Saturday, September 28, 2013

Review- Beaten by Bhagath by S.V. Divvaakar

Goodreads Summary:

‘I’m sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!’
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book that’s better than India’s greatest writer Dr.Bhagath’s blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college. 
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challenger’s journey, upping the stakes at every stage. 

Will BB catch up with his famous friend? 
What will their encounter be like? 

Written from inside the ring, ‘Beaten by Bhagath’ is a gripping tale ...the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction.


REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Beaten by Bhagath by S.V. Divvaakar from Yatin @ Me About My Thoughts in exchange for an honest review. We thank the author and Yatin for the book! 

I was wary about starting Beaten by Bhagath by author S.V. Divvaakar because the title clearly suggests that the book is going to talk about the famous Indian author India loves to hate. Contrary to many people out there, I have actually read and thoroughly enjoyed this particular author's books. 
I don't know if Beaten by Bhagath has any controversy surrounding it so I'm not really sure if at all I want to take any names. Honestly, the book seemed like a spoof on this author, but thankfully, it was done in a sporting way. I really wonder if the author (Divvaakar) knew that this author's brother's name, who is also an author now, is actually the same as the name used for him in the book. 
Beaten by Bhagath has been one of those few paperback copies that I finished reading within a few hours. It was an enjoyable, fun and light hearted read that had me laughing. 
This is the story of BB whose secretary thinks he has a lot more potential than K-10, the writing rock-star of the country and BB's college mate. That's when BB decides to take this seriously and begins penning down his first novel, after the completion of which he now has to bring his baby out into the real world. 
After having interacted with and even been lucky enough to hear some authors speak about their journey into the writing world, I could easily understand all the dilemmas and problems faced by BB. Some of the revelations were really shocking and I found myself cheering for BB a couple of times. 
Author S.V. Divvaakar's writing is quite good as it manages to keep the reader engaged. I have to give the author a lot of credit for thinking. Many names that are actually supremely popular in India, be it authors or book stores or publishing houses or online shopping sites even, were given different names than what they actually are, but in such a funny and slightly silly manner that anyone could guess what the author is actually talking about or referring to. 
I did have a few issues with the book and there were some things in it that I didn't quite get and many things that I didn't quite like as well. The end part just didn't sit well with me. All that aside, Beaten by Bhagath is overall a very simple, short and sweet read about an aspiring and struggling author. 

RATING:




7 comments:

  1. It's quite obvious that I don't understand what's this book about. I mean I do in general but many things are still mystery for me. I'm glad you enjoyed this one despite the issues girl. You'll have to give me a class about Indian culture (my mum will help as she watches Indian TV shows) :D Great review dude :)

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    1. I'll explain everything to you once you visit me. ;) Thanks, Tanja!

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  2. Hmm, doesn't sound like something I would enjoy. Better luck next time.

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  3. "Many names that are actually supremely popular in India, be it authors or book stores or publishing houses or online shopping sites even, were given different names than what they actually are, but in such a funny and slightly silly manner that anyone could guess what the author is actually talking about or referring to. " -- Okay so, I wouldn't actually get any of the references in this case, I'm sure, but I know what you mean by this and I love books that do this! It makes for such a fun read and it sounds like this one was indeed a success on that front. Really great review!!

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    1. Haha, yeah. It was a fun read, Aylee. Thanks! :)

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  4. Aw, I know. This isn't all that great so you can skip it. Thanks Aman! :)

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