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Beaten by Bhagath!
‘I’m sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!’
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book that’s better than India’s greatest writer Dr.Bhagath’s blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challenger’s journey, upping the stakes at every stage.
Will BB catch up with his famous friend?
What will their encounter be like?
Written from inside the ring, ‘Beaten by Bhagath’ is a gripping tale ...the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction.
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book that’s better than India’s greatest writer Dr.Bhagath’s blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challenger’s journey, upping the stakes at every stage.
Will BB catch up with his famous friend?
What will their encounter be like?
Written from inside the ring, ‘Beaten by Bhagath’ is a gripping tale ...the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction.
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
S.V. Divvaakar
2 books13 followersS.V.Divvaakar, an alumnus of the IIT Delhi, assists international businesses to invest, set up, grow their India businesses, and serves on boards as a professional director. He is also an international Monitoring and Evaluation specialist working for several UN and other international agencies.
'Serving one another, prospering together!' is his motto for a collective and compassionate world.
He has now ventured into writing, picking up the genre of realistic fiction, aiming to connect with young people, who he believes are the key to a better world, a better tomorrow.
'Serving one another, prospering together!' is his motto for a collective and compassionate world.
He has now ventured into writing, picking up the genre of realistic fiction, aiming to connect with young people, who he believes are the key to a better world, a better tomorrow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 18, 2013
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THE STORY: You talk about an author and a picture comes in your mind of a well-dressed gentleman coming out of an expensive car and giving autographs to his crazy fans, who are chanting his name loudly. Girls are yelling in astonishment of meeting someone they see in their dreams and guys are jealous of his success and fame.
This is only one side of the coin. Have you ever imagined an author travelling by an auto, bus or ‘metro-train’? If not, why? That’s because we have not seen such authors as yet.
As attractive the lime-light of being an author appears, it is as darker and uglier inside. It is all about marketing, promotion, money and politics. ‘Beaten by bhagath’ shows exactly the same.
This story is about BB (Balwant Bhagath). Everything in his life is well places until his lady-boss says that he can write well, and can beat Ketan Bhagat (K-10 in this book).
K-10 was his room-mate and college buddy who becomes renowned successful author lately and forgets about his friendship with BB.
BB starts writing a book ‘The Sinner’s Curse’ and takes it as a direct competition with his old friend. There are many twists in the story and it shows the reality of publishing industry (which is well researched). Once you complete the story, you will have an idea that why a common middle class man can barely dream of being an author?
Story is crisp and well written. Why ‘Bhagath’ has been used in this book is quite obvious (free publicity, thanks to CB). Though the starting of the story is dull and it becomes hard to continue reading at some instances. But suddenly it gets pace and an emotional/funny/reality ending sums up the book.
THE WRITING: The language is sharp and dictionary free. The sentence constructions are particularly good and people can connect with the protagonist. As the story crosses its 9th page, it becomes tad slow but still the analytical skill of writer is appreciable. Writer has compared the book with a ‘slut’ which could make no sense. There are some ‘so called’ funny incidents which fail to make reader smile. Apart from little lapses I would say the writing and editing both had been good throughout the story.
THE CONCLUSION: People often think that getting a book publish is a cake-walk. Let me tell you that among millions of people, who try to write or publish a book, only 100 get success. And only 10 of those 100 lucky people get chance to write again in life. This book shows a big reality of dirty politics and money game in publishing industry. The people who are looking forward to write a book should read this book. The entertainment quotient of the book may be low but the reality quotient is high. I would not recommend this book to people who get depress very easily.
THE STORY: You talk about an author and a picture comes in your mind of a well-dressed gentleman coming out of an expensive car and giving autographs to his crazy fans, who are chanting his name loudly. Girls are yelling in astonishment of meeting someone they see in their dreams and guys are jealous of his success and fame.
This is only one side of the coin. Have you ever imagined an author travelling by an auto, bus or ‘metro-train’? If not, why? That’s because we have not seen such authors as yet.
As attractive the lime-light of being an author appears, it is as darker and uglier inside. It is all about marketing, promotion, money and politics. ‘Beaten by bhagath’ shows exactly the same.
This story is about BB (Balwant Bhagath). Everything in his life is well places until his lady-boss says that he can write well, and can beat Ketan Bhagat (K-10 in this book).
K-10 was his room-mate and college buddy who becomes renowned successful author lately and forgets about his friendship with BB.
BB starts writing a book ‘The Sinner’s Curse’ and takes it as a direct competition with his old friend. There are many twists in the story and it shows the reality of publishing industry (which is well researched). Once you complete the story, you will have an idea that why a common middle class man can barely dream of being an author?
Story is crisp and well written. Why ‘Bhagath’ has been used in this book is quite obvious (free publicity, thanks to CB). Though the starting of the story is dull and it becomes hard to continue reading at some instances. But suddenly it gets pace and an emotional/funny/reality ending sums up the book.
THE WRITING: The language is sharp and dictionary free. The sentence constructions are particularly good and people can connect with the protagonist. As the story crosses its 9th page, it becomes tad slow but still the analytical skill of writer is appreciable. Writer has compared the book with a ‘slut’ which could make no sense. There are some ‘so called’ funny incidents which fail to make reader smile. Apart from little lapses I would say the writing and editing both had been good throughout the story.
THE CONCLUSION: People often think that getting a book publish is a cake-walk. Let me tell you that among millions of people, who try to write or publish a book, only 100 get success. And only 10 of those 100 lucky people get chance to write again in life. This book shows a big reality of dirty politics and money game in publishing industry. The people who are looking forward to write a book should read this book. The entertainment quotient of the book may be low but the reality quotient is high. I would not recommend this book to people who get depress very easily.
September 27, 2013
Here's a fair warning: this 'review' is about why I didn't like the book. To be honest, you might like it and reading the rest of this might be a good way for you to find out. By the end, if you wholeheartedly disagree with every word I say, Beaten by Bhagath! by S.V. Divvaakar is just the book for you! If you stopped by simply for a structured and concise review, please, excuse the rant.
Beaten by Bhagath! by S.V. Divvaakar has received quite a load of good reviews on Goodreads. Browsing through them, I realized all over again why when I receive that rare review request from an Indian author and it says, "you're one of the top Indian book bloggers", I conclude that it's an impersonal formatted and thorough suck-up. Because, I'm not. I rarely accept books by new, popular, upcoming Indian authors for review, and the reason is, I generally don't like them. Since this book was about those very new, popular and upcoming Indian authors and the pathetic desi publishing world, I couldn't relate to it. The book made some rather interesting points, provided me with pieces of information I wouldn't have come across on my own, and I'm sure a lot of effort went into creating the book; the timeline that the book followed certainly made it detailed. I suppose it just didn't hold my interest.
See the problem with the book, for me, was that it was intended for an entirely different group of readers: those who'd nod their heads, amused at the mention of their possible guilty pleasure Chetan Bhagat and his huge fanbase, or perhaps those who want their books to have a "dictionary-free" language (whatever the hell that means.) The book talked about and starred these so-called aspiring authors, who view themselves as the next Chetan-Bhagats and those who do achieve that 'standing': but these are people I haven't once considered reading! The only thing CB has managed to create, in my opinion, is a world where just about anyone decides to become a writer, likely out of sheer boredom.
That's not necessarily bad. But I don't like to read books written by people who like to neither read nor write expressly for people who like to neither read nor write. If you are one of those people who thinks Chetan Bhagat is capable of telling stories just as vividly as (let me pick an Indian author I like:) anyone from the oldies like R. K. Narayan to Amitav Ghosh; go ahead and read this book, you'll probably like it. If all being a writer means to you is 'beating the metaphorical and real Bhagath', if you think there can be more to writing advice than a tough-loving "Just sit down and write.", then this book might actually help you. Despite all its misplaced humour and Hindi-coated English, it does provide that behind-the-scenes look into the publishing world and all its problems.
Beaten by Bhagath! by S.V. Divvaakar has received quite a load of good reviews on Goodreads. Browsing through them, I realized all over again why when I receive that rare review request from an Indian author and it says, "you're one of the top Indian book bloggers", I conclude that it's an impersonal formatted and thorough suck-up. Because, I'm not. I rarely accept books by new, popular, upcoming Indian authors for review, and the reason is, I generally don't like them. Since this book was about those very new, popular and upcoming Indian authors and the pathetic desi publishing world, I couldn't relate to it. The book made some rather interesting points, provided me with pieces of information I wouldn't have come across on my own, and I'm sure a lot of effort went into creating the book; the timeline that the book followed certainly made it detailed. I suppose it just didn't hold my interest.
See the problem with the book, for me, was that it was intended for an entirely different group of readers: those who'd nod their heads, amused at the mention of their possible guilty pleasure Chetan Bhagat and his huge fanbase, or perhaps those who want their books to have a "dictionary-free" language (whatever the hell that means.) The book talked about and starred these so-called aspiring authors, who view themselves as the next Chetan-Bhagats and those who do achieve that 'standing': but these are people I haven't once considered reading! The only thing CB has managed to create, in my opinion, is a world where just about anyone decides to become a writer, likely out of sheer boredom.
That's not necessarily bad. But I don't like to read books written by people who like to neither read nor write expressly for people who like to neither read nor write. If you are one of those people who thinks Chetan Bhagat is capable of telling stories just as vividly as (let me pick an Indian author I like:) anyone from the oldies like R. K. Narayan to Amitav Ghosh; go ahead and read this book, you'll probably like it. If all being a writer means to you is 'beating the metaphorical and real Bhagath', if you think there can be more to writing advice than a tough-loving "Just sit down and write.", then this book might actually help you. Despite all its misplaced humour and Hindi-coated English, it does provide that behind-the-scenes look into the publishing world and all its problems.
March 8, 2013
Divvaakar in his second book brings to all aspiring writers or otherwise some very important tips and lessons in the journey of a book reaching the reader’s hands. And the best thing is that there is no sermon, gyaan or fundas. It is the story of a book through a story. He is racy, witty and taut in his narration. His research is well in place and he is realistic without sounding somber or sarcastic. Full review: http://wp.me/p2DEiS-Cf
March 1, 2013
Beaten By Bhagath is a gripping and riveting read from its very first page. The book tells a lot about the publishing industry and is an eye opener in many ways. BB the protagonist of the book is a character having many shades and they have been brought out pretty well in the plot.
Though there a couple of things I didn't like about the book, but I would recommend it to people if they wish to know about how things work in the publishing industry.
Though there a couple of things I didn't like about the book, but I would recommend it to people if they wish to know about how things work in the publishing industry.
