Siddharth Tripathi's Blog - Posts Tagged "siddharth-tripathi"
My interview at latestbookreviews.net
http://latestbookreviews.net/in-conve...
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Q. Hi Siddharth, firstly Congratulations on the release of your debut book. For the benefit of our readers, please elaborate a bit about The Virgins?
Thank you Amandeep!
The Virgins is about three friends living in mid-nineties Banaras. The story describes their transition from adolescence to adulthood. Banaras, the city often referred to as the spiritual center of the world, provides a unique backdrop to this coming-of-age story.
Q. What inspired you to write your 1st book? Did you always want to become a writer?
Yes. I always wanted to become a writer. And, I always wanted to write this particular story – about teenagers and their struggles, about Banaras and its people. The story kept pestering me till I finally dug up my old diaries and bought a notepad and a pencil to jot down character sketches, chapter outlines etc.
Q. How did you come up with this title? Any particular reason for this?
The title refers to the characters in the book – there is an undefiled, innocent side to these characters which is tested by their experiences and the events they witness.
Q. What according to you is the USP of your book?
The story traverses through a maze of colorful characters and funny, often bizarre situations. As one book blogger mentioned in his review – ‘The book grips you so well that you just can’t put it down.’ Banaras, in most novels I have come across, is depicted as an exotic, spiritual city. A few others would look at it as decrepit and rotting from the inside. The Virgins has attempted to look at the city differently – like a weird, funny, eccentric old man with a split personality.
Q. Since this is your 1st book, do tell us a little bit more about the steps you took to get published? How did you go about the whole process?
I finished the first part of the book (around 80 pages) and sent it to a literary agent along with a brief synopsis. He found me a publisher who believed in this book. However, I don’t think getting an agent is necessary. Indian Publishers are more than happy to consider manuscripts sent by email and/or hard copy.
Q. We’re now seeing a spate of MBA grads turned Indian authors take center-stage. What do you think is the reason for this recent spurt?
I’m not sure. A lot of people belonging to a diverse set of professions are writing. The MBA turned author category has received more attention because some of them like Sanghi, Amish and Bhagat have become household names.
Q. Did you have any “mentors” in the industry who’ve helped you and motivated you?
Not really. I was an outsider and will remain one I guess. But I have a very supportive family and wonderful friends who would encourage me wholeheartedly even if I wanted to jump off a cliff!
Q. What book are you currently reading now?
Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Q. Name your 3 favorite books that have left a lasting impact on your life?
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
Q. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in The Virgins?
Yes. There is nothing like a FINAL draft. There is this 23rd draft that needs to go to the printer because you want to see it as a book with a cover, blurb and an ISBN.
Q. What was the hardest part of writing The Virgins?
The novel has multiple characters and giving a logical end to all the stories and sub-plots was difficult. I think I managed to ensure that there are no loose ends.
Q. Have you ever had to face “Writer’s Block”? If yes, how do you deal with it?
I thought of writing The Virgins seventeen years ago –that means I had a writer’s block that lasted nearly two decades! I think Robin Sharma put it very well when he said – ‘Creativity comes in seasons. There’s a time to harvest your ideas. And there’s a time to let the field sit fallow’. So if you have a writer’s block, don’t worry, be patient and keep jotting down notes or thinking of what else can go into the book – the writing bit will happen sooner or later.
Q. What advice would you like to give for other budding writers?
Hemingway said ‘Write drunk, edit sober’. I think that says it all. Don’t be too cruel on yourself while attempting the first draft. Just write. When you’re done, edit like you’re out to destroy what you’ve written.
Q. Are there any future projects or books in the pipeline?
Yes. I’m working on a novel.
------------------------------------
Q. Hi Siddharth, firstly Congratulations on the release of your debut book. For the benefit of our readers, please elaborate a bit about The Virgins?
Thank you Amandeep!
