The Ramayana Secret by Anurag Chandra (Book Review: 4.5*/5) !!!

There are few authors who blow your mind with their first book itself. One of such books written by a debutante author, Anurag Chandra, which I completed reading this weekend is “The Ramayana Secret”. I generally write review of any book just after completing it but this one, unfortunately, I wrote after 7 days but still the book is afresh in my mind. In all these days since I completed it, I discussed its version of Ramayana with many of my friends and uncle-aunties and all of them are surprised and astonished with the version Author has based his Ramayana upon.

To start with, the cover page of the book, the synopsis mentioned in the backcover and the overall presentation and publishing quality is spectacular where the first fight to grab reader’s attention is won. Secondly, whenever there is a book with several characters and relationships among them, I always have to maintain a note separately where I keep on drawing the tree as per the hierarchy. This is one of the few books where I have been able to find a nicely drawn family tree with all the major characters of the book defined properly. This helped a lot in the initial chapters of the book where the characters keep on getting introduced.

I have read many books based on Ramayana but what I have liked basically about Anurag is his approach towards writing this book in the age of trilogy. Though the book can surely have its 2^nd part but atleast the way whole Ramayana is covered in 220-odd pages is compliment-worthy. Also, the small chapters make it easy for you to go through the book in a single sitting without getting bored. The narration is very powerful and beholds you like any great book. The characterizations are done with very limited words hence there is not much investment author has done in this department but still manages to make some of the characters as your favorite such as Lakshmana, Vibhisana, Ravana’s son etc.

The many myths that author has tried to bust with his version of Ramayana is applaudable. The relationship of Sita and Ravana is the major one that will make this book a talking point. Then the concept of inner and outer world is nicely explained in the initial chapters. The background of Lord Rama’s ancestor regarding what they couldn’t do for inner world is nicely described. The whole segment of Surpanakha and why Ravana actually took Sita away to keep her as a hostage is again a new something in this book. Similarly, Kaikeyi and her role is mentioned quite differently.

There are few parts I would like to mention which made me interested in reading this book:- The way justice is made to Sage Gautam and Ahilya by Rama is nicely narrated. Rama’s advice to Bharat is one of the powerful segment in the book. I liked the way whole Lanka sequence is narrated regarding Ravana being egoistic and not listening to anyone in his family. How even his family had members who tried to stop him from doing wrong kept the war segment interesting. The Bali and Sugriva section is also narrated well. The whole Hanumana’s visit to Lanka’s section is beautifully written. The end of the book becomes very emotional with Sita leaving Rama and then Luv and Kush segment made me even more sentimental. The discussion on how the Ramayana got wrote in a different manner for the world gives this book the kind of ending it needed. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I wish Anurag Chandra come up with such short mythological and philosophical stuffs at least once in a year with a book. I give this one 4.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA!!! 

Sadhana Who Stalked Her? by Spandana Chakradhar (Book Review: 4*/5) !!!

It becomes very critical to choose a book in a thriller genre from an author who is writing for the first time. I don’t know what made me pick up the book named “Sadhana Who Stalked Her?” written by the debutante, Spandana Chakradhar but now that I have completed reading the 260-pages book, I must say it was a thrilling and distinct feeling to go through a book of such kind. I remember reading one of the books by Novoneel Chakraborty, one of my favorite authors, based on the similar concept. The way that book gave me the chills, no other book has been able to, but this one really came close by.

The book is about a girl named, Sadhana, who is living a great life and has beautiful people with whom she is teamed up with but one thing starts spoiling her wonderful life. She is being stalked by someone whenever she goes to sleep in night. In spite of all the precautions and arrangements by her and her friends, they are unable to trace the person behind this. They start guessing the stalker with whom they can raise their doubts upon. They doubt everyone but not the person who is really behind it. This is always an important part in a thriller where the climax should reveal something that really comes up as suspense and not that can be predicted. While reading, even I predicted who could be behind the protagonist but I had not gone close to the person who turned out to be the real criminal behind everything.

The characterization done by the authoress is great. Though the story has too many characters who are introduced in first 5-10 pages itself but the way each of them are given attention throughout the story is commendable. There are very less authors who can manage to do this. Regarding the narrative used to describe the stalking segment, it is very well written and actually makes you feel as if it’s happening in front of your eyes. The romantic angle given with both- Manav and Abhinav of Sadhana was a great idea to keep the story light with those little conversations full of love.

The message that authoress has tried giving with the book is nice. Why self-defence and confidence as a girl is necessary to fight our own battles is nicely portrayed in the book. As the book says that it has been inspired by a true incident, this book could become a motivator to many. There are many in our country who are stalked, bullied, molested, harassed, troubled on regular basis. Reading something like this can surely motivate anyone to go ahead to develop themselves to fight against such people.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book, the first thing is: - the book could have been composed in 200 pages against 260 pages. Secondly, the narration is made quite in a hurry state where if you get busy in some thought, you would find yourself reading something altogether different than what you were reading five sentences back. Lastly, I didn’t like the over-confusion of the protagonist regarding which partner to choose out of two and getting romantically involved with both of them for quite some time. Reading those parts felt weird where even both the boys are aware of this. May be, I am still close-minded.

Overall, this book is a page-turner for sure. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA 

Man vs Wife by Ashish Srivastava (Book Preview) !!!

The story is a sweet and sour narrative of a young, impulsive IT professional who wants to divorce his wife. Having come across the draconian Indian laws highly biased in favor of his wife, he teams up with a middle-aged struggling lawyer willing to go to any extent for greed. The lawyer advises the husband to break the seven vows of marriage one by one, so that his wife starts hating him and agrees for mutual consent route, even before they decide to go for a contested divorce. 

Will this husband be able to break the seven vows of marriage, at last? 

And the greedy lawyer... will he be successful to break this marriage off?

Catch the book's teaser here: 



Author Website: 

https://www.ashishsrivastava-official.com

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Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA