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Anna's Canteen
Relive your college days in this roller-coaster ride of a book, with all the ingredients that make up a college life! The camaraderie, the humor, the politics, the backdrop of national & international events, everything would remind you, of you whether you are long past your college life or still at it.
Amidst all the mayhem, meet “Pakeya”,the Malegaon boy, who works at Anna’s canteen & dreams of making it big in life,despite every possible odd stacked against him. Join him as he inches closer to his dreams, against the chaos & events that shaped the face of India as we know it today. Pakeya is supported by a cast whose some member or the other, you are bound to identify yourself with!
This is the story of hope, of friendship & loyalty that goes beyond the religious & social conditioning of its characters & compels you to challenge your own, introspect & acquire a new perspective & also, to look around,for all the “Pakeyas” that might be lurking around you, dreaming their dreams,
hoping against hope.
Go on, press two mental buttons as you hold this book in your hands. “Delete” to erase all the mundane concerns for a while & “Refresh”, to access
the faded memories tucked away in your subconscious. Bring them out & color them bright at “Anna’s Canteen”!
Amidst all the mayhem, meet “Pakeya”,the Malegaon boy, who works at Anna’s canteen & dreams of making it big in life,despite every possible odd stacked against him. Join him as he inches closer to his dreams, against the chaos & events that shaped the face of India as we know it today. Pakeya is supported by a cast whose some member or the other, you are bound to identify yourself with!
This is the story of hope, of friendship & loyalty that goes beyond the religious & social conditioning of its characters & compels you to challenge your own, introspect & acquire a new perspective & also, to look around,for all the “Pakeyas” that might be lurking around you, dreaming their dreams,
hoping against hope.
Go on, press two mental buttons as you hold this book in your hands. “Delete” to erase all the mundane concerns for a while & “Refresh”, to access
the faded memories tucked away in your subconscious. Bring them out & color them bright at “Anna’s Canteen”!
167 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2012
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 19, 2013
Have you ever wondered how college life in India compares to college life in America? Author Charanjeet Singh Minhas answers this question in his novel Anna’s Canteen. It is a story that covers all aspects of campus life at an Engineering college in India; and touches upon the socio-political atmosphere of that country in the late nineteen-eighties.
We are introduced to the central characters of the story in the first chapter of the book. Warraich and his fellow students are purchasing supplies at the local market, Anna’s Canteen; preparing for a night of partying. Despite being well-disciplined students raised in relatively religious Hindu homes, these young men are by no means planning on living ascetic lives: and their raucous night of celebrating (with a young prostitute) proves that point. Although not indulging in illegal drugs, the students are apparently willing to cross a few ethical lines in the name of ‘a good time.’
After a chapter highlighting the carousing nature of these college students, the narrative moves from the city of Pusad to an impoverished village in the nearby town of Malegaon. Here we meet a young man named Pakeya; who personifies intelligence, hard work, and the spirit of the Indian people. Unfortunately this bright boy was born into an extremely poor (and dysfunctional) family. Recognizing the young man’s academic potential, a family friend (Dr. Pawar) offers Pakeya the opportunity to continue his studies in Pusad. Relocating to this locus of learning, he is given a place to live and a job at Anna’s Canteen. Working as a delivery boy at the Canteen, Pakeya comes into contact with the group of free-spirited college students we encountered in the opening chapter.
“Some are born to eat, earn, enjoy. And some are born to just complete the life cycle.” These poetic lines, spoken at a small gathering in a college hostel, reflect the economic reality of the Indian people at that time. While the college students—and fathers—discussing the socio-economic state of their country fall into the former category (having been able to attend college, attain good-paying positions, and enjoy the finer things in life), the majority of Indian citizens spend their lives struggling to survive, that is, merely completing “the life cycle.” This philosophic verse (and vantage point) illuminates the larger cultural context of the novel.
