Book Review: Tall Man Small Shadow by Vipin Behari Goyal

Introduction

· ISBN -9788182534124
· Genre: Fiction
· Publishers: Cyberwit.net
· Price: Rs. 200/- (I got this book from the author for a review)

It is a rare thing to have the financial advisor of Government of Rajasthan write a book on existentialist philosophies and even rarer to be requested to review it. It is truly an honour to read this and review it on my blog.

Behind The book

Source: Google Images

About the author

Vipin Behari Goyal is a Financial Advisor in Government of Rajasthan by profession. His love for books is unparalleled making him an avid reader as well as a prolific writer. His prior writings include a travel handbook on TirthRaj Pushkar and a collection of Hindi poems titled Tej Dhoop Ka Safar. He has also dabbled in documentary film making and is the maker of award-winning short film Mines are Mine.

Me thinks

From all that I gathered from the net, this book has had it’s own share of controversies. The story line is very unusual and different from the usual books that come out these days. The author through this story has managed to challenge the age old traditions and beliefs we all are brought up with, in our society.

The story has the author himself as the main protagonist Anupam who is the narrator. We have his wife, their daughter and few other characters like the guide of their daughter, her husband and a lovelorn neighbor. These very distinct characters come together to form a very unusual story line which defines love in the newest form possible which does exist in today’s world though is not accepted that openly.

Yes there are a few parts in the story where it gets confusing in the narrative and the reader might have to pause to grasp it correctly. The author has experimented with a genre and his experiment has been successful to a very large extent I must say. This book is not for everyone as it is not a easy going read. It is for people who enjoy deep philosophical stuff and appreciate the alternate lives of people in today’s societies.

Foodie Verdict

Source: Google Images

This book is like ice-tea – unique and different.

Book Review: Desiccated Land by David Lepeska

ISBN: 978-9395481205 Genre: Non-fiction Publisher: Vishwakarma Publications Bringing together his experiences as a journalist and a keen observer, David Lepeska writes a raw and gut-wrenching book on Kashmir. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part reportage, Desiccated Land is a page-turner. The book starts by tracing the history of the region along with his own history, as a student who was dimly aware of the history of Kashmir and the turmoil it has been causing for centuries between India and Pakistan. Lepenska takes us to Nilamata Purana ( likely written in the 7th century ) which tells us the story leading to the birth of this region. He also shares an alternate possibility of the word being derived from a lake ‘Mira’ named after Vedic Sage Kashyapa. His first visit to Kashmir closely followed by his second (and much longer) visit as a journalist working for the Kashmir Observer after the 9/11 attacks, make for an interesting read. Lepeska had questions, a lot of them. An

From there to here to where

From this blog in 2011 to Barnes and Noble website, my reviewing journey has been full of surprises. I am working on an essay tracing it and realized that I started reviewing books in 2001 (Yes! I am old) for a small library next to my house. Needless to add, my payment was in the books. The library owner also happened to be the first person who taught me how to write a book review and what to focus on. And that is where I learned why reviews matter. Cut to 2016 when my book review was taught in a Literary Criticism class held by British Library. A relative happened to attend that class and the news spread like wildfire in the family. That is the moment when my family knew this much more than just a hobby.

Book Review: Never Mind Yaar by K Mathur

Introduction · ISBN - 978-0-473-17480-4 · Genre: Fiction · Publishers: Southpac Publishers · Price: Rs. 350/- ( I got this book from Blog Adda for a review ) The title is an attitude - our tendency to feel defeated by the scale and nature of certain problems. Rather than meet them head on, we circumvent them with a sigh and a consoling “never mind, yaar”. When long time friends Binaifer Desai and Louella D’Costa meet Shalini Dayal at Gyan Shakti College, a true friendship that transcends cultural and religious backgrounds is born. Louella is a Christian, Binaifer, a Parsi and Shalini, a Hindu. The novel’s main plotline surrounds Shalini who has fallen for an impetuous student activist, Bhagu. Where does his desire to help the less fortunate lead him? The challenges are many - Shalini’s tradition bound family, the couple’s youth and inexperience and the travails of life in Mumbai, a city the girls love but know, is fraug

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