Book Review: Of Course I Love you! - Durjoy Datta | Maanvi Ahuja

A lot has been said, read and heard about “Of Course I Love You..! Till I find Someone Better!” already. The book, that made an average looking ordinary B.Tech student a star, has something special which cannot be put into words. You like it, you love it or you hate it, but you cannot ignore it. People say Five Point Someone brought a revolution in India. Wrong. It just made people realize that a book cannot just be written by Special People. Anyone having way with words and a strong imagination can do that. The revolution, which is being discussed here, began with the release of “Of Course I Love You”.

An ordinary guy’s extra ordinary story made people laugh and fall in love with the lead characters ‘Deb & Avantika’. It inspired hundreds of people to believe in themselves and expand their imagination. And thus, the era of commercial fiction began. Each month, guys with a story started coming out with their books and the dominance of campus fiction began.

Why “Of Course I Love you”?

1)      It remains the original and the highest selling campus fiction (Well, of course after Five Point Someone) till date.

2)      It talks about the dirty secrets behind most relationships.

3)      It talks about how every guy thinks when they do or say certain things.

4)      It talks about the journey of ‘Deb’ from a lusty guy to man deeply in love with the most beautifully perfect woman who, herself had had a disturbing past.

5)      Well, of course, the passionate ‘love scenes’.

Talking about the writing style, the language used in the book is full of wits, wicked humor and highly imaginative description. The book can be breezed through anytime and any day and one can seldom get bored. Plus, it has its moments when you say, ‘Wow, that’s me there,’ i.e. it is highly relatable. Many complain that it has all the exaggeration in the world and is unreal. But then, have they really seen the world and know the actual difference between reality and imagination? Of course like every other book “Of Course I Love You” has It flaws but that was the  author’s first attempt at book writing, and you cannot expect a perfect book at that stage.

About the author – Well, what can you say about a guy whose life was, once surrounded by books, girls and sometimes friends? He dared, imagined, did and finally conquered. And now he rules. His fan following has been increasing exponentially since the day of the release of “Of course I Love You!” and hasn’t deteriorated ever. He has been writing and churning out more books on regular intervals and doesn’t give a damn about what others think about him. He let himself tortured for a while in a day job but finally gave it up to do what he has been wanted since long. Yes, he now owns a publishing house called Grapevine India. Yes, he is none other than Durjoy Datta.

Pros: Whacky Humor, Enjoyable Writing Style, Highly Entertaining Story, Deb-Avantika and the love scenes.

Cons: A few mistakes here and there. A few alleged exaggeration and well, a few ignorable content flaws.

Overall: Must Read. 4/5.

Book Review: I'm Not 24! - Sachin Garg

They say Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all. They also say Fiction is better than Reality. That implies if that fairy tale is told in a fictional way, it becomes even more wonderful. What if an experience, an extravagant one, like the one you’ve never heard before, was told in a way that not only attracts your attention but also takes your imagination to a next level and shocks you with the real incidents? Sachin Garg’s “I'm not Twenty Four... I've been nineteen for five years!” somehow manages to do all those things.

Saumya:  A typical Delhite having a unisexual name who just after completing her MBA gets placed at a steel plant and, blame her name, gets her posting by mistake at a village in Karnataka. She is terrified but doesn’t have any other option; begins her work at Toranagullu and describes her whole experience.

Shubhro: A smart, brainy, talented and wasted Indian Hippie who loves travelling around the world and has a motto of not staying at any place more than 90 days.

Malappa: A well built, clever and an ambitious guy of Kannada decent who joins the company along with Saumya and becomes the important of Saumya’s chapter at Toranagullu.

Amit: A humpty dumpty mugger batchmate of Saumya also joins the same company but with different vision.

What happens when Saumya, who is used to a comfortable and luxurious life in Delhi finds herself in a land devoid of pretty girls and full of Kannada people and other colleagues? What incidents connect all the characters? What happens with them? How Shubhro enters Saumya’s life? What are the ambitions of Malappa and does he achieve them?
“I'm not Twenty Four... I've been nineteen for five years!” has answers to all these questions. Grab your copy now.

Sachin’s writing style is simple yet brilliant; keeping aside a few glitches (they go away with time). The best part is, being a guy he chose to tell the story with a girl’s point of view, that too in first person. At times you tend to forget who the author is and just enjoy the situations and Saumya’s route out of every morass. Language is not at all verbose; rather he has used very apt words in most of the places.

Since the Author himself is a back packer and has lived in Toranagullu, he has used all his experience of the same village and various other countries and described them beautifully. Shubhro being the best character in the book flaunts every quality that Sachin wanted him to have exceptionally well. The mystery that surrounds him is bound to impress and intrigue you.  Plus the incidents happening in the book may seem unreal but most of them are not, Sachin has described each scary or haunting incident, which might disturb you, outstandingly.

The first half of the book can be breezed off quickly as there is a bit of Delhi in and Saumya’s skepticism which you wouldn’t remember once you’re done with the book. It’s when Saumya drops all her shyness and starts taking bold steps, only then you’re bound to connect with her feelings and her thought process.

All in all, a good book with an honest and straight from heart writing by Sachin Garg and his risky step of writing it with a girl’s point of view. 

Pros: Honest writing, Good research, Beautiful description of Toranagullu, Saumya’s life at a steel plant, The mysterious Shubhro.

Cons: Ignorable first half.

Overall: 4/5! Brilliant Read