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A Sliver of Moonbeam by Ipsita Banerjee

Roshmi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:41:00 +0000

The other day I was reading Ruskin Bond’s “Notes From A Small Room” (a collection of his writings, taken from his diary and notebooks, up till a few years ago) and came across the name of one of his shorter pieces titled, “Catch a Moonbeam” – that has not been published before. Though I haven’t yet finished reading the book, yet needless to say that I enjoy his writings immensely. He is one of my all time favourite authors.

In case you are wondering why I brought in Ruskin Bond and one of his works here, well, all I can say is that I am about to share my thoughts on lawyer-turned-debutant author Ipsita Banejee’s first offering, “A Sliver of Moonbeam“. Now you can see the “moonbeam” connection, no? But I have no plans of digressing any further.

Published by Frog Books, this one is a slim volume – only 106 pages; something you can curl up with on a lazy weekend, or read as a bed time book, or it can even serve as a quick read while traveling to and fro from work or any other destination for that matter. And at only Rs.95 it is very light on the pocket too!

Don’t judge the book by the number of pages, coz it does pack in a quite a lot within its covers. Short stories – fiction as well as a few inspired from real life – some dark and with a twist in the tale, others – a little poignant, some sprinkled with a dash of humour, that will ensure a gentle smile on your lips. And then there are verses, a few that are an ode to Ipsita’s longing for her father – her Baba – whose presence and arms she seeks: to feel protected, to feel secure and to be the little girl once again with nary a care in the world. She also pens her thoughts, rather her feelings, on seeing him in pain – while lying in the ICU, and then his eventual journey into the sunset.

There are others too: of yearning, of faded love, of a sterile life, of longing and pining for someone, of wanting to be careless, carefree and casual once again.

There are myriad shades, though I would not say that the verses (rhymes rather) made for some deep philosophical musings, insights, etc., yet they do manage to leave an impact. Somewhat that is.

Why has the author called her first offering “A Sliver of Moonbeam” – I know not.

But what I liked best were her musings – drawn from real life. Titled, “Music and Perfume”, “Sounds”, “Little Angels”, “Family Vacations”, “Call In Them, Idiots!”, “Nothing”, “Idyllic Holidays”, “Bengali”, “Non-Application of Mind”, “Mornings” and “Thanks, Mr. Bell” – they make for some delightful reading.

About her tryst with trying her hand at piano playing, her attempts at singing, on being tone deaf and how she was thrilled when her daughters were born. Since everyone exclaimed how lucky she was to be blessed with two little angels … and how even after the passage of over a decade, she is still waiting for the slightest hint of a halo on either head, even an illusory soap induced rainbow like aura!

There are her musings about life when there was no TV and about life when suddenly there was TV all day and all night! And how she has never found a better baby sitter to rival the idiot box. You will smile reading about her account of the dreaded part of family vacations – packing; especially with her two brats, one of whom insists on wearing a slip of a dress on New Year’s eve, in Bhutan – in winter; while the other wants to carry her skimpy shorts that “make my legs look long”. And how a chocolate she had insisted could not travel with them was later found to be squished inside her favourite sweater (!) and how while trying out the local food she would be greeted with a “You just ate an unborn pearl, Ma!”

Being maid-less for six weeks and then finally tiring of fantasizing about a luxurious life in a mansion with Brad Pitt. Of being pregnant and handed a long list of don’ts (including any book by Stephen King) and generally being asked to just lie in bed and dream of cherubic babies; then giving birth and feeling like a cow that has given birth to a leech hanging on to her breast for dear life! Reminisces of every childhood holidays spent in water or on trees … than on land. Of the immense possibilities and challenges posed by languages, especially Bengali – where one would end up saying a whole paragraph in order to call someone “nyaka” (a complete Bengali specialty, I tell you) – in English. Of being a minor expert in rain showers, and on being constantly ‘advised’ by her mother on the importance of a steady diet of fish curry and rice – for her kids (instead of the worthless Maggi) – since “it makes your brains open up” … while all the while she was sure that it didn’t work for her!

Of scoring 3/100 in Sanskrit, of her brats informing her that there is ‘shor’ in her doodh and that she does not like Complan so why she cannot get Milo instead. This, during the morning mega rush, while she is struggling to pack them to school! Of times when the telephone was an instrument, black and heavy – that one could even use the receiver as a dumbbell because the telephone lines were not working most of the time anyway. Of being heard giggling on the phone (by her parents) and how conversations longer than 10 seconds made the frown lines deeper … and ‘the ultimate sin’ – if, God forbid, any BOY called. Of relying on the Indian Postal System for getting her thoughts across, and on still getting tongue-tied on the phone.

I really had a good time reading this section and I feel Ipsita has a good hand at fun and humour. Its gentle and relatable and not the sidesplitting type and her writings do make us reminisce on our own lives, as well as our childhood and carefree times past. I would love to read more of her writings in the future, especially this aspect of her writings. She does not give the impression of trying too hard and is effortless.

The book feels good to hold and I don’t really recollect any editing errors; so if at all there were any, they must have been really negligible. And that certainly added to the reading pleasure.

Suggestions: I wish some more thought had been given to the choice of the titles – of each story/chapter. There is some scope for improvement, rather innovativeness there. Ditto the book blurb. This brings me to the book jacket cover. I won’t say it is unsuitable, however I feel it falls short of doing justice to the contents of the book. There should have been some “sunshine” there, so to speak – in line with the funny, humourous, tangy, sweet, bitter sweet and sarcastic flavours – which lie within its fold. As we all know, visuals are important in choosing a book – especially by a debutante author, where ‘First impress-aan izz last impress-aan’!

My Rating: I am going with a 3.5/5 for Ipsita Banerjee’s debut book and I look forward to her future writings with interest.

Details of the book: A Sliver of Moonbeam/ Author: Ipsita Banerjee/ Publisher: Frog Books (an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd.)/ Publishing Date: 2011/ ISBN: 978-93-81115-15-2/ Pages: 106/ Price: Rs.95 (Rs.81 @ Indiaplaza.)

About the Author: Ipsita Banerjee describes herself as irreverent, crazy and tactless, but also a mother, a lawyer, a wife and a daughter. Like most women today, she plays a juggling act: maid, driver, tutor, professional, cook… and writes when she has the time. She lives in Calcutta (now Kolkata) with a large assortment of in-laws, and can be contacted at ipsita70@gmail.com

Picture: Courtesy link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (Musings of an Unknown Indian)

When a Lawyer Falls in Love by Amrita Suresh

Roshmi — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:08:00 +0000

When a Lawyer Falls in Love – this interestingly titled book is the debut offering of Amrita Suresh, who had decided she wanted to be a novelist while she was still a bespectacled twelve-year-old, and finally managed to pen this one as a bespectacled twenty-two-year-old. So all credit must go to those spectacles, I presume.

It makes for a nice breezy read … and nowhere does it in any way suggest that a lawyer (including one in the making) should not succumb to the matters of the heart. So lawyers and budding lawyers need not to worry! Come to think of it, there is no law that forbids a lawyer from falling in love too; therefore it is safe to infer that indulging in this activity is constitutionally validated and very much legal – for lawyers that is.

There are lawyers (read: law students) galore in the book, coz it is set in a law college – the All India Universal College or AIU – one of the best in the country; I leave it to your discretion and imagination to infer which one *Smile*

The college also has a great canteen and nobody ever complains of bad food and nobody ever succumbs to exam fever since there is very little mention of it. Their worries – and there is plenty of it – are of a different nature. Also since all the students resides within the college campus, we barely get a glimpse of the city or the state – except for some ice cream or bhutta or chat stalls – outside the campus gates.

The main characters are all third year students, but we do get some amount of flashback into their lives that serve to add and enliven the storyline, as well as aid in kind of fleshing out the characters – sufficiently enough for sustaining the tale.

The Laurel and Hardy pair of the chubby, diminutive, baby-faced Arian, Ankur Palekar and the bean-pole-like six-footer, Vyas Rao; the romantic-at-heart Bengali – Souvik Bose, the linguistically advantaged, brainy Malayali – Pavan Nair, the brawny Rohit Randhwah, the shy monosyllable loving Tamilian – Jaishree Subramaniam and the star-sign and palmistry guru-cum-Gujarati ‘lioness’ Sonali Shah; their collective trials and tribulations – mostly about their affairs of the heart – real and imaginary or hoped for, and a wee bit about their life in the classrooms or libraries.

There are a few other characters too, like, the graveyard obsessed Caroline D’Silva and her cousin, the would-be electrical engineer – Bhoomika Shetty, Souvik’s mother, etc. that serve to garnish this tale that is ostensibly about budding lawyers; but which is in essence a pacey and humourous tale about those distant and not-so-distant carefree salad days when we reveled in our inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, and yes indiscretion too.

The lawyers bit is secondary, since we hardly get to read about them being lawyers; it could well have been a tale about a bunch of budding engineers or doctors or management students or history/economics/literature students for that matter. If one were looking forward to those tidbits or nuggets of detail that is specific to law schools and the species that study there, those tales of moot courts, of intense competition and rivalry, of the shenanigans and/or idiosyncrasies of senior lawyers, etc, one would be disappointed. However, we do get some insights into astrology and palmistry and that grabs our attention completely. It is interesting and informative and apart from blending well with the storyline, makes us ponder and wonder.

There isn’t much about the “culture” that these characters that people this book come from – real or Bollywood-ized; but generous amounts of the ‘variations’ that their respective tongues are capable of producing, like: laarn, aarn, sh-ave, po-lees, saw-site-ee, curry-er, kapi, lawyer, whaaire, vary open minded etc. generate a good-natured smile on our lips from time to time. And that, I mean the smile, shows up quite regularly; since the story is a humourous one and the writing style is simple yet breezy and quite easy to connect with. One can get a whiff of Five Point Someone or even its celluloid version 3 Idiots in it.

Book blurb: Ankur Palekar, a third year law student believes his life is quite sorted out. Except that he does not want to become a lawyer, has a family history of lunacy and has actually fallen in love. Vyas, Ankur’s roommate and best friend, has no such problems – only a girlfriend who emerges from a grave yard of all places and who insists on visiting him in his boys’ hostel. Add to it, a Malayali friend whose car never starts and vocal chords never stop, a law festival that is not completely legal and an arranged marriage which is more deranged than arranged.

My rating: I don’t plan to reveal any more than I have already done coz that will be akin to playing the spoiler, and I’d much rather play Santa instead!

There are very few grammatical or editing errors and that makes the reader’s journey that much smoother. The book jacket cover is quite well done and attractive and all credit to the author for not opting for a cheesy one instead – the kind we get to see dime a dozen these days. This one is a book that you would love to curl up with, if you are in the mood for a light, breezy read, that is. Don’t go looking for insights into the lawyer fraternity or wanting to figure out as to how a hard-nosed, dyed-in-the-wool lawyer could actually manage to fall in love (!) of all things, and you would enjoy reading this book.

I am going with a 3/5 for Amrita Suresh’s debut effort.

Details of Book: When a Lawyer Falls in Love/ Author: Amrita Suresh/ Pages: 230/ ISBN: 8183282059/ ISBN-13: 9788183282055, 978-8183282055/ Publishing Date: 2011/ Publisher: Offshoots/ Binding: Paperback/ Price: Rs. 100/

Photograph: The book jacket cover of When a Lawyer Falls in Love.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (Musings of an Unknown Indian)

The Blogging Affair by Manu

Roshmi — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:32:00 +0000

Amitabh Manu is a first time author and his maiden offering is “The Blogging Affair”. He however prefers to write under the name Manu and has carefully dropped Amitabh in the process. Perhaps he is no fan of millionaire-making game shows and/or big and small bees. So much for honey and money!

The Blogging Affair is a murder mystery but not in the classic ‘thriller’ or ‘whodunit’ format that we normally associate with this genre. It is also quite different from the well-received debut novel of Ismita Tandon Dhankher, titled, “Love on the Rocks”. In fact, I don’t recollect having come across anything like this from Indian authors past and present. And perhaps that is the reason why Amitabh had thanked me for sending him a friend request on FB (which he accepted of course); while stating at the same time that he hoped I would not change my mind after reading the book (along with a smiley).

I had gallantly (not sure if the female of the species are supposed to be gallant) assured him that though I hailed from Poschimbongo, I was very unlike Mamata didi – and suffixed it with a smiley as well, as a proof of my noble intentions.

Now, the book consists of only 339 pages; but it took me longer than usual to turn the last page. This is partly due to the fact that I was a bit pressed for time and partly due to the nature of the book.