The Virgins is about three friends living in mid-nineties Banaras. The story describes their transition from adolescence to adulthood. Banaras, the city often referred to as the spiritual center of the world, provides a unique backdrop to this coming-of-age story.
Q. What inspired you to write your 1st book? Did you always want to become a writer?
Yes. I always wanted to become a writer. And, I always wanted to write this particular story – about teenagers and their struggles, about Banaras and its people. The story kept pestering me till I finally dug up my old diaries and bought a notepad and a pencil to jot down character sketches, chapter outlines etc.
Q. How did you come up with this title? Any particular reason for this?
The title refers to the characters in the book – there is an undefiled, innocent side to these characters which is tested by their experiences and the events they witness.
Q. What according to you is the USP of your book?
The story traverses through a maze of colorful characters and funny, often bizarre situations. As one book blogger mentioned in his review – ‘The book grips you so well that you just can’t put it down.’ Banaras, in most novels I have come across, is depicted as an exotic, spiritual city. A few others would look at it as decrepit and rotting from the inside. The Virgins has attempted to look at the city differently – like a weird, funny, eccentric old man with a split personality.
Q. Since this is your 1st book, do tell us a little bit more about the steps you took to get published? How did you go about the whole process?
I finished the first part of the book (around 80 pages) and sent it to a literary agent along with a brief synopsis. He found me a publisher who believed in this book. However, I don’t think getting an agent is necessary. Indian Publishers are more than happy to consider manuscripts sent by email and/or hard copy.
Q. We’re now seeing a spate of MBA grads turned Indian authors take center-stage. What do you think is the reason for this recent spurt?
I’m not sure. A lot of people belonging to a diverse set of professions are writing. The MBA turned author category has received more attention because some of them like Sanghi, Amish and Bhagat have become household names.
Q. Did you have any “mentors” in the industry who’ve helped you and motivated you?
Not really. I was an outsider and will remain one I guess. But I have a very supportive family and wonderful friends who would encourage me wholeheartedly even if I wanted to jump off a cliff!
Q. What book are you currently reading now?
Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Q. Name your 3 favorite books that have left a lasting impact on your life?
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
Q. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in The Virgins?
Yes. There is nothing like a FINAL draft. There is this 23rd draft that needs to go to the printer because you want to see it as a book with a cover, blurb and an ISBN.
Q. What was the hardest part of writing The Virgins?
The novel has multiple characters and giving a logical end to all the stories and sub-plots was difficult. I think I managed to ensure that there are no loose ends.
Q. Have you ever had to face “Writer’s Block”? If yes, how do you deal with it?
I thought of writing The Virgins seventeen years ago –that means I had a writer’s block that lasted nearly two decades! I think Robin Sharma put it very well when he said – ‘Creativity comes in seasons. There’s a time to harvest your ideas. And there’s a time to let the field sit fallow’. So if you have a writer’s block, don’t worry, be patient and keep jotting down notes or thinking of what else can go into the book – the writing bit will happen sooner or later.
Q. What advice would you like to give for other budding writers?
Hemingway said ‘Write drunk, edit sober’. I think that says it all. Don’t be too cruel on yourself while attempting the first draft. Just write. When you’re done, edit like you’re out to destroy what you’ve written.
Q. Are there any future projects or books in the pipeline?
Yes. I’m working on a novel.
Author Interview in Businessworld
http://www.businessworld.in/en/storyp...
Why this book? And why do you think should a reader pick up this book?
I grew up in Banaras, a city that revels in its dichotomy. As a teenager I was surrounded by very interesting, colourful people and was witness to funny, often bizarre events. I left the city in the late 1990s but the city, its people and their stories never left me – I knew it was something I would write about someday. Also, the coming-of-age genre is a bit unexplored in India. The angst, confusion and loss of innocence that typifies the transition from adolescence to adulthood – I wanted to capture that.
One book blogger mentioned in his review of The Virgins: "The book grips you so well that you just can’t put it down."
