- 1165th Day
- 119th Blog Post
- 4th Book Review
Hello readers and bookworms like me!
Finally I am back with one more book review. Yes! Before mentioning the title of the book which is being reviewed in this blog post by me; I would like to thank all readers, authors, publishers, bloggers and book reviewers for showering praises on my previous book review and for accepting and appreciating my unique style of book reviewing in detail analysis. I thank all of you for appreciating my efforts. OK! I know its enough in ‘Apni Taarif…’ hahaha :-)!
I read four more books after publishing my previous review. Today, I am going to publish my review of 50 Miles : ‘A ᴙeverse Journey’ by young debutant author Jaydeep Khot. Before starting my review, I would like to thank to the author Jaydeep S. Khot for approaching me to review his debut book. I feel extremely sorry for the delay to publish this review. I really thank him for his patience.
Detail Review/Analysis of 50 Miles : A ᴙeverse Journey
TITLE
(Image:- Front and Back covers of 50 Miles: A Reverse Journey)
Book’s title ‘50 Miles’ carries subtitle ‘A ᴙeverse Journey’. I liked the way ‘R’ is printed as ‘ᴙ’ in the word ‘Reverse’. Backword Arrow (←) in Yellow color between title and subtitle also catches attraction.
ABOUT AUTHOR
(©Author Jaydeep S. Khot)
Jaydeep Khot is 21-years-old and is a student of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. He has appeared for his Bachelor of Commerce examination of Mumbai. He is a also a final year student of chartered accountancy course.
He is a marathon runner.
His favourite subjects are History, Economics and Psychology.
Writing is his passion.
50 Miles is his first novel. He has recently launched his second novel ENVISAGE.
This story revolves around the life of Haria. Haria is a 50-year-old man, who has amnesia. He doesn’t even remember his name. The story will take you into the journey of his life in a reverse chronological order. Here, the central character of the book finds clues, which help him recall his life. Each clue would help him recall a year at a time.
So join Haria, in his journey of self-revelation 50 Miles, where he embarks upon his identity, origin and his birth.
SETTING
The story of ‘50 Miles’ is divided into 50 chapters dedicated to reverse chronological age. Reader finds outgoing arrow (→) which indicates next age (chapter) at the end of each chapter (age). I think these kind of unique ideas make a book special. The story runs around different locations in Mumbai (Maharashtra).
Author Jaydeep Khot has elegantly used flashback technique to narrate the story of A Reverse Journey in 50 Miles.
CHARACTERS in 50 Miles
- Haria: Main character of the story who is suffering with amnesia. His real name is Harish.
- Kasak: Haria’s ex-girlfriend living in Bandra.
- Nazuk: A eight year old girl
- Sweeper: Guardian of Nazuk
- Rupa: Haria’s wife living in Jogeshwari
- Radha: Haria and Rupa’s daughter
- Nahima: Radha’s biological mother
- Asha: Haria’s true love at age 34.
- Reshma: Haria aka Harish’s lover in Andheri
There are few more characters who meet in A Reverse Journey of ‘50 Miles’ to Haria.
LANGUAGE
Author Jaydeep Khot has used simple language to understand. He used proper use of italic words to indicate regional words. He also uses few Marathi words and proverbs in the novel. Repetition of Rupa’s name in age 39 works fine to read and understand the emotions of Haria. Few lines are scribbled beautifully. I am sure that you will not control yourself to smile or laugh out loud after reading few lines.
PLOT, THEME and STORY
In the prologue of the book, author tells how Haria (who doesn’t remember even his name) receives a letter sent to his address to the recipient Haria.
We get to know about a relation between Haria and his ex-girlfriend Kasak in the very first chapter (Age 50). I liked the way author exemplified a reply of an eight year old Nazuk while she feel being attempted of molestation. Her reply seems really appreciable at age 48. We get to know the reason behind the story telling or story writing in reverse chronological order at age 47. At age 46, we get an idea about love between Haria and Kasak from their child Nazuk. Author has portrayed college boys’ lifestyle and Haria’s feelings for his father at age 20. I think every child would have those feelings for parents. Author also comments on friends’ reactions while having pimples at age 14 beautifully.
Author Jaydeep Khot tries to show contrasts between lifestyle of Rich and Poor and he also tried to comment on few social issues. How rich girls/women living in bungalows in Bandra (Mumbai) smokes cigarettes, how informal education takes place near bus stop pavement by educated youth for children living in slum. Narrow minded tendency towards children living in slum by people living in high class society. Author shares a story of ALPHABETS in age 49 when a girl asks his teacher, “A ke baad B kyun Aata hain?” (Why does B follow A?) to her teacher; teacher’s examples to understand her A for an Apple to E for an Elephant are really quintessence. I think the story should be completed. The story would really helpful to give instances in schools really. Author satires on a realistic picture of Indian saree markets in Andheri through the Haria's point of view. He tries to show short glimpses of rich and poor lifestyle in Santacruise. He satires on the irony of educated unemployed youths’ long queue for the job of lower post; which is the real picture in India. Author describes how few wives are being assaulted by their husbands. And yes! You will laugh while reading Haria’s comments on neighbours and on lullabies as a 2 years old kid’s point of view..! Author also tries to convey true impact or tragic result of lust through the character of Haria.
I would like to note few quotations from 50 Miles by Author Jaydeep Khot through different characters.:-
- “Rich things make people poor.”