A beautiful girl has been found dead in her bed and the cops have been alerted and they are on the job. So far so good, but there are multiple narratives vying for your attention: the inner voice (or whatever was left of it) of the guy Maithun Mehta – the prime suspect, coz he was in an extra-marital affair with the dead girl. Unfortunately he doesn’t think with his gray cells, never did; his capabilities lie elsewhere, further down.

There is this game of one-upmanship between the police guys investigating the murder. Their hot and cold wars make for an interesting read, and is a classic case of brawn vs. brain. I somewhat liked this part; and there is a bit of humour too. The mystery bit though isn’t deep but it does manage to hold your attention all the same, kind of. However, the bit about ‘dreaming in colour’ is totally clichéd and should have been avoided. Even if the author meant it to be funny or punny, it falls way short.

Next there is an anonymous blog – in reverse chronological order. The author’s identity is hidden but the blog is suspected to be a vital clue as well as character, in this murder mystery.

Umm, we are not averse to feed our blog regularly or asking others (blogger friends) to feed theirs – so as to keep the blog healthy or well nourished and thereby ensuring a steady flow of traffic. However, the author has so overfed this anonymous blog, that a gift voucher from one of the ubiquitous weight-loss programmes wouldn’t be a bad idea. It certainly resulted in reader fatigue. Reader meaning: yours truly.

The anonymous blogger’s digressions into religion, homeopathy, education, politics, spiritual enlightenment, etc simply eat up space and bring down the pace to that of a snail. Not done. Amitabh may have wanted to share his point of views on these matters of national importance with his readers, but writing a whole book for that purpose was not necessary. He could have simply posted them on his personal blog!

Agreed they do give him precious opportunities to talk about eclectic issues, and get into saucy word plays and double entendres, supposedly to enliven the book, but the effect is quite the contrary. Maithun’s inner voice with its one-track mind and too much sauciness affect you so much that you just want to stay away from ‘sauce’ for a while.

It becomes unfunny and unpunny after a point.

Had the plot, the storyline, the description, the execution or the writing style matched, the digressions would have been welcome; it would have been curd and rice. Then, chaat masala, pickle, pomegranate seeds, nuts and even dry fruits would have enhanced its taste.

“The Blogging Mystery” is a mix-and-unmatch. Just like curd and noodles.

Though the chapters are short, there are 69 of them, making it a nice thick book; but given that too many avoidable people this book, apart from some clunky writing, it requires a great deal of effort – to finish it.

While editing was hibernating big time, something I did not expect from Frog Books. There are so many errors – poor grammar, spelling, sentence structure, garbled lines, et al, that one would not dare think of gifting this to one’s English teacher as a Christmas present.

My rating: I am going with a 2/5 for Amitabh Manu’s debut novel. Despite this being the Xmas season and with New Year around the corner too, I am unable to imbibe the festive spirit and be more generous. Sorry.

With better editing and a tighter plot, apart from cutting out the ample dead wood, this one could have made for a good read, if not a great one. Though I must concede that (Amitabh) Manu is earnest, I feel he can do much better.

Details of Book: The Blogging Affair/ Author: Manu/ Pages: 339/ ISBN: 978-93-81115-39-8/ Publishing Date: 2011/ Publisher: Frog Books (an imprint of Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd.)/ Binding: Paperback/ Price: Rs. 295/Photograph: The book jacket cover of The Blogging Affair.

Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (Musings of an Unknown Indian)

Prey By The Ganges by Hemant Kumar

Roshmi — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:23:00 +0000

A fairly taut and gripping tale, Prey By The Ganges does manage to hold your interest until the very end.

Debutant author Hemant Kumar has impressed with his maiden offering and will certainly be someone to watch out for in the future.

The book jacket cover instantly grabs your attention; you want to read it, and once you start … you cannot really put it down until the last page has been turned.

The book feels good to hold and I don’t really recollect any editing errors; so if at all there were any, they must have been really negligible. And that certainly added to the reading pleasure.

Though the book cover does give away some clues about the story resting within its pages, it still manages to withhold most of it.

The storyline: Set in 1948, deep in the heart of eastern India, this is a story of fate, of fortune, of friendship, of rage and resistance, of indefatigable courage and steadfastness; and of relationship in all its myriad shades.

Stories of women and some men – reaching across great divides – in one of the most treacherous terrains on earth where turmoil reigns and violence against women is unchecked.

I won’t exactly call this one a “slice of life”, but one that borrows copiously from it; it is an intense tale woven with poverty, abuse, lies, trickery, and mayhem … but is ultimately a tale of survival.

It is full of everything; lust, sex, horror, grief, etc. are all in abundance on the grounds surrounding the mighty and holy Ganges River, whose waters bring salvation from the cycle of rebirth, and who mutely witnesses it all. Or does she? Can the river – Ma Ganga – heal the healer?

The plot: Two feuding brothers – both young and handsome Thakurs – each with a personal army; they are fighting an endless battle of wits, guns … and lives. Who wins?

An idealistic young man, son of a traditional bonesetter, picks up the paintbrush instead and goes to live in the mountains, shunning his destiny as a “vaidya”. Why does he want a priceless diamond then?

A son of a jeweler, fate makes him a “vaidya”. But why is he after the diamond too?

What makes him, a non-violent, unarmed man, handsome and in the prime of his youth, risk his all to douse the anger in his heart?

… And in the process – his journey – does he discover much more? Much that words cannot express, much – that is coveted by all; much that is so invaluable that even a rare priceless diamond pales into valuelessness in front of it?

Prey By The Ganges is the story of one violent night across the Ganges. A cold, rainy night in a forest across the Ganges to be precise – it is the setting for a grisly, soul-shattering bludgeoning; one that elicits a stirring vow from a friend who is more than a brother, a desperate cat and mouse chase and much more. This is also where a young man lies in a ditch, in excruciating pain and bleeding heavily, with a knife through his stomach. Will he die?

Well, don’t expect me to play the spoiler. I will not reveal any more than I have already done. So if you want to know more, get hold of the book and read all you can.

The decadent and perilous world of the powerful lords of the land, the dangerous secrets they protect, the liberties they don’t hesitate to exploit, are laid bare before our eyes.

Hemant has an eye for detail. Every encounter, every twist and turn, the dialogues, the setting, is reasonably well done.

And even the names – Thakur Gajanan Singh and Thakur Suraj Singh, Thakurain Leelavati and Thakurain Rajni; Gajanan’s underlings – Ashok for the slightly respectable one, since he is somewhat of a majordomo; and Baabu, Laalten, Kariya and Bhondu – for his henchmen. Etwari – for the child-woman that Thakur Gajanan ravishes at will; Bahuteri for her mother. Shambhu, the Vaidya and Ravi, the painter. Dhibri – the man who burns corpses, and Hariya – the old ranch hand with angry welts across his body and soul.

Each is a pawn in this bizarre game of life and death, and each with a story to tell. Or hide.

The two characters that stand out are those of Thakur Gajanan Singh and Vaidya Shambhu Nandan. And despite everything, Hemant has somehow managed to de-evilize Gajanan, if I can say that; not unlike what Vikramaditya Motwane did to Ronit Roy’s character in Udaan.

There is a sneak peek about corruption and patronage, of monopolies and cronyism, about the rakshak and the bhakshak; and what “independence” did to these monsters. How much has changed, if at all? Has anything changed really?

Hemant has been able to weave what is essentially a violent, rustic and evocative tale with polish and substance.

The limpid writing style blending violence and fear, quiet strength and raw courage, searing hatred and calm compassion, white-hot passion and serene romance, plus much else, in a neat package, is a readers delight. It pulls you into the narrative and keeps you there.

However, one is also left to ponder over whether being armed with moral courage, fearlessness, honesty, sensitivity and all that jazz, mean anything at all, against firearms and weapons.

Time to put on your thinking cap and stop those gray cells from graying.

The author had mentioned during our correspondence that he has written his debut novel with heart, and after having read it; I cannot but agree on that one.

My two pence: The opening chapter is very well done, quite fresh and riveting. But somewhere down the line, some events and characters get too predictable and over done; and that interferes with the taste – slowing down the pace apart from eating up space. While the unmistakable Bollywood flavour leaves the fiction loving epicurean in me less than completely satiated.

Instead of some of the stuff that needlessly drags on, I would have liked to know a bit more about what happened to Etwari between her first ‘encounter’ with Thakur Gajanan Singh in his inner chambers, and her arrival at the shed – to her parents. I would have liked to be a part of her transformation, her inner journey. That would have been interesting and insightful too … especially from someone so young, given her history and background.

… And I was and am curious to know what happened to Somwari? I feel her character should have been a little more fleshed out. After all, she made a young man with a promising future leave his world behind, and it is she who is there in the final page too!

Hariya’s faith and belief in Rajni, that she would have somehow saved Etwari … had the latter’s father appealed to her instead of meeting the Thakur. Why and how?

Shambhu is too pristine and too ‘white’ for my taste; a dash of colour and a hint of naughtiness or rakish charm would have settled well on him.

The two main characters in this novel need not have mirrored the popular perception of the two main characters from one of our great epics.

Come to think of it, Gajanan does remind me of the handsome, swashbuckling and horse-riding villain, the devilish Mayurbahon, from one of ace director Tapan Sinha’s master creations; his adaptation of Anthony Hope’s “The Prisoner of Zenda”. Based on a story by Saradindu Bandopadhyay, the creator of Byomkesh Bakshi, “Jhinder Bondi” (1961) was a roaring success. And the young Soumitra Chatterjee as the handsome and dashing Mayurbahon, managed to overshadow the matinee idol of Bangla cinema, Mohanayok Uttam Kumar himself.

So while Shambhu does have traces of the noble-hearted Shonkar Sen – essayed by Uttam Kumar, Prey By The Ganges too reminds me of Jhinder Bondi in bits and pieces.

There is also one or two other minor inconsistencies that could have been easily pruned out, not that they interfere or take away from the narrative.

That brings me to the book cover – it is all-good, very good in fact, but somehow the bare-backed woman does not seem to belong there.

My rating: I am going with a 3.5/5 for Hemant Kumar’s debut novel.

Prey By The Ganges is a compelling read; it will appeal to a wide variety of readers. For fans of good fiction – this is one book you’ll love to sink your teeth into; that the taste and flavour is slightly different, should add to the appeal.

I look forward to Hemant’s future writings with interest.

Parting shot: With an eclectic cast comprising of interesting and solid actors, under the baton of a competent director, I see Prey By The Ganges as having a lot of potential for the big screen, with some tweaks of course.

It could fit snugly into the genre of films classified as ‘low-budget movies’, several of which have hit the marquee lately. And I somehow feel that Vikramaditya Motwane would be perfect to helm this one too.

Details of the book: Prey By The Ganges/ Author: Hemant Kumar/ Publisher: Chlorophyll (an imprint of Wisdom Tree)/ Publishing Date: 2011/ ISBN-10: 8183281869/ ISBN-13: 9788183281867, 978-8183281867/ Pages: 382/ Price: Rs.295 (Rs.221 @ )

Photograph: The book jacket cover of Prey By The Ganges. Picture courtesy:

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (Musings of an Unknown Indian)

Haunted by Douglas Misquita

Roshmi — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:07:00 +0000

Fast paced, filled with plenty of high-octane action and incredible twists and turns, Haunted is one action-thriller guaranteed to give an adrenaline rush. Douglas Misquita, Jr. has impressed and how!

Don’t be mislead by the title, this book has nothing to do with the denizens of the spirit world or the afterlife, and the author – Douglas Misquita – is very much Indian *smile*

Action-thriller is one of my favourite genres and needless to say, I was more than glad when I won an author signed copy. There is nothing better than an intelligent and lucid thriller that pulls you into the narrative and keeps you there till the very end.

Book blurb: FBI Special Agent Kirk Ingram’s life is torn apart when his family is brutally murdered before his eyes. Devastated physically and psychologically, he vows to destroy organized crime in all forms.

Across the globe, an international trade house brings terrorist activities and organized crime together in a deadly nexus that threatens to bring the world-order to the point of anarchy.

And only one man stands in the way of global terror and paranoia — one man seeking redemption, and waging a personal battle against the demons of his past…

Alistair Maclean is my all time favourite for his Second World War and action-thriller novels like: Ice Station Zebra, The Guns of Navarone, Breakheart Pass, among others. I have enjoyed watching the movies too… and it had absolutely nothing to do with the presence of a certain Gregory Peck, I tell you.

Maclean’s Where Eagles Dare starring the slightly aging but with his debonair charm intact Richard Burton, and the suave Clint Eastwood is a classic that has achieved cult status.

I liked Sydney Pollack’s Three Days of the Condor starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway as well. (Umm, I have a sneaking suspicion that the recent yawn-inducing yarn Kuchh Luv Jaisa starring the face of Indian English film, Rahul Bose and the wannabe desi Jennifer Aniston, Shefali Shah, directed by someone who is clearly a legend in her own mind, was ‘inspired’ by this 1975 classic.)

But I digress.

A plot built around the terrorism theme isn’t something that we can call refreshing or novel, however the plot in Haunted clearly is and for an Indian author this one is certainly a hatke plot. Frankly the reader never feels that an Indian author has written this, and I mean no disrespect towards Indian authors. I am merely doffing my hat at Douglas’ caliber as an action-thriller writer, the meticulous research, the erudite language, the taut narrative and the nearly impeccable editing, apart from the look and feel of the book of course. That reminds me… I got to buy one, a hat that is, if Douglas plans to keep writing thrillers like this.

The opening pages are simply mind-blowing – the built up, the chase and the encounter – all leave you quite stunned and yet asking for more.

The pace dips a bit in the subsequent pages, but picks up where it has to and from then onwards it is one tremendous ride. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill terrorism stories but a tight adrenalin packed one, involving Citex, a deadly nerve agent. Umm, it reminds me of the ‘naagpaas’ mentioned in our epics and other literature classified as mythology… btw.

You travel along with Kirk Ingram, the slightly larger than life protagonist/hero, through his trials and tribulations – his highs and lows, his success and setbacks, his smiles and tears – in his quest to destroy organized crime in all forms.

Through the US, Eastern Europe and the Balkans you come across characters – some pitch black, some white and others with distinct shades of gray. You get a sneak peek into the methodologies adapted by the bad rather ugly and evil guys, their logistics network, their fronts, their lives, their agenda and their motivations.

There is some fabulous underwater action too.

The good guys – and there are quite a few of them – work tirelessly despite mounting challenges. Detective Connor stands out among them, though for some reason Arnold Schwarzenegger’s visage appeared in my head a few times while reading about him – and under the current circumstances, it is not a compliment. And the good detective does absolutely nothing to merit one either.

You will warm up to the plucky Tamura and the intrepid Amanda Gunner who is on a mission of her own. What that is I will not tell you, read the book to find out.

Lars Gunther, his conglomerate and the shadowy Imer Qerim along with their cronies and sidekicks ooze nastiness from every pore of their being. They will leave no stone unturned to succeed in their nefarious designs and will stop at nothing to liquidate any opposition, Kirk and his team included.

How each of them goes about their job is something you got to read for yourself – for the thrills.

I won’t be surprised if your GK or your vocabulary travels northward at the end of it. And there is a twist in the tale too – but don’t expect me to play the spoiler. That is something I will not do.

Do not expect to skim through the book and this is no cursory read. It demands your full attention and is worth every bit of it.

When I say full attention, it does not indicate towards the reading bit only. You got to visualize it too. Simultaneously. Make sure you play out the scenes in your head, while your eyes do the reading. That will make it as they say in Mumbai or perhaps in matinee speak, “paisa vasool”.

Needless to say, Haunted will make for one helluva movie too but not a desi one for sure. Umm, come to think of it, it may all depend on the caliber of the production team and the person wielding the megaphone and periodically hollering, “cut” as well.

There are many events and characters peppering the book that may leave you with the feeling that a few of them could have been pruned out. Yet towards the end they all converge and all the loose ends get tied up neatly. A word of advice: do try to read this book at one go or at least cover as much as you can every time you sit down or curl up to read it. You may have to go back and forth a few times in order to get the flow or refresh your memory… but then it is all worth it.

And Oh, make sure to put a face to the characters too – in your mind that is, e.g., Robert Redford or Gregory Peck or Paul Newman for Kirk Ingram – its more enjoyable that way. Where my loyalties lie, you already know. Don’t you?

My rating: 4/5. A compelling read, it will appeal to all age groups. For fans of the action-thriller genre – this is one book you’ll love to sink your teeth into.

I look forward to Douglas’ future writings with interest.

Details of the book: Haunted/ Author: Douglas Misquita, Jr./ Publisher: Frog Books/ Publishing Date: March 1, 2011/ ISBN-10: 938015495X / ISBN-13: 978-9380154954/ Pages: 372/ Price: Rs.350; US $16.

Photograph: The book jacket cover of Haunted. Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha.

Somewhere @ Nowhere by Nikesh Rathi

Roshmi — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:22:00 +0000

This is the debut novel of Nikesh Rathi, and he has chosen to take the road less traveled vis-à-vis the spate of new writers who have presented themselves for us to sink our teeth into. Thankfully it steers clear of an ill timed, ill developed and thoroughly clichéd love story or an almost love story, that has sadly become de rigueur.

Somewhere @ Nowhere also made it to the Vodafone Crossword Book Award 2011 Longlist – which must have made Nikesh Say Cheese!

The Storyline: The protagonist, Aditya Khanna, is quite a thoroughbred – IIT-IIM-Investment Banker – with an enviable paycheck. But then as all good things in life come to an end, the bubble burst. His company filed for bankruptcy and the dreaded pink slip appeared out of the blue. Instead of going right back to job hunting and diligently scanning various job sites, Aditya decides to embark on a journey – to discover India, no less. But will this journey also lead to self-discovery and clear the cobwebs in his head – that is the crux.

No, he wasn’t drawing inspiration from the eventual experience of the supreme joy of full enlightenment by Prince Siddhartha – THE Buddha. You see Aditya was merely one of the many Corporate Buddhas *grin*

But nonetheless he did hope to reap a rich harvest – that of clarity of thought and a perspective on life’s meaning and purpose.

Accompanied by a friend – Ashish – yet another victim of the pink slip, they embarked on an unplanned journey, passing through holy places – Haridwar, Rishikesh – en route to the Himalayas, the jungles of Orissa, remote hamlets, villages and small towns, the IT city – Bangalore, pleasure haven – Goa, et al.

Traveling light, without laptop or cell phone – they journey by rickety buses, general compartments of local trains, rented bikes and on foot, staying in small nondescript hotels and lodges, befriending strangers, meeting people they would have never met before, drinking tea from roadside shacks and eating food that would have been labeled “unhygienic” many times over.

Braving the heat and biting cold, unexpected rains, staying unshaved and unwashed – they encounter villagers – farmers and simple hill folks, truck drivers, hotel helpers and caretakers. And a vast number of sadhus! Claiming to have supposedly ‘renounced the world’ – they go about smearing themselves with ash, emulating the third of the “Trinity”, smoking chillums and demanding money or trying to think of ways to make some. This particular group or industry has never put a freeze on hiring even during the bitter Himalayan winters. And they have never been pink-slipped! Rather they are pink slip proof.

Incidentally, this ancient Vedic faith has always stressed upon “Karma Yog” or the “discipline of action”. It has never advocated ‘renunciation of the world’. Instead urged us to always do our duty or uphold ‘Dharma’, to the best of our ability – on righteous principles. Of the four paths to realization, Karma Yog is the science of achieving perfection in action. To quote Shri Krishna’s immortal words from the Bhagavad-Gita (Chapter II-47):

“Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani.”

Meaning: “Thy business is with the action only, never with its fruits; so let not the fruits of action be thy motive, nor be thou to inaction attached.”

How simple and how relevant, even today! That the Bhagavad-Gita is universally renowned as the jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom, it is because of Karma Yog.

Always do your best without expecting the results and you will be happy. Such simple words, yet so profound! No? Sadly spiritual texts and discourses by Gurus these days do not emphasize on doing one’s duty. But then earlier we had Munis, Rishis, Maharshis, Devarshis, Brahmarshis, Paramhamsas and Avadhutas. Now we have self styled ‘Sadhus’, assorted ‘Babas’ and countless ‘Mithyanands’. What a climbdown!

But I digress.

Which of the people that Aditya and Ashish encounter are happy? Who are the ones that have been able to reconcile themselves with their circumstances? What is faith and what role does it play? You will come across these and some more… in bits and pieces in the book.

Suggestions: However their encounters with the truck driver (Harvinder), the nameless sadhu and the hotel helper cum caretaker Robert… make for an interesting read, though I feel there was scope for some more insightful narrative about the sense of vastness, mystery, power and the critical ingredients of our lives.

Certain events and encounters like the one in the jungles of Orissa (now Odisha) are underdone. There is definitely scope for some more content there and the characters, their situations and their conversations could have been better fleshed out. In the absence of which, the emotions that the author would have liked to convey have not come through that well. They seem somewhat barricaded, so to speak.

Ditto Malti. In her case, the metamorphosis is a little too rushed. She is vulnerable, hurt, lonely, shelter less, scared and scarred, and all of this can ebb or be overcome only gradually. We miss that process, that journey.

Even the co-explorer – Ashish – becomes irrelevant, a mere ‘tag along’ after a while. Additional dialogue to him and more conversation between him, Aditya, the nameless sadhu, Harvinder and Robert would have helped. It may have provided a different perspective. Some conflicts too would have been refreshing… say between Aditya and Ashish.

The author has chosen the impersonal ‘telling’ route over the more interesting dialogue or conversation format. It’s best not to ‘tell’ your readers what your characters feel. Show them through action. But that’s very hard to do, and takes practice. Ruskin Bond excels in this genre but then he is a class act. It’s so much easier to ‘tell’ how the characters feel instead… but it ‘takes away’ too and gets monotonous after a while, leaving the reader unable to postpone the niggling feeling that the author was perhaps in a hurry to complete the book and maybe, just maybe had a page limit in mind too.

The production quality of the book is average but the book jacket cover is quite attractive. However I feel that the titles of the chapters (e.g., ‘Captured’, ‘The Escape’, ‘Lost Somewhere’, ‘Still a rat?’ etc.) reveal too much and rob off the charm and suspense of the following pages. It somewhat dilutes the interest. Not done.

At only 144 pages, Somewhere @ Nowhere makes for a breezy read. The chapters are short… much like the pages of a diary and give the impression that one is reading the book faster than one actually is. However, some tighter editing to prune out some versatile and advanced filler words and phrases like: “and all”, “or something”, “stuff” and doing away with the one obvious flaw: the somewhat prosaic and sometimes rather clunky writing… would have greatly helped in making the readers’ journey smoother.

With the kind of events weaved into the narrative, a lot more could have been done. With the right mix: some taut drama, conflicts, surprise elements, a few heart tugging moments and by cutting out the deadwood – filler words/phrases and perhaps the urge for a quick closure, this one could have turned out to be a very good read. A very good read in it’s own right – a much meatier, insightful and thought provoking read.

My rating: I am going with a 3/5 for Nikesh Rathi’s debut novel. It is not a run-of-the-mill story and stands out among the deluge of dreck camouflaged as romantic novels in our bookstores these days and at just Rs. 150/ is light on the wallet too.

However, Somewhere @ Nowhere should have been a longer journey with some more content added to it. There was ample scope for it too. But, for a debut author it is a fairly good attempt. I would say that the book held a lot more promise than it actually delivered. Whether it contains some bits and pieces from the author’s own life… my guess is as good as yours. But I feel Nikesh can do much better. It may be a good idea to revisit the storyline before the book gets into its second or perhaps third print run. It will feel complete then.

Details of Book: Somewhere @ Nowhere/ Author: Nikesh Rathi/ Pages: 144/ ISBN: 812231130X/ ISBN-13: 9788122311303, 978-8122311303/ Publishing Date: 2010/ Publisher: Cedar Books – Pustak Mahal/ Binding: Paperback/ Price: Rs. 150/ (Rs. 143 on Flipkart)

Photograph: The book jacket cover of Somewhere @ Nowhere. Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha.

The All Bengali Crime Detectives by Suparna Chatterjee

Roshmi — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:21:00 +0000

Two Thumbs Up!

I have been reading about this book in the blogosphere and even discovered that the author had a book reading @ Crossword – which I missed due to prior commitments. So, when I finally managed to go to Crossword (quite by chance) – I started looking for a copy… and found it too. I read the back cover and then began flipping through the pages. On page 11 itself I came across “Roko, hum idhar girega.” This is classic Hingali – meaning that the said person wants to get off/get down at that particular spot/place. (Note: I opted for ‘Hingali’ instead of ‘Bendi’ for obvious reasons *wink*)

Needless to say I was hooked!

ABCD is not just a detective novel or crime fiction. It gives you a glimpse of the celebrated ‘City of Joy’ – Calcutta or rather a word picture of the sights and scenes of Kolkata, and Bengali culture – that is guaranteed to make a smile appear on your lips. And I mean no disrespect. Even if you haven’t visited Kolkata, this book will transport you there.

