I was really tempted to read the novel The Story of A Suicide by Sriram Ayer just by its title. As the title suggest a plot was woven around a suicide, the circumstances which led to a person ending his life. It seems to be a very intriguing story line.

The plot revolves around four characters Sam, Charu, Mani and Hari and how their decisions affect each other in fact their deeds or rather misdeeds became catalyst of suicide for one of them. I won’t reveal the name as it will be a spoiler.

Though the author did his best to characterize each of their character but Charu’s character was pretty difficult and complex to understand. Her post on Facebook was explosive. Couldn’t believe someone in real life can write such a post and that to for public view. Charu was difficult to relate with.

Another character Hari was a weird one. He was sexually abused by a male relative in his childhood but end up becoming a gay. How that was possible. Intimacy does not come easily for people who are sexually abused. He never manage to open up to anyone not even to his sister with whom he shared a close relationship. Even that I find difficult to digest. 

The story of Mani was most convincing. We do hear in news how some bright students despite of all the hardship in life manages to do so well academically. But then gay angle comes in the play which diverts the Mani’s story to completely different direction.

Sam’s character is the most hopeless one. If his Jarvis app for Android phones becomes a reality, Smartphones will be next dangerous thing to use.    

The author has showed very successfully that not one dark incident compels a person to take away his previous life. It is the loveless, hopeless and condemn in which a person lives throughout his life when reaches its epitome it is at that point a person thinks of ending his life. The author has very vulnerably portrayed the plight of suicidal that reader would have all the sympathy with the character.

But suicides could be prevented if there is a single ray of positivity in one’s life. Author failed to create that positivity in his novel. That one positive character who could inspire the person to fight instead of giving up would have been a great message to give away. 

It is a very dark novel. In spite of the great concept of suicide, there is no positive message to take away from this novel.