The Bhairav Putras by Suhail Mathur

"The Bhairav Putras" debut novel of Suhail Mathur. This book is published by Red ink publishers in 2014 and has 343 pages.

The story is set in British occupied India of 1936 in a town called Bhairavgarh, a town famous for temple of Lord Bhairav (a manifestation of Shiva) and brave inhabitants, where British decide to set up cantonment.

A motly crew of Son of a Zamindar, a Carpenter, a Dhobi, a Priest, a stable boy, an Architect, a bomb maker and a couple of Indian British soldiers decides to fight back. They are assisted by four mysterious men calling themselves Vairavar's. Existence of an ancient secret from the times of Samrat Ashok is revealed.

Will the Bhairavwasis succeed? What's in the book of Bhairav (Bhairashokapustak) from the times of Samrat Ashok? Who are Vairawar's?

Freedom struggle, resistance to British, an ancient secret that will grant immense power to the holder and mysterious Vairawars is a heady mixture and can make a very interesting story. Suhail has indeed managed to create an interesting story out of it. However I was left with a feeling that more could have been done. It could have been even more thrilling and even more interesting.

The narration is good. Story keeps you interested. However story becomes slow at the trial of revolutionaries. This being the story from old times, the things happen at their own pace.

Suhail has done a good job. As per the book he is still pursuing his BA LLB, so must be young. He has shown great promise in his first book and a good writer is in the making. We can expect more good work from him.

However in some cases author has written about past as if it happened in today's time. For example things happenned at 10.30 pm like train arrival, end of dinner etc but in those days things did not happen so late. Bira hugs his lady love in public, it did not happen publicly in those days. Word terrorist is used in the book which was not prevalent in those days.

Author has used some amusing and witty word play in the book that is delight to read. These remarks are really good. Full marks to Suhail for that. However that word play could only happen in English and revolutionaries and Indiana did not speak English, it's only the book that's written in English.

Epilogue added to the book was entirely unnecessary. Apart from sowing seeds of a sequel, it does not serve any purpose and was avoidable.

Nevertheless it's a good book. Recommend reading.

The intern's handbook a.k.a. Kill your boss by Shane Kuhn

"The intern's handbook" a.k.a. "Kill your boss", debut novel of Shane Kuhn. This book is published by  Simon & Schuster in 2014 and has 288 pages. Why there are two titles? Because this book is published in US as "The intern's handbook" and in UK as "Kill your boss.

John Lago is an orphan and works for HR Inc. run by Bob. What's their business? To place interns in various corporations. The interns are assigned to a boss. They earn his trust and then kill him. HR Inc. is an organization of contract killers disguised as interns.

John is assigned to kill one of the three partners of a Law firm. He has to identify the one who sells the identities from witness protection program and kill him. This would be his last assignment before he retirees at the age of 25. Here he meets Alice, a beautiful junior associate and decides to use her as an asset to gain entry where an intern is not allowed. He pretends to love her and she intern mobilizes help to find his biological father.

Can John identify and kill the partner? Who is Alice? Can she find his father? Does John retire? Is this his last assignment?

The book is written in first person narrative. John has written a handbook for other interns and told his story through it. It could have been a memoire instead of handbook and still would have made the same impact.

The idea of intern assassin is superb, full marks to the idea. The anonymity enjoyed by an intern, a free worker, is key to gaining confidence of boss without drawing attention and then killing him. Author has written very well. The start of book is engaging, middle portion drags a little bit and end is again interesting. Although you don't read it in one go you also don't abandon it.

Style of writing is different and a good change from usual. Narration is informative and entertaining but a little mechanical at times. Considering that this is the first novel of author, we can expect more good work from him in future.

The cover design and use of eye catching yellow color is very effective. I think the European title is more appropriate.

A good book. If you are a fan of thrillers and want to read something different, this book is for you.

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai

"Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard" a debut novel by Kiran Desai. This book is published by Faber & Faber in 2012 and has 224 pages. Kitten is winner of Booker prize for her second novel.

Shahkot is a typical town in north India with government offices, schools, bazaar etc. Mr Chawla and his wife Kulfi are expecting a child who they would name Sampath. When Sampath Chawla was born, a number of coincidences happened. An airplane dropped relief aid meant for someone else in their backyard. Suddenly thundering rain came to douse the unbearable heat causes by drought. When he grew up, he was considered good for nothing. He was differently wired. This trait has come to him from his mother's eccentric family.

He drapes himself in women's cloths at the wedding of daughter of his boss. Then enters fountain and disrobes completely. Obviously losing his job in post office. Shamed by his behavior his family does not know what to do. In order to escape from all of it, he takes a bus out of town. Goes to a guava orchard on the outskirts, climbs a guava tree and tests in peace. The news of a man living on the tree reaches Shahkot.

Few people go their to see the spectacle. Sampath spots a couple of persons, whose letters he had read in the post office, and asks them questions based on that secret information. Suddenly people start thinking that this baba living in the tree has special powers. He becomes a cult figure, a baba. He keeps delivering one liners that are absurd and meaningful at the same time. His father shrewdly turns this into a money making opportunity.

What does the baba really know? How do monkeys come into equation? Will baba descend from the tree? Will it become a business or will some good come out of it? Will the atheist spy who is trying to expose baba succeed?

This book is written in the fashion of a satire with parody sprinkled over it for flavor. The characters are bizarre. The book even become melodramatic once or twice. The town society, government, establishment everything is made fun of.

This book sould be read with a different mindset, without applying  too much rationality. It should be looked at as a satire. Various Baba's have come to be in India because of irrational behavior of common public. This book tries to depict one such scenario.

Kiran has written a good book. (Mind you, she and her mother are both winners of Booker prize). While reading this book, I could not help remember a fantastic Marathi story Mhais (म्हैस) of Pu. LA. Deshpande (पु. ल. देशपांडे) written many years before this book.

A good book. Read if you liked the flavor of the story.