You get to read about the ‘paaras’ (much more than what is usually meant to be a middle class neighbourhood or locality), the euphoria and intense rivalry brought about by ‘Durga Pujo’ (which coincides with ‘Dussehra’ in the North and ‘Dassara’ in the South of the Vindhyas.) Infact, the unabashed one-upmanship and brinkmanship displayed during the pujo would even make the fifty-year “Cold War” appear very thanda! Added to this are the subplots that involve finding a perfect match for a “wheatish-complexioned girl” and a one-sided love story. And of course the sacred ritual of going to the ‘bajar’ (bazaar or market, Bengalis usually refer to this as: “marketing korte jachchi”) to buy vegetables and fish – Ilish maach (Hilsa), chingri maach (prawns), etc – with the ‘bajarer tholi’ (the nylon shopping bag) in hand. This bag is exclusively used for this very purpose and it is the unavoidable ‘duty’ of the man of the house to go to the bajar whenever required. And somehow Sundays are considered to be the best and most appropriate days to be spent in the bajar, tholi in hand, haggling over maach (fish), begetables (vegetables) and kochi panthar mangsho (mutton culled from a young goat). The whole experience is nothing like you would have seen/read/come across anywhere else, I tell you!

Now, here is the crime bit: In a middle-class Calcutta neighbourhood, the lives of four recently retired men take an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a crime and become detectives.

The crime in question is the sudden disappearance (rather robbery) of a rare diamond – the size of a full-grown grape – and supposedly belonging to the Maharani (Queen) of Garhwal… from right under the noses of retired Joj Saheb Akhil Banerjee, Bibhuti Bose, Chandan Mukherjee and Debdas Guha Roy aka ‘Chaar Padabi’ or ‘the four surnames’. In short: ABCD.

Why ‘Chaar Padabi’? Well ‘padabi’ (or podobi) in Bangla means ‘surname’. And Deb, Das, Guha and Roy are all independent or distinct Bengali surnames!

The crime does get solved eventually. But the build up to the solution is great fun… and includes the delightful anecdote about the Bhim Nag created ‘ledikeni’ – an ubiquitous round dark sweet – deep-fried balls of semolina, milk, khoya and sugar syrup stuffed with saffron and elaichi (cardamom) and fried in ghee to attain a rich brown colour. It is partially like a pantua and partially like a langcha (a specialty from Shaktigarh in the Bardhaman/Burdwan District of West Bengal) but very different in taste from them. This is quite apt ‘coz no account of ‘Bangaliana’ (Bengali food culture) is complete without ‘Bangalir Roshobodh’ (the legendary sweet tooth of the Bengalis.)

Therefore, it’s no wonder that the Bengalis have also come up with the delicately named “lobongo lotika” and the “mishti shingara” – small samosas filled with sweetened reduced milk that go straight from the wok into a syrup wash. The limitless possibilities that the samosa offers – the opportunities to play with tastes and textures; size and seasonings, fragrances and fillings – has inspired cooks down the ages. And the results are fascinating, often surprising, but always tasty. But none could think of the “mishti shingara” – the sweet singara – before the bhojon roshik Bangali, who is willing to undertake an epicurean voyage anytime. Bite into the Bengali shingara and the light puff pastry melts away to release the flavours of subtly seasoned potatoes or cauliflower teamed with green peas or groundnuts. Ah bliss!

But I digress.

ABCD is the debut novel of author Suparna Chatterjee, a Bengali, currently staying in Bengaluru and she is undoubtedly thrilled with the reader response. “I’m indebted to Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie and Satyajit Ray. They planted in me a burning desire to become a sleuth, but I followed their path and did the next best thing!” she says.

There is no doubt about that. Yours truly for one could detect the unmistakable flavour of the Feluda novels by the versatile genius Satyajit Ray in this book. The demeanour and methods adapted by Akhil Banerjee is reminiscent of the supersleuth Feluda (perhaps unknown to the author herself). You can even detect a whiff of Lalmohan Babu aka Jatayu in one of the characters. I will not tell you which one, you tell me.

One is also reminded of Potla, Habul and gang – the popular bunch of good-for-nothings from Bengali literature – who are known for their many escapades – especially while organising Saraswati Pujo – when in reality they have bid goodbye forever to the Goddess of Learning – from their hearts and minds. Yet their enthusiasm is undiminished and so is their diligence and they manage to pull off the pujo (on a grand scale of course) despite empty coffers and very little time at hand. All due to Potla’s patent ingenuity.

Even something as innocuous as Saraswati Pujo can lead to intense competition. Just watch the superb Soumitra Chatterjee-Aparna Sen starrer “Basanto Bilap” – to get the drift. This movie had great casting and superlative performances even by the members of the supporting cast with such stalwarts as Robi Ghosh, Chinmoy Roy, Anup Kumar and Shyam Laha making their presence felt. So much so that it is difficult to imagine that they were not the main actors/stars. Ah… the good old days! It is a small wonder then that old is gold. I wish to see the satraps of Bollywood remake some of the gems of Bengali cinema – without diluting the essence of the story – so that they get a larger viewership and movie buffs can enjoy some quality cinema and entertainment instead of the tacky fare dished out inspite of several crores wasted on them. E.g., The delightful “Chupke Chupke” starring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore was a remake of the Uttam Kumar-Madhabi Mukherjee starrer “Chhadobeshi”, and the equally enjoyable Sanjeev Kumar-Moushumi Chatterjee starrer “Angoor” was a remake of yet another Bengali classic – the Uttam Kumar-Sabitri Chattopadhyay-Bhanu Bandopadhyay starrer “Bhranti Bilash”. I hear SRK is re-remaking “Angoor”. Lets see.

Even the Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed Rajesh Khanna-Jaya Bhaduri starrer “Bawarchi” (1972) was inspired by the Tapan Sinha helmed “Golpo Holeo Shotti” (1966) with Robi Ghosh, Bhanu Bandopadhyay, Chaya Debi and other powerhouse actors in the cast. Needless to say, the original was cinematically far superior. This Tapan Sinha classic is a mind-blowing classic – a non-convoluted drama with a special message. It is sparkling, real, a slice of life and is in black and white, a tint that makes old films even more enjoyable.

But I digress again.

In ABCD we have the usual bunch of para bratulas – Partho, Somen, Poltu, Bhombol, Bappa and Jishu – headed by the able Biplabda. Biplabda reminds us of the great Bengali author Narayan Gangopadhyay’s creation Tenida of “Charmurti”, Potoldanga and “de la grandi mephistopheles, yak yak!” fame. But I have a feeling that the intense rivalry over Durga Pujo is not settled yet, and the one-sided love story is inconclusive too. Therefore, I am waiting for the sequel to “The All Bengali Crime Detectives”. Eagerly. [Note on Charmurti: Tenida and gang, the others being: Kyabla, Pyalaram and Habul.]

BTW Bengalis have a patented word for ‘para bratulas’ – the unmatched “Rockbaj”. It is not to be confused with the macho ‘Rocky’. Bujhechen? And the unfriendly neighbourhood bully is the “parar mastan”.

If I were to elucidate about Durga Pujo and what it means to Bengalis – “Probashi Bangali(s)” [Bengalis who stay a few grass fields away from Bengal; may be in Delhi, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Orissa, Assam or thousands of miles away in New York, Tokyo, London and Berlin], “Bangal(s)” [Bengali folks whose ancestors trace back to East Bengal, present Bangladesh], “Ghoti(s)” [Bengali folks who are originally from West Bengal] and “Bagh(s)” [offspring from mixed marriages between "Bangals" and "Ghotis" - conveniently derived from the "Ba" of "Bangal" and "Gh" of "Ghoti"] – this post will become a mile long, if not longer.

In every middle class locality (paara) a “Pujo Committee” would swing into action every year, sometimes the choice of office bearers would become so politicized that one almost felt that soon the RAF or the elite Black Cat Commandos may have to be called in – to restore peace among the community members. The fierce parental rivalry regarding the children selected for solo performances or lead roles were an unfailing annual event too. Ma Durga and her four offspring could bring out the worst in some and unmask many too, or so it seemed. I remember how the neighbourhood aunties (paarar Kakima[s], Mashima[s], Pishima[s] and Jyethima[s]) waddled about and strutted around like proud ducks and penguins and flashed menacing looks at competitors who till then were probably their offspring’s best friends. Tension reigned supreme and everyone’s BP climbed Mt. Everest. In retrospect, these incidents of intense rivalry and competition seemed amusing and juvenile. And rightly so!

However, in ABCD you do get a quick yet informative glimpse about how Durga Pujo came about. And till date I have not come across a more clearer definition of the Bengali term “Adda” – which is a way of life in Bengal and for the Bangalis – of all hues, shades and tints of colour, wherever they are. Bengalis have a fondness for debates and can indulge in conversations for hours. “Adda” is usually summarily translated/dismissed as “gossip” and not given its due courtesy/importance. This is sacrilege. Bengalis have an entirely different term for “gossip” which is “PNPC” – meaning “Poro Ninda Poro Chorcha”. And “Adda” and “PNPC” cannot intermingle – there are clear lines and sessions for both.

Read ABCD to get a feel of the multi layered three-letter Bangla word – iye. It is short but not simple… filled with meanings, inner meanings, subtleties, possibilities, flavour and spice… and not always all things nice.

I wouldn’t deliberate much on Rabindrasangeet – the songs of the great poet laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. The magical mystique of beautiful words powerfully strung together and resonating with mellifluous music is known as Rabindrasangeet. The bard’s rich, diverse and vast literary oeuvre is virtually unmatched in the world. He was also a painter and a composer par excellence.

I would however like to elucidate a little about Bengali names and its socio-cultural significance. But due to paucity of space won’t be doing it in this post. Do read up: Bhaalo Naam vs Daak Naam: What’s in a name? (Part-I) and Bhaalo Naam vs Daak Naam: What’s in a name? (Part-II) @ my blog Musings of an Unknown Indian.

My rating: The fresh and limpid writing style interspersed with humour and interesting tidbits of information is a readers delight. It pulls you into the narrative and keeps you engrossed throughout. Simple effective storytelling at its best!

The production quality of the book is pretty good while the book jacket cover is nicely done. It’s colourful and instantly catches the eye.

I am going with a 4/5 for Suparna Chatterjee’s debut novel… and awaiting her next book with high expectations – hopefully a sequel to ABCD.

Details of the book: The All Bengali Crime Detectives/ Author: Suparna Chatterjee/ Publisher: Rupa & Co./ Publishing date: January 1, 2011/ Language: English/ ISBN-10: 8129117827/ ISBN-13: 9788129117823, 978-8129117823/ Bookbinding: Paperback/ Price: Rs. 150 (Rs.90 on Flipkart)/ No. of pages: 192.

Photograph: The book jacket cover of “The All Bengali Crime Detectives”. Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (cross posted from here).

Burnt Toast by Sandy Kundra Verma

Roshmi — Sun, 22 May 2011 21:50:00 +0000

Burnt Toast. No, this has no relation to any culinary misadventures and has nothing to do with Teri Hatcher either. Teri Hatcher who? Arre, Susan Mayer of “Desperate Housewives”, and Lois Lane from “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”. Got it? Good. Ummm, this “Burnt Toast” is advertising professional-turned-author Sandy Kundra Verma’s debut novel. Apparently after years of living on a percentage of what her B-school batch-mates were being paid and convincing herself that it was all worth it, she decided to branch out into what she liked even more: writing… and promptly burnt her toast *wink*

The story revolves around three characters: Plain Jane Moulshree Dutta, with her IIM (Calcutta) degree, the drop-dead gorgeous Kanika Anand and the once glamorous Lajja Mehta-Kapur. And their paths cross for sure. With the author too being a female of the species, this should automatically qualify as a “chick lit”, no? However, I disagree. Since no novel with male characters and a male author combo is ever classified as “mutton lit”. Or “beef lit” for that matter. What?

Coming back to Burnt Toast: Moulshree follows her heart and chooses advertising over Finance, preferring to spend her waking hours ideating over fairness creams, MTR masala, etc instead of stock reports, ET and number crunching. How does her family react? More specifically… how does her ‘perfect boyfriend’ Naresh Ghosh react? And if her life is so perfect then why is she getting drawn towards the charming and rakish Arjun Desai?

Kanika – she of the perfect smile and gorgeous looks – is jealous of Moulshree. But does she hate her? Or is there more to her than meets the eye?

Lajja Mehta-Kapur – happily married to Vishal or so she thinks.

The purpose of the book, ostensibly, is to drive home the fact that life does not always go according to plan. That life cannot be a perfect cream-cake. It is but a piece of burnt toast. You scrape off the edges to enjoy the taste.

The book provides a sneak peek into the world of advertising… the people involved in creating all those great, not so great and copycat ads. I said ‘cat’ and not ‘Kat’, mind you! Sandy has kept the jargon to a minimum, which is good. The ads talked about in the book are the ones we are quite familiar with… and one need not rack one’s brains.

