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.
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 […]
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 […]
Le lettere dal carcere di mia cuore: A love letter inspired by Jhumpa Lahiri’s In Other Words
Quando sono stato in Firenze, era una programme della cultura chiamata “Firenze porte aperte.” In the evenings, the museums would open their doors for free. Roaming the Uffizi at night while Andrea Boccelli sang in the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio is an exquisite memory of my time in Italy. You have returned that memory to me and opened a door. For that, I thank you. Grazie mille.
From a certain point of view: Confirmation bias, narrative, and reader reception in the Gujarat Files
Rana Ayyub seems truly interested in discovering the truth of what happened during the 2002 Gujarat riots and in the encounters that followed. But the question remains: whose truth are we talking about here? That’s where Ayyub’s confirmation bias comes in.
Reader reflections on control in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian
The Vegetarian isn’t really about a vegetarian or vegetarianism. This book is about control. Control of our bodies, our minds, our sexual desires, our identities, even our very existence.
Review: Defiant Dreams
Editor’s note Although I have never met them, I know several of the contributors to this volume, mostly through the online Facebook group For Writers, By Authors. I was a beta reader of Radhika Maira Tabrez’s short story in this volume, Built From the Ashes. Anirban Nanda has beta read for me. When Rhiti Bose […]
I am a Chetan Bhagat fan, and I am not an idiot: A 2001-word editorial odyssey
Recently, I was involved in a discussion in a writer’s group about Chetan Bhagat. Unlike most similar discussions, this one did not degenerate into the vitriol that usually happens when Chetan Bhagat is mentioned. In part, because the discussion was not limited to Bhagat himself, but included Amish Tripathi, Durjoy Datta, Ravi Subramanian, and other bestsellers. […]
Blogiversary
Facebook has just reminded me that I started this blog one year ago today. Yah! That’s something to celebrate.
Book review: The Bestseller She Wrote
What happens when Ravi Subramanian, India’s bestselling author of banking thrillers, decides to write a romance novel set in the “glitzy world of bestsellers”? What insights would he give about becoming a best-selling author? Would switching genres work? Who’s the real Aditya Kapoor?
Find out all this and more in this review of The Bestseller She Wrote by Ravi Subramanian.