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Above average by Amitabha Bagchi

Julie's father chides her "Why do bloggers think their life is so important that people would like to read about it" in Packed to the Rafters. I felt the same thing after reading the book.

Initial part of the book was good. The tension of 12th exam, preparations for JEE, and a life revolving around that one entrance exam. OK, I thought after this the story will start. No, it did not. In fact it is like a diary of boy studying IIT. A good writing style is nice (in fact after a long time, I finished a book in less than a week) , but a novel must have a story. OK, we get to see a intellectual professor getting disillusioned and flying back to US of A, a drug addict musician not able to make a living as the habit is not letting him fulfill his passion, and a child of an abused woman being ill treated by grand father etc. But these are all side clips. Where is the main story? What does Arindham Chatterjee do other than his IIT? There is this reference to a girl Aparna who was his girlfriend but who leaves him when he goes to US.

On the whole you feel cheated because you spent so much time and energy in reading this book.

Note : I am no literary expert, Bagchiji to pass such comments on your book. But a blogger has much more freedom than an actual writer in this aspect, isn't it?


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