/2024

    Of Toothaches & Unspoken Pains | At The Clinic by Sally Rooney

    Sally Rooney amazes us with this short story that peels open the nuances of the egos involved in a relationship. The 2 main characters cling to each other in seemingly nasty ways just so that they can continue to see each other without having to admit their insecurities, without having to reveal their soft side because it scares them to bare open themselves to each other. So they instead choose the excuse of their bare bodies touching each other, just so that maybe one of them will be able to see what they really want. The story ends on a seemingly positive note, ending on the incredible metaphorical note that this story rides on.

    32 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

In this podcast, writer Sonia Chauhan and host Abhishek Singh explore life through fantastic pieces of fiction. Every now and then, we read a book or a short story and then sit down to unwrap theme, characters, plots, emotions, structure, writing styles, and the motivation of great authors who wrote these wonderful stories. Every episode is a voyage to discover what makes some stories so striking and yet so life like.

Information

  • Creator
    Sonia and Abhishek
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sonia and Abhishek
  • Show Website
    Writing With A Knife