But I do feel that she tried to build up suspense. In fact several of them and they were all underdone. The stories have a distinct Mills & Boon feel to them and that was the way to go. For that is precisely the way one can enjoy reading this novel – with a willing suspension of disbelief and happily overlooking the inflections in the book.

Talking about inflections… there are several of them.

Moulshree Dutta is mentioned as a Brahmin with a Bengali father and a Marathi mother.

Now, Dutta (also spelled Datta and Dutt) is a surname found primarily amongst Bengalis, Punjabis and Assamese. The name is derived from the word Aditya, which means sun in Sanskrit.

Bengali Dattas (Bengali: Dôtto) are Kayasthas (Datta/Dutta) or Vaidyas (Dattagupta/Duttagupta) or merchants, making them a non-Brahmin, upper-caste group. Traditionally, many have been in the academic, legal, medical and civil service professions, typical of the bhadralok groups of Bengal (not to be mistaken with “Babumoshai”).

The most famous Bengali Datta/Dutta being: the influential figure of the Spiritual, Bengali and Indian renassiance Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902); born Narendranath Datta. Others: the great poet and dramatist Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824-1873) – great grandfather of tennis ace Leander Paes, Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848-1909); writer, economist, historian, and translator of the Vedas and the inimitable Utpal Dutt (1929-1993); author, dramatist, director, activist and actor par excellence. Nowadays: Actress Tanushree Dutta; not sure about the ‘famous’ bit though.

Whereas, Punjabi Duttas are a clan of the Mohyal (Mohyyal) or Munjal Brahmins. According to the Gotra system, they are the descendants of Rishi Bharadwaj, the same as the Duttas from Bengal. Some consider Gaj Bhavan, the grandson of Rishi Bharadwaj to be the real founder of their clan. Mohyyals are one of the few “Martial” Brahmins and are distinct from other Brahmin’s as not only have they been warriors, but also the men of the families have been meat eaters. One of the sayings you will hear is “Waah Dutt Sultan, adha Hindu adha Mussalman” i.e. one part of their lifestyle was Hindu (the homes were run as typical Hindu homes) and the other part was like Muslims (eating meat, dressing, vocation, etc).

Famous Punjabi Duttas/Dutts include: the late actor-politician Sunil Dutt (1929-2005); the actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta; and actor Sanjay Dutt of course.

Nor is “Ghosh” a Brahmin by caste in Bengal. “Ghoshal” is.

IIM (Kolkata)? The city of Kolkata (nee Calcutta) has completely changed in the last 40 odd years. The signature Ambassadors and Fiats on the city’s streets have been replaced with modern cars. During the 70s, the process of renaming streets and locations in Calcutta had already started. Of course, this reached a frenzied pace in recent years with the renaming of the city itself to Kolkata.

But no matter what – Didi and red flags nothwithstanding – IIM Calcutta will retain its name and will continue to be known as IIM–C. It will NOT turn into IIM Kolkata. Except in “Burnt Toast” that is – where you find it on the back cover of the book and that too in the very first line! The only IIM-Kolkata is the Indian Institute of Metals – Kolkata Chapter… and it has absolutely nothing to do with management studies whatsoever.

Sanjayda? In Bengal, “father” is referred to as “Bapi” or “Baba”. And Baba’s younger brother is certainly not “Dada” to his nephews and nieces. He is “Kaka”… more endearingly “Kaku” to them. Therefore Sanjay – Moulshree’s dad’s youngest brother cannot be “Sanjayda” to Moulshree even though they are closer in age. The suffix “da” (short for “dada”) means elder brother in Bengali.

Yes, Bengalis do not like referring to people as Uncle/Aunty/Grandpa/Grandma irrespective of their age unlike in the South of India (more precisely in namma Bengal-uru) where folks studying in SSLC (10th standard)/PUC (12th standard) will refer to a 1st year college fresher as “Uncle” or “Aunty” depending on the gender. Therefore, in Bengal Sourav Ganguly will always be “Dada” and Mamata Banerjee will forever be “Didi”. But Bengalis wouldn’t apply this rule to members of their own households… and “Dada” and “Kaku” will never exchange places.

Also the average Bengali women go through their entire lives without uttering “Eish” – even half the number of times that Aishwarya Rai was made to utter in SLB’s Rs. 30-crore magnum opus “Devdas”. So much for stereotypes!

Sandy has used too many Hindi words… especially for Lajja Mehta-Kapur. Too many “matlabs” do not assist in emphasising her small town roots but end up jarring the reader’s sensibilities instead. Completely unnecessary, I would say. Also phrases like “Rajji Baby” and “My dear baby-boo” – to refer to someone special – is totally uncool and quite Yuk.

The production quality of the book is quite decent but the book jacket cover is nicely done. It certainly catches the eye. However, I feel that the titles of the chapters reveal too much, and rob off the charm and suspense (if any) of the following pages.

My rating: I am going with a generous 3/5. “Burnt Toast” makes for a light read – a breezy and entertaining read only if you expect a somewhat M&B-esque romance and storyline. There is no suspense, no whodunit whatsoever. Flushed face, racing pulse and sweaty hands notwithstanding… and there are no flames threatening to destroy anyone’s life. Even remotely!

Details of the book: Burnt Toast/ Author: Sandy Kundra Verma/ Publisher: Rupa Publications/ Seller: Rupa & Co./ Language: English/ ISBN: 978-8129117878, 8129117878/ Bookbinding: Paperback/ Price: Rs. 195/ No. of pages: 238.

Photograph: The book jacket cover of ‘Burnt Toast’. Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha.

Flight of the Hilsa by Amit Shankar

Roshmi — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:29:00 +0000

When Booklover enquired if I would like to read and review “Flight of the Hilsa”, I was more than glad… and the Hilsa bit had nothing to do with it, I assure you! Do not be misled by the book title. It is not about fishes and there is nothing fishy about it either.

This is advertising professional-turned-author Amit Shankar‘s debut novel. While Hilsas don’t fly, “Flight of the Hilsa” took off on the 28th of October 2010, and in less than 5 weeks, headed for a re-print. Blame it on the pujo season (Durga Pujo and Kali Pujo) and the insatiable affinity of Bengalis towards fish! For the “Bangals” (i.e., Bengali folks whose ancestors trace back to East Bengal, present Bangladesh) the Hilsa or Ilish Maach is the only way to Nirvana. And only they know how to negotiate their way through this tasty mine-field of fish thorns. But then, it is the thorns, which imparts the lessons, not the rose. But I digress.

Hilsa is the metaphor for happiness and satisfaction. What is happiness? How does one achieve it? And more importantly, keep it? How does one measure happiness and satisfaction? Isn’t personal satisfaction closely linked with happiness? Does success spawn satisfaction? A successful career, an astronomical paycheck, regular page 3 and media appearances, flaunting branded stuffs – clothes, perfume, shoes, and handbag – does all that lead to the elusive satisfaction? Or is happiness and satisfaction a state of mind for which we have to look deep within our souls? Aakhir satisfaction kis chidiya ka naam hai? Well, read the book to find out.

Published by Vitasta, the book is called “Flight of the Hilsa” because Amit finds inspiration in the fish flowing against the tide to lay eggs in fresh water and then returning to the sea. “It does its job to the best of ability but doesn’t crave for ‘results’.” Well, nothing else can better exemplify Lord Shri Krishna’s immortal words from the Bhagavad-Gita (Chapter II-47):

“Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,

Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani.”

Meaning: “Thy business is with the action only, never with its fruits; so let not the fruits of action be thy motive, nor be thou to inaction attached.” In short: “Do your duty and leave the rest to God.”

How simple and how relevant, even today! I think if Bhagavad-Gita is universally renowned as the jewel of India’s spiritual wisdom, it is because of Karma Yog. You rarely find books (including spiritual texts and discourses by Gurus) laying emphasis on doing one’s work/duty. That’s exactly what Shri Krishna says here. Always do your best without expecting the results and you will be happy. Beautiful words indeed, no?

The Storyline: “Flight of the Hilsa” explores and demystifies the definition of happiness while tracing the story of the protagonist, Avantika Sengupta. This is her journey. Avi to her friends, she is the quintessential bohemian artsy-type complete with purani jeans, Fabindia khadi kurtis, kajal, jootis and a jhola. A graduate of Delhi School of Art she aspires to be a renowned painter. But even her best efforts fail to generate the footfalls in exhibitions or conjure up enough interest among buyers, critics and art connoisseurs… except for 2 people who unfailingly buy them.

A decade of painting and no success frustrates her and nicotine from the navy cut provides some relief… apart from keema-pav and cutting chai. She doesn’t eat Hilsa but relishes prawn, which makes her a full-blooded “Ghoti” (i.e., Bengali folks who are originally from West Bengal) I tell you! *wink*

She is dating her Punjabi boyfriend Sunny Khurana, the scion of a business magnate, for 8 years. Khurana Sr. is quite decent while Mrs. Khurana – a socialite – who attends expensive seminars in Switzerland for the upliftment of the poor and the needy, has a very condescending attitude. She reminded me of Kareena Kapoor’s fiancé in ’3 Idiots’ – the one she dumped for Phunsukh Wangdu.

Avantika comes from a dysfunctional family headed by a gallant VSM, AVSM father. Her childhood experiences have made her cynical, volatile… and a non-believer in the institution of marriage. While her best friend cum agony aunt Shweta is married into yet another well-heeled business family – to the owner of the kaddu like lower-half Prashant Khemka, and finds Sunny to be ‘perfect husband material’. Avi hates ‘Panjoos’ – slang for ‘Punjabis’ – with a vengeance. Bengalis aren’t so rabid about ‘Punjabis’ – they wear them instead! Yes, the kurta worn by Bengali men on special occasions is called ‘Panjabi’. It does not figure among Fabindia merchandise of course!

Most of the chapters are named after popular English song titles… perhaps to mirror Avantika’s love for music. She is crazy about Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Led Zepp and Deep Purple. She is addicted to the iPod that helps her to shut out the shorsharaba of the outside world most of the time. But a Bengali – even a ‘probashi Bangali’ – who does not worship at the altar of the great poet laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore! Not done Avantika! Bengalis – both “Bangals” and “Ghotis” will shake their collective heads and say “Shobbonash” in unison. [Actual: Shorbonash. Meaning: utter disaster] *wink* Especially, since we are in the midst of celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore. [Note: Probashi Bangali: Bengalis who stay a few grass fields away from Bengal; may be in Delhi, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Orissa, Assam or thousands of miles away in New York, London and Berlin].

As the story rolls along, Avantika goes through a whole gamut of emotions and experiences (with a variety of whales and sharks nattily dressed in business suits) and begins to understand the difference between a good painter and a successful one. Which one does she prefer? What choices does she make? Does she learn to use and abuse people or is it the other way round? How far is she ready to go to realize her dreams? How far are we ready to go to realize our dreams?

It’s the choice that we make in our lives which goes on to define our existence. True. But do we make those choices or vice versa? There is truth behind the saying that it’s lonely at the top. But it’s not just lonely at the top; it can be ‘disengaging,’ too. What happens when one lacks or loses inspiration? Does one all but retire on the job? After all, one of the first rules of success is to do what you enjoy. It’s taken for granted that top executives have found the magic, or surely they would have flamed out somewhere short of the summit. One may put in the time, but not the heart. What happens then?

The conversations between Avi and the design expert Francois Lancolne are quite engaging and insightful. Especially the one about ‘falling stars’. What happens if the spark is missing?

Then, one fine day Avi meets the mysterious ‘boat guy’ – Captain – 20 years her senior, curly haired – more salt than pepper, weather beaten face and bright shining eyes. He becomes her mentor and guide – her Captain – too. Their interactions will hold your attention. For they are simple yet deep, profound yet philosophical and provide a lot of management and life’s lesson succinctly. Their relationship is not difficult to fathom but difficult to put a name to (like that of Sid and Tara Jaiswal in the path breaking ‘Dil Chahta Hai’).

Perhaps it has shades of Amrita Pritam and Imroze too. A bit.

Captain was there for her when she needed him – during her health scare, when she was broke financially and emotionally, when she lacked confidence… all the time, every single time. Caring and affectionate, providing her the strength and advice, holding her hand and gently steering her through her troubles. He left everything for her without a second thought. Avantika pays him back handsomely of course. She takes him for granted, abuses him with words and deeds and hurts him to his core, immeasurably. Is success blind? Or does it prefer to have a blinkered vision?

