When the news broke that Chetan Bhagat was being sued for plagiarism, I wasn’t so much shocked as incredulous. In all the reviews, including my own, no one had raised a red flag that One Indian Girl was not a Chetan Bhagat book. Until now. Bhagat’s own history with the film 3 Idiots, however, makes him … Continue reading Branding Bhagat: 5 points about Brand CB and 1 Indian Girl
Author: Jean Spraker
Where do you belong to?: Homecoming and belonging in The Better Man
There she was, at the back of the shop, leaning against VS Naipaul. She’d travelled so far from her native place to reach mine. That we should meet here in my hometown just as I was trying to decide where to settle felt like more than kismet or fate. It felt like my own homecoming. … Continue reading Where do you belong to?: Homecoming and belonging in The Better Man
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Where to write (and finish!) your book in Bangalore
I went to Bangalore with one goal: FINISH THE DAMN BOOK! And, finish I did. The book is currently with a few kind readers. I intend to have a finished manuscript by the end of the year, maybe sooner. The question for many writers is where to write. Some write at home and have a … Continue reading Where to write (and finish!) your book in Bangalore
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Book review: My Gita by Devdutt Pattanaik
For all the focus in the Gita on action rather than outcome, a book review, let alone a verdict, seems almost superfluous. As a novice reader of the Gita, I would recommend this book. I am glad this was my last read of 2016.
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Review: The Adivasi Will Not Dance by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar
Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar has written a powerful, provocative short story collection that explores Adivasi identity politics and experience. Brilliant, layered storytelling at its finest.
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Review: Rain by Sriram Subramanian
It’s in his philosophical approach that Subramanian shines. For while on the surface the book is a story of a guy trying to prove an astrologer wrong, at its core, Rain is a complex study of the struggle we all face when we try to understand belief within the framework of a highly scientific culture.
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Review: Chain of Custody by Anita Nair
Of traffic and trafficking The cars on MG Road were traffucked, as usual. In the time it was taking for us to make the right turn, I could have walked to Bookworm. Despite my exasperated sighs and silent prayers of “God, please let the light change. I need to pee,” the light remained stubbornly … Continue reading Review: Chain of Custody by Anita Nair
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Understanding Chetan Bhagat’s One Indian Girl on her own terms
After the reviews for One Indian Girl began to pour in, Chiki Sarkar of Juggernaut asked, “Why not review it on its own terms?” This review is a response to that question. 5 Points Readers Expect from a Chetan Bhagat Novel Like a Harlequin romance, a Chetan Bhagat novel has certain conventions. Both brands are … Continue reading Understanding Chetan Bhagat’s One Indian Girl on her own terms
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One American Girl in India
I am an American woman traveling alone in India. I am not, however, a typical tourist. Before my current stay, I lived for 3 years in Mumbai. During that time, I visited 12 states, primarily in North India, although I made it as far south as Kerala. Since my husband and I left India 2 … Continue reading One American Girl in India
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Rummaging around Anita’s Attic
I was terrified. Of a book. Not just any book. A book like A Fine Balance, for instance, which was so terrifying to me that I couldn't make it more than a quarter way through. No, no, no. This book was no literary tour-de-force. This book was... my book. That's right. My own book.
