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American Maharajah – book review

American Maharajah review desi readers

Mark’s second novel was almost a treat for that category of readers who rather like reading the novels which are little slow in build up and rather simple in nature but mature in theme and sufficient in plot; in short, the readers who don’t appreciate very much the bombardment of emotions heavily pinned upon themselves by the authors who like to arouse the sentiments this way… American Maharajah appeared to me a read like this, to start the conversation with my readers here. I have read three novels recently and this one by Mark Stephen Levy, a frequenter to India, was also on that list. Two others were debut ones and so their impression wasn’t that strong on me. Mark’s, however, seemed to me mature in handling the sensible content that the novel offers. It is about a myth collaborating with modern realities. Continue reading “American Maharajah – book review”

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The Modern Romance Authors

The romance writing in India has surely touched new dimensions in the recent years; this is an undeniable fact which can surely be disputed with arguments but cannot be denied! However, we will have to put our heads in the process of thinking and find for ourselves that what these new authors have been doing with the romance genre and to what extent they take it forward. For most of the critical readers, the Bharati and Sriram’s story was also a romance which was weaved around the freedom struggle of Indian freedom fighters. How was that? What kind of romance was Waiting for the Mahatma? And what kind of romance is being produced by the modern Indian authors today? We will surely have to do an analysis. Continue reading “The Modern Romance Authors”

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Little Maryam

Little Maryam book review

Hamid Baig’s debut novel, Little Maryam, has been received very warmly by the readers of fiction and being specific, by the lovers of the romance genre. The novel was released on 26 January 2018 and has gone to become one of the hottest new releases of the year on Amazon and other platforms. I have also got a chance to review this novel and have read it recently. For the readers, here is my review of Little Maryam.

Little Maryam is a novel which features a love story of Maryam, the girl and Saadiq, the boy. They meet when they are too young to love and start knowing each other. When they grow young, the eventually declare their love for each other and then, the dreaming phase starts. However, the situations turn overnight when Saadiq is jailed in an unintentional murder case, the murder of his friend Ritesh, a local MLA’s son. The situation forces the separation of the two lovers and Maryam is married to someone else. Saadiq’s father, Haji, dies before he could even come out of the jail. Having no one to come to in Dehradun, after being released from the prison, Saadiq leaves for Mumbai and from there, with his hard work, he reaches the USA on a full scholarship to become a doctor and moves on to win the Nobel Prize in the medical science! Dream run, isn’t it?

The novel has been, you can say, divided into two phases – separation & success and reunion and complication. Hamid has kept Little Maryam a very engaging read. He has used the most accurate techniques of fiction writing at the most appropriate points in the novel. You cannot separate the novel from any of the characters who appear in it! The narrative is persuasive and the plot is very cleverly constructed. Little Maryam is a novel which runs in flashback in the first part and then shifts to the present tense style before finally moving in letter-narrative phase when Miller, the journalist, reads a letter left by Saadiq for her.

I will not reveal the entire story. However, let me say that the novel is very wonderful. The author does not believe in the explicit way of writing romance and you will find it quite amazing. The love depicted in the present fiction seems real except for some parts of it. It runs like a suspense movie for sometimes and ultimately, takes the readers to an emotional phase. You cannot miss the ending – who will win the wife? Are there any more secrets to be told? Does Dr Saadiq Haider know who this new Maryam is? Does Maryam remember everything when she meets Saadiq again, almost after 20 years of their separation?

You will love reading this work and the language is fairly supportive of quick-reading. You can finish it in two days! Get your copy of Little Maryam right now from Amazon India:

Little Maryam by Hamid Baig on Amazon

(the link will open in a new tab)

review by Naman for Desi Readers

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American Maharajah – hot new release you must read – book preview

American Maharajah preview book

What are you reading this week? If you haven’t yet found something good to read, here is your chance to read one of the best books which have been released the last month and the author Mark Levy is going to be in India this month as well – American Maharajah. The clumsy tell of reincarnation and American connection to it has been told in a very lucid and interesting way and you will just love the book. Before you get started, here are the 5 reasons why you should be reading the novel American Maharajah by author Mark Stephen Levy:

Suspense: The novel has suspense in plenty but not the same way that you see in those head-boggling novels which leave you nowhere with the progress! It is straightforward and clearing suspense which will be attractive for the readers as they make the progress in the terms of chapters.

