Nilesh Shrivastava's Blog
March 11, 2014
Blog Review #3
http://theauthorsblogg.wordpress.com
16 feb 2014
Name : No Man’s Land
Author : Nilesh Shrivastava
Pages : 295
Genre : Fiction
Source : Publishing House
Publisher : Fingerprint Publication
Rating :
Cover : 4/5
Story : 4/5
Theme : 3.5/5
Writing Style : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Overall : 4/5
Overview :
The story deals with the fact that, land stays put whereas man comes, and goes. Still, land affects the lives of each of us. Some of us are connected to it in a way only we can understand while others have their own reason. The story revolves around the principle characters, i.e, Agastya, Pranay, Shaswat, Karan and Shreya. Other than these Dushyanta, Ramdev and Shailja plays important roles. The story is centered around developmental activities around Gurgaon in the 90s. The story-line is impressive and compells the reader to move forward.
Beauty :
•Beautiful characterization. The whole story-line is empowered with the help of strong and realistic characters. A job well done!
•A well woven story. The story through different angels runs parallel along all the chapters.
•Writing style of the author is commendable. A delight to read.
•The writing portion itself is self-sustaining. Somewhere in between the lines, the author has created something worthwhile, something to be praised.
•The story is beautifully structured. You won’t lose your interest or the plot.
Beast :
•The end of the story is somewhat mediocre.
Review :
No Man’s Land is definitely a book one should look forward to. Sharp story-line, realistic characters, unusual plot and solid philosophies, all woven together to deliver a definite page turner. This would be a tough competitor in the best sellers list.
I really loved the way in which the author awarded souls to the various characters in this book. One can easily relate to the characters. The philosophies, the mindset used is just amazing. It’s really encouraging to know that Indian market is finally receiving books worth reading. A positive sign to look forward to Indian Literature.
Coming to the story, it’s quite crispy and you wouldn’t be bored. I really liked the characterization of this book. Every character seems to be equally real in terms of it’s mindset. Agastya, a man bowed down due to heavy weight of his past. He’s the propagator of this story and the story circles around him and his 50 acres land which he inherits from his father. Then there are Pranay, the legitimate son, and Karan, the bastard son. Both of them are equally unfamiliar with their father. The emotions propagated throughout the story complies with the characters developed.
I really loved the part played by Shreya. Nilesh has beautifully represented a character one can encounter in real life, quite often. A girl can make or break a man’s life, Shreya portrays it all. How a woman can rule hearts and set fire to them at the same time, how she fights and keep fighting for her family, how she picks herself up when the world tackles her. It is a strong character in the story and i personally liked it.
Overall, this book is interesting and will keep you glued till the end. This would surly be on the best sellers list this year. Congratulations to the author on a delightful book and all the best for it’s success.
16 feb 2014
Name : No Man’s Land
Author : Nilesh Shrivastava
Pages : 295
Genre : Fiction
Source : Publishing House
Publisher : Fingerprint Publication
Rating :
Cover : 4/5
Story : 4/5
Theme : 3.5/5
Writing Style : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Overall : 4/5
Overview :
The story deals with the fact that, land stays put whereas man comes, and goes. Still, land affects the lives of each of us. Some of us are connected to it in a way only we can understand while others have their own reason. The story revolves around the principle characters, i.e, Agastya, Pranay, Shaswat, Karan and Shreya. Other than these Dushyanta, Ramdev and Shailja plays important roles. The story is centered around developmental activities around Gurgaon in the 90s. The story-line is impressive and compells the reader to move forward.
Beauty :
•Beautiful characterization. The whole story-line is empowered with the help of strong and realistic characters. A job well done!
•A well woven story. The story through different angels runs parallel along all the chapters.
•Writing style of the author is commendable. A delight to read.
•The writing portion itself is self-sustaining. Somewhere in between the lines, the author has created something worthwhile, something to be praised.
•The story is beautifully structured. You won’t lose your interest or the plot.
Beast :
•The end of the story is somewhat mediocre.
Review :
No Man’s Land is definitely a book one should look forward to. Sharp story-line, realistic characters, unusual plot and solid philosophies, all woven together to deliver a definite page turner. This would be a tough competitor in the best sellers list.
I really loved the way in which the author awarded souls to the various characters in this book. One can easily relate to the characters. The philosophies, the mindset used is just amazing. It’s really encouraging to know that Indian market is finally receiving books worth reading. A positive sign to look forward to Indian Literature.
Coming to the story, it’s quite crispy and you wouldn’t be bored. I really liked the characterization of this book. Every character seems to be equally real in terms of it’s mindset. Agastya, a man bowed down due to heavy weight of his past. He’s the propagator of this story and the story circles around him and his 50 acres land which he inherits from his father. Then there are Pranay, the legitimate son, and Karan, the bastard son. Both of them are equally unfamiliar with their father. The emotions propagated throughout the story complies with the characters developed.
I really loved the part played by Shreya. Nilesh has beautifully represented a character one can encounter in real life, quite often. A girl can make or break a man’s life, Shreya portrays it all. How a woman can rule hearts and set fire to them at the same time, how she fights and keep fighting for her family, how she picks herself up when the world tackles her. It is a strong character in the story and i personally liked it.
Overall, this book is interesting and will keep you glued till the end. This would surly be on the best sellers list this year. Congratulations to the author on a delightful book and all the best for it’s success.
February 2, 2014
Blog Review #2
From: http://www.sonyvellayani.com
Book Review: No Man's Land
Here’s the compelling story of Land and its ever transient owners told excellently by Nilesh Shrivastava. In his own words, Nilesh states that “titles change, Governments change, times change, but the land stays where it is—unmoved and sterile.”
With land in the background, the novel portrays ambition, greed, affections, fears, apprehensions and struggle of the characters to own or annex it. The story is about Agastya , the ambitious father supported by Shashwat , his friend philosopher and guide , who build and lord an estate (of land) and want it to be divided justly between his son Pranay and stepson Karan (born to him out of marriage). Pranay and Karan who are estranged from childhood and have blemished pasts and base aspirations are guided differently by the same Dushyant Uncle personified as malice and greed .Pranay is brought up by his mother Shubhangi and grandfather Ramdev, who is estranged from her husband after she knows about Agastya’s ex-marital affair with Shalini. He is pampered and studies in a boarding school in Mussoorie and studies in college too without any financial worries, but without any fatherly affection or guidance. Karan on the other hand is bought up with the negative hues of criticism and adversities with the knowledge of having a father not acceptable to the society. How the sons encounter, behave and resolve the inheritance with the counselling of Shashwat and Dushyant is the main stay of the story.
The story is about Gurgaon Circa in 1998, when the pangs of a city to be born is evidenced from ordinary farms turning into virtual gold mines in the shadow of lofty skyscrapers.
The different characters depicted in this gripping tale like Shalini, the courageous woman and loyal mother of Karan, Shubhangi , the strong willed wife of Agastya and mother of Pranay, Ramdev , the wise father of Agastya, Shreya , the alert yet childlike modern girlfriend of Pranay along with Agastya, Shaswat, Pranay and Karan are blended into an interesting tale on contemporary theme of increasing demand for Land. The personalities of the naïve Pranay and rash Karan who lack the fatherly supervision in the forming years are rendered justifiably. The string of events right from the first chapter to the last have coherence and are consistently placed.
The foregoing description of the characters and events offers a marked distinction from other routine and mundane themes. The essence of the story is the illustration of the beauty and immortality of Land. In his own words, Nilesh convincingly affirms that “ Land isn’t about a pot of soil and a bunch of papers declaring its ownership. It’s more about the solidity and identity it can bring to a man. Its s physical, visible and more importantly it’s permanent. You can’t burn it like money; you can’t melt it like gold.”
The narration is interesting and will not allow one to keep the book down till one knows the end. The various shades of the literate society, but the share of the positive and optimistic few confirms the author’s promise of building a better society.
This is a must read book and a must buy book. Thank You Nilesh, for the wonderful experience.
Book Review: No Man's Land
Here’s the compelling story of Land and its ever transient owners told excellently by Nilesh Shrivastava. In his own words, Nilesh states that “titles change, Governments change, times change, but the land stays where it is—unmoved and sterile.”