- “As I sweep, I clean the dirt of the streets and sometimes wish this even clears the dirt in minds of my fellow Indians.”
“I wanted to wipe her tears. But I knew that I couldn’t wipe the sorrow in her heart.”
- “The man who is already lost in himself can never be found.”
- “Love yourself for what you are and others for what they are.”
- “When I slept, I used my books as my pillow. I did not believe in love.”
- “I was scared to express to her my feelings for her, worried that she would stop talking to me.”
- “My books were my Bible, Bhagwad Gita and Quran. I loved each and every book of mine. People of my age were in love with members of the opposite gender, but I was in love with my books.”
- “He (God) stopped me from doing illegal things.”
- “Always be true yourself, no matter how badly other people treat you. Love yourself for who you are and not for who you are not.”
- “I loved myself for who I was and not for who I was not.”
- “I realised money couldn’t buy real happiness.”
- “The only difference between learning and earning was that of the missing “L”, which stood for Love.”
DRAWBACKS
OK! I have noted what good things are in the book, now let me tell you few drawbacks of 50 Miles.:-
- Repetition of words:- Though there are not much print mistakes in 50 Miles, I found repetition of words ‘in the’ in a sentence mentioned in Age 16. This may be just a print mistake by Sunil Printing Press and readers can ignore this; but as an honest reviewer/book critic, its my duty to bring author’s and readers’ attention on such mistakes for corrections in next reprints. While writing author’s introduction, I have noticed a full stop missing in between two sentences on back cover, I think first later of subjects’ name (history, economics and psychology) should be capital. And hello! Now please DO NOT count my grammatical mistakes in this blog post; I know you will found so many in this single paragraph. I am working to improve my command over English day by day.
- Inappropriate Cover:- I think front cover of 50 Miles: A Reverse Journey neither suits to title nor to subtitle, I didn’t feel the front cover appropriate to content or even a theme. I don’t know what other reviewers and readers think about the cover, but I think Image Creator could design much better cover for such wonderful titles.
- Horizontal title is not printed in between front and back cover, and this is another drawback of cover designer.
- Unfulfilled pages:- Though the single line description is appropriated to concerned ages, author or mainly publisher or typewriter/editor would not have to start new chapter on new page in such conditions when there is only one sentence printed in a previous chapter.
- Costly MRP:- I can understand strategy behind assessing price of book; I even agree that Rs 99/- are not too much but this MRP seems little costly for a book containing only 70 pages.
REVIEWER’S NOTES/CRITICAL COMMENTS
50 Miles: ‘A ᴙeverse Journey’ is a fantastic novel scribbled by debutant author Jaydeep Surendra Khot and he has used a unique way to narrate the story in reverse chronological order as book’s subtitle suggests. The use of flashback technique and reverse chronological order, both things make this book more interesting. Book seems very small but as per the story and its content its sufficient. I appreciate author for not experimenting too much by adding unnecessary description to present his novel BIG. This book is a perfect package for them who always complain of not having time for reading, I have read this 70 pages novel in 3-4 sittings at railway station. Yes! One doesn’t need to even find time, you can even pass your time by reading this page-turner. I suggest everyone to must read this book who wants to know about amnesia patients. Before concluding I would like to thank once again to the author Jaydeep S. Khot for his patience and belief on me. I remember that I had lied him that I didn’t like 50 Miles, and I know that he would despaired knowing my feedback; actually I wanted to surprise him by THIS review but I disclosed the surprise and gave my genuine feedback to him few weeks ago. I hope he wouldn’t despair for approaching me after reading this review. Though we officially met on social platforms for this official project, now we are friends on Facebook and Twitter; at least I think so… So finally, I congratulate my friend Jaydeeep S. Khot for wonderful debut with 50 Miles: A ᴙeverse Journeyand wish him good luck for his recently released new novel ENVISAGE!Though we haven’t discussed before, I look forward to be approached by him to review his recently launched book!
Thanks for reading my review. Please do not forget to comment or send your valuable feedback and share this review with your friends.!
Notes:-
- Above feedback about ‘50 Miles: A Reverse Journey’ is my personal and your views may be vary.
The book ‘50 Miles: A Reverse Journey’ was sent to me by it’s author Jaydeep Khot for an honest review.
( ©Front cover of 50 Miles: A Reverse Journey on Amazon.in)
- Title: 50 Miles
- Subtitle: ‘A ᴙeverse Journey’
- Author: Jaydeep Surendra Khot
- Publisher: Ninad Prakashan, Mumbai
- Copyright: ©Jaydeep Khot 2015
- Editing, Layout and Cover: Image Creator
- ISBN: 978-81-931750-0-2
- MRP: Rs 99/- (incl. all taxes)
- Pages: 70 (excluding cover and first vi pages)
- Rating: 3.9+0.1 (for author’s debut effort)= (4 out of 5)
**** (Good)
- Reviewer: RAJESH D. HAJARE (RDH)
50 Miles and ENVISAGE on online stores
(Image:- Front and Back covers of 50 Miles: A Reverse Journey)
- Follow Author: Facebook | @Twitter | Goodreads
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-Rajesh D. Hajare (RDH)
Mob: +91-7588887401, 7744018492
Email – www.rdh@gmail.com
(Reviewer is the Gondia Dist. President at Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Parishad, Pune. He is a student of M.A (English Literature) Part-I in RTMNU, Nagpur)
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Nice review sir, once again :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing work!!
ReplyDeletenice, detailed review again, sir :)
ReplyDelete