An innocent traitor by Satyapal Chandra

"An innocent traitor" by Satyapal Chandra. This book is published by Pigeon Books India in 2012 and has 219 pages.

This is the story of Rohit, who's trade name is Arman Ali. What's his trade? He is a contract killer. He works for the underworld.

Was he a criminal from his childhood? Was he dreaming like a normal man? What made him take a gun in his hand? Will he ever come out of it?

The story takes place in Delhi and Mumbai. It is semi interesting. At times author has struggled with continuity and consistency.

It's a story of mafia. It could have been very interesting. But it appears more like a patchwork than an easily following story.

The English in this book is bad. It is as if the sentence is thought in another language, translated in English and then written down. There are syntax errors, capitalization errors, typing errors and grammatical errors. Wrong words are regularly used like gate of car instead of door of car etc. You lose fun of reading as there errors keep popping up on every page. Instead of a reader you become 'proof reader'.

It's taxing to read this book. I did not like this book.

AVOID, even if someone pays you to read.

My kind of girl by Buddhadev Bose

"My kind of girl" by Buddhadev Bose, translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha. This book is published by Random House India in 2009 and has 128 pages. This book was originally published in 1951. It's a novella.

Four middle aged Bengali strangers (all male) meet in the waiting room of Tundla station, 25 km from Agra, where they have pass the night. A powerfully built Contractor, a bureaucrat, a doctor and a writer on holiday. They see a newly married couple lost in each other, deeply in love. Since there is no train till the next morning, they decide that each one will tell a story about a girl in his life.

Three of the four stories are of what would be conventionally termed as unsuccessful love. Unsuccessful because it did not end in a marriage. But was the love unsuccessful? Not really. Love was there. The feeling and satisfaction was there. So love was successful.

All the stories are about common people. Love that they experienced was made up of a number of small things and incidents. It is the small things that matter. Love in this book is very subtle and delicate. Readers are drawn into the stories. They don't want the book to end.

Though this is a translation of original Bengali book, the lyricism in the narration is preserved. The tender feelings and delicacy remains unadulterated. Nothing seems to be lost in translation. Full marks to the translator. If the translation is so good, how good will be the original? Alas! I don't know Bengali.

Although the book was written in 1951 you enjoy reading it immensely. Love is an emotion that is not bound by time and timing, it's eternal.

An excellent book. A must read.

Back in time by Andaleeb Wajid

"Back in time" by Andaleeb Wajid. This book is published by Bloomsbury India in 2014 and has 162 pages. This is the second book of Tamanna trilogy. (I had posted a review of first book 'No time for goodbyes' last month).

Tamanna is back in past using a sepia photograph and meets Manoj in Madras. The camera which also doubles up as time machine is stolen. A cousin of ajji's husband, nicknamed 'dragon amma' by Manoj, is scheming to kick ajji and her daughters out of their house. Tamanna is in a life threatening road accident in 1983.

Can she go back to present? Will Manoj accompany her? Why does a sepia photograph cause her time travel? Does any one else know the secret of time travel?

Andaleeb has kept it simple and straight. Love story and time travel is a potent combination. Author has handled both deftly without compromising one for other or letting one overpower other.

If you have read first book, you can not resist reading this one and can't wait for the third one. The story moves on and readers are hooked. There are hilarious, dramatic and emotional situations in past and Tamanna responds to them with the experience of present.

This is a small book but it packs the punch. End of the book is again interesting and readers are sure to see another time travel in next book, but this time it will be to the future, not past.

A very good book. Must read if you have read the first one.

No time for goodbyes by Andaleeb Wajid

"No time for goodbyes" by Andaleeb Wajid. This book is published by Bloomsbury India in 2014 and has 205 pages.

It's 2012. Tamanna, a sixteen year old, is bored out of her bones. She goes to the attic and finds an old sepia Polaroid photograph of her young mother, her two sisters and an unknown youth. While she is looking at it, she is sucked into it and time travels to 1982, 30 years back to her grandmother's house when the photo was taken.

Here her mother and aunts are of her age. She is mistaken for the pen pal of Manoj, the youth in photo. It's a different world for her. It's the same city, Bangalore, but looks very different and beautiful. Her mother and aunts seem to have a crush on Manoj. Tamanna tells Manoj how she came in 1982. It becomes clear that the time machine is the camera of Manoj's grandfather had assembled. But no one knows what triggered time travel. Grandfather does not know how to send her back. Inevitably Tamanna and Manoj are first attracted and then fall in love. Both know that this is not correct, it won't workout, but can't help it.

