Dalal's Street by Anurag Tripathi (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

There are few topics on which Indian authors don’t write much but these are the topics if brilliantly written, wonderful stories can be crafted out of them which can make readers excited and eager to know about this world. One such topic I wanted to read from a long time was on the world of stock market but unfortunately, I couldn’t find any book from an Indian author. Recently, a book with the title “Dalal’s Street” caught by attention and I directly picked it up and completed it this weekend in spite of busy schedule.

The book is written by Anurag Tripathi- this is his 2^nd book after Kalayug. The book is of around 200 pages and I must say the writing style of Anurag is very fast-paced which makes it easy for you to complete this book in minimum sittings as you go on turning page in excitement and eagerness of what would happen next. The way author starts the book focusing on four characters who are just getting out of college and trying to choose the stream they would want to work ahead in the future, the book gives you great expectations on their chemistry and journey ahead. In the beginning chapters itself, author also gives reference and backdrop of a man who is father of one of these characters which makes the read more interesting as it sounds like the screenplay of some movie.

After the story starts post introduction of characters and the way these people start juggling in this world of stock markets where everything is grey and confuses them as they find it difficult to understand how exactly the market plays, the story starts becoming intriguing. Here onwards, author uses his research and knowledge about Stock market up to his best abilities. Author tries to manage to assure that his readers understand the terms and jargons of Stock market before they end up getting confused as to what is happening with these characters and their clients in the book.

I liked how author was able to cover everything- in spite of Stock being the main focus of the book, there are also pieces of love, romance, betrayal, lust, greed, violence, action, technology etc. The pre-climax is very greatly managed and when you think the story has ended, the last chapter really surprises you with the twist. How the whole market and scenarios can be changed and manipulated by just one man scares you and next time, definitely, you shall have multiple questions whenever someone would ask you to buy shares of some organization. The book really gives you many information about Stock and Shares and in the end, author shares the glossary which I appreciate a lot.

Now talking about the few drawbacks- I feel author did justice mainly to the two male characters but missed out the other two females completely. They are just brought about in between to bring little bit of twists to the story but they don’t have great story of their own. Also, I feel that author could have added elements of mafia, politics involvement, bankers etc. to make the story more dynamic than it already is. I also felt that sometimes author really went deep into the jargons and integrities of the topic which makes it little hard for normal readers like me to immediately understand what is happening and what are the consequences of few actions that the characters are performing.

Overall, this book is fast-paced and narrated very well. I give this book 3.5* out of 5.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA 

Shadow of the Past by Mayank Manohar (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

Well, you can only thank yourself or the destiny when you pick up the right book to read or movie to watch at a particular moment of your life. I just got done with my birthday and I don’t know how people actually celebrate it as I feel very lonely and isolated on this particular day of my life. Just after my birthday ended, I picked up this book named “Shadow of the past” written by the debutante author, Mayank Manohar, knowing that I am at my vulnerable self and this book shall trigger lot of emotions which it did many times. The book is published by Fingerprint Publication in around 167 pages.

Beginning with the writing style, I must say Mayank has written this book in the most perfect way it could have been written. As people like me who have been reading new Indian authors since a decade can understand how painful it is to pick up a love story or romantic novel because of them being too cliché and cheesy due to the treatment of characters and story. But I am glad that I can say I am finally writing about a common love and break-up story written in a very spectacular manner. I could feel the sense of reading a Bollywood script with every sentence and scene. This is how much possible author makes it for you to imagine! And what more do you need from a book, isn’t it?

The story of the book is almost like the stories of movies such as YJHD, KKHH or you can say from Karan Johar’s genre but the treatment given to it with beautiful language, conversations, emotions etc. is way too commendable. I liked all the letters in the book as it really made me feel lump in my throat while reading them. They are damn too emotional. Also the book and story tells and focuses majorly upon the decisions a human being takes, the way friends don’t understand your priorities if you don’t belong to the herd, how you lose your best person due to that, how then you stay in its memories throughout life, how you find a new person yet can’t understand what to do when your best person returns back at the same time etc.