The story isn’t typical of what you would expect from a coming-of-age story about three teenagers – it’s a small town story and the events and characters are authentic and funny in an unexpected way. Also, Banaras, in most novels I have come across, is depicted as an exotic, spiritual city. A few others would look at it as decrepit and rotting from the inside. I have attempted to look at the city differently – like a weird, funny, eccentric old man with a split personality.
What does the book mean to you?
If I had to write one book, this would be it.
How difficult was it to put the book together?
I started writing this book sometime in November 2011. I soon realised that it can’t be done along with a regular job. I quit my day job as a consultant. I finished the book in about 7 months. Those were difficult times. Very few people believed in my potential as a writer or the market worthiness of this book. They thought I was a fool to have taken a break from a promising career to write.
Tell us about your writing schedules. When and where do you write?
I follow a fixed routine when I am writing. I write for 3-4 hours in a day and then I do a first round edit of what I have written the same day in the evening. I leave 1-2 days in a week to just make notes, doodle, think about the novel – everything else but write.
What’s your energy drink?
Tea, UP style. The milky, sugary, ginger laden concoction that tea connoisseurs love to hate.
What makes a book a really good read or a bestseller?
A well told story is important. The rest of the code hasn’t been cracked yet.
What's the hardest thing about being a writer?
Living in two worlds at the same time – the world of your novel and the characters in it; and the ‘real’ world – with buffaloes jumping on your windshield and people telling you what to do all the time. It’s a difficult balance.
How did you find a publisher for your book considering this is your debut novel?
I finished the first part of the book (around 80 pages) and sent it to a literary agent along with a brief synopsis. He found me a publisher who believed in this book. However, I don’t think getting an agent is necessary. Indian publishers are more than happy to consider manuscripts sent by e-mail and/or hard copy.
What are you reading now?
Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Ebooks or paper format?
I prefer paper. No particular aversion to ebooks though.
So, what’s next?
I’m working on my second novel. This one is going to take longer to write.
Why this book? And why do you think should a reader pick up this book?
I grew up in Banaras, a city that revels in its dichotomy. As a teenager I was surrounded by very interesting, colourful people and was witness to funny, often bizarre events. I left the city in the late 1990s but the city, its people and their stories never left me – I knew it was something I would write about someday. Also, the coming-of-age genre is a bit unexplored in India. The angst, confusion and loss of innocence that typifies the transition from adolescence to adulthood – I wanted to capture that.
One book blogger mentioned in his review of The Virgins: "The book grips you so well that you just can’t put it down."
The story isn’t typical of what you would expect from a coming-of-age story about three teenagers – it’s a small town story and the events and characters are authentic and funny in an unexpected way. Also, Banaras, in most novels I have come across, is depicted as an exotic, spiritual city. A few others would look at it as decrepit and rotting from the inside. I have attempted to look at the city differently – like a weird, funny, eccentric old man with a split personality.
What does the book mean to you?
If I had to write one book, this would be it.
How difficult was it to put the book together?
I started writing this book sometime in November 2011. I soon realised that it can’t be done along with a regular job. I quit my day job as a consultant. I finished the book in about 7 months. Those were difficult times. Very few people believed in my potential as a writer or the market worthiness of this book. They thought I was a fool to have taken a break from a promising career to write.
Tell us about your writing schedules. When and where do you write?
I follow a fixed routine when I am writing. I write for 3-4 hours in a day and then I do a first round edit of what I have written the same day in the evening. I leave 1-2 days in a week to just make notes, doodle, think about the novel – everything else but write.
What’s your energy drink?
Tea, UP style. The milky, sugary, ginger laden concoction that tea connoisseurs love to hate.
What makes a book a really good read or a bestseller?
A well told story is important. The rest of the code hasn’t been cracked yet.
What's the hardest thing about being a writer?
Living in two worlds at the same time – the world of your novel and the characters in it; and the ‘real’ world – with buffaloes jumping on your windshield and people telling you what to do all the time. It’s a difficult balance.