June 16, 2013
Aah!!! As I said in my last post too, seems as if Frog/Leadstart publication has become one of my pet publication whom I am reading quite often these days. Right now I am just done with 191-pages novel "Beaten by Bhagath!" which also has the tagline "A Tale of Two Writers". This novel is being written by S. V. Divvaakar. Though its not his debut work but seems to be- as his first novel didn't do quite well. With some authors, the scenario is that they believe in writing what they feel than going in the same flow in what every commercial writer are con-temporarily writing. This is what, sometimes, turns out to be lucky but sometimes hard on luck. The same happened with S. V. Divvaakar with his debut novel and this book "Beaten by Bhagath!" is also based on the same topic. Let's introduce the author first before talking about how good and bad the book is. :-)
S. V. Divvaakar an alumnus of the IIT Delhi, is an international Monitoring and Evaluation specialist and serves on the boards of a few international companies. He is now in the process of a gradual transition, re-balancing his professional work and his creative interests: writing and music. He composes music, sings and plays the key board. His music addresses matters of public interest, such as: Corruption, Delhi's traffic, and Commonwealth Games. He writes a blog Life Purpose and Happiness and has now ventured into writing, picking up the genre of realistic fiction. This is his second novel. Divvaakar lives with his wife and son in New Delhi.
The synopsis of the book says:-
I m sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book thats better than Indias greatest writer Dr. Bhagaths blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challengers journey, upping the stakes at every stage.
Will BB catch up with his famous friend?
What will their encounter be like?
Written from inside the ring, Beaten by Bhagath is a gripping tale the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction.
Coming to the author, as I have said above, S. V. Divvaakar has definitely tried something which not many writer will dare to. I have known many authors, who after getting a new publisher, wanted to write a satirical on their previous publisher or its CEO. But none have been able to do this. For this attempt, I would like to salute S. V. Divvaakar. If he continues this face-off with the reality, he will be an awaited-author for the reader-base that loves reading such books. And there's something amazing about this book, though its noted down under the Fiction category but while reading, I found that its as much a non-fiction as much it's a fiction. This is something that I find very rarely in books.
Coming to the story, yes, its about how BB's boss motivates him to write a book and tells him that he can beat Ketan Bhagath, the bestseller author of India. As BB turns out to be the classmate and college-time friend of the author, he feels that if he can be an author, why can't he beat him. With this ego and competitive attitude, he completes writing his book. And with this, he discusses what problems he faced while writing the book and how after the book gets completed, he has to face rejections and how even after he gets published, he does not enjoy the status of the author as he has imagined. There's a tale at every step of the story. To know the complete story, get the book. :-)
As its obvious that it was no one other than Chetan Bhagat whom author has continuously talked about in the book, it was fun to imagine his tryst with him during the college time. Then the poem that is being written about how one friend reach heights while other is still struggling is also beautifully written. Then the unsocial life of the writer and the problem he faces because of cutting-off from his family and relatives is rightly described. Later on, the Ghanta Singh part made me laugh like hell. There are some moments in the book which are too funny to stop laughing as you start comparing them with real-life examples which are exactly as same as they are described. The middle part of the story is the best according to me. Then, in the pre-climax, the revolutionary idea that a party brings towards the writer is something I didn't expect the way the story takes turn lately. It's a surprise.
Now talking about the drawbacks- Initially as the story starts, it seems as if its going to be a childish tale of how a writer will face rejections. Though after few pages, I realized that its a mature tale which tells about the reality of the publishing industry in India. Then I didn't like the part where writer tells about how the protagonist tears his book out of frustration. Also, I felt that the climax was too dramatic after a time. The book could have been written in a much better way but still whatever the author has pointed out, I will recommend everyone who's thinking of entering the industry with their manuscript ready or are about to write a book to read this book before thinking of being a Successful and Bestseller writer in India. Even the cover page does not synchronizes correctly with the story. In all, I would give this book 3.75/5. Just a bit of better execution could have fetched 4 stars but for now, its 3.75 which means you can definitely try this book for once.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA- VEERU!!!
March 3, 2013
http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...
First Reads Book Review: Beaten By Bhagath: A Tale of An Icon And A Chaser
Beaten By Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers by S V Divvaakar is his second novel, earlier one being The Winner's Price: Life Beyond The Campus. Both have been released in 2012. The author seems to be driven by philosophy of numerology, impact of alphabets in name and consultation for adding on some extra alphabets in your name for the sake of attracting some extra luck in life.
I also read his philosophy of rating of books he reads. Somehow an idea of leaving those books unrated that fall in the rating or 1 or 2 on a scale of 5 would project a wrong picture to his fan following. That is just my personal view. S. V. Divvaakar is an engineering grad from IIT Delhi. He is a specialist in monitoring and evaluation thereby associated with a number of international firms for the same. His latest passions are becoming a well established writer and public speaker. He seems to carry multiple talents and an art of acquiring new ones. His association with music is known among his circles for his talent in singing, composing music and playing on keyboard. Blogging is one of his keen interests.
Beaten By Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers is much beyond the tale of two writers. Besides teaching you some real life lessons, the book also gives you a deep insight of publication industry and the struggle a new writer has to undergo for his survival. Many of the new writers die their own sweet death with all their years of efforts for writing their books going into dust and reaching directly to kabadiwalas or the waste paper/ books collectors. In any trade or profession there are two kinds of people - one, who compete with nobody except themselves, and the others, who in madness of competing with others - loose all talent and charm of their life. The same happens in this beautifully written book Beaten By Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers by S V Divvaakar where the two young guys Ketan Sarvadaman Bhagath (K-10) and Balwant Bhagath (B B) step into a college as freshers and share the same hostel room for their first year.
Both of them become good friends right in their first year, undergo pains of ragging, fight together against senior students who ragged them in teaching them a lesson for their life, and gradually complete their studies to move ahead in different directions of building up their career and family life. Ketan (K-10) always seemed to carry a larger content of life and having a bigger vision as compared to B B. Post their college life, K-10 becomes an established writer of national and international fame within no time. Though B B also gets settled in his professional life in a good MNC but somehow a new stupid feeling emerged in him of becoming a writer and beating K-10 in this trade by becoming a better writer than him.
Probably that was the biggest mistake of his life - going into a new trade - but with a wrong mission. And then a new journey of troubles and mistakes starts disturbing both - his family - and professional life and also impacting on his finances. His bank balance starts lowering, his personal relationships with his wife becoming sour and his professional life deteriorating - just for the sake of his passion of writing his first book and then spending a lot in promoting it to get a larger readership. But in this vicious circle of new book, low volume printing, no stake holding by publishers and getting buyers, B B starts loosing his money, patience and almost everything he had earned in his life.
Overall an interesting read with some good amount of valuable lessons by the time you are at the verge of finishing this less than 200 pages novel.
First Reads Book Review: Beaten By Bhagath: A Tale of An Icon And A Chaser
Beaten By Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers by S V Divvaakar is his second novel, earlier one being The Winner's Price: Life Beyond The Campus. Both have been released in 2012. The author seems to be driven by philosophy of numerology, impact of alphabets in name and consultation for adding on some extra alphabets in your name for the sake of attracting some extra luck in life.
I also read his philosophy of rating of books he reads. Somehow an idea of leaving those books unrated that fall in the rating or 1 or 2 on a scale of 5 would project a wrong picture to his fan following. That is just my personal view. S. V. Divvaakar is an engineering grad from IIT Delhi. He is a specialist in monitoring and evaluation thereby associated with a number of international firms for the same. His latest passions are becoming a well established writer and public speaker. He seems to carry multiple talents and an art of acquiring new ones. His association with music is known among his circles for his talent in singing, composing music and playing on keyboard. Blogging is one of his keen interests.
Beaten By Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers is much beyond the tale of two writers. Besides teaching you some real life lessons, the book also gives you a deep insight of publication industry and the struggle a new writer has to undergo for his survival. Many of the new writers die their own sweet death with all their years of efforts for writing their books going into dust and reaching directly to kabadiwalas or the waste paper/ books collectors. In any trade or profession there are two kinds of people - one, who compete with nobody except themselves, and the others, who in madness of competing with others - loose all talent and charm of their life. The same happens in this beautifully written book Beaten By Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers by S V Divvaakar where the two young guys Ketan Sarvadaman Bhagath (K-10) and Balwant Bhagath (B B) step into a college as freshers and share the same hostel room for their first year.
Both of them become good friends right in their first year, undergo pains of ragging, fight together against senior students who ragged them in teaching them a lesson for their life, and gradually complete their studies to move ahead in different directions of building up their career and family life. Ketan (K-10) always seemed to carry a larger content of life and having a bigger vision as compared to B B. Post their college life, K-10 becomes an established writer of national and international fame within no time. Though B B also gets settled in his professional life in a good MNC but somehow a new stupid feeling emerged in him of becoming a writer and beating K-10 in this trade by becoming a better writer than him.
Probably that was the biggest mistake of his life - going into a new trade - but with a wrong mission. And then a new journey of troubles and mistakes starts disturbing both - his family - and professional life and also impacting on his finances. His bank balance starts lowering, his personal relationships with his wife becoming sour and his professional life deteriorating - just for the sake of his passion of writing his first book and then spending a lot in promoting it to get a larger readership. But in this vicious circle of new book, low volume printing, no stake holding by publishers and getting buyers, B B starts loosing his money, patience and almost everything he had earned in his life.
Overall an interesting read with some good amount of valuable lessons by the time you are at the verge of finishing this less than 200 pages novel.
September 22, 2013
Before I start discussing this book let me be clear about one thing, so my points are not misjudged. I am not a fan of Chetan Bhagat. But I don’t hate him either. He induced the habit of reading in many youngsters and hence, deserves the respect and success he is getting. Gifted with the talent or not, he is one of the most popular writer of our time. And that’s somehow the same point S.V. Divvaakar is trying to make in this book ‘Beaten by Bhagath!’.
BB, a long forgotten friend of India’s most popular author Ketan Bhagath, always knew he has a way with words. Now, encouraged by his boss, and in attempt to woo her and feed his ego; he begins the quest of getting published as a writer. And not just that, he wants to be a more successful writer than Bhagath, so he can take his revenge for the betrayal. With all these wrong inspirations, he writes ‘Sinner’s Course’ and what follows is a long disturbing journey of book publishing and marketing chaos.
I believe this book tells only one side of the story. Okay, it is difficult for a writer to get published but it’s nothing new, it has always been like that. The screening publishers provide is very important to filter out bad books and writers as their readers will be investing not only money but a good amount of time over them. What did moved up a notch is the promotional scenario. Changing the books to suit the market value or selling undeserving works with good promotions on the basis of deals with some stores is the worst thing happened to the publishing industry.
Now, if a writer like Ravinder Singh can change labels from Shrishti Publishers to Penguin Metro Reads, it just proves that art has been turned into business. And not just in Indian market, otherwise, how could one expect a ‘mommy-porn’ book beating the record of Harry Potter. Things are bad and will go worse, with or without Bhagat.