Legend and Present: The book has connected the Rajasthani legend of a king and his prince beautifully with the modern-day situation of Ravi and his curious case of identity in the form of Amar. You will find it very interesting as well as a well-designed fiction once you cover the chapters and finish the read.

The City Lights & Dilemma: For the first few chapters, you will find it wonderfully mentioned and detailed. How do relationships make and break within the matters of seconds behind the glow of the city lights which seldom fade… I commend Mark for his understanding and also his writing skills which could beautifully capture what transpired between Ravi and Melissa.

The Language: You cannot deny, once you begin reading this novel, that the language is compelling and it keeps you engaged with the text throughout. Out of the many novels that I have found recently launched and sold, I have found Mark’s American Maharajah really a reader-friendly novel which does not look to confuse the readers with over-rich lexicon; it just tells what needs to be told in a very good manner – the story and the tale!

Reading Satisfaction: Believe me, once you finish the novel, you will surely write to Mark congratulating him on this great work of fiction! American Maharajah is a wonderful novel which keeps you busy with the tale and ends it on a very wonderful not. Ravi (the protagonist also known as Amar) comes to his spiritual kind of voyage to India and he discovers something amazing about this place which he could seldom find in American life. You will almost join him on his journey and then you will also discover along with him – the new things and the new relations and the new secrets! You cannot miss reading American Maharajah!

Interested enough? Get your copy of this wonderful novel from Amazon India today and start reading it now!

American Maharajah on Amazon – buy now

book preview by Raman S for Desi Readers

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7 Habits of Highly Effective People – book review

7 habits of highly effective people review

7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a bestselling book by Stephen R. Covey and since the publication in 1989, the book has never been out of print and it has been selling amazingly since then. The question is why? Why does this book sell so many in numbers and why does it not die because most of the books published in the mixed pop age have died already; the music of those days have faded away and even the dressing has changed. Then, why does this 7 Habits of Highly Effective People still running like a movie which has never been out of the theatres? Well, we need to see into it and I will try to be your guide today.

Stephen R. Covey, though he has written other books as well, is widely known for his debut work in the self-help or motivational genre – the 7 habits. He has detailed, in this book, what he has learnt and experienced as a person in the social-public life, meeting new people and knowing the strangers and also coming close to those who have achieved something great in their lives, Stephen has understood that there are major 7 habits which make someone really impressive as a person. And what are the habits that he has written?

Being Proactive

Begin with the End in Mind

Put First Things First

Think Win/Win

Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Synergize

Sharpen the Saw

This book, as you might have expected by seeing the habits listed above, does not simply illustrate what is written above. It actually tells you how to live your life with aforesaid habits and how to become successful and effective a personality. Stephen has been tremendous with his use of language and he has made this book extremely wonderful for the readers. You will easily understand what is being said and you will easily learn the mentioned methods as well. You will also find, sometimes, the stories which will explain the theories behind each of the mentioned habits in the book. And also, there are several sub-chapters under each habit and you will have a lot to read, for sure.

If you also think that you need to read something meaningful this weekend, this is perhaps the best you can get! As the book has already been very popular and sold nearly 2 million copies, you can get this book at attractive prices on many book corners. We are attaching the link to the Amazon book page where you can get this book at a very low price. You will find it really interesting and useful for you as well as anyone else who reads it. Go for it now!

Stephen’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on Amazon

Review by a Contributor

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Crime and Punishment – book review

Crime and Punishment review

Raskolnikov is the embodiment of sin and redemption together in the novel Crime and Punishment by the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Moreover, if anyone wants to ascribe more to the character, he can well be seen as the living example of a chaotic psyche who almost goes bizarre as the novel deepens.

Crime and Punishment is one of the finest novels ever produced by an author from any country without the language barrier. It unfolds the situations and circumstances and the predicament that are of the highest order ever seen in the novels. Yes, you can surely find the parallels but to find something better might be doubtful to a large extent.

About the story and the plot, you can find very much on the internet and there is no need virtually to say further. There is a person (may be seen as a potential criminal as well) who plans to get rid of his troubles by using a shortcut and he does so after so much of consideration. However, digesting the sin isn’t easy for him and his behaviour becomes suspicious for the investigating detective and he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the semi-old lady. He develops a relationship with a certain prostitute who is virtuous and begins the phase of atonement. He eventually goes to jail and begins the redemption from his sin only there.