But then what goes around comes around, no? The bubble bursts, the dream turns into a nightmare and the ground shifts from beneath her feet. A shocked, shaken, teary eyed and remorseful Avantika turns to her Captain. Will he answer her frantic “O Captain! My Captain!” cries? Will Avantika Sengupta aka Avi triumph over Ms. Sen? Read the book to find out.

Suggestions: Few characters/events could be pruned out of the plot, e.g., Partho Sengupta. The whole Naxalite angle serves no purpose except for eating up space. The shenanigan of Prashant and Shweta’s decision was a straight lift from the movie ‘Page 3′. It does not add anything to the plot except a sense of déjà vu. Colonel Sengupta and his mistress Simi are painted pitch black. Some shades of gray would have been better. Though Col. Sengupta gets some redemption, only a wee bit, he is too violent for my taste. Avantika comes across as too cynical, too brusque and too volatile. Perhaps even as an opportunist. A selfish one at that! [See! More 'fish', she certainly is a Bengali *wink*]. She reminded me of the legendary Suchitra Sen’s character in ‘Saat Paake Bandha’ (1963), regarded as one of the all-time great films of Bengali cinema. It was re-made in Hindi as ‘Kora Kaagaz’ (1974) but the original is definitely cinematically superior.

Also the whole hypno-therapy and past life regression bit is underdone. The Queen and the general part piqued my interest and for a moment raised visions of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar. Methinks… Liz Taylor had she not moved on in the afterlife would have definitely sued Avantika for being the pretender! After all, Avi being Avi still goes ahead and does what she did to the Captain in spite of being aware of their past life connection. So, this Kismet Connection bit fails to connect. And the last page reminded me of ‘Lagaan’. Not sure why though. Also Avi’s ‘evolved Bengali genes’ seems to have missed the strain of romance. Cholbe Na! Errr… Ratan Tata might prefer ‘Cholbe Nano’ instead!

My Rating: 3.75/5. A great debut novel! But a little less cynicism, a dash of romanticism, less violence, pruning out of the unnecessary events and characters… would have fully satiated the fiction loving epicurean in me. Enjoy the Hilsa and don’t fish for happiness. Be the Hilsa instead.

The book feels good to hold and the printer’s devil has not been able to do much damage. The language flows smoothly; exuding a languid charm and pulls you into the narrative while the book jacket cover is vibrant and radiates a cool energy. It makes you want to read the book.

I look forward to Amit’s future writings with interest.

Details of the book: Flight of the Hilsa/ Author: Amit Shankar/ Publisher: Vitasta Publishing/ Edition: 2010/ Language: English/ ISBN: 9380828138 / ISBN-13: 9789380828138, 978-9380828138/ Bookbinding: Paperback/ Price: Rs. 245 (Rs. 208 on Flipkart)/ No. of pages: 336.

Photograph: The book jacket cover of ‘Flight of the Hilsa’. Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha.

>Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:22:00 +0000

“East is East & West is West” and strange things happen when the twain set out to meet.

Secret Daughter mixes compelling drama with daring social commentary to create a powerful narrative that speaks a universal language. First time author Shilpi Gowda’s summer job volunteering at an Indian orphanage provided the inspiration for this fictional tale. This is a story of origins – alternating between themes of abandonment, alienation, female infanticide and cultural identity.

This ambitious venture juggles multiple storylines with dexterity in a well-choreographed performance with a plot that takes 21 years to develop. It goes back and forth between a poor Indian couple living a life of quiet desperation half way across the globe and a rich American-Indian pair living the American dream. The couples are polar opposites in every way but they have been bound together by a daughter. American Somer and Indian Kris are doctors whose meet-cute is typical that takes an unexpected turn when they adopt a child from an Indian orphanage. Birth parents of Asha are victims of circumstances who make questionable choices (they hail from a society one where one is burdened with a girl but blessed with a boy) and lead unremarkable lives. Yet the book keeps them in sight, to establish the sacrifices made by the birth mother, to watch the father chase mirages of a good life in the ‘big city’, using them as a conduit to stream all the negativity and misery surrounding the forsaken. These two represent the nameless, faceless majority standing on the sidelines whose dreams have been swallowed by the abyss.

Shilpi Gowda’s thought-provoking novel is not a black and white portrait that is content with assigning traditional roles or promoting stereotypes. The mother-in-law does not come with a broomstick, the brute will redeem himself, and the underdogs will get a chance to shine.

Shilpi has cast a wide net. A lot of cultural debris gets caught up. It serves to illustrate some critical social issues: the unadorned truth about life on the streets in a third world nation, how little girls are disposable and glittering cities harbour dark secrets. The book exposes the social chasm that exists within the Indian society, which the poor are unable to bridge. Other third world nations can relate to it. She even manages to give India’s infamous slums a major role in a way that keeps the readers interest from flagging. Surprisingly, none of this encroaches upon the individual stories running in parallel.

Both the father and the adopted daughter are carriers of a dual identity and their story is propelled forward by a different set of parameters. Kris, who distanced himself from his roots suffers from bouts of nostalgia seeking refuge in memories of home. At one point Somer’s natural horror of an alien culture and her unnatural resistance keeps raising the invisible barriers and end up becoming a direct cause of familial angst. Asha’s curiosity about her birth parents and heritage provides an ideal opportunity to bring forth the contrasts between her life of privilege and the one she narrowly avoided.

The writer, born and raised in Canada, builds a bridge over the two worlds that allows both sides to cross over and celebrate (not fear) diversity. This is a beautifully crafted masterpiece by a gifted narrator who has embedded complex themes into a simple story in a way that makes it entertaining and educational at the same time. Despite its grim beginning, tidy little ending and raw imagery, it is a timeless tale that stands apart for its easy narrative style, insightful observations and unflinching portrayals.

Aside from a graphic scene of miscarriage, the book stays in PG-13 territory. While it deconstructs the mysticism surrounding the eastern culture, at its core lies a heartfelt story that strives to heal the breach between East and West. Secret Daughter is already a bestseller and has earned rave reviews in the international arena.

Details of the book: Secret Daughter/ Author: Shilpi Somaya Gowda/ Paperback/ pp: 346 pages/ Price: Rs. 533 (Rs. 469 on Flipkart)/ Publisher: Dolphin/ Publishing date: 2010/ Language: English/ ISBN: 0061974307/ ISBN-13: 9780061974304, 978-0061974304.

Photograph: Pic. courtesy: Link.

Reviewed by: Afrah Jamal.

Jestus by V.S. Sury

Divenita — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Pages: 423
Genre: Fiction (or Fantasy)
Author: V.S Sury

Summary

The books begins with the chapter: Enters the Jestus where the Narrator, Wide heart, meets the protagonist, Jestus. Jestus calls himself by many names, among which I shall settle for the name Bagus. Their camaraderie is interesting as the concept of the book.

Wide heart and Bagus meet regularly hence forth and the next chapter Eighth day of the week is Wide heart’s subtle confession about how interesting his rendezvous with Bagus is. Bagus in a unique way helps people.

• He feeds the animals, starving himself.

• He gives unique solutions to Wide heart’s common problems.

Sitting on a rock or in a local cafe sipping coffee, Bagus speaks of different people who influenced his life. Of course it involves breaking the law and makes us wonder why Bagus has never been booked, for instance at the end of the chapter, Rise of the Roses and thus begins the chapter A Hard Nut to Crack in which Bagus tells his tales about his tryst with the Asylum and speaks about many characters through one of his talents, Ventriloquism.

The Chapter Rectangle, takes a shift to a love story which as different as this book, as the people who are in love face odds of sorts. This chapter quenches the thirst of the readers who love happy endings and no points for guessing, Bagus in his unique way, helps them. With the chapter Golden Deer, the book or perhaps, a reverie of a kind ends.

The book should be read when you wish to slip into a dream in the midst of reality as the book forces you to ponder over certain nitty-gritties of life.

Excerpts:

From the moment I sat in front of this nutter everything was going haywire. I was feeling light-headed. There was no longer any point in trying to be sensible. I tagged along with him.

“I do not need thanks from anyone. But I accept it, as otherwise you will feel hurt. Your last remark is uncalled for and also untrue. There are a lot of mad men like me on this earth. Far more lunatic than I. And quite a few among them are extremely dangerous. Ordinary men cannot approach them. This is a different story altogether. So leave them alone.”

My thoughts:

The language was good and the stories flow nicely. I find it difficult to place it as a certain “genre” since the idea is very unique. However, it does have a few typos and editing flaws, but not too many. It does have an overdose of lunacy at times and it makes one wonder if the author could have calmed the lunatic man and spoken more about his past. All in all, I’d say it’s a good attempt for such a genre. On a lighter note, a true example of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”

The book is reviewed on request.

Cricket Till I Die! by Upneet Grover

Roshmi — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:01:00 +0000

‘Cricket Till I Die!’ is the anthem of a nation… as well as the debut novel of Upneet Grover. Thanks to my Blogger Friend – Preeti – I got to read and review this one… in the middle of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Talk about timing! The book certainly consulted the (printing) stars before making its appearance *grin* I said ‘Cricket Till I Die!’ is the anthem of a nation earlier. Well, on second thoughts… not quite. For our Bollywood beauties… it was, is and always will be ’18 Till I Die’. Rest assured. Anybody wearing noodle straps… would not be a day more than sweet sixteen! *wink*

Well, first things first. The book feels good to hold… the production quality is pretty good and the book jacket cover is the star attraction. It captures your attention… instantly. This should be music to the author and publisher’s ears… since it is a reader’s ‘first impress-aan izz last impress-aan’. The language is simple and not overly flowery… with the author keeping the management and cricketing jargon to a minimum. The book is written in the first person… with the protagonist (Vineet Grover) narrating his story and/or the events. The author uses real-world language and expressions… the “guys kinda language”… which enhances the effect and makes it more identifiable. For the guys at least *wink* If this book were to appear in its celluloid avatar… there would be several ‘beeps’. Trust me…

Vineet Grover is a 22-year-old IT guy… ‘working’ in Infotech Ltd… from where he desperately seeks an escape. His hardly working ways… not having earned him the very deserving ‘pink slip’! Not that he is complaining though. The salary enables him to lead the good life… while enjoying his ‘dessert’ in the shape of the delectable Sonali. All this time… with the gorgeous Simi head over heels in love with him… but then that’s just one-way traffic. For any other guy… this would be THE life they would have always wanted to live. But not Vineet! He plans to do his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from a tier 1 institute… and earn mega bucks being a high flying, glib talking, soulless manager. All the while considering cricket as his religion and worshipping at the altar of Virender Sehwag aka Viru Bhai!

A chance encounter with the tough guy with a heart of gold – Mr. Sharma – a coach with a nondescript local cricket club… changes his well thought out plans. This club quite simply leaves most people stone cold… being the epitome of the nondescript club that makes up the numbers but never hogs the limelight. But what does it do to Vineet? Mr. Sharma reminds you of Naseeruddin Shah’s character in ‘Iqbal’. … Lady Luck smiles on Vineet… and he gets an opportunity to play for the Delhi Daredevils (in IPL 3) alongside his idol… Virender Sehwag. But can he ace the tough selection process? What happens to his MBA ambitions? Does he bell the CAT in the first place? Well, read the book to find out. Who is the enigmatic Simi? Is she the slightly ‘slow’, simple, attractive girl that Vineet knew from his Infotech days? Will Vineet have an affair with Lady Luck… both ethereal and mortal? Is he selfish in love? Well you got to read the book to know that too. Along the way… also getting to read about the fast ones that Vineet has been pulling on all and sundry at regular intervals… and not just on the cricket field. Howzzat!

‘Cricket Till I Die!’ gives some insights into the sweat, grind and the unglamorous side of cricket and cricketers… our permanent religion and temporary gods. But who are the Godfathers? How does selection happen? Is merit the only criteria? How did the ‘talented’ Vaibhav get into the team? Errr… don’t we all know that the scion of a certain practitioner of polytricks who had planted a ‘fruuut tareee’ while earning ‘karores and karores’… even making the already bechara cows and buffaloes very, very be-chara… made it to the Delhi Daredevils? So… what does Vineet do?

Does he live his dream? Does he don the Delhi Daredevils’ jersey? Does he get to wear the India colours? Or does Lord Fate join hands with Lady Luck to script a different story? One constant in Vineet’s life is Hardik… his friend who is more than a brother to him. What does Hardik do… every time Vineet faces a test/opportunity? Is blood really thicker than water? Is ‘Just Do It’ the way to go? Or is grin and ‘beer’ it better?

Btw… hopefully – Paul Henry – the Kiwi television anchor that made some obscene remarks/jokes at the expense of Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit… by making fun of her surname… has not laid his hands on this book. Else he’ll do an encore with ‘Hardik’. But then that would mean free international publicity for this book… so much so that the ‘Man of the match’ and the ‘Player of the tournament’ might be awarded a whole truckload of ‘Cricket Till I Die!’ While Upneet gets to be the person handing over the World Cup to the winning Captain! What?