Let’s break the pattern here and talk about cons first. The narration is simple with poor language. No characterization is done whatsoever. You don’t know anything much about the protagonist and hence can’t be empathetic towards his pain. A good point of the story, friendship of BB and K-10 Bhagath could have been exploited to easily extend the novel’s length and grip over the reader, but was ignored.
For the pros: It is a light read and gives a lot to discover for someone who has never been exposed to the book-making process, in a funny way (CB kind of humor, if I may add). It does also provide a lot to think over and that’s the best part. All said it is still a much appreciated read than a non-fiction version of a book on similar subject would have been.
Is this a recommended read for a wannabe writer? Yes and no. A writer is a writer, published or not. You cannot ‘wannabe’ a writer, if you know what I mean. So if you are a writer, leave this one alone and read the first two chapters of Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil instead, you will get the gist. And if you wannabe a writer, then this is your gospel. Hope it might scare you off and a few trees would be saved.
Overall, it is a recommended read for anyone who wants a light, enjoyable novel; regardless of your ambitions and bibliophilic habits. Read More..
BB, a long forgotten friend of India’s most popular author Ketan Bhagath, always knew he has a way with words. Now, encouraged by his boss, and in attempt to woo her and feed his ego; he begins the quest of getting published as a writer. And not just that, he wants to be a more successful writer than Bhagath, so he can take his revenge for the betrayal. With all these wrong inspirations, he writes ‘Sinner’s Course’ and what follows is a long disturbing journey of book publishing and marketing chaos.
I believe this book tells only one side of the story. Okay, it is difficult for a writer to get published but it’s nothing new, it has always been like that. The screening publishers provide is very important to filter out bad books and writers as their readers will be investing not only money but a good amount of time over them. What did moved up a notch is the promotional scenario. Changing the books to suit the market value or selling undeserving works with good promotions on the basis of deals with some stores is the worst thing happened to the publishing industry.
Now, if a writer like Ravinder Singh can change labels from Shrishti Publishers to Penguin Metro Reads, it just proves that art has been turned into business. And not just in Indian market, otherwise, how could one expect a ‘mommy-porn’ book beating the record of Harry Potter. Things are bad and will go worse, with or without Bhagat.
Let’s break the pattern here and talk about cons first. The narration is simple with poor language. No characterization is done whatsoever. You don’t know anything much about the protagonist and hence can’t be empathetic towards his pain. A good point of the story, friendship of BB and K-10 Bhagath could have been exploited to easily extend the novel’s length and grip over the reader, but was ignored.
For the pros: It is a light read and gives a lot to discover for someone who has never been exposed to the book-making process, in a funny way (CB kind of humor, if I may add). It does also provide a lot to think over and that’s the best part. All said it is still a much appreciated read than a non-fiction version of a book on similar subject would have been.
Is this a recommended read for a wannabe writer? Yes and no. A writer is a writer, published or not. You cannot ‘wannabe’ a writer, if you know what I mean. So if you are a writer, leave this one alone and read the first two chapters of Yann Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil instead, you will get the gist. And if you wannabe a writer, then this is your gospel. Hope it might scare you off and a few trees would be saved.
Overall, it is a recommended read for anyone who wants a light, enjoyable novel; regardless of your ambitions and bibliophilic habits. Read More..
June 11, 2013
There's a lot you get in this slender book of 91 pages.
What a first time author undergoes but does not share.
What a debut novelists strives for but does not tell.
What a writer wants for himself/herself but wishes to keep the pearls of wisdom to himself/herself alone…
You might even wonder – what could such a slim book even reveal to its reader? Well, what you get to read in this book, you don’t get to read and reflect about in many other novels written on Reality Fiction.
The travails of a first-time writer are excellently portrayed in ‘Beaten By Bhagath.’ With a sense of humour that borders on cynicism, Divvaakar injects into the book the wisdom he gained during his experiences that pinch his ego and shove him down the rough, ragged and insecure path of literary reality. His take on personalities, celebrities and events associated with the writing world is simply hilarious!
Here are some lines written by the author that I found simply fascinating. Here goes:
“Well-wishers often laud our attempts just to keep us in good humour. This harms rather than helps us in our quest for success.”
“….here’s not much difference between a fiction novel and underwear, in terms of market price….Isn’t a fiction book about the same retail price as a pair of briefs or banian?”
Every author, every film maker, every singer, every model, slugs it out for that happy ending. Knowing that like the billions of sperm invading an ovum, only one among them is going to make it inside. The rest are cursed to perish, and rest in oblivion.”
“At times, in my desperate search for a publisher, I found myself comparing my work to that of a pimp finding a customer for his virgin daughter.”
For writers interested in hearing about another writer’s take on writing, publishing and surviving in the competetive literary world, this book is a gem.
For non writer readers, Beaten By Bhagath becomes “something exotic like broccoli.” It, at the same time becomes the “unfailing, reliable, value-for-money, great tasting and versatile aalu that delights the Indian’s palate…within every one’s reach… and familiar.”
Don’t miss the book! I had a great read.
What a first time author undergoes but does not share.
What a debut novelists strives for but does not tell.
What a writer wants for himself/herself but wishes to keep the pearls of wisdom to himself/herself alone…
You might even wonder – what could such a slim book even reveal to its reader? Well, what you get to read in this book, you don’t get to read and reflect about in many other novels written on Reality Fiction.
The travails of a first-time writer are excellently portrayed in ‘Beaten By Bhagath.’ With a sense of humour that borders on cynicism, Divvaakar injects into the book the wisdom he gained during his experiences that pinch his ego and shove him down the rough, ragged and insecure path of literary reality. His take on personalities, celebrities and events associated with the writing world is simply hilarious!
Here are some lines written by the author that I found simply fascinating. Here goes:
“Well-wishers often laud our attempts just to keep us in good humour. This harms rather than helps us in our quest for success.”
“….here’s not much difference between a fiction novel and underwear, in terms of market price….Isn’t a fiction book about the same retail price as a pair of briefs or banian?”
Every author, every film maker, every singer, every model, slugs it out for that happy ending. Knowing that like the billions of sperm invading an ovum, only one among them is going to make it inside. The rest are cursed to perish, and rest in oblivion.”
“At times, in my desperate search for a publisher, I found myself comparing my work to that of a pimp finding a customer for his virgin daughter.”
For writers interested in hearing about another writer’s take on writing, publishing and surviving in the competetive literary world, this book is a gem.
For non writer readers, Beaten By Bhagath becomes “something exotic like broccoli.” It, at the same time becomes the “unfailing, reliable, value-for-money, great tasting and versatile aalu that delights the Indian’s palate…within every one’s reach… and familiar.”
Don’t miss the book! I had a great read.
February 17, 2017
Oh! The title is a catchy one…
BB, our protagonist, and KB have a history. They have been classmates and roommates and have lived a colourful couple of years together. KB has gone on to become a famous author whose books sell like hot cakes while BB is comfortably settled in his career with an MNC. BB knows that he too has a flair for writing but it is only a comment from his hot lady boss that ignites a spark in him. He decides to give it a shot and try and beat his friend while at it! There on starts a rollercoaster journey for BB. From writing to getting published to readers’ feedback – this is one hell of a journey to take!
As a plot, this novel outlines the struggles and path of a first time author pretty well. It portrays the emotions and tussle with hurdles in a manner that paints a vivid picture in a readers’ mind. When we pick up a book, we can only guess the amount of input that has gone into it and this book helps us understand the amount of creativity, hard work, time and patience that is needed to get a simple paperback into our hands. We do get a complete look into the publishing industry and then into the distribution of books as a puzzle..
The author has taken a humourous approach and while we chuckled at the ingenious ‘name game’ he has played, the rest of the book too has generous doses laughter. The characters were mostly under developed and though I could have done without a particular few, I guess they were necessary for the story to take shape. I have one complaint though – I am not very happy with how the book started. It felt a bit drag and a bit difficult to get into. Granted that once it finds its pace there’s no turning back – still it was bit difficult to stick out till it picked up.
I cannot help but wonder now that while working on the names in this novel, if the author knew about Ketan Bhagat (Chetan Bhagat’s brother) and his book? Anyway, like I said the catchy title and the simple yet funny cover is a great combination to catch a readers’ eye.
Overall, it is light read that will not take up much of time.
BB, our protagonist, and KB have a history. They have been classmates and roommates and have lived a colourful couple of years together. KB has gone on to become a famous author whose books sell like hot cakes while BB is comfortably settled in his career with an MNC. BB knows that he too has a flair for writing but it is only a comment from his hot lady boss that ignites a spark in him. He decides to give it a shot and try and beat his friend while at it! There on starts a rollercoaster journey for BB. From writing to getting published to readers’ feedback – this is one hell of a journey to take!
As a plot, this novel outlines the struggles and path of a first time author pretty well. It portrays the emotions and tussle with hurdles in a manner that paints a vivid picture in a readers’ mind. When we pick up a book, we can only guess the amount of input that has gone into it and this book helps us understand the amount of creativity, hard work, time and patience that is needed to get a simple paperback into our hands. We do get a complete look into the publishing industry and then into the distribution of books as a puzzle..
The author has taken a humourous approach and while we chuckled at the ingenious ‘name game’ he has played, the rest of the book too has generous doses laughter. The characters were mostly under developed and though I could have done without a particular few, I guess they were necessary for the story to take shape. I have one complaint though – I am not very happy with how the book started. It felt a bit drag and a bit difficult to get into. Granted that once it finds its pace there’s no turning back – still it was bit difficult to stick out till it picked up.
I cannot help but wonder now that while working on the names in this novel, if the author knew about Ketan Bhagat (Chetan Bhagat’s brother) and his book? Anyway, like I said the catchy title and the simple yet funny cover is a great combination to catch a readers’ eye.
Overall, it is light read that will not take up much of time.
May 29, 2013
First of all, I would like to thank the author S V Divvaakar and Goodreads for presenting me with this book as a giveaway.
Well, it does put you in a tight spot coz you wonder whether you are obliged towards the author to write a good review or should you be true to your fellow readers and write an honest review.
After contemplating on the topic, I thought I will go with the latter.
So here it goes-
It is an insightful book because it makes you cognizant to the hard hitting realities pertaining to publishing a book in today's times.
Right from the publisher to the PR agent to the middle men to these online shopping sites...the kind of crony practices that each of these parties follow. I was left dumb struck when I read about the amount of investments (both money and efforts) that a writer has to make these days just to make sure his book reaches its intended audience.
There is one line which I distinctly remember from the book which says that a writer spends days and nights...sometimes even months and years just to make sure that his book has a one night stand with the reader.
This particular really touched me and I really appreciate the kind of efforts that each author puts to write a book.
Last but not the least, I didn't really appreciate cum could not comprehend the way the author ends the book.
It really comes as a shock and forces one to think...was it really the best possible way to end this book??
Nonetheless...Its a good book if you spare time on your hand and nothing great to read.
