(Reviewed by JD Jung)
While author Rahul Bhandari sees humor as transformative, this collection of eight short stories provides a well needed escape from the dire events taking place in the United States and throughout the world. In these stories, he shows human emotions and frailties through humor. My favorites are:
“Jugaad Inc.”, where we discover “India’s most chaotic startup” that surprisingly receives Silicon Valley interest, and “The Accidental Cult Leader” which follows a tired podcaster whose satirical jokes about the virtues of laziness snowball into a movement he never asked for—and can’t seem to shake.
I also enjoyed “Rent-A-Relative” which shows need and vulnerability, and “Shaadi.exe – Love, Laughter & Logins” where a grandmother won’t stop trying to find her almost thirty-year-old grandson a bride using current technology.
I can’t say that I enjoyed all the stories, but there’s enough here to make up for them. Bhandari manages to embrace the absurd without resorting to slapstick.
He reminds us that sometimes the best way to deal with life is to laugh at it. I wish I could follow that advice. Though I usually prefer more edgy humor, Collected With Smile was just what I needed.