How did you find a publisher for your book considering this is your debut novel?
I finished the first part of the book (around 80 pages) and sent it to a literary agent along with a brief synopsis. He found me a publisher who believed in this book. However, I don’t think getting an agent is necessary. Indian publishers are more than happy to consider manuscripts sent by e-mail and/or hard copy.
What are you reading now?
Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine
Ebooks or paper format?
I prefer paper. No particular aversion to ebooks though.
So, what’s next?
I’m working on my second novel. This one is going to take longer to write.
Blogger Book Review: Yatin Gupta, Vivek Tejuja, Modern Gypsy
Here are the links to some more reviews of the book
Modern Gypsy
http://peddlerofdreams.wordpress.com/...
Vivek Tejuja's Review
http://thehungryreader.wordpress.com/...
Yatin Gupta's Review
http://iyatingupta.com/book-review-th...
Modern Gypsy
http://peddlerofdreams.wordpress.com/...
Vivek Tejuja's Review
http://thehungryreader.wordpress.com/...
Yatin Gupta's Review
http://iyatingupta.com/book-review-th...
The Virgins Flash Fiction Contest
Here's a chance to talk about your favorite city -- your hometown, the city you went to college in, the place where you live now...
Presenting The Virgins Flash fiction contest...for details click here -
http://thetalespensieve.com/2013/06/3...
Presenting The Virgins Flash fiction contest...for details click here -
http://thetalespensieve.com/2013/06/3...
Writing your first novel | My article in Youth Incorporated Magazine
http://www.youthincmag.com/2013/09/01...
Article pasted here -
-------------------------------------
Siddharth Tripathi, author of The Virgins, offers aspiring writers some handy tips for to make the journey towards that ‘final draft’ a lot smoother.
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
~ Toni Morrison
I finished the first draft of The Virgins in April 2012. TheVirgins.doc was a 600 KB file (1/6th of the size of an mp3 song). I looked at myself in the mirror – unshaven, unemployed, unpublished, unheard of…and with only this puny word file that I could call my own. But there was something about it – this book was not because of all the degrees that I had collected, it wasn’t because of all the companies I had worked for, this book wasn’t about which car I drove or whether I owned a 3BHK on Golf Course Road – that 600 KB file was all me – and no one could take that away. If you have always yearned to tell a story then knowing that you have told it the way only you can is the greatest feeling in the world.
So when do you plan to begin your first novel? Here is some stuff that I have learnt along the way that might be of help:
Only you can tell the story in your head – if you believe that you are unique, that you’re not like anyone else, then your story is going to be unique too – it might fall into broad classifications and genres but no one else has written the exact same story before. So please stop thinking that it has all been done before because you haven’t done it and that’s what matters. Don’t try to be unique for the sake of it – believe that what you’re writing is new because it is.
Make a lot of notes – get a nice diary, buy a few colored pencils, pens, sketch pens — satisfy all your stationary fetishes. You can choose to ramble or you can be organized (both approaches help) but make notes when you’re not writing or before you begin writing– draw character sketches, write chapter outlines, jot down specifics of an event, doodle, make cartoons, write dialogues that you may or may not use – just fill up your diary with all sorts of stuff that is somehow related to the book you’re writing. Everything falls into place in very strange ways – you’ll end up using a lot of what you’ve jotted down.
Read a few good books on writing – No one can teach you to write really well but there are a few books that can teach you to be competent at it and if you do write well, then they can teach you a few additional tips and tricks that can always come in handy. I can recommend three that I have read – On Writing by Stephen King, Zen and the art of writing by Ray Bradbury and The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. I have often wondered how Messrs.’ Bradbury, King, Strunk and White know exactly what’s going on in a writers head – but they do and they have excellent advice to offer.