With land in the background, the novel portrays ambition, greed, affections, fears, apprehensions and struggle of the characters to own or annex it. The story is about Agastya , the ambitious father supported by Shashwat , his friend philosopher and guide , who build and lord an estate (of land) and want it to be divided justly between his son Pranay and stepson Karan (born to him out of marriage). Pranay and Karan who are estranged from childhood and have blemished pasts and base aspirations are guided differently by the same Dushyant Uncle personified as malice and greed .Pranay is brought up by his mother Shubhangi and grandfather Ramdev, who is estranged from her husband after she knows about Agastya’s ex-marital affair with Shalini. He is pampered and studies in a boarding school in Mussoorie and studies in college too without any financial worries, but without any fatherly affection or guidance. Karan on the other hand is bought up with the negative hues of criticism and adversities with the knowledge of having a father not acceptable to the society. How the sons encounter, behave and resolve the inheritance with the counselling of Shashwat and Dushyant is the main stay of the story.
The story is about Gurgaon Circa in 1998, when the pangs of a city to be born is evidenced from ordinary farms turning into virtual gold mines in the shadow of lofty skyscrapers.
The different characters depicted in this gripping tale like Shalini, the courageous woman and loyal mother of Karan, Shubhangi , the strong willed wife of Agastya and mother of Pranay, Ramdev , the wise father of Agastya, Shreya , the alert yet childlike modern girlfriend of Pranay along with Agastya, Shaswat, Pranay and Karan are blended into an interesting tale on contemporary theme of increasing demand for Land. The personalities of the naïve Pranay and rash Karan who lack the fatherly supervision in the forming years are rendered justifiably. The string of events right from the first chapter to the last have coherence and are consistently placed.
The foregoing description of the characters and events offers a marked distinction from other routine and mundane themes. The essence of the story is the illustration of the beauty and immortality of Land. In his own words, Nilesh convincingly affirms that “ Land isn’t about a pot of soil and a bunch of papers declaring its ownership. It’s more about the solidity and identity it can bring to a man. Its s physical, visible and more importantly it’s permanent. You can’t burn it like money; you can’t melt it like gold.”
The narration is interesting and will not allow one to keep the book down till one knows the end. The various shades of the literate society, but the share of the positive and optimistic few confirms the author’s promise of building a better society.
This is a must read book and a must buy book. Thank You Nilesh, for the wonderful experience.
January 31, 2014
Blog review #1
From http://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/
Book Review: No Man's Land
The startling cover, which draws your attention to it and pulls you in; the cryptic back-cover story outline all conspire to create a desire to and an interest in reading this book - especially as it comes in the midst of an almost unprecedented land rush in India alongwith its attendant scams, accusations, tragic stories, stories of greed and criminal nexus. The entire first look of the book in your hands is one of an intriguing battle for land and its attendant schemes, making for an intriguing and absorbing tale of deceit, skullduggery and passion. Nothing could be further from the truth - at least in terms of the land battle. The book is an absorbing, intriguing and passionate story - but it has nothing to do about land, and everything to do about intense human emotions, passions and faults, an unforgettable and tragic tale of errors and of human folly.
CHARACTERS
Agastya - A man of integrity - but twisted ideals and morals in terms of personal relations; the anti-hero - and a rank idiot
Shashwat - Awesome. Simply awesome.
Ramdev- Agastya's father - and a man. A real man... with a blind spot - where Dushyant hides
Shailja - You be the judge. To me, an amoral and twisted personality
Pranay - A man trying to find his way in the big, bad world...
Karan - befits the name - in every sense of the word...
Shreya - Surprise Package
Shubhangi - Won my heart, and my respect. Period.
Dushyant - Again, fits the name - Evil, The end justify the means - and never mind integrity
Chhaya - The hidden personality
THE PLOT
This book is not about the land; the land merely forms the principal background to the sequence of events that flow through a family. This is the story of Agastya, a man of integrity, but simultaneously also a man of twisted morals, a man who has no qualms about keeping an illicit affair going, a man with no courage to stand up for the woman he purports to have loved - in short, the story of the life of a complicated and complete idiot. It is the story of his follies, and his undeniable talent and hard work. It is the story of his life, his successes and his failures.
The book traces the life, of Agastya from a small shop to a thriving business in a few short years, alongwith with impossible affair with Shailja - which continues after her marriage - resulting in the birth of the illegitimate Karan. It traces his fight with Dushyant, his brother-in-law, and the increasing distance between him and his immediate family. This is where the land comes in - and Agastya, one fine day, decides that if he can do it once, he can do it again. He quits his business, asks only for the land in return, and sets about building it into a thriving agricultural business. This is the story of Agastya, and his best friend Shashwat - who stays by him at all times - through thick and thin.
This is also the story of Shubhangi, a loyal devoted wife - who quits her husband the moment he confesses to the affair with Shailja. This alienates the entire family, leaving his son Pranay in a boarding school as Shubhangi cannot recover from the shock. This is the story of predatory intent as shown by Dushyant and Chhaya; this is the story of straight-laced and honest decency as shown in Ramdev, Agastya's father. This is the story of his 2 sons - Agastya and Pranay, who fate, and society has pitted in a remorseless vortex that threatens to dissolve into mayhem
And this is the story of the land- the last on the camel's back in an already divided family, a land that becomes pivotal. For the second time, Agastya has built something from scratch. The first time, he walked away from what was his right - given that he and Shashwat built it up. They did it yet again - only, this time, Agastya is bed-ridden, and on his last days. This sets the scene for mayhem, as Pranay, Karan, Shailja, Shreya, Dushyant all get entangled in this mess... all brought about by one man rank idiocy... a story of the mistakes of the life of Agastya!
THE ANALYSIS
From start to finish, the book is an enthralling and absorbing read. It is a compelling story, tragic in some ways, heart-warming in others. The narrative is powerful, engaging and disturbing - despite this, it is a puller, as it doesn't leave a tinge in your heart. Instead, it keeps you wondering what will happen next. This is a book to be savoured slowly; it is not a book to read in 2 hours and throw. It is a book to be relished, read slowly and absorbed - letting the characters grow into you
The characterization has focused more on the internal attributes that make up each individual in this kaleidoscope on the life of Agastya. You don't form an image of the person as such; but you get deep insights into the personality of each individual. In keeping with the story, each character has several tones, and does not fit into any stereotype. This is a grey story - and all the people are grey - Ramdev, Shubhangi and Shashwat apart, who manage to shine like diamonds in an otherwise amoral bunch of rascals.
It is a very involved, deep and multi-layered story, focusing on individual relationships, the pulls and pressures that operate on each person, the desires and ambitions of each, and the thoughts and the reactions - which make for a highly charged, passionate, deep and intense human story. It is not a make-believe world, it comes across as a real-world situation, where each character is given several choices - and the choices actually chosen determine the story, and are dependent on the personality of each person.
It has been very well presented, and keeps the interest alive throughout. The pace is just right for such a deep, multi-layered and intensely human story - slow but not languorous, deliberate but not boring. The reader tends to flow alongwith the story, getting involved, getting angry and frustrated at that fool Agastya, getting angry at the machinations of Dushyant. You start to identify with each character deeply, which indicated that somewhere along the line, the author has managed to make a deep and lasting connect with the reader...
Book Review: No Man's Land
The startling cover, which draws your attention to it and pulls you in; the cryptic back-cover story outline all conspire to create a desire to and an interest in reading this book - especially as it comes in the midst of an almost unprecedented land rush in India alongwith its attendant scams, accusations, tragic stories, stories of greed and criminal nexus. The entire first look of the book in your hands is one of an intriguing battle for land and its attendant schemes, making for an intriguing and absorbing tale of deceit, skullduggery and passion. Nothing could be further from the truth - at least in terms of the land battle. The book is an absorbing, intriguing and passionate story - but it has nothing to do about land, and everything to do about intense human emotions, passions and faults, an unforgettable and tragic tale of errors and of human folly.
CHARACTERS
Agastya - A man of integrity - but twisted ideals and morals in terms of personal relations; the anti-hero - and a rank idiot
Shashwat - Awesome. Simply awesome.
