Point of View by Susheel Kumar Batra (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

  

3^rd Book of 2022

 

After going through a short story for my previous read, I thought of getting back to reading a big one which made me pick up Susheel Kumar Batra’s book named “Point of View” which is published by The Write Place publication in around 403 pages. To my surprise, I was able to sit for 12 hours in a go and complete this book at the rate of 30 pages in every hour. I believe I have done something like this after many years which has given me confidence to finish more books this year in a shorter time frame. SKB, the author, is an Engineering Graduate with PGD in Ecology and Environment and Masters in Applied Psychology. You can find him putting his experience very well in the book as you could see him getting deep into each and every topic he mentions in the sub-plots.

 

The book covers story of a very big family and talks about their 3 generations and briefs on their professional aspect as well as how they end up choosing their respective life-partners. When the book began talking about two brothers, Vinod and Vijay, I thought its going to be more about their profession and how they keep their approach in almost everything in life as per their professional choices but it really made me glad when the book changed its course and went deeper into Vijay’s romantic tale with Kalpana. Author has narrated their tale with such innocence that you could imagine the kind of love people had in the previous generations where people met and fell in love with their crushes during marriages and small family gatherings. Later on, author dives into the elder brother’s romantic tale with Kiran which is given little less space but it is enough to keep you interested.

 

Later on, book moves further to their next generation where their children are discussed and how each one of them choses their career and profession from their own point of view. There are several instances in the book whenever any new character is introduced where author deeps down in their career and work life. I must say that I never enjoyed reading about a character’s profession ever as much as I liked it while going through this one. It gives you insight about the character’s 360-degree details which helps you in imagining them well. Author talks about these characters and the families as if they’re real in nature and the book is written as a biographical account. It makes you trust the story. Author keeps it as real and grounded as possible without adding any element which could have sounded fictional or over-the-top.

 

There are very rare books where every character is treated as the protagonist but author does it well here where you understand everyone’s story considering them the hero of the book. The narration of the story is very simple which enabled me to process through it in a single sitting itself despite it being of more than 400 pages. Even though the synopsis doesn’t speak of it specifically but I found this book quite romantic as it talks about bringing many couples together. In the 2^nd part of the book, the story talks about bringing Kunal-Kangana, Amit-Kaya, Vivek-Palak together. Each of these tales have a different flavor to it which doesn’t let you get bored or find it repetitive. The parent-children bond is also very nicely described which is often left out in the stories.

 

Through discussions, author also touches upon many other factors such as the influence of Swami Ramdev Baba, Deepak Chopra’s theory of life, class system in India, psychology and its new ways etc. which helps you get acquainted with these topics too. This is a good book for the beginners who would like to read a thick book without having to worry about the tough vocabulary as author has kept it very simple for the masses.

 

Talking about the drawbacks, I must say that the book could have been summed up within 300 pages or so as I felt there are many places where author has gone over the board and given long descriptions where it wasn’t necessary. Secondly, author has written many sentences by translating them from Hindi to English in his mind which makes them sound very childish and grammatically incorrect. There should have been an editor who could have proofread the same and corrected the wordings of those sentences. Thirdly, I must say that the book is quite plain in terms of story as you won’t understand the purpose where it’s heading. Author tells a story about a family and how people came together from different mindset together but that’s it. There are no major twists, turns etc. which can give you the excitement of a page-turner.

 

Overall, the book is a light read and if you love reading stories that talks of bringing love birds together, you’ll enjoy spending time with it. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

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Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

Sense of a Quiet by Deepak Kripal (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

   

2^nd Book of 2022

 

I am finding it quite difficult to read books in this new year I don’t know why. It takes time to get back to the loop of reading at times and I think this is one of those phases. Hence, I was looking to pick something light yet deep. This made me pick up Deepak Kripal’s “Sense of a Quiet” which is published by Leadstart Publication in around 222 pages. It can be finished in 2-3 sittings but it took me sometime as I was grasping it slowly because of its good characters and some deep conversations in between. Deepak’s writing style is nicely paced where it’s neither slow nor fast and keeps you comfortable as a reader. You adore the way the chapter unfolds like a primary task to be accomplished in each of them. It is similar to the way it’s done in web-series these days where every episode has its own small story.

 

I liked how there is no proper protagonist of the story. It is written in a manner where you will consider any character as the protagonist with whom you can relate the most. Like, for me, it is Rohan. Since he entered the plot, the way author has described him makes you relate with him so much. He is an inspiration as you can find him struggling with a divorce yet taking a big step of moving to a different city altogether on a sabbatical to work on his mental peace.

 

Rohan’s character goes on meeting new people without shying away from hanging out with someone who’s just a rickshaw driver. He ensures that he talks even with the maid at his friend’s home where he’s staying as if she’s a friend without thinking twice about what people will speak about him. He goes and sit with the landlord whom everyone considers quite brash but he’s able to gel with him and learn life lessons he would have otherwise not received from anyone. He is brave enough to sit and protest in an unknown city when he feels something is not happening the right way. Rohan is the character which will stay with me for the long time.

 

I liked how Deepak Kripal doesn’t think twice before talking about things which are still considered taboo in our modern society– few of which I mentioned above which are discussed using the character of Rohan. Author brings up many such social elements such as modern marriage, divorce issues, challenges in relationships, class system, corruption, misuse of power, healthcare system in our country, treatment of women etc. I also liked how author added the element of philosophy through the conversations between Rohan and the landlord which are quite different than the usual takes we read. There’s one story in the pre-climax about God getting cold and cough which sounded quite funny initially but the kind of messaging that Deepak provides in the end tells us the power of creativity and story-telling he has.

