Anything for you Ma'm : Book Review

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Written on 7:37 PM by Hemanth Kumar

Remember, back in 2004 there came a book titled "Five Point Someone" by Chetan Bhagat and it took the Indian publishing industry by storm. What added to the craze was the IIT tag to this book, it was after all marketed as "Five Point Someone- What not to do in an IIT". Oh...boy, Chetan Bhagat and the publishing house did indeed mint money with this book. Oh, just in case if you didn't know this...according to some sources, selling 5000 copies of a book is enough to put in Bestsellers bracket in India! And his book according to some reports in May, 2008 has touched 7 lakh copies!!..and still counting. Whatever maybe the case, it proved that you don't have to be a Rushdie to become a star overnight. If I may take a stand on this issue, I would go on to say that this book has given confidence to so many other budding writers who dream of getting their book published. And whatever maybe the case...a book would eventually find its reader.

Anything for you Ma'm, is a book written by Tushar Raheja who was a final year student in IIT, Delhi when this book was published back in 2006. The book follows the trail of a IITian named Tejas Narula who's longing to meet his lady love Shreya who's in Chennai. As you would have expected by now, the girl's dad realising that she's in love has grounded her in Chennai. And it's upto Tejas to do whatever it may take to meet his girl.

The book has got some good reviews from various newspapers and magazines, some calling it a laugh a minute book, others comparing it with a typical masala film from Bollywood...one chap even drew parallel to Virginia Wolf owing to the narattion technique which the author uses here. I would say, the book's all that...and probably it's a bit over rated! As a fellow blogger points out that, the book is filled with coincidences which one needs to build an interesting plot. Another points out that, there's not one single thing which the author disparages! Everything is beautiful...the months...the sun...the winters...the trains...the people...you name it! I don't blame him anyway...as some of you might argue that being in love one would tend to think of like this...:). I wouldn't know anyway!!!...:-P

If you are one who doesn't go for some heavy reading...this is not a bad one to flip through. It's charming in parts and treads the road travelled in other cases. The author didn't have to really use the IIT tag here...there's nothing in the book which adds to the aura of the character being an IITian. But it sells!! And that's what matters....(No offence!). Not a masterpiece in any angle, but an honest effort....:D

P.S: I have an idea....I think we all should brainstorm and come up with each and every random stuff we have done in our college lives...am sure there are enough tales to tell to the rest of the world. If not anything, we would atleast end up having a log book which we could share for our 25th reunion...should be fun! What say guys?! Who's with me?!...


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2 Comments

  1. sayantani ghosh |

    very true..d book is kinda overrated..but who cares most of these typical "IIT/DU college-romance" novels are in the same league..wont specifically comment on one..but recently read a novel in d same genre and belive me it was a disaster!!cudnt evn complete it..god save d readers!! well completly agree dat d so called "IIT/DU" tag helps zillions to sell a certain book here in india..
    yep wud like to make a point here..that d protagonist in "AFYM" ws portrayed as one of those ideal-whiz-romeos of today..who hs d fervour to go to any extent for his lady love..both this and d myriad of coincidences in d book takes it even more far from reality..whc makes it kinda unbeliveable to read..
    but as they say "all's well that sells well";-);-)

     
  2. Hemanth Kumar |

    @Sayantani: You are absolutely right! I heard from a friend who read a book about life in an IIM...says it's was a big let down! I guess the same formula turns bland if it doesn't traverse new themes...in all these campus based novels...it's more or less..Love, Friendship, Self-Discovery.Maybe the target audience for all these books is different, who like to read the setting as well as the life in general in a campus...no wonder such books have become best sellers!...:D

    Let's see if we can come up with a new strategy of marketing!..:D

     

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