If a workshop can be beneficial for these writers to put on paper their imaginations, I would suggest having workshops on a grand scale encouraging many more writers to write. I must say these stories are certainly irresistible. The collection is titled as, ‘The Fence,’ more so because every protagonist in this story reaches a point of their life which they have considered as the end, the fence. They have thought that there is nothing one can do to go beyond that fence. But every story practically beautiful places a twist which brings altogether a bright or a tragic ending.
When it comes to its compilation, the stories are really selected well. Most of the stories are alluring and keep the surprise till the end. This is one of the books which you can read in one sitting. The suspense, the style, the language and the plots in some of these stories are classically construed.
Sometimes you find editing errors which could be avoided if given more care. Some of the Stories I loved in this anthology are ‘Ilustrado’s Eulogy,’ ‘The Other Woman,’ ‘The Smartphone,’ and ‘Cashmere, I need Cashmere.’ The flow of thought in these stories is remarkable and needs appreciation. The style of narration and the literary techniques used in these stories is worth a read and analysis.
The stories at times speak exactly what you were thinking; it happened to me at least three to four times while reading this anthology. The stories explore themes like; Marriage, Motherhood, Disability, Recognition of one’s failure etc.
Sometimes life takes you in different paths all that matters is how you treat every situation. If you consider them a fence and not try to jump across, then you would remain there just like some of the protagonists of these stories and enjoy a bleak fate. But if you take control of your passions and move forward despite of the presence of these fences, you will walk paths not traded so far.