 

All the other characters of Milind, Diya, Sapna, Rakesh, Pushpalata are managed well and some of them are quite gray in shades which makes you interested in knowing how they’ll respond further in the story. The best part is that the story is unpredictable hence you don’t even know in which direction the book is taking you. It’s only in the end you realize what author wanted to say. The last chapter or say, page, is really emotional. I felt lump in my throat. I must also mention author’s quest towards providing description of the Haridwar city in a manner that I felt I have myself visited the same. The initial chapters are really powerful as I could feel sensations that I am also being called there. Kudos to author for the same. Special mention to the illustrations as they make the book little more beautiful than it is.

 

Now talking about the drawbacks, I must say that there are few typos such as there are instances where it has been referred as “his husband” etc. Secondly, I believe there are many sub-plots which are not given the attention they deserved such as the relationship of Rohan-Shefali. There should have been at least a flashback or something which could have made us connect little more with it. Thirdly, there are few characters which are not described properly which becomes difficult for us to connect with them- such as that of Milind and Diya. You want to know what Diya did when she locked herself in bedroom – what she was thinking or going through that time. Similarly, Milind keeps on getting overshadowed due to over-presence of Rohan.

 

Overall, this is a very beautiful book as it has the quality to keep you with itself and experience the beauty of the story. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

 

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Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA

My Experiments with Silence: The Diary Of-An-Introvert by Samir Soni (Book Review: 3.75*/5) !!!

  

1^st Book of 2022

 

There are few public figures you always feel associated with – Reason? You have seen them through your growing years and you feel connected with them for being a part of your childhood/youth. Samir Soni is one such actor whom I have seen in the serials like Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi whereas I have loved his acting in movies like Baghban, Vivah etc. I also remember him in the 4^th season of Bigg Boss and that scene where he goes and sit near the gate with his belongings to leave the show is still engrossed in my mind. I never knew that he has gone through a long phase of depression, isolation and loneliness. The release of his first book named “My Experiments with Silence” was a surprise for me as the book speaks about his journey through these tough times. Before starting the review, I must say that the poems written by Samir in the book are top-notch and you will not be able to believe that a regular poet has not written it. I am in just awe of all the English poems in the book.

 

The book also has a tagline which says “The Diary of an Introvert” and I must say it will relate to many people reading this book. Right from the 1^st page to the last, you get a feeling that this person had nobody to open his heart too and hence the book has pages filled up with so much where he keeps talking to himself or Universe or God. I have been an introvert for most of my life and I am someone who doesn’t open about himself with the world hence I could relate with every sentence that the author has scribbled. I must say that it’s not easy for anyone to come out of the closet and share their personal diary stuff with the public. I have been a Blogger since more than a decade now and I still think twice before exposing my vulnerable self out there for the people to judge me. Samir, being a celebrity who is still very active in the movie industry, doing this is a commendable job.

 

This 190-pages book is a short read which you can complete within a day or so but it’s written in a way that it takes time for you to grab things and consume them. If you have been in this phase ever, you’ll understand it very clearly what the author or the protagonist of the book is going through. The book is written in a diary format along with the dates. For some reason, author has hidden the year when it was happening with him which confuses you because sometimes, I thought it’s from 2004-05 whereas sometimes it seemed to be 2011-12. I don’t know when this exactly happened but what matters is that it busts many myths about mental health.

 

We always think that people with money, success and fame can never go through something like this but this personal diary of Samir states that even after having spotlight over you, winning awards here and there matters nothing if your mind is wandering and not giving you peace you are longing for. There are instances in the book where you find the writer alone on a weekend wanting to share time with someone but there’s no one he can call and be with. Such phases can be very tough for someone to bear – and mostly when you live in a posh area of a Maximum City like Mumbai. Author has defined loneliness quiet aptly in almost every chapter.

 

There’s another perspective that the author gives about us being that 5-years old always in our heart. It is so well observed because even when I talk with myself today, I feel as if I am talking with the kid version of myself with whom I have always had my conversations. I never feel that it has also grown up like me. Author also talks about other aspects such as our temptation for validation from others. He also talks about fear, hope, longingness, insomnia, illusion, reality, success, rejection, tough times in career & job, divorce, marriage, insecurities etc. The book has almost every keyword associated with mental health and this is my personal opinion that read it only when you are on the last leg of your recovery phase or have been through this in past. If you are currently going through such times, the book can make it more tough for you as your inner demons will start troubling you more reading something that’s already troubling you.

 

Now, talking about the drawbacks, I must say that author has very vastly mentioned all about his tough times and vulnerability but doesn’t give any idea on how he overcame it. He doesn’t talk about recovery methodology at all. He doesn’t tell us if he’s seeing therapist or doing it all by himself. Yes, he makes it clear that he trusts in God but apart from that, he never lets us understand how he came out of the situation. I was expecting some great insights from his journey of recovery too. Secondly, as I mentioned, author should have given little clarity about what was happening with him when he wrote the certain section as it builds up the curiosity but doesn’t let us understand the complete picture. Thirdly, whenever a celebrity writes a book, they must be aware that they have a certain fanbase who would want to meet them through their work irrespective of whatever it is. Here, there’s no Samir Soni’s personal talk with us at all which can make us connect with his personality.

 

Overall, this is a very fresh attempt which will give you many beautiful quotes, proses, poems and stories. It will make you want to understand what goes in the mind of an introvert who’s going through tough times. I give this book 3.75 stars out of 5.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks.

 

WRITING BUDDHA