#2 Reader Feedback – Sukanya Sanyal on Culling Mynahs and Crows

Sukanya Sanyal is Associate Professor of English, at a Kolkata college.

Her hobbies are reading and listening to music. Some of her favourite authors are

Umberto Eco, Gabriel Garcia Marquez,Calvino,Borges, etc.

Some of the recent books that she has read are The book thief by Zusak,

The last cavalier by Dumas,Augustus by Allan Massi,I Claudius by Robert Graves, among others,

and Culling Mynahs and Crows! The best time for her as far as reading goes is

at night, when her day’s work is done.

Now let’s go directly to Sukanya:

Q: What were your thoughts when you picked up the book? What did you think of the cover and what did the back blurb say to you?

Sukanya: The cover could have been a bit more attractive. The blurb really didn’t suggest anything. I felt the title was more suggestive.

Q: What were your first thoughts after reading a few pages?

Sukanya: I understood that it was something to do with the past life of Agnirekha, but I had no clue about the intertwining of double narrative.

Q: Now tell me what you thought of the book, the good the bad and the ugly!

Sukanya: The mellifluous language and strong imagery in the book for starters. Excellent handling of the various strands, and a very convincing development of the two main characters. These I feel are the good points. However,  I do have some reservations about unnecessary detailing of private sexual practices which I thought was not required.

Q: Is there anything or character that struck you especially, stayed back. You can answer with a simple “No” too. :)

Sukanya: I loved the realistic depiction of the two characters, specially that of Agnishikha.

Q: Your verdict in a sentence or two on Culling Mynahs and Crows?

Sukanya:  Well the book  is a good read. But the details given about the political and economical background is a bit naïve. Another thing, this book must have a sequel!

Thank you Sukanya Sanyal.

A few other readers have also asked me if there’s going to be a sequel.

So I’m working on that. And hope to have you back again

when the sequels (have two in my mind) are done! Thank you once more!