Book Review - Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag and Srinath Perur
"Wealth shouldn't strike suddenly like a visitation, but instead grow gradually like a tree." - Ghachar Ghochar
Ghachar Ghochar
by Vivek Shanbhag and Srinath Perur
Book Review
Ghachar Ghochar is a story of
a family that sees a sudden shift in their societal and financial status, and
consequently, a change in their lifestyle as well as attitude towards life. It is
a story that depicts the ideologies of an Indian lower middle-class family, who
go berserk with the new-found wealth.
The
book Ghachar Ghochar is indeed just
that – Ghachar Ghochar; which doesn’t
even have a definite meaning to it and can almost be termed as gibberish. But
growing up in an Indian household that majorly spoke Hindi (or Punjabi), and
having seen a lot of Bollywood movies, I can relate to this idiom and phrase. I
don’t know the origin of the phrase, but the closest meaning to this would be –
something that is tangled or messed up.
The
book was an easy read, I finished it in one go. The story is simple yet
engaging and fun, with brilliant writing. I enjoyed the author’s straightforward
storytelling, with such a gripping plot. The author has managed to meticulously
capture the essence of poverty as well as affluence in his writing, and has reproduced
the dynamics of an Indian family to precision. Although the book had me twisted
and questioning out loud at
the end of it (in a good way), but I wish I could speak to the
author and get his perspective on it as well. I haven’t read
such an enjoyable book by an Indian author in a long time. I usually stay clear of
fictions, but this book makes me want to read more of them.
There
are some stories that may not make sense but still manages to pull you in, this was one of them. I
know I will be reading this story again and again in due course. The book was originally written
in Kannada, a regional Indian language, and then translated in English; which is what surprises me about the book. Once deciphered,
many books lose their meaning or readability, but the writer/ translator of
this book has especially done a remarkable job at keeping the story engaging. I
also like that the story may be regional, but the storytelling itself caters to
a large audience globally. As always, the photographer (and, book worm) in me loves appreciating the creativity and effort that goes in the designing of the
cover of the book. The cover of Ghachar
Ghochar impressed me with the unique photography, and the concept that is
simple, quirky, and reflects the theme of the story impeccably.
"Words after all are nothing by themselves. They burst into meaning only in the minds they've entered." - Ghachar Ghochar
Final Thoughts
Without
a doubt the storytelling impressed me. I was swayed not only by the author’s
imagination, but also by Mr. Perur’s brilliant translation. The story is simple
and entertaining; it is in true sense unconventional and has a noteworthy concept, that will leave you scratching your
head and wanting more at the same time.
About The Author
Vivek
Shanbhag is an Indian author who has written eight fictional books and
two plays, in the regional South Indian language of Kannada. Ghachar Ghochar is the first book to be
translated in English, and has been received well all over the world.
Srinath
Perur,
the incredible translator of Ghachar
Ghochar, is a travel writer who also writes on topics of science among other things.
He is the author of a travel book called – If it’s Monday, it must be Madurai, which I look forward to reading
soon.
Genre Fiction
Pages 124 pages
Format Hardcover
Publisher Harper
Perennial
Availability Amazon.in
Until
next time, Happy Reading!
Love
& Peace
Shruti
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