Well, it does put you in a tight spot coz you wonder whether you are obliged towards the author to write a good review or should you be true to your fellow readers and write an honest review.
After contemplating on the topic, I thought I will go with the latter.
So here it goes-
It is an insightful book because it makes you cognizant to the hard hitting realities pertaining to publishing a book in today's times.
Right from the publisher to the PR agent to the middle men to these online shopping sites...the kind of crony practices that each of these parties follow. I was left dumb struck when I read about the amount of investments (both money and efforts) that a writer has to make these days just to make sure his book reaches its intended audience.
There is one line which I distinctly remember from the book which says that a writer spends days and nights...sometimes even months and years just to make sure that his book has a one night stand with the reader.
This particular really touched me and I really appreciate the kind of efforts that each author puts to write a book.
Last but not the least, I didn't really appreciate cum could not comprehend the way the author ends the book.
It really comes as a shock and forces one to think...was it really the best possible way to end this book??
Nonetheless...Its a good book if you spare time on your hand and nothing great to read.
March 18, 2013
If we knew exactly how our lives would turn out to be in the next few decades, we would probably stop living. For BB, life was pretty much about making good money, changing cars every two years, going on yearly overseas holidays etc. until one day, his sexy lady boss turns his life upside down with her remark, “I’m sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath.” And thus began BB’s journey of Wordsmithery. Hell bent on beating his former college room-mate and a successful writer, Ketan Bhagath (that rhymes with Chetan Bhagath! Coincidence?) , BB begins to spend the rest of his days and nights working on his very own novel. With the intention of being more successful than Bhagath and not just being successful, BB puts all he has got, his family, his time, his energy, his money, on stake. Like a Lilliput amongst a million giants, he struggles to make his tiny book thrive, sometimes swimming with the tide and sometimes, standing still and resisting the ‘mainstream’. Will he beat Bhagath?
S.V. Divvaakar, through the journey of the protagonist, BB, unravels the most intriguing and boggling realities of the world of Publishing, Distributing & Retailing in the country. The gripping accounts of BB’s encounters with various such giants are bound to leave the reader awe-struck. And by the time you’re done reading the book, you’ll find your mind over brimming with thoughts, all of them focusing on coming up with a plan, the plan. At least it was so in my case.
S.V. Divvaakar, through the journey of the protagonist, BB, unravels the most intriguing and boggling realities of the world of Publishing, Distributing & Retailing in the country. The gripping accounts of BB’s encounters with various such giants are bound to leave the reader awe-struck. And by the time you’re done reading the book, you’ll find your mind over brimming with thoughts, all of them focusing on coming up with a plan, the plan. At least it was so in my case.
September 16, 2013
Interesting Title, isn't it and the book cover is simple yet apt. Kinda gives a light-read vibes, And that's exactly the book is. A light enjoyable read but an eye opener at the same time.
Beaten by bhagat is a story about a journey of a book, it's a tale about an aspiring Author BB, his roller-coaster ride from getting inspired to write to getting published.
Our protagonist BB is an executive in an international consulting firm, he writes reports and his very hot boss notices his writing skills and suggested to try his hands in writing cosmos, well, then there was no stopping, or so he thought. Getting an approval from hot boss is next to impossible and BB thought he won half of his battle but little did he know that journey of the creation of a book is not as easy as it seems, there are many fake publishers in the world, if not then there are always demands sometimes absurd and when you find the right publisher, it isn't enough. There is a race to be a National best seller and nothing is easy in that race.
Read full review @ Booklok Coffee Review : Beatan by Bhagath
Beaten by bhagat is a story about a journey of a book, it's a tale about an aspiring Author BB, his roller-coaster ride from getting inspired to write to getting published.
Our protagonist BB is an executive in an international consulting firm, he writes reports and his very hot boss notices his writing skills and suggested to try his hands in writing cosmos, well, then there was no stopping, or so he thought. Getting an approval from hot boss is next to impossible and BB thought he won half of his battle but little did he know that journey of the creation of a book is not as easy as it seems, there are many fake publishers in the world, if not then there are always demands sometimes absurd and when you find the right publisher, it isn't enough. There is a race to be a National best seller and nothing is easy in that race.
Read full review @ Booklok Coffee Review : Beatan by Bhagath
March 5, 2013
Beaten By Bhagath as is evident from the synopsis, is a tale of a man who is trying his luck as a writer, and wants to beat an established writer in this pursuit. An easy read, I would not say I did not enjoy reading the book. The author has very smoothly transitioned the events between past and present. Events can be easily identified with.
It's funny how the author has cleverly twisted the names, specially in case of Ketan Bhagath and the various publishers. Events from the author's and Ketan's hostel life during their engineering days are quite entertaining. However, I didn't quite see the reason why the parody on a famous author had to be done. As a memoir of someone who made an attempt to be an author, the book makes absolute sense and can be identified by anyone, be if a journalist, a blogger or an aspiring writer.
For more, visit....
http://sankshvet.blogspot.in/2013/03/...
It's funny how the author has cleverly twisted the names, specially in case of Ketan Bhagath and the various publishers. Events from the author's and Ketan's hostel life during their engineering days are quite entertaining. However, I didn't quite see the reason why the parody on a famous author had to be done. As a memoir of someone who made an attempt to be an author, the book makes absolute sense and can be identified by anyone, be if a journalist, a blogger or an aspiring writer.
For more, visit....
http://sankshvet.blogspot.in/2013/03/...
February 24, 2013
If you want all the dirt on the publishing industry and the life cycle of a new book, this is your go-to book. Written in a lucid, entertaining manner, it has brilliant insights into what it takes to make or break a book. A short, quick read. I think all new/aspiring authors could benefit from it.
January 29, 2013
Cross Post from my #Blog
In India, we have many writers who have set a benchmark in the literary world, and became a phenomena of Indian writing. But whenever we talk about young authors, there is one name that overshadows all, Chetan Bhagat (CB). He’s been a benchmark for many aspirant authors making their debut in hopes of being the next CB. However, no one admits it on their face. So here is a Reality Fiction ‘Beaten By Bhagath’ by S. V. Divvaakar, an alumnus of the IIT Delhi, and an international Monitoring and Evaluation specialist and also serves on the boards of a few international companies. ‘Beaten By Bhagath’ deals with the CB dilemma in a lighthearted manner. However it’s my personal opinion about Chetan Bhagat, Book or Author’s views aren’t about CB. The book is written around a fiction character Dr. Ketan Bhagath.
Cover jacket is just OK, not so good, not so bad. But with such a plot, it’s too hard to find a good design. However, white background makes it easy to spot on bookshelves even from a distance.
The story revolves around an exceptionally successful analyst in an MNC, who always had a magic touch in his words but he didn’t realize until his lady boss told her that he can beat Ketan Bhagath (not CB) by his writing. Dazzled by her words he starts his voyage to beat his old roommate, who once promised to be friends for ever. Later Ketan (or K-10 as mentioned) became a writer of several bestsellers and literally became a phenomena of success in the literary world. Bitten by the ego-bug, protagonist Balwant Bhagath (BB) decides to beat Bhagath by writing a ‘better’ novel. And while chasing the dream of creating a best seller, BB learns a lot about the dirty secrets of the publishing industry.
‘Beaten By Bhagath’ is divided into Six sections or timelines. The first section is of BB’s college days, when he mate Ketan, and is quite like another version of Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. The second section is about how BB wrote his Novel, ‘The Sinner’s Curse’. And is best part of the novel. It gives a lot idea of What-Not-to-do while writing a book. Thirst section is about the release of his novel, and deals with the aspects that most regular readers aren’t aware of. The fourth section is about market strategies and behavioral study of the publishing industry. I must admit, this section is not only one of the most researched section, but the most demotivating section as well. It truly changed my thoughts about the book trade. The fifth section is about the results, and verdict of the public for BB’s novels, which at times is funny, and is really touching on the other side. There’s a beautiful poem for BB’s son, which is really touching. The end of this section gives a new hope, and feeling of a fresh beginning. And at the end, sixth section is written in a futuristic manner. It feels quite like a climax of a sci-fi novel, and is my personal favorite.
Mr. Divvaakar’s language is sharp and well structured. His experience as an analyst is clearly visible in the narration. Practical approach towards every aspect of the book is something very new. Every sentence is well structured, and the book has almost no grammatical error. However, a few punctuation errors are visible; some Hindi words aren’t italic at many places, some of them are in critical places. Little more precise editing would have made it “Perfect”. Being a one-sitting reader, I mostly read books in just one go, but Mr. Divvaakar’s narration has not been able to make me engrossed in the book. At times it became boring, and anecdotes and funny incidences stopped making much sense. But that’s reality; dull and boring. What else could be there in a reality fiction? On page no. 127, the author himself admitted it, by calling it a ‘page-turning’ (read the book to know Real meaning of this term) section. But later, it picked up the pace and made up for the earlier dullness.
To Sum-up my review I would say, Mr. Divvaakar has done a decent job with ‘Beaten By Bhagath’. Since the book is written as an insider’s point of view, it gives a lot of eye-opening (sometimes eye-popping) facts about publishing. Some of them were interesting, and close to the common reality. While many others were specific to a certain class of people who can spend anything to see their names as a ‘Published Author’. Spending money recklessly to get Facebook likes, or for another fancy tantrum that can contribute to the sales of a book is really out-of-the-way for many. If you are someone who is planning to write a novel soon, this book is for you. And especially for those who think being a Published Author is the easiest job. The book is light to read, but I won’t suggest it for teenagers, seeking a hopeless story. It’s for mature readers, who can not only read, but analyze the story as well.
If Mr. Divvaakar is working on another project, I wish him a very best of luck. And thanks for sending in the Author Signed Copy.
Note to Publisher: This is the second book of Leadstart I’m reviewing (Left From Dhakeshwari was first), and I must congratulate them for encouraging such non-conventional subjects from such a wide spectrum of authors. Decent printing , and good page quality is what I always expect, and Leadstart never compromise on that. Thanks for thinking from The-Other-Way.
In India, we have many writers who have set a benchmark in the literary world, and became a phenomena of Indian writing. But whenever we talk about young authors, there is one name that overshadows all, Chetan Bhagat (CB). He’s been a benchmark for many aspirant authors making their debut in hopes of being the next CB. However, no one admits it on their face. So here is a Reality Fiction ‘Beaten By Bhagath’ by S. V. Divvaakar, an alumnus of the IIT Delhi, and an international Monitoring and Evaluation specialist and also serves on the boards of a few international companies. ‘Beaten By Bhagath’ deals with the CB dilemma in a lighthearted manner. However it’s my personal opinion about Chetan Bhagat, Book or Author’s views aren’t about CB. The book is written around a fiction character Dr. Ketan Bhagath.
Cover jacket is just OK, not so good, not so bad. But with such a plot, it’s too hard to find a good design. However, white background makes it easy to spot on bookshelves even from a distance.