Can Tamanna go back to the present? Can she stay away from Manoj? Is her mother helps of her? Why Manoj is not there in 2012? Will she travel back to 1980s? Will they unite?

Andaleeb had used two tried and tested formulae. One of time travel and another of love, but she has used them to put together a very good story. Time travel is not new for fiction readers but reading it in Indian context was a novelty.

Andaleeb has shown the emotions of teen aged girl very well. First love, infatuation, emotional upheaval and change of time period to top it up and you have a heady mix. Old time Bangalore is described in detail on the backdrop of today's Bangalore. Bangloreits would like it. The reactions and wonderment of today's teen to the good old days 30 years ago is depicted very well. Although it's about time travel it's essentially a love story.

The language used in 1982 sounds more like year 2000, much modern for the times. This appears to be the only drawback.

The end of story could have been anything and it would have still made some readers unhappy. Author has chosen to end the story very beautifully. Rather than giving answer, she has left it for the readers to decide and ended on a beautiful turn. Full marks for the end.

After completing this book I came to know that this is first book of the trilogy. Second book is already published. Looking forward to read it.

A very good book. Must read.

Half a rupee stories by Gulzar

"Half a rupee stories" by Gulzar. Translated from Urdu to English by Sunjoy Shekhar. This book is published by Penguin in 2013 and has 232 pages.

This book consists of 25 stories. The stories are divided into eight sections and each section has a theme. First section has stories about cine personalities, second is for stories from slums and footpath. One section is for stories about Indo-Pak border. One section is for Naxalite movement. Another section is for miscellaneous stories.  And so on....

'Dusk' and 'The adjustment' are old age love stories, 'Ghugu and Jamuni' is the love story of a bird, 'Kuldeep Nayyar & Pirsahib' is mystique, 'LoC' depicts futility of war, 'The stench' gives slum dwellers perspective on redevelopment, 'The charioteer' shows how change of surrounding makes a king out of a lowly man, 'The search' provides a Kashmiri angle of the story of terrorism.

In the story titled half a rupee, bhau tells Chandu that he counts everything in athanni (Half rupee) because common man like us eats half plate, half night sleep, half laughing, half crying and half living.

Of all these stories I liked 'Ghugu and Jamuni', 'Pickpocket', 'Sahir & Jadu' the most.

I felt that some of the stories were too short. Since they were too short they did not create the intended impact. In some, author appeares to have left a lot unsaid and to readers imagination; deliberately.

The stories cover wide range of emotions, wide range of strata of the people and various cities. However the common theme is human emotions. Gulzar's ability to see the story in the most unlikely places, where a common man can not see it, is amazing. The stories intrigue you, make you wonder, laugh and pity. It is a light book that makes you think and introspect.

When I first read the title of this book it felt strange. After reading the book I realized that 'Half a rupee' is title of one of the stories and the book takes name after it.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse. The book is published by Random House in 2006 and has 129 pages. This book is translated into English by Susan Bernofsky.

The story is set in fifth and sixth century BC. During the times of Gautam Buddha. Although Buddha's original name was Siddhartha, the protagonist of this book is another Siddhartha. He was son of a brahmin and was loved by all. But he was not happy. He was searching something and he did not know what. He thinks that he wants to search Atman and Brahman.

One day he takes permission of his father and leaves home. He becomes an ascetic, a samana, learns fasting, control over breathing and masters samadhi.  But he is not satisfied. Then he goes to listen to the sermon of Sakyamuni or Gautam Buddha. Here he is intrigued. He refuses to become his disciple and is truly awakened. He understands what he was searching. He was searching himself, Siddhartha. He wantes to know himself without the context of being a brahmin or a ascetic or being amongst friends or people like him. It was discovery of Self. So he decides to become a commoner and wants to learn art of love making from a very beautiful courtesan, Kamla. In order to afford her, he becomes a merchant. Earns and enjoys wealth. Becomes a sinner. Again one day he realizes that his search is not over, so he leaves all his wealth, friends and Kamla behind to become a boatman, helping people to cross the river. Here the river becomes his companion, guide, tutor and friend. It talks to him. This is where he finds what he was looking for.

Siddhartha's journey is like a caledoscope in search of something. He is a happy child but leaves his childhood to become an intelligent brahmin youth. He then leaves his home to become a samana. Then he leaves the ascetics to listen to Gautam Buddha. He leaves him to becom a commoner who wants to learn art of loving . Leaves the life of commoner to become a rich merchant and lives extravagant life. Then leaves all the wealth behind to become a boatman.

