"I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us." Franz Kafka
For any author who would like his/her book to be reviewed, contact me. Poetry books too are solicited for reviewing. However, there are some genres I tend to avoid. Feel free to ask me.
gautami.tripathy[at]gmail.com
I must mention here that I read at my own pace and depending on my mood. Don't ask me to hurry.
Title: The Journey of Om
Author: Chandru Bhojwani
ISBN: 9788122310917
Publisher: Cedar Books/2010
Pages: 287
When Om's girlfriend betrays him, he is devastated. His whole world falls apart around him and he is unable to cope. It takes a toll on him physically as well emotionally. Getting drunk seems to be the only option. He is on the verge of becoming an alcoholic.
In desperation Om turns to his friends, Mona and Arun. They do try to help him but they too have their own set of problems. And each one has to deal with it alone. All this time, Om is pining for Preeti, unable to let go of his thoughts about her.
The Journey of Om actually speaks about everyone's journey. Each one of us has gone through heart breaks, at times feeling we can't recover from it. It touches us at some level. Om can't get over Preeti, Mona desperately wants to marry and settle down, Arun too betrays Rakhi, the girl he loves, in a fit of rage and drunken bout. Here we see Om's conflict, to support his friend or tell Rakhi, all about Arun's betrayal. Om, Mona, Arun and Jim's lives are all tied up in some way or the other. How does Om cope? For that matter, Mona and Arun?
I liked Bhojwani's way of writing. His prose is very readable. The chapters go back and forth but I didn't have any problem about continuity. He has shown the complex and conflicting emotions flitting in our mind very well. The pace is good too, and the ending....well, it is on the reader to think what he wants. With wit, great narration and told in simplistic language, everyone one will connect with the characters. So much so that I wanted to hurl the book at one point. Because I felt the author is a voyeur of our minds!
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Labels: 2010 book reviews, 2010 relationships, B authors, J Titles
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13 comments:
An amazing book! It drew me in from the outset. Eloquently written and as intended the characters were easy to relate to.
The Journey of Om really grabbed me and I couldn't put it down until
it was finished! With great attention to detail, it has a blend of
intrigue, humour and romance in a neat package. The story was truly
entertaining from beginning to end, and without reservation, I
heartily recommend this book.
Sounds like a great read. I like books that evoke strong reactions.
I like books about journeys...thanks for sharing. And thanks for visiting my blog.
thanks for stopping by, I shall have to check this one out. And yes he is very good looking.
The Journey of Om is a wonderful attempt to bring one of life's major milestones to life through literary visualization. Chandru's writing is full of imagery, emotion, and humor, and the reader is left feeling what the characters are experiencing. Every step of Om's journey, his friends' and his situation, captures a portion of our own lives, social circle, and past experiences. While reading, it's hard not to relate to his story. Kudos to Mr. Bhojwani!
Before I started reading the book I didn't know what to expect as I haven't read any articles or stories by the author Chandru Bhojwani. Once I started reading it, I just didn't want to stop.
It's a fascinating novel filled with humour, romance, human relationships, memories of ones childhood & the simple things that made one happy. I absolutely loved the mind of Om, the detailed description of his thoughts, his advises he gives whilst on his recovery period & the description of aunties was hilarious. Then there is the letter he writes to the non existent that would thaw the coldest of hearts.
Not to forget Jim's sense of humour & Mona's true friendship traits. The pain the parents go through to find the right partner for their daughters & girls to find their soul mates. Could relate to the novel so much, something for everybody. A very well written novel and not to forget the Sindhi words used which were hilarious.
Hope we get to watch a movie, would do really well.
The Journey of Om by Chandru Bhojwani is a pacifying read with a somewhat alluring prose. The author's style of writing is very different from what an Indian reader is generally accustomed to-First person, Omniescent POV, Articles, Flashbacks, et al. Sometimes it is difficult to trace the continuity of the plot in a new chapter as the author keeps switching tracks but reading a few lines soon clears your dilemma. The messages conveyed so subtly are actually things that we were always aware of but never gave it a second thought. The protagonist's struggle and his loyalities with his friends manage to make you keep the page turning and sometimes the analogies pull you off and take you to a completely different world. The open ended climax scene is a brave attempt and the reader ponders over hoping that the story would end as he had desired. The short articles in the middle are strangely honest and humorous and display Bhojwani's perfect journalistic acumen. This one's going to dazzle my bookshelf for quite sometime and is a must read for people who have loved or lost or maybe both. I give it a handsome 4/5.
Hey Kiran, Sabeena, Kanchan and Arti, please leave links! It makes my blogging much more credible. Or my regular readers will think I am doing all this for the book's publicity. I don't ever gush over book. I didn't do it for this book either.
However, I do mind it if anyone comes over and comments going totally overboard.
And if you have to do it, then I prefer live links where I and any of my readers can get back to you.
I repeat the same for you too, Faraaz Kazi!
Great post, it sounds very interesting!
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2010/08/to-z-starts-with-b.html
Sounds interesting, except I would really want to know how it ends.
Thanks for posting.
My `B` is up
I hadn't heard of this book before stopping here. It sounds really good. Terrific, readable review!
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