It was an extremely hot day in mumbai and I bought a table fan as the ceiling fan wasn?t up to the mark.
The skin felt like of a sticky amphibious animal. I picked up English August borrowed from my friend.
I wanted to read the book as it was 1 of the few english movies to be made by an indian. Pride factor.
I read the first line of the book and I said ... ’’this rocks’’ ... rest as they say is history.
This funny and satirical book will be appreciated for all those who spent some time of their youth studying/working away from home. And if you haven?t, this book will take you and give a unique ’’away from home’’ experience. This book tells you that something which looks a ’’great career’’ will not necessarily land you in a comfortable life.
Agastya (August), completes his IAS (the bureaucrats that run india) and his pride takes a crash as he is ordered to serve in a small town called Madna. Swallowing his pride he lands up in Madna, the hottest place in india. (reading this I felt my table fan is working well !!).
Then the rest of the book is the amazing unexpected india he discovers. Infinite Surprises for MTV generation indian.
He meets the most unusual characters, surprisingly some were like august in their youth. Some are geniuses who have given up on life. some are his friends living life the madna way, some are just singing and drinking and surviving life. Seeing any woman is a bonus for august.
As most of us he constantly compares them with himself and questions his future. He reads out brilliant passages from Marcus Aurelius book for his emotional support. He deals with the slow, giant, inefficient, corrupted machine of the indian bureaucracy and is amazed that it still works.
I feel this is very much a ’’guy?s book’’, but females will get a guys view too. This is an amazing book written by Upamanyu Chatterjee and I feel one of the best novels written by an indian which gives a feeling of the magic called India.