Reading Books - Fiction

Ever since the Hyderabad tour, I have picked up on a lost hobby - reading books. Really, when I come to think of it, I was such a voracious reader when in school and gradually through college and during my pursuit of MBA, reading fiction was like vaporized. There was always so much to do and if there wasn’t anything much to do, I would just lie down and listen to some old Indian music. Tiredness is a killer. A killer of hobbies. (Excuses!)

I have read three books in rapid succession.

The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth

Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat ----------- courtesy Joyjit

One Night @ the Call Center by Chetan Bhagat ----------- courtesy Hemant Sir

Well, Frederick Forsyth has always been one of my favorite authors, ever since I read the Day of the Jackal. It became the bible of thrillers for me. Then I started to pick up all his thrillers one by one. And by the end of it, I was a self-proclaimed authority on World Politics of the 20th Century. I have even thought about writing a book on the subject!!!

In the Afghan, Mike Martin is back in action in the gulf. A serious Forsyth reader will recall Martin from The Fist of God. An ingenious idea of passing the Westerner as an Arab among the Arabs to find out about Al Isra – a mission that was exposed by investigating the hardware of a financer of Al Qaeda. The story is fast paced and zips across the world. Pefectly readable.

In the last one year, I had heard of Chetan Bhagat and his two books on the younger generation of India. Well, to be honest, I was quite dismissive about the idea of a young writer and thought it was more hype than content. My apologies to Chetan Bhagat, I am truly sorry. Sorry also to have delayed in picking up the books to read.

Amazing stories. Beautiful narrative, fantastic story-telling ability, good context, lucid and everyday language and normal problems of normal people. Fantatstic read. Both of them.

Five Point Someone is subtitled What Not to do at IIT. A story about three friends and the struggle through life during their IIT years. And yes, Neha, the Professor’s daughter. Refreshing. However, when I was almost done with reading this book, I met a certain senior HR manager for a PSU at Hyderabad, who also appreciated the book, but wondered what Chetan Bhagat was trying to say, like what was the message kind of things. I remember having chatted with him for quite a while on this and it was very interesting.

Oh and thanks to Frederick Forsyth’s Day of The Jackal again, my copy of which Hemant Sir lost during his brief stay in Kolkata and gave me One Night @ the Call Center in return. A story about six people at the workplace – a call center, set on one night, when they receive a call from God. A lot of punch in the summary. A seller. I wonder if Chetan Bhagat specialized in Marketing from IIM Ahmedabad. But the book is great. I liked it so much that I reread the book the very next day. Loved the way the book is written, the humor and how the individuals’ psyches are exposed.

However, a lot of questions arise while reading the two books by Chetan Bhagat. I would refrain from putting these up here. But of course, if I get an opportunity to interact with the writer I would love to have a discussion.