Some events in this book have shades of ’3 Idiots’… while others have a distinct ‘Forrest Gump’ flavour. Interspersed with thumping cricketing action and corporate inaction… ‘Cricket Till I Die!’ makes for an interesting read… and a light read. Its light on the wallet too! One can finish the book in one sitting itself… that is one of its USP. If you are hard pressed for time… 2-3 days should suffice. The readers can connect with this book and with Vineet’s passion for cricket and career dilemma. Those of us who have dreamt of playing electrifying cricket in a stadium full of people and performing at the highest level. Bringing laurels to the country… and being the toast of this cricket-worshipping nation… will rejoice with the successes of the protagonist and feel low with his setbacks. The book has a positive message and leaves the reader with a positive feeling. There really are no nondescript clubs, no teams that leave everyone cold, and no ‘shithole’. Every club… could be your life. Well… almost.

Suggestions: Several typos… need to be corrected. The printer’s devil has left its footprints in many places… resulting in poor grammar… and spelling Bee being all at sea. Simi and Sonali interchange and so do Mr. Chawla and Mr. Sharma (the coach). Identity crises you see. AB De Velliers vilify… while the god of cricket – Sachin Tendulkar wasn’t 39 during IPL 3. He still isn’t (having been born on 24th April 1973) and IPL 4 is barely a couple of months away. Nor were Jacques Kallis 36 years of age during the 3rd edition of the cricket IPill… oops IPL. The protagonist – Vineet Grover – oscillates between 22/23/24. No that’s not his vital stats… but the number of years he has spent on this planet. And there is no indication that he was born on a ‘leap year’! Plus opening a ‘bottle of chilled bear’… may not be the idea of an ideal romantic lunch/dinner. Pass the smelling salt please!

My Rating: I’ll give it a good 3/5. It is a good effort by a debutant author… who also worships at the altar of Virender Sehwag… and eats, sleeps, drinks, thinks and writes cricket. As to whether Vineet Grover is Upneet Grover’s alter ego… or if the book contains some bits and pieces from his own life… well your guess is as good as mine! Happy reading!

Details of the book: Cricket Till I Die!: Upneet Grover, pp 191, Paperback, English, Rs.150, ISBN: 8122311741, Cedar Books – Pustak Mahal.

Note: Upneet Grover: Face book page.

Photograph: The book jacket cover of ‘Cricket Till I Die!’. Picture courtesy: link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (cross posted from here).

>Cricket Till I Die – Upneet Grover

admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:16:00 +0000

Cricket Till I Die
Written by Upneet Grover
Published by Cedar Books, an imprint of Pustak Mahal.

If you have been to any major book store of late, you would have noticed the stacked up bundles of books by twenty-something Indian authors. I have always wondered what was it that differentiated one book from another. The story lines of most are painstakingly similar! And then I came across this book – Strikingly fresh, delightful, frank and poignant at the same time.

Cricket Till I Die is a story about one man’s dream – a dream that rankles his spirits, kindles his passions, drives him crazy till he achieves it. The lead protagonist, Vineet, is a young engineer, doing the daily dabble of an IT company job, till he discovers the only way out was an MBA. When he finally makes it to a premier B-School, he realizes his passion for cricket is far and beyond the life of a normal MBA. His dream to make it to the Indian Cricket makes him shirk his MBA and the career of a highly paid Management Consultant for the Blue Indian attire. Through the gullys of Delhi, and the stadiums that we all know of, Vineet learns the art of mastering the tactics, till finally he is selected in the Delhi Daredevils team. Playing along side his childhood hero Virender Sehwag, Vineet’s talent is polished and he is convinced of his future as a representative of the Indian Cricket Team. And then disaster strikes. As is with life, Vineet’s life takes a sharp turn. For the worse or better? Read to find out more!

The good news first: For a debut author, Upneet Grover has done a fabulous job. The story is smooth and well thought of. It would be very hard to find any logical flaws, and considering he is an MBA Grad from a premier B-School, logic is one area where he cannot be questioned! All the characterization is very real. Boys will relate to Vineet for the cricket passion, girls will relate to him for the wonderful human being he turns into, by the end of the book. There’s something for everyone in the book! Another positive is his description of the pre-cricket life. This portion of the book will strike a chord with almost every Engineering graduate stuck in an IT Job, looking for vents. The ease with which Upneet goes from phase of Vineet’s life to another is remarkable. Be it as a frustrated IT worker, as an MBA aspirant, as a happy-go-lucky lad, as a passionate cricketer, as a representative of India on the field, or as a man who has seen the worst of life, absolute justice has been done to the lead protagonist’s character. The fact that Upneet is passionate about cricket reflects strongly in the book, through his description of the stadium atmosphere and the reverence with which he writes about Viru.

A special mention has to be made for the book cover design! Like I said earlier, debut author coming up with such a striking cover is surprising!

The only negative I could find were the grammatical flaws, which could have been avoided. There were some editing mistakes, for instance, a conversation with Sonali, his girlfriend, has a sudden reference to Simi, another character. Maybe it is just me, but I also felt the number of times the F-Word was used could have been reduced!

The positives, of course, weigh heavily over the negatives!

All in all, a thumbs up.

So what is it that differentiates the loads of books by debut Indian authors stacked up in bookstores? It is the story and the passion the author reflects through the book, and that is where Upneet scores high!

Read the book, because when you reach the end, you will be left with a strange positive feeling that dreams can be achieved and that, it is the dream that will keep you going, no matter what happens.

This review has been at the request of the author, Upneet Grover.

Corporate Atyaachaar by Abhay Nagarajan.

Roshmi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:00:00 +0000

When on the 19th of last month Booklover enquired if I would like to review ‘Corporate Atyaachaar… the comical journey of an office doormat’ by debutant author Abhay Nagarajan… I was more than glad. I feel reading the works of debutant authors… is akin to opening a birthday present. One is unaware of the contents… yet is excited about finding out.

‘Corporate Atyaachaar’ rhymes with and reminds one of its distant cousin… the more famous (?) ‘Emotional Atyachar’… featuring Abhay Deol. ‘Corporate Atyaachaar’ is by his namesake. No… Jhumpa Lahiri need not make an appearance here

Abhay Nagarajan has been in Finance for a couple of years… which should explain the presence of the 2 extra ‘A’s in ‘Corporate Atyaachaar’ aka ‘CA’. Number crunching has led to numerology! See… even the initials of the book title gives ample indication as to the author’s pedigree *wink*

CA – written in the first person… is the journey… rather trials and tribulations of the protagonist… a rather willing ‘office doormat’. Not furniture, wallflower or a piece of decoration… but the lowest of the lot… the humble, unassuming, doormat. Eye candy or not… I have no clue. Whether Lord Fate conspires with Lady Luck… to pull the ‘yes boss’ doormat from under the obnoxious boss’ smelly feet or not… well, read the book to find out.

CA provides some interesting insights into the corporate world… rather the world of personal finance. It is set during the stock market phase of 2007-08: The Boom (Part–I/Mar’07-Mid Jan’08) and The Bust (Part-II/Jan’08 and beyond). Methinks… if boom comes can bust be far behind. What say?

The protagonist assists his boss – the inimitable HBS – in managing the investment requirements for a set of high net worth clients (HNI)… in Bangalore. Please note it is HNI and not H1N1 *wink*

These HNI folks are all characters in their own right… like Fido Dido, Dennis the Menace, Captain Haddock… you get the drift? Here you will come across: the ‘Old Man’, ‘Inflated Ego’, ‘Fem Dom’, ‘Truly Happy’, ‘Yuppie’, the bushy moustache and bunny toothed ‘CFO’, et al. And ‘Giggles’ – who suffers from 15 minutes of dementia… due to the loss of the proverbial 15 minutes of fame. With the Hutch pug being the ‘culprit’. Yuppie is obsessed with ‘pass backs’… you know ‘passing the buck’… literally! Yet manages to give some free advice on what makes a good marriage… while preparing for the final partition. The Old Man’s homegrown recipe for keeping romance alive in his twilight years… is charming. But does his new found enthusiasm for exotic hot-body ayurvedic massages play a role in it? Could that have been his motivation to open a factory in Thailand? You know… mixing business with pleasure. Will his paying obeisance to both Vaastu and Feng Shui… help him recover his lost wealth? After all… health is wealth. Or is it vice versa? A supposedly bohemian artist-cum-client… who paints nude art for charity. All is fair in love, war… and charity! The makeshift pair of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson… who went hunting for a lost mobile… was it found?

In ‘Corporate Atyaachaar’… ‘bird hit’ gets a whole new meaning. There is a bit about divine retribution… at the right time… via the ‘fragrant’ output of Kamadhenu’s progeny. It certainly is comical. No wonder it is said: watch your step.

You get to read about a strange sounding Tarzan style love noise… or was it George of the Jungle style?? The curious case of a stubborn nipple, a baby who wasn’t sulking properly, a Q&A session with God, astrology and astronomy getting mixed up quite effortlessly and a priceless right palm with a possible gran greene problem… and how the left hand gallantly rose to the occasion. No, nobody’s granny became green with envy… and we aren’t referring to Graham Green either.

The biggest character is ‘HBS’ himself – the mobile kissing Bangalore Boss of Wealth Capital Advisors Pvt. Ltd. (WCA) – a small non-banking boutique setup… with a ‘client centric’ approach… as opposed to the ‘revenue focus’ of banking entities. As to why and how he earned the sobriquet ‘HBS’… read the book to find out. He is also the single largest contributor towards the buoyant sale of Marie biscuits… and its profits! HBS sure is ‘ambidextrous’ and is not fond of ‘dirty things’ falling on him and ‘that type of women’… is all I am willing to reveal at this point. Does he agree with the “Johari window analysis” conducted by a trainer… regarding his interpersonal (s)kills? Ummm… “Johari window analysis” has nothing to do with a certain Karan Johar, his Koffee hamper and/or his favourite actor, btw.

The protagonist encounters all sorts of ‘nuts’… including the crunchy munchy type and the one associated with bolt (not Usain Bolt though)… during his short association with WCA. He has a fancy designation – Associate Financial Advisor… yet is barely allowed to express his views at client meetings and is mostly relegated to taking notes, sending summaries and maintaining documents… while HBS hogs all the limelight. Will HBS garner all the credit and moolah too? Will work frustration make the ‘office doormat’ step up and challenge his boss? Or will he choose the known devil over an unknown one? Will he get a good appraisal… inspite of being compared to a lake, river, sea, ocean, a branch of a tree and finally to a banyan tree itself? Not peepal tree… mind you. What would the new recruit be like? Who is the ‘Sweet Lady’? Is she just sweet… or spicy and sour too? Questions. Questions. Read the book to know the answers.

ULIP, Mutual Funds, Debt, Fixed Maturity Plans (FMP), Tax savings, Fixed Deposits… all make their cameos in ‘CA’ – where the author has tried to keep the financial jargon to a minimum. Result: a reasonably entertaining book… that will also appeal to folks who are not enamored or well versed in the matters of personal finance. Their GK will surely travel northward at the end of it.

Even equity PMS makes its appearance! No… it is not what you are thinking of… silly! And SIP. Nope… we aren’t discussing any health drink or fruit juice here. Sorry, Red Bull… the Beers have taken over

‘Succession planning’ aka ‘estate planning’ takes on a whole new meaning… caused by the double entendre on ‘assets’ of a different kind. Would I be comfortable if someone was to touch my assets without my knowledge? Do I want my assets to be overexposed to outsiders? Would I be happy if my hard earned assets which I have grown and developed over the years be wasted away? Would I like my big, well developed assets to wither away and shrink with time? Do I want my assets to be respected and judiciously used over generations to come? Do I want control over how others share my assets? Do I prefer having a choice of whom I can transfer my assets to? No… these are not rapid fire Qs shot by a certain Ms. Sawant… in a reality show. Not even on ‘Rakhi ka Insaaf’. But wait till she reads ‘Corporate Atyaachaar’… and we may find several episodes dedicated to ‘asset allocation’. Exclusively. *wink*

… And what was the million dollar question asked by the ‘Old Man’ after an ‘entertaining’ session on ‘succession planning’ by a domain expert? Guess? Guess?

Interspersed with a smattering of humour… ‘Corporate Atyaachaar… the comical journey of an office doormat’ makes for a fun read… and a light read. Its light on the wallet too! One can finish the book in one sitting itself… that is one of its USP. If you are hard pressed for time… 2/3/4 days should suffice. The humour isn’t the rolling on the floor laughing (ROTFL); laugh out loud (LOL); or the very long Cheshire cat like grin type… but you’ll be sporting a gentle smile while turning the pages. Happy reading!

