Book Reviews

I had written about Two Books that I picked up to read along with promises of reviews ‘very soon’ :) Here they are, at last .. So read on and pick them to pursue if they interest you.

 Krishna Krishna -By Indira Parthasarathy

There is this inexplicable feeling of elevation along with a strange sense of peace that comes over you when you realise that all that happens in life is a very well planned work of art done by an unseen prodigious hand and you just need to flow along. Have you ever felt it? Reading this book gives you that feeling from the beginning to the end. For, that realisation is an invisible thread that runs through the book connecting the various events.

'Krishna Krishna', as the name suggests tells the story of Lord Krishna. The celestial sage Naradha assumes the role of the narrator. The author has not strictly followed chronology while narrating the pranks of the charming blue child, the awe inspiring miraculous deeds that the adolescent boy so casually performs and events that unfold the adult Krishna’s political genius. Of course, the divinity of Krishna is either latent or expressed throughout the story. 

The author has given a lot of contemporary connotations to the historic events and ideas. He puts forth the idea that the dictates of ‘Dharma’ are not written in stone but are relative based on time and circumstances. The fact that everything that surrounds us is a reflection of all that lies within us is also very beautifully brought out.

However, one must have read the complete story of the Mahabharatha to be able to understand and enjoy this book. Introductions to events and characters are not given in all instances. I would recommend this book to everyone who has a liking for this crown jewel among epics. And if you have not yet read the Mahabharatha, I exhort you to take it up. I assure you that it will outshine any saga that you have ever read or going to read. It will also enable you to read its bountiful related literature that would open up your mind to so many dimensions and ideas about human life. I would suggest the book written by C.Rajagopalachari for the first timers. This epic is timeless in the real sense of it. It is verily a gem of our country. Do not miss it!

How I braved Anu Aunty & co-founded a million dollar company – By Varun Agarwal

This is one of the best books I have ever read!!  ‘How I braved Anu Aunty & co-founded a million dollar company’ is the real life story of a young and successful entrepreneur, Varun Agarwal. The book traces the fast paced and interesting journey of Varun and his friend as they transform a business idea that was born during one of their get togethers at a pub into a million dollar company! It also chronicles how Varun fights against the tide of family expectations, societal pressure personified as the pesky Anu aunty (who takes it upon herself to ‘set him right’ and get him to take up a job) and all those inevitable problems that you face when you want to pursue your dreams and do the unconventional. The book will prove to be a very good guidance for people who want to start their own business venture. The author pauses his narration every now and then to give very useful pointers to people who are on their entrepreneurial journey or about to embark on one.

The story is pretty slow in the beginning and builds momentum as Varun’s dreams gradually start seeing the light of the day to become absolutely racy towards the later half making the book unputdownable. The narration keeps you so engrossed that you can actually feel all the ups and downs along with the author. Varun’s description of those ‘wah moments’ in the evolution of his business makes us feel the same exhilaration. The story is well rounded with all the typical ingredients of a youngster’s life – dreams, friendship, love, disagreements, parents and ... Anu aunties!!! Though Anu aunty is a character that features in the book, she is represented as a symbol of all the roadblocks in the form of societal pressure and discouragement that one faces while chasing his/her dreams. The book highlights how much of a conformist we are as a country and how shamelessly we are up against allowing people to follow their heart if it is not in sync with the set down norms.

The author has very good language. But the dialogues of the aunties that feature in the book are unbearably dashed with colloquial slang of ‘What ya’,’Come ya’ and ill placed usages of ‘only’ and ‘like’. The book also abounds with usage of swear words. But considering the good aspects that clearly out do these pain points(for me), I will still say it was one superb read!!  Well done Varun!!

Do grab a copy and enjoy the heartening journey of a youngster who fights every odd to realise his dream. Believe me, at the end, you will be left feeling the exhilaration of having achieved your own.