The story revolves around an exceptionally successful analyst in an MNC, who always had a magic touch in his words but he didn’t realize until his lady boss told her that he can beat Ketan Bhagath (not CB) by his writing. Dazzled by her words he starts his voyage to beat his old roommate, who once promised to be friends for ever. Later Ketan (or K-10 as mentioned) became a writer of several bestsellers and literally became a phenomena of success in the literary world. Bitten by the ego-bug, protagonist Balwant Bhagath (BB) decides to beat Bhagath by writing a ‘better’ novel. And while chasing the dream of creating a best seller, BB learns a lot about the dirty secrets of the publishing industry.
‘Beaten By Bhagath’ is divided into Six sections or timelines. The first section is of BB’s college days, when he mate Ketan, and is quite like another version of Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. The second section is about how BB wrote his Novel, ‘The Sinner’s Curse’. And is best part of the novel. It gives a lot idea of What-Not-to-do while writing a book. Thirst section is about the release of his novel, and deals with the aspects that most regular readers aren’t aware of. The fourth section is about market strategies and behavioral study of the publishing industry. I must admit, this section is not only one of the most researched section, but the most demotivating section as well. It truly changed my thoughts about the book trade. The fifth section is about the results, and verdict of the public for BB’s novels, which at times is funny, and is really touching on the other side. There’s a beautiful poem for BB’s son, which is really touching. The end of this section gives a new hope, and feeling of a fresh beginning. And at the end, sixth section is written in a futuristic manner. It feels quite like a climax of a sci-fi novel, and is my personal favorite.
Mr. Divvaakar’s language is sharp and well structured. His experience as an analyst is clearly visible in the narration. Practical approach towards every aspect of the book is something very new. Every sentence is well structured, and the book has almost no grammatical error. However, a few punctuation errors are visible; some Hindi words aren’t italic at many places, some of them are in critical places. Little more precise editing would have made it “Perfect”. Being a one-sitting reader, I mostly read books in just one go, but Mr. Divvaakar’s narration has not been able to make me engrossed in the book. At times it became boring, and anecdotes and funny incidences stopped making much sense. But that’s reality; dull and boring. What else could be there in a reality fiction? On page no. 127, the author himself admitted it, by calling it a ‘page-turning’ (read the book to know Real meaning of this term) section. But later, it picked up the pace and made up for the earlier dullness.
To Sum-up my review I would say, Mr. Divvaakar has done a decent job with ‘Beaten By Bhagath’. Since the book is written as an insider’s point of view, it gives a lot of eye-opening (sometimes eye-popping) facts about publishing. Some of them were interesting, and close to the common reality. While many others were specific to a certain class of people who can spend anything to see their names as a ‘Published Author’. Spending money recklessly to get Facebook likes, or for another fancy tantrum that can contribute to the sales of a book is really out-of-the-way for many. If you are someone who is planning to write a novel soon, this book is for you. And especially for those who think being a Published Author is the easiest job. The book is light to read, but I won’t suggest it for teenagers, seeking a hopeless story. It’s for mature readers, who can not only read, but analyze the story as well.
If Mr. Divvaakar is working on another project, I wish him a very best of luck. And thanks for sending in the Author Signed Copy.
Note to Publisher: This is the second book of Leadstart I’m reviewing (Left From Dhakeshwari was first), and I must congratulate them for encouraging such non-conventional subjects from such a wide spectrum of authors. Decent printing , and good page quality is what I always expect, and Leadstart never compromise on that. Thanks for thinking from The-Other-Way.
October 14, 2013
3.5
Beaten by Bhagath by S.V. Divvaakar is a book that truly took me by surprise! Thank you, Mr. Divvaakar, for putting the whole Chetan Bhagat hoopla (or should I say, “K-10 Bhagath”?) into perspective. And in a truly fair and uncritical manner at that.
Beaten by Bhagath, as suggested by the tagline, is the tale of two kinds of Indian writers: the commercial ex-corporate bigwig whose characters and plots are a hit with youngsters and the reasonably successful banker or executive or corporate dude who has a way with words; who laughs at the former and thinks, “If he can do it, so can I.”
Which is precisely what happens to BB, the narrator of this satirical take on the contemporary Indian fiction writer world! With parts reminiscent of Five Point Someone or if you’re a movie person, 3 Idiots, and the rest, a surprisingly realistic picture of a wannabe author navigating through a number of ludicrous obstacles to achieve his aim of matching the success of the accessible and relatable garden variety novels churned by his college mate Ketan Bhagath (no prizes for guessing what that’s all about).
In the process, he realizes what it takes to be a success in the market: which has less to do with writing and more to do with the hard sell; with celebrity endorsements, buying Facebook Likes, failing to dodge fraud, running after book chains and learning hard truths of how the retailer and book chain system works. As a result, his relationship with his wife slackens and even his book begins to look less appealing. The whole thing threatens to go up in smoke and he wonders what writing his book should’ve been about in the first place.
In a nutshell, it’s not your average love story. It’s not one of those fast paced thrillers. It’s not even the college story it seems to be about at the beginning. What makes this even better: it’s NOT a spoof of Chetan Bhagat novels. In fact, Bhagat isn’t directly slammed in any way. The author makes an honest effort to understand Bhagat’s audience and hypothesise why his style and approach works for him. It does not, however, work for the trillion other writers who strive to duplicate his fan following.
I’m not exactly a Chetan Bhagat fan but I did enjoy reading Two States, have heard good things about What Young India Wants and don’t dislike him, so I respected that there was no downright slamming involved despite the protagonist’s initial resolve to “beat Bhagath”!
To cap it off, I found Beaten by Bhagath to be a well-written, refreshing and at times hilarious book chronicling the misadventures of a debutant author. If you have anything resembling an opinion on Indian fiction or are looking/once wanted to be the nextChetan K-10 bestselling author, take one look at the tongue-in-cheek cover and I’m sure you’ll realize that this book is for you! Clever, breezy and contemplative in its message, books like this making a buzz in the Indian contemporary lit scene wouldn’t be a bad thing at all!
“So, here I go with my most outlandish observation: there’s not much difference between a fiction novel and underwear, in terms of market price. I’m not talking about selling lingerie… that’s a different arena altogether. Isn’t a fiction book about the same retail price as a pair of briefs or banian? If you don’t believe me, check it out. Beauty fiction novel: Rs. 89; Beauty Banian: Rs. 85. Even the covers could easily substitute for each other. The guy in the shorts could well be an author who has lost his pants!” –p.105, Beaten by Bhagath, S.V. Divvaakar
Beaten by Bhagath by S.V. Divvaakar is a book that truly took me by surprise! Thank you, Mr. Divvaakar, for putting the whole Chetan Bhagat hoopla (or should I say, “K-10 Bhagath”?) into perspective. And in a truly fair and uncritical manner at that.
Beaten by Bhagath, as suggested by the tagline, is the tale of two kinds of Indian writers: the commercial ex-corporate bigwig whose characters and plots are a hit with youngsters and the reasonably successful banker or executive or corporate dude who has a way with words; who laughs at the former and thinks, “If he can do it, so can I.”
Which is precisely what happens to BB, the narrator of this satirical take on the contemporary Indian fiction writer world! With parts reminiscent of Five Point Someone or if you’re a movie person, 3 Idiots, and the rest, a surprisingly realistic picture of a wannabe author navigating through a number of ludicrous obstacles to achieve his aim of matching the success of the accessible and relatable garden variety novels churned by his college mate Ketan Bhagath (no prizes for guessing what that’s all about).
In the process, he realizes what it takes to be a success in the market: which has less to do with writing and more to do with the hard sell; with celebrity endorsements, buying Facebook Likes, failing to dodge fraud, running after book chains and learning hard truths of how the retailer and book chain system works. As a result, his relationship with his wife slackens and even his book begins to look less appealing. The whole thing threatens to go up in smoke and he wonders what writing his book should’ve been about in the first place.
In a nutshell, it’s not your average love story. It’s not one of those fast paced thrillers. It’s not even the college story it seems to be about at the beginning. What makes this even better: it’s NOT a spoof of Chetan Bhagat novels. In fact, Bhagat isn’t directly slammed in any way. The author makes an honest effort to understand Bhagat’s audience and hypothesise why his style and approach works for him. It does not, however, work for the trillion other writers who strive to duplicate his fan following.
I’m not exactly a Chetan Bhagat fan but I did enjoy reading Two States, have heard good things about What Young India Wants and don’t dislike him, so I respected that there was no downright slamming involved despite the protagonist’s initial resolve to “beat Bhagath”!
To cap it off, I found Beaten by Bhagath to be a well-written, refreshing and at times hilarious book chronicling the misadventures of a debutant author. If you have anything resembling an opinion on Indian fiction or are looking/once wanted to be the next
“So, here I go with my most outlandish observation: there’s not much difference between a fiction novel and underwear, in terms of market price. I’m not talking about selling lingerie… that’s a different arena altogether. Isn’t a fiction book about the same retail price as a pair of briefs or banian? If you don’t believe me, check it out. Beauty fiction novel: Rs. 89; Beauty Banian: Rs. 85. Even the covers could easily substitute for each other. The guy in the shorts could well be an author who has lost his pants!” –p.105, Beaten by Bhagath, S.V. Divvaakar
October 13, 2013
Beaten by Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers is author S. V. Divvaakar's second book. Its blurb reads: "'I'm sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!' When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin. Bitten by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book that's better than India's greatest writer Dr. Bhagath's blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college. What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all the twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challenger's journey, upping the stakes at every stage. Will BB catch up with his famous friend? What will their encounter be like? Written from inside the ring, 'Beaten by Bhagath' is a gripping tale...the first-ever about the unseen side of the wonderland of Indian fiction."
The book is light and easy-to-read - the author takes us through the entire process a writer goes through right from the time he decides to write his book to how he goes about it (affecting his family in the meantime) to the painful search for various publishers (including the waiting time till eternity). It gives the reader an insider's view about the whole thing. The author has done quite a bit of research into the entire publishing industry - as a reader, we never think about what exactly goes on behind the scenes before a book is actually published.
And, it does not just stop with the book being published. One also needs to market it on a large scale for it to sell well. Usually, these days, a book launch is invariably done in the presence of a major celebrity. This book does have some hilarious scenes revolving around the same!
Divvaakar's writing style is simple and the narrative flows freely throughout the book. He has also managed to incorporate calculations pertaining to how an author makes money and how online websites are able to sell books so cheap (which was quite a revelation for me).
The negative for me was the several sexual innuendos scattered throughout the book; I felt these were not required. For instance, the author says, "Somehow, the thought of a celebrity unveiling the book reminded me of the old Nath Utarni tradition at the famous kothas of the Nawabs. The Nath Utarni - the ceremony of the deflowering of the virgin prostitute - was always at the hands of an important man, usually someone from the nobility."