Seek feedback, lots of it – Some writers prefer to finish the first draft before sharing it with anyone, some like to share every chapter the moment they’re done with it. I like to give the first fifty pages to a couple of good friends to gauge their reaction – they are instructed to be brutally honest which means that I want them to praise the book. However, they are good friends and they tell me the truth which is often something I don’t want to hear. One word of caution – if your friends are not writers then they will be able to tell you what’s wrong but their ideas on how to fix it may not work.
Stick to a routine – Yes, it’s a job. A routine helps. There are exceptions off course but most writers have a schedule and they like sticking to it. I like writing during the day and then editing what I’ve written at night. Editing at night channelizes my thoughts for the next day of writing – it also helps in ironing out stupid mistakes and making the job of my editor and proof reader easy.
Set goals and meet them – I have a word count target for the day and I feel good when I meet it. That doesn’t mean you should too but there should be some kind of goal you need to work for. The goal can be to finish the first draft in two months or to write the best book ever written no matter how long it takes. When a friend enquired about Ulysses, James Joyce said that he’d been working hard at it all day. “Does that mean you have written a great deal?” asked his friend. Joyce replied, “No, just two sentences but I was seeking a perfect order of words and I think I have it”
EDIT/rewrite/edit/rewrite/edit/REWRITE – Hemingway said – Write drunk, Edit sober. This is one of the toughest things to do – to be your own critic, to slash and destroy words you have written, words you are in love with – but that is THE key to writing a decent book. Stephen King calls it the 10% rule – you got to edit out at least 10% of what you’ve written – it’ll make your writing taut and just right.
Don’t force it – You can’t make it deliberately funny or violent or romantic or sexy – it doesn’t work that way and if it does then I would like to know how to do that! Please don’t try to put a joke in every page or deliberately shove a love, sex, cricket, terrorism twist inside a story that was doing fine before you decided to meddle with it. When you’re writing it, don’t think of selling it – it’s a distracting thought and doesn’t help the creative process.
Hope some of this helps you finish what you’ve started. I’ll wait to read your first book!
Article pasted here -
-------------------------------------
Siddharth Tripathi, author of The Virgins, offers aspiring writers some handy tips for to make the journey towards that ‘final draft’ a lot smoother.
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
~ Toni Morrison
I finished the first draft of The Virgins in April 2012. TheVirgins.doc was a 600 KB file (1/6th of the size of an mp3 song). I looked at myself in the mirror – unshaven, unemployed, unpublished, unheard of…and with only this puny word file that I could call my own. But there was something about it – this book was not because of all the degrees that I had collected, it wasn’t because of all the companies I had worked for, this book wasn’t about which car I drove or whether I owned a 3BHK on Golf Course Road – that 600 KB file was all me – and no one could take that away. If you have always yearned to tell a story then knowing that you have told it the way only you can is the greatest feeling in the world.
So when do you plan to begin your first novel? Here is some stuff that I have learnt along the way that might be of help:
Only you can tell the story in your head – if you believe that you are unique, that you’re not like anyone else, then your story is going to be unique too – it might fall into broad classifications and genres but no one else has written the exact same story before. So please stop thinking that it has all been done before because you haven’t done it and that’s what matters. Don’t try to be unique for the sake of it – believe that what you’re writing is new because it is.
Make a lot of notes – get a nice diary, buy a few colored pencils, pens, sketch pens — satisfy all your stationary fetishes. You can choose to ramble or you can be organized (both approaches help) but make notes when you’re not writing or before you begin writing– draw character sketches, write chapter outlines, jot down specifics of an event, doodle, make cartoons, write dialogues that you may or may not use – just fill up your diary with all sorts of stuff that is somehow related to the book you’re writing. Everything falls into place in very strange ways – you’ll end up using a lot of what you’ve jotted down.
Read a few good books on writing – No one can teach you to write really well but there are a few books that can teach you to be competent at it and if you do write well, then they can teach you a few additional tips and tricks that can always come in handy. I can recommend three that I have read – On Writing by Stephen King, Zen and the art of writing by Ray Bradbury and The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. I have often wondered how Messrs.’ Bradbury, King, Strunk and White know exactly what’s going on in a writers head – but they do and they have excellent advice to offer.
