After, all the dumb novels of the Literary Hero read in every corner of India, comes a fresh new look - keep off the grass by Karan Bajaj. As I started reading it grudgingly, ready to be disappointed by the sloppy dialogues and bad English, I was pleasantly surprised as I got hooked on to the smart one-liners.
I must say, before, I get deeper into reviewing this book, that, I have certain standards to rate a book, the first and foremost is - good hold of language, there is just no excuse for crap like some point someone or Animal like things. Secondly if I need to just be entertained with meritocracy I'll watch movies, why the hell should I lick every line of the grimy book? I feel novels ought to express emotions, situations in a way we felt but really could not form them in words yet, tell us something we haven't known yet, impound us with ideas. the theme must not be just narrating story for the heck of it, story is just draperies not the essence unless of course the story is a fantasy.
Having said that everyone has their own rating system, if you can dig what I mean that's cool otherwise, well, go no further!
OK, coming back to the book, other than the language, I liked the the perspective of the protagonist - Samrat, builds towards India. Showing India in the eyes of one who essentially belonged here but somehow has lost his roots. What I mostly liked were, the deliveries on the harsh realities of life, that life isn fair. You cannot have the cake and eat it too. In order that you could achieve happiness, solace, we ought to let go of the materialistic driven world.
Why did he have to go to IIM when what he wanted was to essentially, is to search for answers, to explore. why does he not take off even when he is slinking down in the academics when his goal isn to merely get the grades? Its difficult to let go of the definite and run behind something you have not even formed a word about. I liked the way Bajaj lets the character seep into you lets you understand the turmoil, the constant battle that rages to live a easy life, fitting into what his life offered a Manhattan apartment, wall street job loads of money and yet he seeks more, a place where he need not constantly try to fit in, where he could be accepted the way he is. I also totally marveled at his time in Benaras.
Though I would say this one will not free your soul blah blah but yeah, makes a good read. It has good laughs packed in too. All in all for those like me looking out for more that story, go grab this book!
