Book reviews: 2 States (Chetan Bhagat), The Zoya Factor (Anuja Chauhan) and two more..!!

I didn't find time to even think about writing lately. The itching sensation -of posting reviews of the books I read- was bugging me. I started writing this post in January 2009, and I am completing it today.!! I thank '2 States - by Chetan Bhagat' to give me the kick I needed to complete this post and publish it. Here are the books I read in past few months that I wanted to talk about:

2 States (by Chetan Bhagat):

Must read for those who are aspiring to get married and for their parents as well. I am a big fan of Chetan's, and this book has not let me down. I completed the entire book in 2 sittings, in one night.
I am sure everyone would relate to the story of Krish and Ananya (the lead characters of the book). Chetan has effectively depicted the state of mind of a guy who loves his girlfriend, as well as his parents. He shows how difficult it can get to make both the sides happy. Same for a girl too..
I wish this book gets translated in all the languages of India ASAP.

Veronika decides to die (by Paulo Coelho):
Poulo Coelho rocks!! It is an awesome book for those who are suffering from Nervous Breakdown. If you have liked Bluffmaster, you'll definitely like this book.

The Zoya Factor (by Anuja Chauhan):
I really liked this book. You can enjoy reading this book even if you don't like cricket. It is funny, witty and romantic (did I miss anything?). In addition, it is a thick book, so you can say you've got value for your money! ;)
The critic within me doesn't wake up till I'm enjoying the book/movie. It didn't wake up while reading this book either.

The White Tiger (by Aravind Adiga):
I wonder how come this book won the Booker prize. It seems everyone who is sarcastic and pessimistic about India wins appreciation from all over the world. (Yes, the same is true for 'Slumdog Millionarie'.) The story of the book is exactly like an old hindi movie where a poor gets screwed by the rich 'Zameendar' and he kills him when he gets a chance.
I was kinda happy in the beginning of the book as the author condemned the socio-economic divide and the racism in India. I also liked his way of storytelling. But it turned out to be a disaster at the end. It couldn't have ended with a more negative note. He glorifies the criminal just like our Hindi films do. I would certainly not recommend this book!

Book Review: "Anything for you maa'm"

A couple of weeks ago, I bought myself "Anything for you maa'm" - a book by 'Tushar Raheja', a fourth year IIT student. I ended up having mixed reactions after reading it.

First of all, Congratulations to this young author..
He must be a die-hard romantic guy. He can make your heart beat faster by his romantic moments of the book. It brought big smile on my face lots of times. He beautifully describes the girl, at different ocasions. I would read those One could actually smell the fragrance of hers (my girl's) while reading. Well done boy!! I'm sure both the Romeos and Juliets will like reading and feeling'em. He indeed has sharp observation of a girl's emotions, actions, reactions.

Crticism:

• Sounds immature - and so should it be - considering his age & expirience. Good job though.

• Addresses the readers while telling the story!! That diverted my focus from the storyline. I was annoyed to read "my readers" while story was being told. I think, the story should better NOT literally be told . (Rightly said: 'storytelling is an art'). I was shocked to see a chapter addressing the readers about how the incidents in his train journey could not be included in the book. He could have just escaped it, why to declare it in the book. Again, diverted my attention from the storyline. I even hate movies that remind its me that I'm watching a movie. I enjoy being lost in the movie, living the story while it's being told.

• I found some descriptions toooooo long to maintain my interest in the story. I would skip a couple of paragraphs to check if the descriptions is over. And not to my surprize, it often would not have been over yet!! There should be a limit. That's the place where an expirienced editor could have helped. I wonder if the story was really edited.

• The guy doesn't market himself quite impressively, he just glorifies his deeds and habits in a childish and annoying manner. He assumes we are really impressed by his effort, and asks for appreciation and pat on his back (again addressing the readers) .

• The paragraphs written to build curiocity didn't actually help excite the situation. They rather annoyed sometimes. I would have liked them to be more exciting & thrilling. I had to put the book aside a few times to cool my temper down. I would resume reading only when that 'wave' would have passed by.

So open your mind and take it positively. You can do wonders buddy.

Thumbs up to your work!!