To sum up, go read the book if you are keen on how the publishing and book-writing industry works. The book talks about Ketan Bhagath - unless you have been living under a rock, you will figure out whom it is hinted at :) I don't know if the author knows but there is actually a Ketan Bhagat in existence - http://www.ketanbhagat.com.
This review first appeared on my blog: www.pallosworld.blogspot.in.
The book is light and easy-to-read - the author takes us through the entire process a writer goes through right from the time he decides to write his book to how he goes about it (affecting his family in the meantime) to the painful search for various publishers (including the waiting time till eternity). It gives the reader an insider's view about the whole thing. The author has done quite a bit of research into the entire publishing industry - as a reader, we never think about what exactly goes on behind the scenes before a book is actually published.
And, it does not just stop with the book being published. One also needs to market it on a large scale for it to sell well. Usually, these days, a book launch is invariably done in the presence of a major celebrity. This book does have some hilarious scenes revolving around the same!
Divvaakar's writing style is simple and the narrative flows freely throughout the book. He has also managed to incorporate calculations pertaining to how an author makes money and how online websites are able to sell books so cheap (which was quite a revelation for me).
The negative for me was the several sexual innuendos scattered throughout the book; I felt these were not required. For instance, the author says, "Somehow, the thought of a celebrity unveiling the book reminded me of the old Nath Utarni tradition at the famous kothas of the Nawabs. The Nath Utarni - the ceremony of the deflowering of the virgin prostitute - was always at the hands of an important man, usually someone from the nobility."
To sum up, go read the book if you are keen on how the publishing and book-writing industry works. The book talks about Ketan Bhagath - unless you have been living under a rock, you will figure out whom it is hinted at :) I don't know if the author knows but there is actually a Ketan Bhagat in existence - http://www.ketanbhagat.com.
This review first appeared on my blog: www.pallosworld.blogspot.in.
September 28, 2013
*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Beaten by Bhagath! by S.V. Divvaakar from Yatin @ Me About My Thoughts in exchange for an honest review. We thank the author and Yatin for the book!
I was wary about starting Beaten by Bhagath! by author S.V. Divvaakar because the title clearly suggests that the book is going to talk about the famous Indian author India loves to hate. Contrary to many people out there, I have actually read and thoroughly enjoyed this particular author's books.
I don't know if Beaten by Bhagath has any controversy surrounding it so I'm not really sure if at all I want to take any names. Honestly, the book seemed like a spoof on this author, but thankfully, it was done in a sporting way. I really wonder if the author (Divvaakar) knew that this author's brother's name, who is also an author now, is actually the same as the name used for him in the book.
Beaten by Bhagath has been one of those few paperback copies that I finished reading within a few hours. It was an enjoyable, fun and light hearted read that had me laughing.
This is the story of BB whose secretary thinks he has a lot more potential than K-10, the writing rock-star of the country and BB's college mate. That's when BB decides to take this seriously and begins penning down his first novel, after the completion of which he now has to bring his baby out into the real world.
After having interacted with and even been lucky enough to hear some authors speak about their journey into the writing world, I could easily understand all the dilemmas and problems faced by BB. Some of the revelations were really shocking and I found myself cheering for BB a couple of times.
Author S.V. Divvaakar's writing is quite good as it manages to keep the reader engaged. I have to give the author a lot of credit for thinking. Many names that are actually supremely popular in India, be it authors or book stores or publishing houses or online shopping sites even, were given different names than what they actually are, but in such a funny and slightly silly manner that anyone could guess what the author is actually talking about or referring to.
I did have a few issues with the book and there were some things in it that I didn't quite get and many things that I didn't quite like as well. The end part just didn't sit well with me. All that aside, Beaten by Bhagath is overall a very simple, short and sweet read about an aspiring and struggling author.
I was wary about starting Beaten by Bhagath! by author S.V. Divvaakar because the title clearly suggests that the book is going to talk about the famous Indian author India loves to hate. Contrary to many people out there, I have actually read and thoroughly enjoyed this particular author's books.
I don't know if Beaten by Bhagath has any controversy surrounding it so I'm not really sure if at all I want to take any names. Honestly, the book seemed like a spoof on this author, but thankfully, it was done in a sporting way. I really wonder if the author (Divvaakar) knew that this author's brother's name, who is also an author now, is actually the same as the name used for him in the book.
Beaten by Bhagath has been one of those few paperback copies that I finished reading within a few hours. It was an enjoyable, fun and light hearted read that had me laughing.
This is the story of BB whose secretary thinks he has a lot more potential than K-10, the writing rock-star of the country and BB's college mate. That's when BB decides to take this seriously and begins penning down his first novel, after the completion of which he now has to bring his baby out into the real world.
After having interacted with and even been lucky enough to hear some authors speak about their journey into the writing world, I could easily understand all the dilemmas and problems faced by BB. Some of the revelations were really shocking and I found myself cheering for BB a couple of times.
Author S.V. Divvaakar's writing is quite good as it manages to keep the reader engaged. I have to give the author a lot of credit for thinking. Many names that are actually supremely popular in India, be it authors or book stores or publishing houses or online shopping sites even, were given different names than what they actually are, but in such a funny and slightly silly manner that anyone could guess what the author is actually talking about or referring to.
I did have a few issues with the book and there were some things in it that I didn't quite get and many things that I didn't quite like as well. The end part just didn't sit well with me. All that aside, Beaten by Bhagath is overall a very simple, short and sweet read about an aspiring and struggling author.
June 15, 2015
Beaten by Bhagath! - A tale of Two writers by S.V. Divvaakar is amusing and frustrating in equal parts. Touted to be an insider and outsider look on the publishing industry in India, it portrays the trials and tribulations of an author trying to pen down his first novel. Pushed in jest by his lady boss, the central protagonist BB sets off on his quest to write a book that's better than India's greatest writer Dr. Bhagath's blockbusters. As the destiny would have it, BB and Bhagath have been classmates are friends at college only to be thrown apart with routine of career and worldly services.
Divvaakar takes us deep into the mind and histrionics of a writer right from ignoring his family to being elusive and a responsibility shrinker. He exposes the reader to the real and the fake publishers, their demands, tantrums and another round of histrionics. We realize that finding a publisher is just not enough in this age of Google. The author research in these portions is pretty evident and credit must be given to weave them in the narrative of the story which is humorous and ironic at the same time.
The writer has another round of happenings and misadventures with promoting the book right from managing a guest for the book launch to Facebook likes. We also get insights into the e-Retail stores vs. bookstores vs. chain bookstores stocking the book, the distribution maze and the real book-selling story all through BB’s adventures in the Indian publishing industry. The story after this whole roundabout sequence heads into the future with the advent and market capture of e-Books. And with it turns around BB fortunes as a wordsmith culminating into the big finale but quite unlike the one BB or his sexy boss may have imagined.
Problem is that even at just 190 odd pages, it is still long and there are few portions which could have cut down as they add very little to the story. College pranks involving BB and Bhagath does nothing more than provide a cheap redemption to each of the characters in the climax after having ignored each other for ages. The writing is witty and author maintains a decent pace but there are few portions where pace slackens when the author tries to concentrate a little too much on creating a melodramatic space between the characters. I particularly found the experiences of BB a little too over the top and considering his foolish antics, he do deserve to get the wrath he eventually endures when things go a bit wrong.
I am going with 3/5 for S.V. Divvaakar's 'Beaten by Bhagath'. It does succeed in providing an inside (and mostly correct) look into the world of Indian publishing. I wish it was a little shorter and had fewer OTT moments in its narrative. However, if you are a budding writer and planning to write your first novel, it may not be a bad idea to pick this one for your reading and get a wholesome new perspective on publishing.
Divvaakar takes us deep into the mind and histrionics of a writer right from ignoring his family to being elusive and a responsibility shrinker. He exposes the reader to the real and the fake publishers, their demands, tantrums and another round of histrionics. We realize that finding a publisher is just not enough in this age of Google. The author research in these portions is pretty evident and credit must be given to weave them in the narrative of the story which is humorous and ironic at the same time.
The writer has another round of happenings and misadventures with promoting the book right from managing a guest for the book launch to Facebook likes. We also get insights into the e-Retail stores vs. bookstores vs. chain bookstores stocking the book, the distribution maze and the real book-selling story all through BB’s adventures in the Indian publishing industry. The story after this whole roundabout sequence heads into the future with the advent and market capture of e-Books. And with it turns around BB fortunes as a wordsmith culminating into the big finale but quite unlike the one BB or his sexy boss may have imagined.
Problem is that even at just 190 odd pages, it is still long and there are few portions which could have cut down as they add very little to the story. College pranks involving BB and Bhagath does nothing more than provide a cheap redemption to each of the characters in the climax after having ignored each other for ages. The writing is witty and author maintains a decent pace but there are few portions where pace slackens when the author tries to concentrate a little too much on creating a melodramatic space between the characters. I particularly found the experiences of BB a little too over the top and considering his foolish antics, he do deserve to get the wrath he eventually endures when things go a bit wrong.
I am going with 3/5 for S.V. Divvaakar's 'Beaten by Bhagath'. It does succeed in providing an inside (and mostly correct) look into the world of Indian publishing. I wish it was a little shorter and had fewer OTT moments in its narrative. However, if you are a budding writer and planning to write your first novel, it may not be a bad idea to pick this one for your reading and get a wholesome new perspective on publishing.
July 29, 2015
Sometimes, we all tend to get onto a path which we have never trodden upon. Call it the Road Not Taken if you will. This path is not necessarily something we want, but is a figment of our imagination, influenced by millions of external factors; befuddling us and making us take it up. It may or may not lead us to success, but definitely leads to one thing: getting hurt. Welcome to the world of BB, a debutant author, out on a journey to make his book a best-seller.
This 191 paged novel is Divvaakar’s second novel. It’s a story dealing with the insipid world of publishing and book writing, as a newbie struggles to come to terms with it and deal with it. Inspired by a random phrase by his boss. Wait! His lady boss. Wait again! His SEXY lady boss, BB takes up the task of writing a book. Divvaakar takes us into a world albeit unknown to most of us, the world of publishing. The hiccup along the entire road lies in BB’s ego as he tries to write a book which outshines his college friend and one-time roommate, who has 8 books to his credits and is one of India’s most successful writers( this character strongly smelt of Chetan Bhagat to me!)
Moving on to the book’s high points, as a blogger and a writer in the process of writing a book, this book is enthralling to me in an unique way. For starters, I could completely relate to some of the issues faced by the character like sporadic writing sprees, writer’s block etc. It also does a great job of expressing a writer’s feeling for his work, which is a complex job but done really well by Divvaakar. Also, the plot was real and not fantastical. It could easily been your story or mine. Except for the last few chapters, the book was a rollercoaster where you could strap yourself on to a seat and ride it yourself.