Seek feedback, lots of it – Some writers prefer to finish the first draft before sharing it with anyone, some like to share every chapter the moment they’re done with it. I like to give the first fifty pages to a couple of good friends to gauge their reaction – they are instructed to be brutally honest which means that I want them to praise the book. However, they are good friends and they tell me the truth which is often something I don’t want to hear. One word of caution – if your friends are not writers then they will be able to tell you what’s wrong but their ideas on how to fix it may not work.
Stick to a routine – Yes, it’s a job. A routine helps. There are exceptions off course but most writers have a schedule and they like sticking to it. I like writing during the day and then editing what I’ve written at night. Editing at night channelizes my thoughts for the next day of writing – it also helps in ironing out stupid mistakes and making the job of my editor and proof reader easy.
Set goals and meet them – I have a word count target for the day and I feel good when I meet it. That doesn’t mean you should too but there should be some kind of goal you need to work for. The goal can be to finish the first draft in two months or to write the best book ever written no matter how long it takes. When a friend enquired about Ulysses, James Joyce said that he’d been working hard at it all day. “Does that mean you have written a great deal?” asked his friend. Joyce replied, “No, just two sentences but I was seeking a perfect order of words and I think I have it”
EDIT/rewrite/edit/rewrite/edit/REWRITE – Hemingway said – Write drunk, Edit sober. This is one of the toughest things to do – to be your own critic, to slash and destroy words you have written, words you are in love with – but that is THE key to writing a decent book. Stephen King calls it the 10% rule – you got to edit out at least 10% of what you’ve written – it’ll make your writing taut and just right.
Don’t force it – You can’t make it deliberately funny or violent or romantic or sexy – it doesn’t work that way and if it does then I would like to know how to do that! Please don’t try to put a joke in every page or deliberately shove a love, sex, cricket, terrorism twist inside a story that was doing fine before you decided to meddle with it. When you’re writing it, don’t think of selling it – it’s a distracting thought and doesn’t help the creative process.
Hope some of this helps you finish what you’ve started. I’ll wait to read your first book!
A debut with a lot of promise - Deccan Herald's review of the Virgins
This appeared in Sunday Herald (DH's Sunday supplement) on the 17th of Nov.
-------------------------------------
A debut with a lot of promise
ARKADEV GHOSHAL, NOV 17, 2013, DHNS : AA
The Virgins
Siddharth Tripathi
Fingerprint
2013, pp 320
250
Avid readers of fiction have different ways to tell if they have liked a story. However, the commonest among them is to see if the characters of the book remain in memory long after the last page has been turned.
That's one of the successes of debutant author Siddharth Tripathi. The protagonists, antagonists and even minor characters he fleshes out in The Virgins remain in your thoughts long after the book has been read.
For a first-time writer, Tripathi's prose is lucid enough to show promise of greater things to come. There is more than a hint of style in how he develops his characters and dispenses information to his readers, and that further whets the readers' appetite. And then, there's the story itself. The way he builds it bears the hallmark of a master storyteller just beginning to come into his own.
The three people around whom the narrative revolves are Varanasi-residents Pinku, Guggi and Bhandu - their real names are rarely of use or consequence in the book. The story begins with Guggi and Bhandu abandoning a hapless Pinku in front of a girls' hostel, to be chased and beaten by a cop, after Guggi tries to attract the girls' attention by shouting at them his "introduction".
As things move forward, we learn that Pinku is one of the elder siblings of a family whose head had deserted it years ago, only to return later and mooch off his wife and son's earnings. And this wasn't even the first time he had been abandoned thus. On an earlier occasion, when Guggi had deserted him while trying to steal a flowerpot, he had taken the rap, but not without falling for the young girl of that house.