The realization that few impoverished Indian citizens at that time in the nation’s history were afforded the opportunity to improve their economic status allows us to fully appreciate the emerging protagonist of the story. After meeting Pakeya, Kulwinder (the father of one of the college students) expresses his great admiration for the boy, saying: “He seems like a kid with a promise to achieve something in life. He has come from a poor and struggling family and thanks to an angel who got him set up here with a job in Anna’s Canteen, free place to live, and regular supply of money for his school education.” Pakeya’s background, and the detailed manner in which the author presents the young man’s family, provides a point of contrast; enabling us to grasp the inherent difficulties besetting an indigent Indian child and the full extent of Pakeya’s achievements.
The strength of the novel lies in Mr. Minhas ability to capture the entirety of the Indian college experience, including the cultural, political, and geographical features surrounding the small college city. The inspirational story of young Pakeya, juxtaposed against the jovial attitude of the older students, adds texture (and gravity) to the narrative and provides a more complete cultural picture. Even the technical flaws of the work—such as typos, the failure to use necessary articles, and awkward sentence constructions—enhance the effect of the novel; as these bring to light cultural colloquialisms and the narrator’s native dialect. In this way we are educated in the songs and humor that molded the author’s mind and colored his college experience. I found Anna’s Canteen quite enjoyable.
Christopher Ackerman
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
We are introduced to the central characters of the story in the first chapter of the book. Warraich and his fellow students are purchasing supplies at the local market, Anna’s Canteen; preparing for a night of partying. Despite being well-disciplined students raised in relatively religious Hindu homes, these young men are by no means planning on living ascetic lives: and their raucous night of celebrating (with a young prostitute) proves that point. Although not indulging in illegal drugs, the students are apparently willing to cross a few ethical lines in the name of ‘a good time.’
After a chapter highlighting the carousing nature of these college students, the narrative moves from the city of Pusad to an impoverished village in the nearby town of Malegaon. Here we meet a young man named Pakeya; who personifies intelligence, hard work, and the spirit of the Indian people. Unfortunately this bright boy was born into an extremely poor (and dysfunctional) family. Recognizing the young man’s academic potential, a family friend (Dr. Pawar) offers Pakeya the opportunity to continue his studies in Pusad. Relocating to this locus of learning, he is given a place to live and a job at Anna’s Canteen. Working as a delivery boy at the Canteen, Pakeya comes into contact with the group of free-spirited college students we encountered in the opening chapter.
“Some are born to eat, earn, enjoy. And some are born to just complete the life cycle.” These poetic lines, spoken at a small gathering in a college hostel, reflect the economic reality of the Indian people at that time. While the college students—and fathers—discussing the socio-economic state of their country fall into the former category (having been able to attend college, attain good-paying positions, and enjoy the finer things in life), the majority of Indian citizens spend their lives struggling to survive, that is, merely completing “the life cycle.” This philosophic verse (and vantage point) illuminates the larger cultural context of the novel.
The realization that few impoverished Indian citizens at that time in the nation’s history were afforded the opportunity to improve their economic status allows us to fully appreciate the emerging protagonist of the story. After meeting Pakeya, Kulwinder (the father of one of the college students) expresses his great admiration for the boy, saying: “He seems like a kid with a promise to achieve something in life. He has come from a poor and struggling family and thanks to an angel who got him set up here with a job in Anna’s Canteen, free place to live, and regular supply of money for his school education.” Pakeya’s background, and the detailed manner in which the author presents the young man’s family, provides a point of contrast; enabling us to grasp the inherent difficulties besetting an indigent Indian child and the full extent of Pakeya’s achievements.
The strength of the novel lies in Mr. Minhas ability to capture the entirety of the Indian college experience, including the cultural, political, and geographical features surrounding the small college city. The inspirational story of young Pakeya, juxtaposed against the jovial attitude of the older students, adds texture (and gravity) to the narrative and provides a more complete cultural picture. Even the technical flaws of the work—such as typos, the failure to use necessary articles, and awkward sentence constructions—enhance the effect of the novel; as these bring to light cultural colloquialisms and the narrator’s native dialect. In this way we are educated in the songs and humor that molded the author’s mind and colored his college experience. I found Anna’s Canteen quite enjoyable.
Christopher Ackerman
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
Displaying 1 of 1 review