Silence..

Accustomed to the veneer of noise, to the shibboleths of promotion, public relations, and market research, society is suspicious of those who value silence.

Because I was all that I could be.

“I have possessed that heart, that noble soul, in whose presence I seemed to be more than I really was, because I was all that I could be.”

- Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

In the midst of winter..

"In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back."

-Albert Camus

Book Review- Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat

I think Chetan Bhagat gets way more stick than he deserves. The truth is, he writes and India reads. Most of his criticism stems from the purists or the "hard-core literature fans" who can't stand the fact that he is the most popular writer from India. Yes, his writing style is nothing compared to an Ayn Rand, a Rohinton Mistry or a Khaled Hosseini, but someone who is selling so much must be doing something right. And he is.  

Bhagat always takes up issues which resonate with the masses. In Half Girlfriend, the protagonist is a Bihari guy named Madhav who has a hard time speaking English. Now what can be more common than that? I can envision thousands of young guys in Bihar, who will never read "To Kill a Mocking Bird", but who will readily see themselves in Madhav and will have no difficulty in comprehending Bhagat's simplistic yet charming writing style. The beauty of this process is, some, if not many, will start seeing reading in a different light and will become become readers for life (Hopefully picking up books with more intellectual depth and profound life lessons). This, I feel, is Bhagat's biggest contribution. The repeated references to Madhav's poor English is annoying at times, but almost every book has a phase where the reader fights within himself to either put it down or soldier along. I chose to read on. And the book did hold my attention. Till the last page. And mind you, I am not a guy who reads "Only Chetan Bhagat Novels". I have read my fair share of classics and some have bored me to death. Half Girlfriend had me hooked. Its a charming love story. You will end up rooting for Madhav (Well, if you don't hold a blinkered opinion of Bhagat's work, that is).

There is the inevitable drama. Almost Bollywood like. But it is Chetan Bhagat we are talking about. Will you ever dare to criticise Khaled Hosseini for describing the beauty of Afghanistan? Will you lambast Dan Brown for going into minute details of Roman Architecture? Well, no. You will just say that its their own style. This slightly surreal drama is Bhagat's style. And its good. He has his own niche. It's a different story altogether that a new "generation" of young writers flourished in India after Five Point Someone, trying to imitate Bhagat's style and ended up hurting his already many times questioned reputation. Bhagat touches on the problem of rural education in India and the book also suggests ways to improve one's English. The techniques may seem too raw for the average Goodreads user or a regular reader, but in truth, they are effective. A 15 year boy reading this book in Bihar will understand this more than you and I will ever will.

Half Girlfriend is a very good read. Unputdownable. A sweet love story. An avid reader can easily finish it in two-three sessions. It will be lapped up by India's youth. It is a bestseller for sure. Chetan Bhagat's legend becomes stronger. I just hope that people digest the fact that he is a good writer who knows his strengths and sticks by them.

“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”

Kudos to Bhagat for going on despite all the criticism. You Sir, have all my respect.

(From a fan who has read enough books to not be classified as an "Only Chetan Bhagat books guy.")