How many of us believe in true love? Do we believe our soul mate is out there somewhere and fate has a role to play when it comes to relationships working out? On the other hand, is there someone who believes that love is just a chemical reaction resulting from the hormones doing their work in our body? In the book ‘When Love Pays A Visit’ the author explores these questions through the different characters in the story. This is a work of fiction, however, the dilemma at its core is dealt with in a way that leaves the reader with some questions of their own.
The story begins with an old man witnessing a lover’s spat between a young couple and asking them to listen to a story he has to offer. The story was about Adam James, a psychology lecturer at Stanford University. Adam does not believe in true love and is always ready to debate anyone on this topic using logical reasoning. Having witnessed his parents getting divorced, Adam also has his unique views on marriage and how it does not work in the long run. People around Adam try their best to make him understand that it is not as black and white as it appears, but the practical and stubborn Adam is difficult to convince. The tables do begin to turn when he meets his match in Laska Amor. Laska is visiting the University for a short while and uses Adam’s sharp logic to spin the narrative the other way round.
The book does not revolve around these two characters alone. Everyone around Adam, involving his colleagues and students at the University to the Barista he visits regularly, has a story of their own. Their experiences provide the reader with two viewpoints, with material to fill out the columns marked ‘For’ and ‘Against.’ This approach of taking different narratives and using them to answer a central question is interesting and works in favour of the book. Pick this up to see if Adam stands his ground or if his belief is questioned, and he starts to see a different picture.