Friday, 28 February 2014
Monday, 24 February 2014
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Microfiction: 5 love stories
1. Perfect Love.
They had a fight last night. She came in the room with a blank face, he stared at her with blazing eyes. Both were trying hard to control but soon it became too much. They burst out laughing.
2. Imperfect Love.
He had not returned her calls since morning. Worried, she tried his number again but the line was busy. She dialled another number. A polite voice came from the other side. She replied- "Yes, I'd like to book a table for two.."
3. Unrequited Love
He was waiting at that street corner again. She came, hand in hand with a guy and turned around to see if anyone was looking. Finding no one, she gave the guy a kiss. He was standing right there.
4. Neo-Love
She slapped her forehead, "Oops! I forgot the anniversary again." She ran to buy a gift from the shop. He was preparing a romantic dinner. He had been planning for this day since ages.
5. Non-Love
She deleted her Facebook account, all her email conversations. She wanted no interference from her past. This boyfriend seemed like her only chance at happiness and she wanted to do it right this time.
-------------------------------
Friday, 21 February 2014
Book Review - Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister by Tabrik C
Title: Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister
Author- Tabrik C
Publisher: Hachette India
ISBN- 978-93-5009-670-3
Genre- Fiction
Price- Rs 350
There are dark novels, there are brooding treatises on human psyche and then there is Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister. The novel is about Siddhartha Tagore who hails from Calcutta, has studied and ends up in 7, Race Course Road- the most reverred, most powerful and the most responsible office of India- the Prime Minister. The cover has the picture of a lone man walking in the middle of a dark road which seems to have no end but there is the Sun shining above and the caption reads- "You can't outrun fate" which paints a gloomy picture, The back cover reads- "India has a new Prime Minister. But is SIddharth Tagore the product of his genius or of his dangerous mind?" and goes on the explain the theme of the novel colored in Jihad, terrorism, Parliamentary politics and the protagonist's inner conflicts.
About the Author-
The author Tabrik C is a political enthusiast who has done his post graduation in History from St Stephen's College, Delhi. It's mentioned that he was the president of the students' union. All these facts are well reflected in his work. Being a Historian, he connects the dots quite elegantly and due to his leadership background, he is full of ideas about change and conflict. The interest in politics is a little too obvious by the title of the book.
About the book-
The cover is elegant and I like how the author's name humbly stands below the title of the book in bold. Pages are smooth and do not have the rough texture of racy, spicy thriller novels have. There is something square and grim about the whole feel of the book and it works in tandem with the serious theme of the plot. The language is surprisingly simple and does not use decorative words. It does dilute the narrative a tad but I think it's forgivable and a deliberate attempt to broaden the reader base.
The book broods a lot, there is a lot of monologue happening inside your head as you go through the pages and that's what a political thriller attempts to achieve. The author seems to be a firm believer in karma, the realization of which brings a smile to the observant reader. If you read the half-paragraph intro of the author on the first page, you'll see how he has poured his whole self out of the pages, spreading out all that he had in these pages. The editing is meticulous yet, I was able to find a few synax and preposition error which were minor and can be ignored eg. "Boring everyone into hell" instead of "boring everyone to hell/ death".
At the end, a word about the Tolkien-esque font switch while dealing with different formats of communication. The author uses a lot of letters, emails, News reports and other forms of communication in his narrative. These are nice because they also give us a deeper insight in the psyche of the characters and also accentuate the brooding nature of the novel. Also, he has used separate fonts to give them a real feel. It has worked and how!
I'd recommend this novel to everyone who has outgrown love stories and is willing to experiment with other genres in Indian fiction. It's a fresh, new theme and if you can compromise a bit on the lackluster language, the plot has an interesting premise. Now for the brickbats, the novel is disdainful and at times distasteful. It reinforces all stereotypes about how a genius also has to be a little bit nuts too. The description of drugs, the mention of aristocracy side by side with intelligence poses serious questions about writer's worldview and there is also infidelity and insanity which seems to find dubious sanction in his narrative. The political thriller that the novel promises to be is also hollow, it is more like a personal journey of a lunatic which is mostly bizzare. I expected a little more maturity from this novel. Nevertheless, it's one book you hate but you have to finish. The book scores on its premise and premise alone.