The pre-climax is very well managed by the author which actually moves the story tremendously. Talking about the climax, the last paragraph is too open for you to be surprised and shocked for some time. I just couldn’t believe what I read which made me read the paragraph multiple times which made me realize that it’s an open ending and there’s a chance we can find its sequel soon. I would request author to bring it out soon as the way he is writing romance right from his 1^st book itself is very promising and I would like to read him more.

Talking about the drawbacks of the book- I feel author should have included little more quality time between Rehan and Arpita as somewhere I felt this beautiful relationship didn’t get the importance it deserved. Also, I felt the story gets too filmy at times where important events are postponed or cancelled just like that which takes the story away from reality. Author could have also made the protagonist little more powerful in terms of the maturity in taking decisions but I won’t say much on this because few characters are meant to be imperfect for making the story it is. This book is definitely the Kabir Singh of romantic books. Lastly, the cover page is beautiful but I would have appreciated it more if characters looked Indian rather than Foreigners. Indians look great- only if we, ourselves, stop considering ourselves inferior to Whites. 

Overall, this is truly a very beautiful book and as all of us have gone through break-ups, we shall relate with it somewhere or the other. Before providing my final rating, I would say that author did a great job my not adding intimate scenes just for the sake of making the book juicier. Now, finally, yes, I am giving this book 4.25* out of 5. I am myself surprised that a love story is being rated so highly from me but who deserves- deserves completely.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA 

Supercop of Aryavrat by Mithilesh Kumar (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

I was never inclined so much towards mythology and history but the modern literature where the authors assure that we don’t get bored of these stories are very entertaining to read as the writers write them like fiction and not how our History books were written. One such book that I have just ended up reading is written by Mr. Mithilesh Kumar who is 65+ of age. Kudos to author for sharing his knowledge with us at this age. The name of the book is “Supercop of Aryavrat” published by Authors Upfront in around 300 pages. Yes, the book is quite lengthy, but I must say it is worth reading if you really wanted to read about Lord Krishna’s adventures on the planet Earth.

It is not easy to write on any such historical or mythological character considering the amount of research it goes into knowing each and every detail about him/her but I must say the maturity of author can be seen in every sentence written in this book describing one or the other tale having Krishna in the scenario somewhere or the other playing his strategic mind games. We get to know his story right from how he got his birth, his childhood, his days as king, his multiple marriages, his difficult moment with his cousins which led to the war of Mahabharata where he played a very big role which made us know and understand about our religion and finally the few moments before his death and finally his death.

I am glad that author, rather, than talking only about those events which all of us already know about Krishna’s childhood and youth talked about events which most of us are unaware about but plays a big importance in understanding the character and dynamicity of this Superman called Lord Krishna. Though author has never tried to project him as God or Lord in the book, but you can understand how important Legend he has been to give positive results to many incidents of history/mythology. Also, I liked how author didn’t spend major time in the sequence where Bhagawad Geeta is imparted but talked only about actions which happened at fast-pace unlike other books which ends up giving importance only to that section and ends the book then and there.

Another great observation that I had while reading is- author has not written this book in awe of Krishna where his mistakes aren’t highlighted. If author talks about his bravery, strategy, decision-making, courage, romance, power, leadership, respect, author also highlights his mistakes, mischiefs, wrong decisions, regrets, immaturity, ignorance etc.

Now talking about the drawbacks, I would say that author could have definitely given this book a good edit by 40-50 pages as I felt few scenes are really described more than needed. Also, through the title of the book, very less people would be able to guess that it is about Lord Krishna which shall keep this book away even from people searching for book on the Lord. Author started with a chapter which should have actually been the ending chapter of the book as it could have given an emotional climax to the book whereas now it gives an incomplete feeling to the reader in case reader is not able to connect the last sentence of the book with the 1^st chapter. There are too many characters in the book, which is definitely not author’s mistake, but I believe a family tree, or the relation of the characters could have been mentioned in the start of the book for reference throughout. I also felt that few characters are not given very nice built-up due to which you can’t connect with them throughout. And lastly, I believe the multiple marriages of Krishna is discussed regularly in the 1^st half of the book which irritated me after a point of time.

Other than the above observations, this book is definitely one of the good books on Krishna and I give this book 4.25* out of 5 and I would love to read more books by the author in the same genre.

Thanks.

WRITING BUDDHA