I found the writing style of Herman Hesse spiritual and mystique like that of Paulo Coelho. The book gives a different perspective of life. It is an allegorical novel.

Various stages of life, various stages of physical belongings and various friends are not enough for Siddhartha. His quest is insatiable. His journey continues. He yearns for something, everything, nothing.

The book is written in a sublime manner. It has a story but is spiritual. It even contradicts Goutam Buddha on a few occasions. Siddhartha sums up everything in one sentence "What interests me is being able to love the world, not scorn it, not to hate it and hate myself, but to look at it and myself and all beings with love and admiration and reverence."

Those who have spiritual inclination or are interested in the unknown would like it. But this book is not for casual readers.

I too had a love story by Ravinder Singh

"I too had a love story"  debut novel by Ravinder Singh. This book is based on true story of authors life. The book is 213 pages long.

This is the love story of Ravin (narrated in first person) & Khushi. They meet online on a matrimonial website. Start talking to each other on phone as they stay in different cities. Strike a friendship, fall in love and decide to get married; without meeting even once in person.

Then they meet. There nervousness, anxiety, eagerness and even stupidity. There expectations and reassurances. Their  desperation when Ravin has to go out of the country. All the silly things the love struck couple does. All the minor things that suddenly become so important. The lies to others in order to be in each others company for a few minutes. The changes in them. All these things are captured very honestly and effectively without making them too complicated.

Then comes a major twist that shakes you completely. Reader starts thinking why did this happen? They don't deserve it. It's unfair.

Ravinder has kept it simple and straight. He has avoided the temptation to make it dramatic or melodramatic. That's why it connects as a true story. Author's narration is simple and realistic. Romantic moments are presented beautifully. The story loses the flow a little bit after the twist, but recovers later.

You like the book. You feel joy and sorrow with the characters. You connect with them. But you do not become a character in the story while reading. I agree with Mr. Narayanmurthy that it's a simple book. We should expect more from Ravinder Singh after this.

A very good book, though not a fabulous one. Recommend reading.

Zero Percentile by Neeraj Chhibba

"Zero Percentile", a debut novel by Neeraj Chhibba.

Pankaj, Priya and Motu are childhood friends. Pankaj is destined to go to IIT, expected to achieve 1st rank in JEE i.e. 100 percentile. But fate makes him zero percentile and lands him in Volvograd, USSR whereas Motu goes to IIT.

USSR is a completely different country. Good people, lot of fun, everything in short supply, extreme cold, uncertainties, student groupizm & mafia.
         
Does Pankaj survive? Does he find just girls or love? How does he perform academically?  Is he reunited with his childhood friends?

Novel is narrated in first person by Pankaj. I thought that author has spent too many pages in establishing the story and characters but found himself short of pages for main story.

USSR and the lifestyle is picturized very well. Readers realise that changing Russia after the breakup of USSR, and opportunities presented by change can do wonders.

Neeraj has a different writing style. Its like a breath of fresh air in still atmosphere. Climax and end could not be guessed & leaves you perplexed, but I would have liked it to be elaborated more.

A good read. Recommend.
A sequel of this novel is already published and is on my waiting list.

Battle for Bittora by Anuja Chauhan

"Battle for Bittora", by Anuja Chauhan during vacation.
   
This is the story of Sarojini 'Jinny' Pande who's grandfather was a freedom fighter + ex-MP and grandmother an 3 x ex-MP. Jinny is hurled from her job as animation specialist (making kitanoo of Harpic) to fighting election on Pragati party (read Congress) ticket for Bittora, a constituency in Pavit Pradesh ( Read UP). Her opponent is Zain Altaf Khan of IJP (Read BJP), an ex-royal of Bittora and her childhood sweetheart, who she still lusts.

Will she fight the election? Will she win? Do Jinny and Zhain become enemies? The story has twists, real politiking, horse trading, betrayal and magnanimity.

Jinny's state of always being in two minds, being torn between politics and love is portrayed well. Her love-hate relationship with Zhain is the base of the story. A number if characters are based on real life figures like Sonia, Varun, Modi etc.

The pace of story is slow.Zhain seems to be always 2 steps ahed of Jinny. Sometimes you wonder wheather Jinny is really smart. Although the election is for Loksabha, the canvas seems smaller and appears like a Vidhansabha election instead.

This is Anuja's 2nd novel after 'Zoya factor' where she has depicted emotions of modern day young Indian lady very well. (It has become her USP).
Although it is an OK read, this novel does not raise to the heightened expectations after 'Zoya factor'