My rating *** ( 2 stars out of 5)
This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!Author- Tabrik C
Publisher: Hachette India
ISBN- 978-93-5009-670-3
Genre- Fiction
Price- Rs 350
There are dark novels, there are brooding treatises on human psyche and then there is Prisoner Jailor Prime Minister. The novel is about Siddhartha Tagore who hails from Calcutta, has studied and ends up in 7, Race Course Road- the most reverred, most powerful and the most responsible office of India- the Prime Minister. The cover has the picture of a lone man walking in the middle of a dark road which seems to have no end but there is the Sun shining above and the caption reads- "You can't outrun fate" which paints a gloomy picture, The back cover reads- "India has a new Prime Minister. But is SIddharth Tagore the product of his genius or of his dangerous mind?" and goes on the explain the theme of the novel colored in Jihad, terrorism, Parliamentary politics and the protagonist's inner conflicts.
About the Author-
The author Tabrik C is a political enthusiast who has done his post graduation in History from St Stephen's College, Delhi. It's mentioned that he was the president of the students' union. All these facts are well reflected in his work. Being a Historian, he connects the dots quite elegantly and due to his leadership background, he is full of ideas about change and conflict. The interest in politics is a little too obvious by the title of the book.
About the book-
The cover is elegant and I like how the author's name humbly stands below the title of the book in bold. Pages are smooth and do not have the rough texture of racy, spicy thriller novels have. There is something square and grim about the whole feel of the book and it works in tandem with the serious theme of the plot. The language is surprisingly simple and does not use decorative words. It does dilute the narrative a tad but I think it's forgivable and a deliberate attempt to broaden the reader base.
The book broods a lot, there is a lot of monologue happening inside your head as you go through the pages and that's what a political thriller attempts to achieve. The author seems to be a firm believer in karma, the realization of which brings a smile to the observant reader. If you read the half-paragraph intro of the author on the first page, you'll see how he has poured his whole self out of the pages, spreading out all that he had in these pages. The editing is meticulous yet, I was able to find a few synax and preposition error which were minor and can be ignored eg. "Boring everyone into hell" instead of "boring everyone to hell/ death".
At the end, a word about the Tolkien-esque font switch while dealing with different formats of communication. The author uses a lot of letters, emails, News reports and other forms of communication in his narrative. These are nice because they also give us a deeper insight in the psyche of the characters and also accentuate the brooding nature of the novel. Also, he has used separate fonts to give them a real feel. It has worked and how!
I'd recommend this novel to everyone who has outgrown love stories and is willing to experiment with other genres in Indian fiction. It's a fresh, new theme and if you can compromise a bit on the lackluster language, the plot has an interesting premise. Now for the brickbats, the novel is disdainful and at times distasteful. It reinforces all stereotypes about how a genius also has to be a little bit nuts too. The description of drugs, the mention of aristocracy side by side with intelligence poses serious questions about writer's worldview and there is also infidelity and insanity which seems to find dubious sanction in his narrative. The political thriller that the novel promises to be is also hollow, it is more like a personal journey of a lunatic which is mostly bizzare. I expected a little more maturity from this novel. Nevertheless, it's one book you hate but you have to finish. The book scores on its premise and premise alone.
My rating *** ( 2 stars out of 5)
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Book Review- Love @ Air Force By Gaurav Sharma
Title- Love @ Air Force
Author- Gaurav Sharma
ISBN- 978-163041628-7
Publisher- Blackbuck Publication
Genre- Fiction
Price- Rs 150
I'd like to thank Nimi Vashi from Reader's Cosmos for giving me this opportunity to review this book. May it keep raining books like this forever!
Now, this is what you'd call a pure work of art. You can imagine how much of a mathematician the author is by the way he has numbered even the acknowledgements in his introductory pages. With 287 pages, you'd expect a lengthy, twisted tale of thrill and suspense but instead, it is delightfully simple and unsophisticated (in a positive sense) tale of human emotions.
About the author
The author has three interests which "intersect". Mathematics (Now you know why he used the term 'intersect'), cricket and writing. The author dedicates the book to his mother and father. Now, here is what I read when I see a guy writing a small poem for his Ma and Pa at the start, dedicating the book to them- this guy has written this book more for the love of writing than for profit-making. He comes from a family with a background in defence and hence understands the nuances involved in that society.
About the book.