The downfalls of this book are that, like many books which are currently in the market, easy to read and do not require you to be an adverbial master at the English language. I personally find this trait good but there are many who may not be charmed by it. Also, this book is something off a pessimistic narration where throughout the plot; the character seems to be having a hidden negative thought clouding his thoughts.
Although this is a personal observation and may not be for everyone, yet I would have liked the book better if the character’s history and personality had been better explored. I find it more soothing and comfortable to read a book if I know the character as it helps me flow with the book
Overall, this book is a good read, especially if you’re looking for some light reading to ease off the pressure off your mind while at the same time, wouldn’t mind a life lesion or two.
This 191 paged novel is Divvaakar’s second novel. It’s a story dealing with the insipid world of publishing and book writing, as a newbie struggles to come to terms with it and deal with it. Inspired by a random phrase by his boss. Wait! His lady boss. Wait again! His SEXY lady boss, BB takes up the task of writing a book. Divvaakar takes us into a world albeit unknown to most of us, the world of publishing. The hiccup along the entire road lies in BB’s ego as he tries to write a book which outshines his college friend and one-time roommate, who has 8 books to his credits and is one of India’s most successful writers( this character strongly smelt of Chetan Bhagat to me!)
Moving on to the book’s high points, as a blogger and a writer in the process of writing a book, this book is enthralling to me in an unique way. For starters, I could completely relate to some of the issues faced by the character like sporadic writing sprees, writer’s block etc. It also does a great job of expressing a writer’s feeling for his work, which is a complex job but done really well by Divvaakar. Also, the plot was real and not fantastical. It could easily been your story or mine. Except for the last few chapters, the book was a rollercoaster where you could strap yourself on to a seat and ride it yourself.
The downfalls of this book are that, like many books which are currently in the market, easy to read and do not require you to be an adverbial master at the English language. I personally find this trait good but there are many who may not be charmed by it. Also, this book is something off a pessimistic narration where throughout the plot; the character seems to be having a hidden negative thought clouding his thoughts.
Although this is a personal observation and may not be for everyone, yet I would have liked the book better if the character’s history and personality had been better explored. I find it more soothing and comfortable to read a book if I know the character as it helps me flow with the book
Overall, this book is a good read, especially if you’re looking for some light reading to ease off the pressure off your mind while at the same time, wouldn’t mind a life lesion or two.
February 25, 2013
Not more than twice I saw this book on the 'Upcoming Coming' or 'New Releases' shelves of few online bookstores. I wouldn't have picked this book up, if GoodReads.com hasn't chose as one of the ten randomly picked winners of the give-away of this book. I wouldn't be more fortunate to come across this book.
Plot (from back cover of the book):
'I'm sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!'
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Biteen by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book that's better than India's greatest writer Dr. Bhagath's blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challenger's journey, upping the stakes at every stage.
Will BB catch up with his famous friend?
What will their encounter be like?
Written from side the ring, 'Beaten by Bhagath' is a gripping tale ...the first-ever about the unseen side of wonderland of Indian fiction.
My take on the book:
Aspiring to be an author, myself, this book was God-sent, I thought when I first received this book at my door-step.
The choice of the cover design was not a good one. A cricket batsman taking books head-on. The plot and the cover of the book seemed, to most extent, unconnected. The story is absolutely authors, books, getting published and succeeding as an author. It deals little, almost zero, with cricket. Especially when people, like me, judge and pick up books just by the book's covers, it is very important for the cover to be good. At the same time, the cover should be related to the plot of the.............
To read the whole review, follow this link
Plot (from back cover of the book):
'I'm sure you can do a much better job than Bhagath!'
When BB hears these inspiring words from his sexy lady boss, his staid life as a successful analyst in an MNC goes into a tailspin.
Biteen by the ego bug and smitten by her, BB sets off on his quest to write a book that's better than India's greatest writer Dr. Bhagath's blockbusters. Nothing unusual about this for BB, who likes a good fight. Except that he and Bhagath had been classmates and friends at college.
What follows is a roller-coaster voyage of the debutant author and his book, with all its twists and cul-de-sacs. Brushes with publishers, celebrities, retailers, book chains, and competition with the alliances among giants, mark the challenger's journey, upping the stakes at every stage.
Will BB catch up with his famous friend?
What will their encounter be like?
Written from side the ring, 'Beaten by Bhagath' is a gripping tale ...the first-ever about the unseen side of wonderland of Indian fiction.
My take on the book:
Aspiring to be an author, myself, this book was God-sent, I thought when I first received this book at my door-step.
The choice of the cover design was not a good one. A cricket batsman taking books head-on. The plot and the cover of the book seemed, to most extent, unconnected. The story is absolutely authors, books, getting published and succeeding as an author. It deals little, almost zero, with cricket. Especially when people, like me, judge and pick up books just by the book's covers, it is very important for the cover to be good. At the same time, the cover should be related to the plot of the.............
To read the whole review, follow this link
September 2, 2013
This 190 pager makes for a breezy and interesting read; one that can be completed in a 3-hour stretch. It sheds light on the trials and tribulations a new author goes through. New here means an unknown author who is trying to get his book(s) published and sold. How an author treats his book like his child, how the market treats it like just a commodity, how the author readily shells out cartloads of money to try anything for more people to read his book, how people take advantage of this vulnerability and fleece him...
The book has another main character apart from the fictitious author – Ketan Bhagath. This character bears a huge resemblance to Chetan Bhagat. When one reads the first chapter, she may feel that the Divaakar is taking pot shots at Chetan Bhagat. But, contrary to initial impressions, this book actually shows him in positive light. Like a lot of readers, I’ve am not fond of CB’s books. I’ve wondered how he writes intellectual columns for Times of India while his novels are commercial with weak storylines. Maybe the man is pragmatic enough to know how to cater to the masses while displaying his real side to the knowledgeable audience. Henceforth, I am going to see him with a different mind frame.
On the whole, the book makes for a pleasant read. It feels fresh, fast paced and humorous. The way authors’ and Bollywood actors’ names have been changed without making attempts to conceal their true identities, tiny errors made by people leaving the writer clawing at his hair, the blunders he commits throwing caution to the wind... While the book makes you smile, it also exposes the plight of budding authors. 'Beaten by Bhagath' has elements of Chetan Bhagat’s and Aravind Adiga’s writing styles. This book is recommended for everyone, whether she likes to read or not. Even voracious readers can use this book as a good break in between their Amitav Ghosh, Gurcharan Das, Malcolm Gladwell and Devdutt Patnaik books. At less than 100 bucks, it’s quite affordable too.
Read more here: bit.ly/19ZHjAX
The book has another main character apart from the fictitious author – Ketan Bhagath. This character bears a huge resemblance to Chetan Bhagat. When one reads the first chapter, she may feel that the Divaakar is taking pot shots at Chetan Bhagat. But, contrary to initial impressions, this book actually shows him in positive light. Like a lot of readers, I’ve am not fond of CB’s books. I’ve wondered how he writes intellectual columns for Times of India while his novels are commercial with weak storylines. Maybe the man is pragmatic enough to know how to cater to the masses while displaying his real side to the knowledgeable audience. Henceforth, I am going to see him with a different mind frame.
On the whole, the book makes for a pleasant read. It feels fresh, fast paced and humorous. The way authors’ and Bollywood actors’ names have been changed without making attempts to conceal their true identities, tiny errors made by people leaving the writer clawing at his hair, the blunders he commits throwing caution to the wind... While the book makes you smile, it also exposes the plight of budding authors. 'Beaten by Bhagath' has elements of Chetan Bhagat’s and Aravind Adiga’s writing styles. This book is recommended for everyone, whether she likes to read or not. Even voracious readers can use this book as a good break in between their Amitav Ghosh, Gurcharan Das, Malcolm Gladwell and Devdutt Patnaik books. At less than 100 bucks, it’s quite affordable too.
Read more here: bit.ly/19ZHjAX
October 10, 2013
Beaten by Bhagath is one of those reads that can be termed as a “book of facts” about the current and ever-expanding publishing industry in India. Through his protagonist, the author presents before us a full, if a little cynical, picture of the world of a debut author, his struggles as his book clambers into the world of fiction & publishing, every small accomplishment that seems like a herculean win, the disaster i.e. failure waiting to happen and its aftermath. S.V. Divvaakar (SVD) like many of the budding authors, muses if there is indeed a winning formula to writing fiction and if at all, it exists then what it might be.
BB, an executive in a MNC is happy spending his days on the side-lines whilst writing reports and earning profits for his company. However, an off-hand compliment from his sexy lady boss (talk about woman power!!) on his writing skills and creativity sets off our protagonist into action. To top it up, the lady boss unknowingly sets the stakes high for BB by comparing him with the country’s most successful and prominent writer Dr. Ketan Bhagath. But what we don’t know is that best-selling author Ketan Bhagath & our protagonist, BB go a long way back. From hostel room-mates to partners-in-crime to classmates to friends in college life, BB & Ketan (K-10 as he was known then) have had a couple of colourful years together. However, in the present day, boosted by a single compliment, BB immediately takes this impulsive decision not only to pen down an entire novel but also to beat Bhagath in his own game i.e. Writing. And thus armed with an aggressive obsession to churn out a read better than K-10, BB sets off to explore the dangerous and unknown minefield i.e. the Indian Publishing Industry. What ensues is the ride of BB’s life with sharp curves and steep inclines as he moves through the various phases of his literary sojourn.
Read complete review at : http://poojareviewer.blogspot.in/2013...
BB, an executive in a MNC is happy spending his days on the side-lines whilst writing reports and earning profits for his company. However, an off-hand compliment from his sexy lady boss (talk about woman power!!) on his writing skills and creativity sets off our protagonist into action. To top it up, the lady boss unknowingly sets the stakes high for BB by comparing him with the country’s most successful and prominent writer Dr. Ketan Bhagath. But what we don’t know is that best-selling author Ketan Bhagath & our protagonist, BB go a long way back. From hostel room-mates to partners-in-crime to classmates to friends in college life, BB & Ketan (K-10 as he was known then) have had a couple of colourful years together. However, in the present day, boosted by a single compliment, BB immediately takes this impulsive decision not only to pen down an entire novel but also to beat Bhagath in his own game i.e. Writing. And thus armed with an aggressive obsession to churn out a read better than K-10, BB sets off to explore the dangerous and unknown minefield i.e. the Indian Publishing Industry. What ensues is the ride of BB’s life with sharp curves and steep inclines as he moves through the various phases of his literary sojourn.
Read complete review at : http://poojareviewer.blogspot.in/2013...
April 25, 2013
The story is about the struggle of a upcoming and new writer named BB.
He tries hard to compete a famous author (his college friend) Ketan and to prove himself a better and best selling author.
Soon he knows the BIG CAT games of business and twists and turns intrude his life.