To the readers:
As the novel is a little lengthier than the usual novels, you might need to invest some time reading this and also need to be alert because the events and the characters demand the readers’ attention more than you might see in the usual novels and by the usual characters. The plot is simple and straightforward but has been designed very decoratively by the author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Yes, the theme is somewhat grand or you can say it is wider than you might expect even after reading this. This is not a usual crime psyche story magnified into a novel form!

During the read, you will be fixed. Though not interestingly because at times the novel may fail to capture your attention because of the lengthy conversations and overtly protracted descriptions of the internal and external situations. Still, the novel will hold you in a grip and you will like reading it till the end. Classics are a bit offtrack, sometimes!

If you are interested in reading this novel, you can find the Amazon link to the paperback copy of Crime and Punishment below.

Crime and Punishment on Amazon – buy now

review by a regular contributor to DR

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One Indian Girl – book review

One Indian girl book review

One Indian Girl is a 2016 novel and thankfully the last novel by Chetan Bhagat, at least for now! This is nothing sort of an Indian version of mini El James kind of sexual excursion taken by the protagonist Radhika Mehta who remembers nothing else about her feministic rights but just having sex and having worked for big companies and having a lot of money. Well, Chetan Bhagat might have talked to the feministic women of his liking, maybe. However, he should know that many patriarchal women too have sex and he might be one of the products of one such woman!

One Indian Girl has nothing to do with the lefts and rights of the novel writing tactics as it purely aims at pleasing the readers by different means and mostly the sexual-textual-ramblings. He has been successful as well, one has to admit this without any denial. Most of the modern authors try to woo their readers just by offering them something to have with them in their bed and enjoy – like a movie which has many item numbers and many sex scenes.

Radhika Mehta, like many other Chetan Bhagat’s protagonists, a typical IIM-A and IIT girl who leaves the country just like the author did. She lands a good job as well as a somehow good boyfriend who is afraid of marriage. She breaks up and leaves for another country only to find another boyfriend who is rather older than her but her feministic instinct does not forbid her from sharing a bed with a married guy. These are the new feministic ideals, nevertheless!

You will find a lot to read again and again if you are also one of those readers who enjoy reading one part by El James 9 times! Otherwise, there is nothing in the book which could let you feel like reading a novel. It’s just a first-person overly erotic story which you can read on many sex-stories websites. Nevertheless, there, the storytellers are not Chetan Bhagat!

Have a happy reading!

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The Guide – book review

The Guide Book review

 The Guide is a 1958 novel written by famous Indian novelist R. K. Narayan. It is entertaining as well as enlightening in a perfect way and it walks the talk which was proposed by a famous novelist Thomas Hardy that a novel is the uncommon feelings of common life. We see the characters like Raju and Rosie and Marco who are the common people next door by they manage to show us that life can be really bizarre at times and really awesome at other times. R. K. Narayan has managed to keep the readers indulged until the last page is turned and we see the blank paper in front of us announcing that the novel has ended. Have you read this novel yet?

The Guide has been praised by most of the readers and Indian book critics who have read this novel. It takes a philosophical turn after the simple writing which keeps the readers from going off track. We find Raju who is a shrewd tourist guide and we find Marco and Rosie who are husband and wife. Marco is a self-absorbed person who cares the least about his wife Rosie. On the other hand, Rosie is a woman who believes in independence – internally and externally. She is the daughter of a temple-dancer and is married to Marco so that she can lead a normal life, unlike her mother. However, things don’t go as planned and Rosie rather finds herself happy with Raju who believes in her dancing abilities. Their union invites problems for them both and they have to leave Malgudi, the famous R. K. Narayan’s town which also breathed!

Success, fame, problems and Raju is enlightened. He goes to jail because of an unconscious mistake that he does to secure Rosie does not leave him. When he gets out of Jail, he does not go to the world he left once and there the novel takes turn… you find the full flow of R. K. Narayan’s theory of Karmic philosophy. Raju turns into a compelled saint and he has to do something which a thug could never do… will he do it? You will find this only when you read the novel The Guide. I don’t want to ruin your pleasure reading this wonderful fiction which fetched the fame for Indian English literature and pushed it to a further height.

