Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts

Truth they say is stranger than fiction and this book is a true testimony to that. The escape from prison in Australia, the arrival in Bombay, the clinic in the slum, the stint with bollywood, the fight along with the Mujaheddins in Afghanistan and just the presence of this book is so extraordinary that it’s hard to believe the truth behind it all.

Shantaram is the true story of Gregory David Roberts, a convict who escapes from a prison in Australia and ends up in Bombay where he spends 8 long years before his re-capture in Germany and the extradition back to his home country.

The book is very interesting and one on the very few ones which I have truly cherished each and every word. Just the way he has put across things is so interesting and different that it makes you think and want to re-read the whole thing again and again. And there are these pieces of wisdom in the book that I have been using on my friends, like the one that says “News is what people do and gossip is how much they enjoyed doing it” or the one where Karla says “Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting” and every single person I have mentioned it to have nodded their head in agreement.

A fascinating book and every bit worth reading.

Rage

An apt title to the novel by Balaji Venkateswaran. It chronicles the life of Lakshmi, a beautiful danseuse and her journey to fame and the dizzy world of politics and how she loses each and every one of her loved ones to the demonic rage within her.. her mom, her grandmother, her best friend, her daughter and finally her ownself.
The story is narrated through Vasuki, her childhood friend and her prospective groom at one time.She is projected as a self-centric, manipulative and stubborn person who has always led her life on her terms. She is a totally enigma to people around here, a little like Jayalalitha. And i did read somewhere that this was based on her life.
The book does get a tad bit boring sometime in between, but among those "life at IIT, IIM" kind of books, this truely is etched out better and worth a read.

Mediocre, But Arrogant..

..in short MBA. Its a new book by Abhijit Bhaduri. Its on the same lines as Chetan Bhagat's Five point someone. Its based in Management Institute of Jamshedpur or MI-Jampot as Abbey, the protogonist calls it. Just like Five point, the protogonist in this one too is the average but likeable guy, someone who can't decide which among the three girls he actually loves and inspite of such huge complications in life has to somehow clear his exams and stay afloat :).
The humor though is much better compared to Five point, specially the oxymorons that Rascal Rusty, Abbey's friend, mentor, saviour etc has a hobby of collecting. Some examples being: civil-engineers, learning on the job, military intelligence, strategic planning etc.. The references to "Alps and her healthy lungs" etc etc brings out the the common indian 'male' student's lingo very well.

A total time pass paisa vasool kind of book.