Suggestions: Some typos… need to be corrected. After all… ‘Mekhri Circle’ metamorphosing into ‘Makeri Circle’ may upset our legions of mannina magas/magalus! Plus there is something that may get the Paper Tiger’s goat! *wink* But then… that would mean free publicity in the Commercial Capital of India. Ha!

The author writes about mouth-watering menus @ various get-togethers, a wedding feast, etc. But barely mentions the culinary delights on offer. That would have made the book… meander into the readers’ hearts via their stomachs (R.K. Narayan would agree) as well as provided the much-appreciated ‘food for thought’ since ‘fuel’ prices have started ‘bhav khana’. Again.

My Rating: I’ll give it a good 3/5. It is a good effort by a debutant author… who also happens to be the grandson of Malayatoor Ramakrishnan. Therefore writing is in his jeans… oops genes!

Details of the book: Corporate Atyaachaar… the comical journey of an office doormat: Abhay Nagarajan, pp 212; Rs.100, Srishti Publishers & Distributors.

Photograph: Pic courtesy link.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (cross posted from here).

The Journey of Om by Chandru Bhojwani.

Roshmi — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:33:00 +0000

About 4 weeks ago… when I received a mail from debutant author Chandru Bhojwani… enquiring if I would be interested to do a feature on his book – ‘The Journey of Om’ (JOM)… I had heard of neither. But the write-up in the mail… gave me some insights which sufficiently piqued my interest. I agreed and he offered to courier a copy across. When even after a week the promised courier hadn’t arrived… I enquired… and discovered that… he was having difficulty getting his hands on his own book!

Apparently… half of the review copies (purchased by him) were taken by his mom and distributed amongst her friends and family. (Must be the X-mas season *wink*) Result: he ended up running short… and was relegated to pounding the pavement, trying to find the odd copy here and there… ‘like a junkie looking for a fix’! This was an eye-opener for me. I never knew that authors have to buy their own books! After all they are the creators and sole developers of the intellectual property that forms the basis of all publishing and book-selling business. Yet they lie at the bottom of the food… oops ‘book chain’. Must say… it’s an unfair world. I also understood the connection between the publishing industry and the footwear sector *wink*

In a year’s time… JOM has gone in for a second publishing… that I must say is fantastic news for any author… especially a first-timer. ‘Coz it is difficult for first-time authors to get published. “If only someone would just read my manuscript,” they plead. Fortunately Chandru was able to get some copies from Flipkart… and I finally received the courier earlier this month. Making JOM my first book of 2011

JOM makes for a surprisingly pleasant read, an entertaining read… and a light read. The writing is simple and not overly flowery. The narrative switches from the past to the present and back many a time, yet it does not spoil the pace. It is not soporific… like some award winning books by first-time authors… who have gone on to become celebrities… on the strength of those very books. In JOM… the characters, the events and situations they find themselves in and/or around them, the language, the works… will ring a bell… with the reader… who will get to taste a slice of life in ‘The Journey of Om’. The author uses real-world language and expressions… the “guys kinda language”… which enhances the effect and makes it more identifiable. It is hard not to relate to JOM. It is very contemporary. It is essentially everyone’s story. Even Chandru claims that the book contains some bits and pieces from his own life. But which bit or which piece… my guess is as good as yours.

Do not get mislead or confused by the name ‘The Journey of Om’. It is not a spiritual journey nor is the cosmic Om being discussed here. Om – an Indian writer in NYC – is the name of the protagonist. Not Makhija, not Kapoor… OK! It is about his journey… or rather trials and tribulations when he ‘falls’ in love… and his attempts to ‘rise’ in it… or rather from it. You see… the oh-so-romantic guy discovers that his girlfriend – Preeti – has been cheating on him. Nice name Preeti… don’t you think? Not Zinta, Sabarwal or Jhangiani though. But then it takes two to tango. Is Ravi the ‘Raavan’ here… or are there latent causes too? After all… when you point one finger, three point back at you.

“Devastated by his beloved’s betrayal, Om collapses both physically as well as emotionally and with that, begins his arduous battle for peace. Torn between love and anger, Om inadvertently starts to lose his grip on life, as he knew it causing his world to spiral out of control. Hoping to recover, Om turns to his closest friends, Arun and Mona. However, instead of gaining support, he bears witness to the trials, which have besieged their lives.”

Mona craves for love, marriage and a family… complete with a loving husband and kids. Is she chasing after a mirage? Will Arun chuck his Market Research job and accept the offer made by his girlfriend’s father? Or will he choose his self-respect? Will he self-destruct? What does Gope – his pa-in-law to be… have in mind? What is Arun’s take on Om… who is like a bro to him? What is it that Mona tells Om… prompting him to respond with an incredulous “Really”? What is the ‘benchmark’ that Om refers to? Well… read the book to find out. Somewhere along the way Om develops a very close ‘friendship’ with firangi paani. He becomes a reluctant agony uncle to Arun… who is determined to keep his ‘drunken mistake’ from Rakhi… his girlfriend turned fiancée. He watches as his pillar of support-cum-agony aunt-cum-closest friend Mona disintegrates in front of his eyes. He takes basketball duel to another level. Hell hath no fury like a man scorned. Hell hath no fury like a man devalued. Hell hath no fury like a man who has lost the love of his life. Hell hath no fury like a man who has been cheated on.

You get to read about: The Desi Guy’s Kryptonite: Ram Ram HAIR-e-ram, Stankonia, Klingon, Digger, Gamer and more. No doubt you are familiar with ‘Yummy Mummy’… but do you know what a ‘Rummy Mummy’ is? Have you heard of ‘Owl Aunties’? ‘L’Oreal Aunties’, ‘Google Aunties’, or ‘Hari-Om Aunties’?? Read the book… to know about them (courtesy… The Mind of Om) – and I’m sure you’ll recognize the types. The last one has no relation to the protagonist though! The short articles in the middle are immensely readable and humorous… displaying Bhojwani’s wit and perfect journalistic acumen. The column “The Aunties” is one that most of us would be able to relate to. “Observations” make for some entertaining read. While the article titled “The Break Up” (sorry Sandra and Ryan… there’s no proposal here) provides some expert advice/tips on recovering from/surviving breakups. Echoes of ‘Jab We Met’… after the ‘final partition’!

I have mixed feelings regarding the ending… though I quite enjoyed reading the book. The open-ended climax… left me to ponder. Methinks… an open-ended climax scene is a brave attempt by an author… and leaves the reader to assume and wonder… and hope that the story would end as he/she had desired. They have their own charm though… and activate the gray cells too. What might appear offensive or unappealing to some may be quite the opposite for others, so ‘to each his own’. Rather… to each his own climax scene! What? Do tell me… what ending you would like to see.

Om’s character is well fleshed-out. So are Preeti’s and Mona’s. No ‘Mona-Tony’ here I say. But I wish some more ink was spent on Jim… the guy who would rather not know what meal he’s having every night. We find that Jim, Arun, Rakhi, Preeti, Om and Mona are friends… yet it is hard to comprehend and/or reconcile his character’s actions in the end… given the description of his personality. What is amiss is the depiction of the transformation process… in Jim… for him to take the plunge. This forms a void in the plot. We know that ‘opposites attract’… but we also want to know about the how, what, when, where and why. Even the path-breaking ‘Dil Chahta Hai’… took pains to take us through the journey of Akash (Aamir Khan) and Shalini (Preity Zinta); Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Pooja (Sonali Kulkarni); Siddharth aka Sid (Akshaye Khanna) and Tara Jaiswal (Dimple Kapadia). Right?

Monica (not oh my darling) – is everything that you would expect a hard-nosed magazine editor to be. She is one tough cookie… and her dialogues thoroughly entertain. While ‘Cyber-Man’ Sunil’s character unravels gradually. So does Radha’s. But who is Jaymee? Is she a ‘sure thing’? Easy! Easy! No bling!

Suggestion: I feel that the cover could have been done better… instead of the abstract art that we find there… to suit the contents of the book. As we all know… visuals are important in choosing a book… especially by a debutante author… where… ‘First impress-aan izz last impress-aan’!

My Rating: I’ll give JOM a good 3.5/5. A promising debut novel… with a blend of intrigue, humour, wit, romance… the works… in a neat package. Chandru Bhojwani is one author to watch out for. For sure! Happy reading!

Parting shot: I see JOM having a lot of potential for the big screen… with some tweaks of course. That the author’s initial is C.B. has nothing to do with it… I assure you.

The Director: The usual suspects… KJo, YRF. Even… Abbas Tyrewala, Imtiaz Ali, Ayan Mukherji. Or… Nagesh Kukunoor. I know Nagesh doesn’t exactly possess the Midas in his touch off late… but he has given us some very good films: Iqbal, Dor, 3 Deewarein (3 Walls) and the charming Hyderabad Blues (great casting comprising of little known amateurs and supposedly shot in 17 days with a tiny budget of Rs. 2 million). He still has what it takes to continue on that path. Infact… Om’s brief tryst with Anita reminded me of Varun (essayed by Nagesh himself) with his young cousin in ‘Hyderabad Blues’.

Note: Chandru tells me… that my review ranks as one of his favourites. So much so that he has already listed it on his website (link) and forwarded to his reader base. *I’m taking a bow*

He also says… that the new print (of JOM) will be sporting a new cover… and that hopefully we will see it on the big screen and soon. Cheers to that!

Details of the Book: The Journey of Om (Paperback): Chandru Bhojwani, pp 287; Rs. 175, Cedar Books – Pustak Mahal.

Reviewed by: Roshmi Sinha (cross posted from here).

>The Hating Game by Talli Roland

LindyLou Mac — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:27:00 +0000

Review by LindyLouMac

Talli Roland is a very enterprising young woman that totally understands the importance of publicity. She obviously realises that it is just not enough in the competitive world of publishing to sit back on your laurels and think how well you have done to get a book published! No this young lady has gone out of her way to promote her first novel ‘The Hating Game’, for this alone I hope it succeeds. She writes a blog called Talli Roland is aGoodreads author has a Facebook Page and is also to be found on Twitter, which are all great ways for this first time novelist to get her name recognised.

The Hating Game will be released on Amazon as an eBook on December 1st, today in fact, with the paperback version due out in March of next year. I was lucky enough to be sent an advance review copy of the novel in eBook form. I may be wrong about this but from just looking at the brightly coloured cover I got the feeling that this novel is directed at a much younger market than the one I am part of. I know we should never judge a book by the cover, but in this case I think the cover will stand out on the bookshelves and catch the eye of those ‘young’ women looking for something to read that is both modern and romantic.

Lets face facts, reality game shows are a 21st century phenomenon very much loved by the younger generation so the books subject matter will also attract the attention of potential readers. Personally I am not a fan of this sort of television show but I know many people that are, including my younger daughter who is also not much of a book reader as few novels catch her interest. However I think she would enjoy this because it is about something that she will feel she can relate to. This is part of a large problem with writing a novel, is there a market to read this story. I think Talli has a potential winner with her choice as within its genre she has written a sparkly lively modern novel that will appeal to many.

Mattie Johns the protagonist runs a media recruitment company and is a young woman that comes over as somewhat brash, hardened against life and love, always determined to have the last word. Her business is in trouble so she jumps at the opportunity to win a large cash prize in exchange for appearing on a dating game show. It does not turn out to be the easy money making deal she had hoped for when it is revealed that the dates are actually ex boyfriends!

Although the the story of her endeavours to win the money are both amusing and and at times emotional you will also learn of the ugly side of reality television. Programme ratings are what motivate the producers of this programme with absolutely no concern what so ever for the feelings of the contestants. One hopes that in real life it would never go this far, but I suppose one can never be sure. How far is that? What is it that happens? Does it all end happily?

All questions that will be answered if you read this cleverly written witty debut from new young talent Talli Roland. I will certainly be recommending ‘The Hating Game’ to any one who likes modern romance young or old, despite my earlier comments as I do not want to suggest it is only for the young, it is also for the young at heart. An entertaining read then with an extra little touch that I found amusing are the chapter headings of quirky facts about relationships.

Talli Roland

I am helping the publicity drive for The Hating Game by taking part in a campaign to spread the word today, publication day for the eBook version.

You can help Talli Roland’s debut novel The Hating Game hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/hNBkJk

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/hX2ieD

More details about what is happening today can be found here The Hating Game – Take on Amazon Splash

No Kindle? Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more. Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at Talli Roland – Official Website

This review has also been published on LindyLouMac’s Book Reviews