Bhandu, on the other hand, is battling to score some good marks in his board exams, especially because his mother is a professor, and despite his parents separation amid reports of his father's adultery. He also wants to score the family-abandoning American woman who frequents one of the holy city's ghats, but she doesn't even seem to know he exists.
Finally, there's Guggi, whose outrageous - and often criminally-minded - plans, each of which he chooses to describe as "sexpot" for some reason, cause him enormous glee, but spell doom for friends who dare to accompany him. The son of a corrupt IAS officer who gets cut down to size, Guggi goes to great lengths to take over the protection racket - yes, the students need protection, if not from one another, then from outside forces who take sides in quarrels.
Guggi's actions form a major theme of the story, but also notable in the narrative is the treatment of student politics and an undercurrent of violence that seems omnipresent in all walks of life in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Also noteworthy is Tripathi's development of minor characters and his effort to showcase different aspects of human nature through them. One can't help but feel sad for the fate of the peaceful tea-stall owner, who can do precious little to stop one or more of his rich customers from leering at or harassing his teenage daughter.
All in all, The Virgins may not be the best debut novel of recent times, but is definitely jostling to climb up. One can indeed expect much bigger things from Tripathi.
- See more at: http://m.deccanherald.com/content/369...
-------------------------------------
A debut with a lot of promise
ARKADEV GHOSHAL, NOV 17, 2013, DHNS : AA
The Virgins
Siddharth Tripathi
Fingerprint
2013, pp 320
250
Avid readers of fiction have different ways to tell if they have liked a story. However, the commonest among them is to see if the characters of the book remain in memory long after the last page has been turned.
That's one of the successes of debutant author Siddharth Tripathi. The protagonists, antagonists and even minor characters he fleshes out in The Virgins remain in your thoughts long after the book has been read.
For a first-time writer, Tripathi's prose is lucid enough to show promise of greater things to come. There is more than a hint of style in how he develops his characters and dispenses information to his readers, and that further whets the readers' appetite. And then, there's the story itself. The way he builds it bears the hallmark of a master storyteller just beginning to come into his own.
The three people around whom the narrative revolves are Varanasi-residents Pinku, Guggi and Bhandu - their real names are rarely of use or consequence in the book. The story begins with Guggi and Bhandu abandoning a hapless Pinku in front of a girls' hostel, to be chased and beaten by a cop, after Guggi tries to attract the girls' attention by shouting at them his "introduction".
As things move forward, we learn that Pinku is one of the elder siblings of a family whose head had deserted it years ago, only to return later and mooch off his wife and son's earnings. And this wasn't even the first time he had been abandoned thus. On an earlier occasion, when Guggi had deserted him while trying to steal a flowerpot, he had taken the rap, but not without falling for the young girl of that house.
Bhandu, on the other hand, is battling to score some good marks in his board exams, especially because his mother is a professor, and despite his parents separation amid reports of his father's adultery. He also wants to score the family-abandoning American woman who frequents one of the holy city's ghats, but she doesn't even seem to know he exists.
Finally, there's Guggi, whose outrageous - and often criminally-minded - plans, each of which he chooses to describe as "sexpot" for some reason, cause him enormous glee, but spell doom for friends who dare to accompany him. The son of a corrupt IAS officer who gets cut down to size, Guggi goes to great lengths to take over the protection racket - yes, the students need protection, if not from one another, then from outside forces who take sides in quarrels.
Guggi's actions form a major theme of the story, but also notable in the narrative is the treatment of student politics and an undercurrent of violence that seems omnipresent in all walks of life in parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Also noteworthy is Tripathi's development of minor characters and his effort to showcase different aspects of human nature through them. One can't help but feel sad for the fate of the peaceful tea-stall owner, who can do precious little to stop one or more of his rich customers from leering at or harassing his teenage daughter.
All in all, The Virgins may not be the best debut novel of recent times, but is definitely jostling to climb up. One can indeed expect much bigger things from Tripathi.
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