Somehow, I could not quite connect to the story and had to leave the book half way. The story did not seem to connect to IIT or IITians as such unlike Heartbreaks. The writing style seemed much better than Heartbreaks. The character Tanu looked much more acceptable but staying unmarried just to look for her lost love in college days seemed very filmy. Unmarried people in mid-thirties is not unusual in successful or ambitious people but getting stuck on to their past relationships cannot be stated as the only reason. Suhani the protagonist of the novel seemed to have a persistent aversion for IIT men looked pretty unusual. There is definitely some aspect of stereotyping involved with people of a group but you still have people who belong to the group but are different. That moderation didn't seem to come out in the novel. It was just all extremes put together. Overall seemed like a medley of well known stories with substantial dosage of double meaning words seemed to be the central theme of the novel.
Will it attract the audience or keep them glued to it? I am not sure. It could not keep my interest for too long. But definitely a light hearted reading material if you have got a copy. The author could have avoided reference to Chetan Bhagat and his credit issues. That was not relevant to the story at all.
2 comments:
It is fun and light read as you said Sambit. Thanks for the review. I am glad it came on the same day as Aditya Mani Jha's in Sunday guardian.
Re Suhaani's aversion to IIT guys - it is based on her bad past experience which is hinted at and explained later in the book. The IIT guy Deep comes across as very charming so all Suhaani's biases are quelled - you would see that if you finished the book.
Re Tanu di waiting for her lost love - she is not a representation of a generation - but she is a character from the previous book herself. She very clearly has been having fun with guys and rising her career path which was her priority anyway. The fact that she didn't find her soul-mate for ten years now is also not unusual - and I also feel that people keep loving someone they once loved. Whether they stay single for same is not necessary and Tanu stayed unmarried partly because of her ambition and high flying career .. which as you say is very acceptable.
The ref to CB is just for fun - 10 words in the entire 70000 words - I am surprised that you got so irked by CB remark.
Thanks a lot for the review anyway!
Very few authors take comments on their books as seriously. I appreciate that you do.
Aditya Mani Jha has to represent the mass and I have to just satisfy myself if I found a book interesting. I happened to fall into the wrong audience. A book written for a early 20s FB generation did not quite fit to my taste. Strong views expressed in any fiction today does not quite interest me these days. While essays and debates are different.
I have read some reviews on your books and everyone kind of creates a comparison with CB. When there is so much of discussion going on already his reference however funny could have been avoided. I used to enjoy CB's books initial few but once he brought in the whole mass appeal into his novels, I lost interest. As a popular author, one definitely loses some older audience. I guess that's a welcome change. Another writer from your school is Amitabha Bagchi. I liked his first book Above Average. Quite balanced portrayal of IITD life. I think I will read his new book "The Householder".
As IITians it gives me a lot of pleasure to see fellow IITians have prospered and appreciated in a manner the world has never known us. Particularly on literary and creative pursuits. Authors as you are changing that perception and that's a welcome change. Thank you.
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