Tokyo Cancelled

A modern-day "Arabian Nights" for the next generation. Some of the stories in here are downright odd, but they're all enjoyable and perfect for late-night reading.

This is one of the most well written, captivating and creative collection of short stories that I have read in a long time. There are so many different plots and twists and turns to each story that one wonders how Dasgupta was able to imagine it all. I very much enjoyed the fact that each story is set in a different city across five continents. For the places that I knew, I really got the feeling that Dasgupta had a good grasp of the cultures he was writing about. I would definitely recommend reading this book, especially if one enjoys foreign settings and a certain magical atmosphere.

Like another reader, I picked this up thinking the idea was an interesting slant on a theme of short stories. I was expecting something connecting the stranded passengers but I really did fall into the magical realism we're used to finding from writers like Isabel Allende et al. Actually none of the stories relate to each other (excepting some references in the last story to earlier incidents) though they all demonstrate the writer's knowledge of capital cities and some astude references to current global affairs (eg, the economic crisis in Argentina). I loved the unrealistic side of the tales, the exploration of the depth of the human mind and the concept of dreams as reality. Its refreshing to read such an International book (meaning, you really couldn't tell where the author is from by just reading the stories). I believe this is Rana Dasgupta's first book and I really have to give him credit for his incredible style and the enormous amound of research that went into the work. If I was to find one fault (and this is the only one) and while I really enjoy the style of writing and the great idea of using stranded/bored passengers to share their stories...........they all had the same style and they all used the same bizarre magical reality throughout. Some more individualism (ie, a different storytelling style) might have added to the authenticity of the situation.........The odds of finding 13 excellent storytellers on a stranded flight seems a little too incredulous! All in all, however, this was an excellent Summer read and I thoroughly recommend picking it up soon.

This book was not what I expected, and after finishing it, I still do not know what to think. The premise is what made me initially interested: a group of 13 strangers are stranded in the airport in Tokyo for the night and decide to pass the time by telling stories. Sounds interesting, right? I thought that the stories would be global and realistic stories about people and life. I was wrong. The stories are certainly global, and the author describes beautifully each city in the book with intimate knowledge, but the collection of stories are more like fairy tales and fantasies. I did not fully understand many of the stories, but the book kept me reading nonetheless. Overall, it was not a bad book, just different. The author writes well, and for the imaginative, this may be a great book. I just think that I would have liked similar stories about life told without the fantasy better.

I rcvd my copy of Tokyo Cancelled, and started to read it the very same day. Frankly, I thought it may be a bit too high brow for me. The reviews were very "literary". To my pleasant surprise, it is more accessible than I expected. There are 13 short stories of varying styles. The stories are told by travelers stranded in the Tokyo airport (hence the title). They are told in various forms: fables, modern tales, a sectioned/outline format, and set in modern and fanciful times. Be prepared to suspend reality. This is one of those books that can be read on many levels. I enjoyed the stories in and of themselves, but also enjoyed thinking about them afterward. I plan to read the book again. I suspect I will get more out of it on the second reading. Dasgupta has an interesting writing style. I was often amused, occassionally embarrassed or surprised, sometimes sad or even bemused... overall a very interesting book. I still don't "get" the Frankfurt Mapmaker story, but I enjoyed it. Hmmm...I'll surely read it again. The Billionaire's Sheep was powerful - it made me think. I don't want to give anything away here - please forgive my generalizations. This book is not of the IWE (Indians Writing in English) genre, though the writer has a good command of India. This is not Lahiri, Mistry or any other Indian writer - so don't expect that kind of novel. (Though I have enjoyed Lahiri and Mistry.)Dasgupta has his own voice. I plan on recommending this to a few friends who I think would appreciate this unique book.