My My.... I was not aware that one of my favourite authors’ books had arrived on the scene and was pleasantly shocked to find it at my friendly neighborhood pirated book seller thela (where I got the brand new book at the princely sum of Rs 50)
Started the book and then realized that it was being written by a desperate person who once was at the pinnacle of writing trying to tell the readers he was still there. And it turns out to be a miserable failure... this book has so much of Archerisms in it that I got terribly sick of it..Yet bravely I completed the book.
Archerisms??? You know what I am talking about --- The complicated word plays, the hanging-thread at the last line of every chapter, abrupt jumps in timelines, silly-incredulous co-incidences sewn to show up as though this was the most natural thing to happen.
I will not bore you with the plot - Nothing about it at all -- just like rashmi sez -- Our Bolly wood writers are miles ahead of ’im.
I think his prison diaries will make much interesting reading
Ok -- If you are a die-hard fan of him and are ready to take up anything he throws at you -- Go for this.
If you are a newbie -- and have not heard of Archer -- (don’t know why you are reading this then!!) -- DON’t take this as your first book. There are an umpteen masterpieces he has authored -- Go for ’em.
If you are the so-so, ’book-for-a-weekend’ guy, then again -- this is a strict NO-NO