Ramdev- Agastya's father - and a man. A real man... with a blind spot - where Dushyant hides
Shailja - You be the judge. To me, an amoral and twisted personality
Pranay - A man trying to find his way in the big, bad world...
Karan - befits the name - in every sense of the word...
Shreya - Surprise Package
Shubhangi - Won my heart, and my respect. Period.
Dushyant - Again, fits the name - Evil, The end justify the means - and never mind integrity
Chhaya - The hidden personality
THE PLOT
This book is not about the land; the land merely forms the principal background to the sequence of events that flow through a family. This is the story of Agastya, a man of integrity, but simultaneously also a man of twisted morals, a man who has no qualms about keeping an illicit affair going, a man with no courage to stand up for the woman he purports to have loved - in short, the story of the life of a complicated and complete idiot. It is the story of his follies, and his undeniable talent and hard work. It is the story of his life, his successes and his failures.
The book traces the life, of Agastya from a small shop to a thriving business in a few short years, alongwith with impossible affair with Shailja - which continues after her marriage - resulting in the birth of the illegitimate Karan. It traces his fight with Dushyant, his brother-in-law, and the increasing distance between him and his immediate family. This is where the land comes in - and Agastya, one fine day, decides that if he can do it once, he can do it again. He quits his business, asks only for the land in return, and sets about building it into a thriving agricultural business. This is the story of Agastya, and his best friend Shashwat - who stays by him at all times - through thick and thin.
This is also the story of Shubhangi, a loyal devoted wife - who quits her husband the moment he confesses to the affair with Shailja. This alienates the entire family, leaving his son Pranay in a boarding school as Shubhangi cannot recover from the shock. This is the story of predatory intent as shown by Dushyant and Chhaya; this is the story of straight-laced and honest decency as shown in Ramdev, Agastya's father. This is the story of his 2 sons - Agastya and Pranay, who fate, and society has pitted in a remorseless vortex that threatens to dissolve into mayhem
And this is the story of the land- the last on the camel's back in an already divided family, a land that becomes pivotal. For the second time, Agastya has built something from scratch. The first time, he walked away from what was his right - given that he and Shashwat built it up. They did it yet again - only, this time, Agastya is bed-ridden, and on his last days. This sets the scene for mayhem, as Pranay, Karan, Shailja, Shreya, Dushyant all get entangled in this mess... all brought about by one man rank idiocy... a story of the mistakes of the life of Agastya!
THE ANALYSIS
From start to finish, the book is an enthralling and absorbing read. It is a compelling story, tragic in some ways, heart-warming in others. The narrative is powerful, engaging and disturbing - despite this, it is a puller, as it doesn't leave a tinge in your heart. Instead, it keeps you wondering what will happen next. This is a book to be savoured slowly; it is not a book to read in 2 hours and throw. It is a book to be relished, read slowly and absorbed - letting the characters grow into you
The characterization has focused more on the internal attributes that make up each individual in this kaleidoscope on the life of Agastya. You don't form an image of the person as such; but you get deep insights into the personality of each individual. In keeping with the story, each character has several tones, and does not fit into any stereotype. This is a grey story - and all the people are grey - Ramdev, Shubhangi and Shashwat apart, who manage to shine like diamonds in an otherwise amoral bunch of rascals.
It is a very involved, deep and multi-layered story, focusing on individual relationships, the pulls and pressures that operate on each person, the desires and ambitions of each, and the thoughts and the reactions - which make for a highly charged, passionate, deep and intense human story. It is not a make-believe world, it comes across as a real-world situation, where each character is given several choices - and the choices actually chosen determine the story, and are dependent on the personality of each person.
It has been very well presented, and keeps the interest alive throughout. The pace is just right for such a deep, multi-layered and intensely human story - slow but not languorous, deliberate but not boring. The reader tends to flow alongwith the story, getting involved, getting angry and frustrated at that fool Agastya, getting angry at the machinations of Dushyant. You start to identify with each character deeply, which indicated that somewhere along the line, the author has managed to make a deep and lasting connect with the reader...
