The last laugh (Paperback)

~ (Author), Lakshman Sethuraman (Editor), Louis Dobson (Photographer), Alberto Gomez (Cover Design)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Discover the romantic in you with The Last Laugh! Friendship, love and pathos form the theme of most of the short stories in this novel. The stories have an Indian touch to them but carry charm and sensitivity that will appeal to a wide audience. The book is an ideal pick whether you are here for a quick pleasant conversation with the characters or a deeper study of their psyche and your own reaction to the events in their lives.

About the Author

Ramya Sethuraman is a software engineer with a penchant for telling tales. She loves to play with words and has a knack for creating special stories from ordinary, day-to-day lives of people. Her stories have appeared in DNA, Me magazine in Bombay-India, India Abroad newspaper in the US and has received special mention in the 76th annual writer's digest competition in the US.

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (July 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442100133
• ISBN-13: 978-1442100138
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,383,549 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars So emotionally simple that a man could get it!!, December 15, 2009

By	Sujan Balachandran "Sb" (Sb) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am one of the first few to read these stories long before it got published, while they were still Ramya's blog entries. The thing that amazes me about her is her panache to express some of the most convoluted human emotions with utmost lucidity and simplicity. I mean it is really simple and engaging that a "Man could read it", you know like the Geico commercial.
These are stories based on relationships, however for us guys its got its fare share of comedy and quite a bit of suspense and sometimes completely gets you unprepared with its surprise endings.
Good work Ramya!!

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising start, September 25, 2009

By	Subhashini Srinivasan "Subha Srinivasan" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a follower of Ramya's blogs as well as short-stories. One of the chief things that attracted me to her writing early-on, is the way her words evoked sensations -- sights, smells, tastes and feelings. "The incomplete story", "Aunt Maria's love story" and "The prophecy" probably rank as my favorites (in that order) in this collection. "The incomplete story" had me almost in tears with its beautifully crafted narrative and shocking ending. "The prophecy" had me chuckling as I could relate to the chatterbox heroine..:-)

Some of the stories can do with a bit more of context/setting. Though ostensibly set in South India, certain aspects of the story don't gel with the "South Indian"-ness. Eg. names of characters, the way they speak etc..A bit more detail to this aspect will add richness and help the reader relate better.

A wonderful start by a promising writer. I would like for her to explore diverse topics other than love, friendship etc.. in the future.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great first book!, August 30, 2009

By	Srikant - See all my reviews

Having born in India and now living in the US, I obviously relate to the stories. I like the descriptions of smells and tastes, the sentimental characters with their indirect hints and the exploration of relationships between the characters.

In some stories, it did take me a while to get used to the short passages and the multiple characters (some of whom are more developed, while others play a peripheral part) that made it a tad difficult to follow the story without getting distracted at times. Overall, I loved reading through the book and it is a great first short story collection.