Can one tell the difference between fact and fiction? Yes, for facts are supported by physical manifestations and statistics. But what if you are presented with a narrative resembling factual truth yet the author decides to call it fiction? What will you call it? What purpose does such a piece of literature serve? I can only think of it as a mad man's rambling. And the present world needs more such unorthodox individuals and their stunning works which challenge our stereotypical thoughts. Alas! We have lost Valentino (December 31, 2021).
Valentino's Facebook Intro was perhaps his more apt description.
'... Old man who lost the wings of his feet.
So he's flying with his Heart and Soul' it reads.
From my personal interaction I know that he also enjoyed his roles as a playright, sculptor, teacher, antiques restorer, entrepreneur, artist and adventurer. His spirit of curiosity is abundantly sprinkled across the book.
Rightly termed as 'fairy tales for adults' by Radha Gopalan in her review, this book is labyrinth with pathways to many aspects on which the core of human societies rest and for which they have been always seeking guidance. Has Valentino got the facts right? Does that make this work a science-fiction? As our understanding evolves, facts are subject to change. Where does that lead us? Does it mean that all the scientific and technological advances are standing on a hollow ground?
This piece of work is a guide in disguise to show us how far we have distanced ourselves from experiencing and responding to life and instead, are surviving in the safe cocoon of thoughts. Until the climax, does Valentino show a way out? Is he trying to act a messiah or is he another doomsayer in the making? That we could have found out in Part 2 of the series but before it could manifest, his creator rushed to lead Valentino into the future, to a land where all of us must travel some day and with it, another solution to perpetual conflict between human beings and nature is now hiding in the maze of time. Are you ready to discover it on your own?
Have you read 'The Last Nomad'?
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