The language by the novelist, as usual, is very decorated and you will find the work attractive with the use of words – English as well as native ones. The art of storytelling is always a gift with R. K. Narayan and he uses it to the maximum. The theme is wide and deep and the dealing is equally bright. You will be reading something which can be termed as a complete fiction in the truest sense in the context of Indian English literature. You will seldom find something like this in the modern fiction produced by this generation of Indian writers. Have yourself some good time reading this wonderful novel.

Buy The Guide from Amazon India now

Review by Ravi

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Should I remember what I read?

Desi Readers tips and updates

Old habits die hard; the saying gets it absolutely right! We don’t easily forget what we have been doing or thinking for so long. And this is true in the context of our reading habits as well. We remember the books we have read more than once but we certainly forget the ones which we just read casually and which could not get close to our hearts. Is this good? Why do such things happen? Why do we forget that we have read? And what can we do to make things work in a certain way?

The first thing that one can do is mend the reading habits itself. Just don’t read everything! Read the things which are not only interesting but also meaningful and a little deeper than the usual textual bulks. For example, you will not remember who was the guy who kissed three girls and slept with them in a Bhagat’s or Singh’s novel. Because that’s just casual affair for these characters and these authors (building such characters). However, you will surely remember the guy who was killed because of a timid guy who could not stand up to his crime in a Dicken’s novel Hard Times! This is called the difference in developing characters – one that falls flat and another that remains in your mind for long!

However, if you just read casual literature at times for the sheer entertainment purposes, you don’t have to bother about remembering the characters because most of the times, it’s good to forget that you have even read a romance which wasn’t more than a b grade movie! Why at all have rubbish in your mind!

And the advice that we at Desi Readers would love offer is you should, sometimes, be careful about your reading choices. You can read the books by the authors who have a known reputation among the readers. You can check the Indian Authors website for the updates on latest authors as well as the classic ones.

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Despite Stolen Dreams – review

Despite Stolen Dreams desi review

Despite Stolen Dreams is a collection of emotions – the protagonist and the antagonist – everything about the world created by Anita Krishan revolves around the emotions… Despite Stolen Dreams is a novel written by Anita which is also her latest one and it succeeds the previous one entitled Tears of Jhelum. At the centre, it’s about the problem of terrorism in the valley of Kashmir which forces a family, the Wali Khan family, to flee from Kashmir and take refuge in the Indian capital Delhi.

The novel is interesting and certainly something which might be called a literary fiction in the truest of its sense. It has the best set of characters; it has a well-knit plot and a serious theme and the best part, to me, as a reader as well as a critic, seems the narrative of the novel which certainly revamps the memories of reading the classics of the modern age – Lawrence, Forster or even Hardy. The language used by Anita Krishan in her latest novel Despite Stolen Dreams is just fascinating and wonderful as well as perfectly synchronising with the theme she has chosen!

The Storyline:
It can be construed as an agonising journey of Wali Khan who has to leave his own house and homeland in Kashmir. His life in Delhi and then ultimately his final confrontation with the terror are the attraction in the novel. Despite Stolen Dreams offers a tale of terror and a tale of love and affection. On the one end of the yardstick, you will find Wali Khan and his family and on the other end, you will find Hashim and his terror-prodigies. On one side, there are love, affection, adaptation, progress and emotions and on the other side, there are murder, ruthlessness, cold-blooded violence and hatred and ultimate dejection! It will be a wonderful experience reading this novel by Anita…

The Review:
In the contemporary Indian English writing, there are very few writers who can be put on the highest pedestal and undoubtedly, Anita Desai is one among them… her fiction tells it. Her writing style is broad and it has all the essential elements in the proper proportions. Despite Stolen Dreams is a novel which might be entertaining for the youth readers because it has a plot full of unexpected turns and whirlwind-like twists. At the same time, it can be a serious read for those who come from a literary background because it tells us how a novel can be constructed in its truest spirit! The novel offers the readers a wonderful fusion of two contrary perceptions – hope and despair; affection and hatred; love and enmity; life and death… Anita Krishan, moreover, with her language, has further added a new dimension to this pleasant novel. A perfect read for the readers, Despite Stolen Dreams, the novel is certainly a must-read for anyone!

Where to get the novel?
You can get the novel from Amazon. We have made it further easy for you by adding a link to Amazon below. Just click on the link and it will take you directly to the page where you can buy the novel:

Despite Stolen Dreams by Anita Krishan on Amazon

review by Rahul for Desi Readers