The book is about Air Force Station Agra where three classmates get together after years and the sparks that fly. It is an emotional drama involving class envy, love, inferiority complex and inner turmoils. Sergeant Sushil Awasthi is the one blaming his circumstances for where he is and feels like life has wronged him. Medical Officer, wing commander Shabd Mishra is his best friend of school days who now is ranked higher above him at Air force. Soumya is Shabd's school days' crush who is married to another Air force officer. There seems to be enough scope to play around with the emotions of these characters as all of them have got their weaknesses and strengths plus we have the fine nuances of a friendship that transcends class boundaries.
There is not much to write about the literary talents of the author because you'll find use of multiple punctuations, incorrect usage of the apostrophe and certain syntax errors which could certainly have been avoided. But, I am more likely to be booed for being a grammar Nazi in this because of all the honesty and sincerity with which the novel has been put together. One wonders whether the novel would have been more beautiful if the author would have written it in Hindi. But I guess, if India can accept Chetan Bhagat, we certainly have room for Mr Gaurav Sharma. The story seems so real that when you reach the end you feel as you want to know more about these characters, as if they were your friends. All the events and happenings are so commonplace that there comes a point when you stop and check the back cover of the book to see if you've actually bought a fictional book or someone's personal diary.
The language used is of everyday use and there are Hindi words thrown in for greater impact. The novel might look thick but it is so easy on the eye that you won't even notice when it gets over. The poet in the author keeps coming back in the form of small couplets and poems in between; these poems connect the reader to the characters and help strengthen the narrative.
I recommend the book to those who want to take a break from serious reading and are not looking for perfect grammar and linguistic devices. Just an honest story. In words of the author- "The heart is a more sophisticated device than a Sukhoi..."
I'd rate it ***/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)
Author- Gaurav Sharma
ISBN- 978-163041628-7
Publisher- Blackbuck Publication
Genre- Fiction
Price- Rs 150
I'd like to thank Nimi Vashi from Reader's Cosmos for giving me this opportunity to review this book. May it keep raining books like this forever!
Now, this is what you'd call a pure work of art. You can imagine how much of a mathematician the author is by the way he has numbered even the acknowledgements in his introductory pages. With 287 pages, you'd expect a lengthy, twisted tale of thrill and suspense but instead, it is delightfully simple and unsophisticated (in a positive sense) tale of human emotions.
About the author
The author has three interests which "intersect". Mathematics (Now you know why he used the term 'intersect'), cricket and writing. The author dedicates the book to his mother and father. Now, here is what I read when I see a guy writing a small poem for his Ma and Pa at the start, dedicating the book to them- this guy has written this book more for the love of writing than for profit-making. He comes from a family with a background in defence and hence understands the nuances involved in that society.
About the book.
The book is about Air Force Station Agra where three classmates get together after years and the sparks that fly. It is an emotional drama involving class envy, love, inferiority complex and inner turmoils. Sergeant Sushil Awasthi is the one blaming his circumstances for where he is and feels like life has wronged him. Medical Officer, wing commander Shabd Mishra is his best friend of school days who now is ranked higher above him at Air force. Soumya is Shabd's school days' crush who is married to another Air force officer. There seems to be enough scope to play around with the emotions of these characters as all of them have got their weaknesses and strengths plus we have the fine nuances of a friendship that transcends class boundaries.
There is not much to write about the literary talents of the author because you'll find use of multiple punctuations, incorrect usage of the apostrophe and certain syntax errors which could certainly have been avoided. But, I am more likely to be booed for being a grammar Nazi in this because of all the honesty and sincerity with which the novel has been put together. One wonders whether the novel would have been more beautiful if the author would have written it in Hindi. But I guess, if India can accept Chetan Bhagat, we certainly have room for Mr Gaurav Sharma. The story seems so real that when you reach the end you feel as you want to know more about these characters, as if they were your friends. All the events and happenings are so commonplace that there comes a point when you stop and check the back cover of the book to see if you've actually bought a fictional book or someone's personal diary.
The language used is of everyday use and there are Hindi words thrown in for greater impact. The novel might look thick but it is so easy on the eye that you won't even notice when it gets over. The poet in the author keeps coming back in the form of small couplets and poems in between; these poems connect the reader to the characters and help strengthen the narrative.
I recommend the book to those who want to take a break from serious reading and are not looking for perfect grammar and linguistic devices. Just an honest story. In words of the author- "The heart is a more sophisticated device than a Sukhoi..."
I'd rate it ***/2 (2.5 out of 5 stars)
Friday, 14 February 2014
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