I acknowledge

Here is my personal response, not book review, to 'the three mistakes of my life', a novel by Chetan Bhagat.

I am stunned.

I was in Ahmedabad during the riots, and I had cultivated some opinions, some fears, about the common man in the city.

I concluded that most of the non-minority group was against the minority. I believed that the businessmen were crude and selfish. And cricket, well, cricket was a game where one ball was tossed from one end of the TV screen to another. Whenever someone talked about the score, I'd ask without caring, does that mean we are winning or losing?

So when I started reading a novel about three hindu boys in Ahmedabad, who open a cricket shop next to a temple, well, I am simply being faithful to an earlier high of Chetan's first two books.

I think a writer bores you to establish your belief in the truth of the story. And then, when the ordinary bloke with whom you begin to identify becomes superhuman, the book has grabbed you. Your heart is stuck in the book, you and the book get into a bubble that is tighter than a spaceship hurtling in space. It is in the telling of the story lies the art. The telling of the story is the story.

Yes, I did ask myself, could this story really be true? I went back to Chetan's track record. God calling on the phone and all. But Five point someone was so so real. So Chetan gets fifty percent credibility. Thats no help.

The question still remains. Could this really be a true story?

Does it matter?

What is relevant is, the characters in the book have walked out of the book. I have met them. And they have changed my mind about certain stereotypes I carried in my baggage.

And for this, I can't thank him enough.

If you don't like browsing book shops, buy the book from here.

I confess

I confess that I have two reasons for the meanness in my last post.

First reason:
I usually don't do this. In fact, I once refused an offer to visit Amitabh Bachchan's house. I believe in letting the stars doze. More than an year ago, before I started blogging, I wrote an email to Chetan Bhagat. I poured out my struggle with publishing my manuscript, and also appreciated his first two novels. And then, I waited for a reply.

Second reason:
For the moment, this is unprintable. I do not yet have the courage to bite the hand that might feed me and make me famous. The courage will come after my novel is a bestseller!

And 'The Three mistakes of My Life' begins with Chetan Bhagat reading an email. A suicide note. And Chetan's response? He not only tracks down the emailer in a hospital, he takes the next flight to Ahmedabad from Singapore, meets the guy and gets his long story, his joys, his mistakes.

So you can imagine my jealous feelings.

Having said them, they are gone, and all there is left is love for this writer, and an urgent desire to get back into the book.

Book review, next post.

The three mistakes of my life

'Is there a bookshop near your house?' my mother asked on the phone.

'Nope.'

'Well, go to town, then. And buy this book, Chetan Bhagat's latest mistakes. I couldn't put it down. It's situated in Ahmedabad. You will love it.'

Sorry, mum, but this novel is such a drag that I have to make tremendous effort to remember to pick it up.

As of now, I am on page 50 something. Hopefully, it will pick up. If it does, I will complete this post. If not, I shall toss it in delete.