His life then pervades with agony and anguish as he fails with all his efforts to sell the copies of his book.
The book is written in simple language which doesn't do much justice.
BUT the book has taught me a lot about the things to be avoided while publishing a new book for a new author. I will suggest all the new authors to read this book once, I'm sure some or the other part of this book will match with the life of any new author wanting to publish his/her book and struggling with marketing.
"BB" the name of the character in this book has been beaten each and every time he tried to publish his book, market it, advertise it, and sell it.
The book highlights about the struggle of a new author and gives an wide idea about the most likely mistakes that ARE or CAN be committed by a new, inexperienced and self publish author.
Well, we can always learn from the mistakes that the character "BB" makes in this book, the way he's beaten in marketing and sales.
I recommend this book to all the new and self published authors specially. Read this book and learn from the mistakes that "BB" committed in this book.
I read Bhagath's original book book and tell you this author S.V. Divvaakar has BEATEN BHAGATH hands down..
He tries hard to compete a famous author (his college friend) Ketan and to prove himself a better and best selling author.
Soon he knows the BIG CAT games of business and twists and turns intrude his life.
His life then pervades with agony and anguish as he fails with all his efforts to sell the copies of his book.
The book is written in simple language which doesn't do much justice.
BUT the book has taught me a lot about the things to be avoided while publishing a new book for a new author. I will suggest all the new authors to read this book once, I'm sure some or the other part of this book will match with the life of any new author wanting to publish his/her book and struggling with marketing.
"BB" the name of the character in this book has been beaten each and every time he tried to publish his book, market it, advertise it, and sell it.
The book highlights about the struggle of a new author and gives an wide idea about the most likely mistakes that ARE or CAN be committed by a new, inexperienced and self publish author.
Well, we can always learn from the mistakes that the character "BB" makes in this book, the way he's beaten in marketing and sales.
I recommend this book to all the new and self published authors specially. Read this book and learn from the mistakes that "BB" committed in this book.
I read Bhagath's original book book and tell you this author S.V. Divvaakar has BEATEN BHAGATH hands down..
September 16, 2013
If there were movies which gave you an insight about the struggle of an actor/actress and the happenings in the film industry, then Beaten by Bhagath! A Tale of Two Writers by S.V. Divvaakar is an eye opener about the struggle of an author who wants to create a mark with the power of his pen writing words that can create an impact in a reader's mind.
The story revolves around BB who had been a quality writer and also had been awarded with several praises from his colleague. He plans to try his hands on writing his debut novel whereas on the other hand his college friend K10 was now a well established popular author.
As the story weaves one can find its just not about the struggle but the sacrifices a writer had to make in the journey of getting his/her book published. The hardships and the challenges have been highlighted. Besides the comparisons, the role of family and description of a beautiful bond of FRIENDSHIP and the feelings involved in them have also been beautifully portrayed.
The hunt for the publisher, marketing strategies, the bad world around you and other darker sides are not left in the race of mentioning. The fictional imagination about paperbacks is a proof for author's innovative thoughts. I personally, was touched with the technology description as the story was drawing to the end though I felt the hardhips being too heavily dragged.
Will the author remain successful or become stagnant by falling down while climbing up the stairs. How will BB and K10 react when they come across each other? Do read and find it for yourself!
Happy Reading !!!
The story revolves around BB who had been a quality writer and also had been awarded with several praises from his colleague. He plans to try his hands on writing his debut novel whereas on the other hand his college friend K10 was now a well established popular author.
As the story weaves one can find its just not about the struggle but the sacrifices a writer had to make in the journey of getting his/her book published. The hardships and the challenges have been highlighted. Besides the comparisons, the role of family and description of a beautiful bond of FRIENDSHIP and the feelings involved in them have also been beautifully portrayed.
The hunt for the publisher, marketing strategies, the bad world around you and other darker sides are not left in the race of mentioning. The fictional imagination about paperbacks is a proof for author's innovative thoughts. I personally, was touched with the technology description as the story was drawing to the end though I felt the hardhips being too heavily dragged.
Will the author remain successful or become stagnant by falling down while climbing up the stairs. How will BB and K10 react when they come across each other? Do read and find it for yourself!
Happy Reading !!!
September 18, 2013
Often we wish we could take on the world with our passion and not with our 9-5 job. Many of us do follow the dream to make it a reality. Success, though, comes to not many.
"Beaten By Bhagath" is about a man's passion to make it big with his writing, albeit a result of his ego and encouraging line from his sexy lady boss, he wants to overthrow the big name K-10; a celebrity author and his friend. Its about the dramatic roller-coaster ride of a debutante writer and his book.
There were times I flowed with the lucid narration while other times I went against it. However, I wished hinglish didn't make its cameo; I am not much of a fan of it. I loved the candid take on the current variety of books that are in fad. Divvaakar aptly points the reason for the new generation writers opting for very plain conversational style. As we see K-10 declaring that he doesn't want to write books that people can read only with a dictionary by the side. He wants to connect, not to overwhelm.The little details that penetrated my mind through the chapters held my attention throughout.
Its a fine read with good insights on the publishing world. Grab your "Beaten by Bhagath" if you are toying with the idea of publishing your (debut) book, and even if you aren't, go ahead... pic your copy, it has a few lessons of life to learn as well.
"Beaten By Bhagath" is about a man's passion to make it big with his writing, albeit a result of his ego and encouraging line from his sexy lady boss, he wants to overthrow the big name K-10; a celebrity author and his friend. Its about the dramatic roller-coaster ride of a debutante writer and his book.
There were times I flowed with the lucid narration while other times I went against it. However, I wished hinglish didn't make its cameo; I am not much of a fan of it. I loved the candid take on the current variety of books that are in fad. Divvaakar aptly points the reason for the new generation writers opting for very plain conversational style. As we see K-10 declaring that he doesn't want to write books that people can read only with a dictionary by the side. He wants to connect, not to overwhelm.The little details that penetrated my mind through the chapters held my attention throughout.
Its a fine read with good insights on the publishing world. Grab your "Beaten by Bhagath" if you are toying with the idea of publishing your (debut) book, and even if you aren't, go ahead... pic your copy, it has a few lessons of life to learn as well.
February 23, 2013
Dear Mr. BB,
I finished ur novel n found it quite entertaining, especially ur hilarious metaphors. Quite apt were they. I'll remember "ghanta books" and "alu" for a long time to come :) You will be happy to know that i didnt find it a "page-turner"!
From the title itself I could make out that this was a satire on Chetan Bhagat and his phenomenal success. However, that part of comparison didnt blend well with the storyline. This made the beginning chapters quite boring and disconnected from d rest of d narrative. But, once past the comparison, I had a wonderful time exploring the publishing world from a newbie's point of view. I kept guessing all d celebrities in ur novel and who they wud be in real life.
You got a few things very right,
1.A story should have just enough fiction to keep the reader guessing as to which part is fiction and which is real.
2. The ending seemed forced.
3. The writing should be simple for a breezy read. (not too verbose)
Though I have a question for u- How will non-native speakers of Hindi get all ur tongue-in-cheek repartee's? b'coz they were the best.
Thanks for the giveaway, Mr. Divvaakar!
I finished ur novel n found it quite entertaining, especially ur hilarious metaphors. Quite apt were they. I'll remember "ghanta books" and "alu" for a long time to come :) You will be happy to know that i didnt find it a "page-turner"!
From the title itself I could make out that this was a satire on Chetan Bhagat and his phenomenal success. However, that part of comparison didnt blend well with the storyline. This made the beginning chapters quite boring and disconnected from d rest of d narrative. But, once past the comparison, I had a wonderful time exploring the publishing world from a newbie's point of view. I kept guessing all d celebrities in ur novel and who they wud be in real life.
You got a few things very right,
1.A story should have just enough fiction to keep the reader guessing as to which part is fiction and which is real.
2. The ending seemed forced.
3. The writing should be simple for a breezy read. (not too verbose)
Though I have a question for u- How will non-native speakers of Hindi get all ur tongue-in-cheek repartee's? b'coz they were the best.
Thanks for the giveaway, Mr. Divvaakar!
March 4, 2013
When I got it and read the first 9 lines, which were written as a poetry altogether, given me some perspective about the matter I will be reading in next 192 pages.These were the likable lines -
A Tale Of two Writers
They went to the same college,
Even stayed in the same room,
One saw his popularity zoom
The other sank into depths of gloom.
Their books, they had the same grace
They ran together, the same race.
One rose to the sky and became a star;
One crashed and burned, with a lifelong scar.
The story revolves around a successful analyst in an MNC, who always had a magic touch in his words but realizes when his lady boss told her that he can beat Ketan Bhagath by his writing. Dazzled by her words he starts his voyage to beat his old roommate, who once promised to be friends for ever. Later Ketan (or K-10 ) became a writer of some bestsellers and became a phenomena of success in the literature world. Bitten by the ego-bug, adherent BB decides to beat Bhagath by writing a ‘better’ novel. And while chasing the dream of creating a best seller, BB learns a lot about the dirty secrets of the publishing industry.
A Tale Of two Writers
They went to the same college,
Even stayed in the same room,
One saw his popularity zoom
The other sank into depths of gloom.
Their books, they had the same grace
They ran together, the same race.
One rose to the sky and became a star;
One crashed and burned, with a lifelong scar.
The story revolves around a successful analyst in an MNC, who always had a magic touch in his words but realizes when his lady boss told her that he can beat Ketan Bhagath by his writing. Dazzled by her words he starts his voyage to beat his old roommate, who once promised to be friends for ever. Later Ketan (or K-10 ) became a writer of some bestsellers and became a phenomena of success in the literature world. Bitten by the ego-bug, adherent BB decides to beat Bhagath by writing a ‘better’ novel. And while chasing the dream of creating a best seller, BB learns a lot about the dirty secrets of the publishing industry.
January 31, 2013
An entertaining take on the harrowed journey of a debut author in the Indian publishing industry peppered with hilarious anecdotes, smart thought-provoking insights and takeaways. A fun read till the last parts - I thought the ending a little tame though and that took some of the sheen out of the read. I would have liked any other alternate ending 'coz the end parts felt very disconnected to the entire narrative and felt more like a force-fitted ending.
But all the same, a great authoritative insider look on the publishing process with brilliant examples of what to do and more importantly what NOT to do once your book is out there on the chopping block.
Would applaud this effort and recommend this book any day to a newbie trying to get his feet wet in the writing industry 'coz it reads like a treasure trove of insights and lessons.
Here's a detailed review : http://bit.ly/WCbzw3
But all the same, a great authoritative insider look on the publishing process with brilliant examples of what to do and more importantly what NOT to do once your book is out there on the chopping block.
Would applaud this effort and recommend this book any day to a newbie trying to get his feet wet in the writing industry 'coz it reads like a treasure trove of insights and lessons.
Here's a detailed review : http://bit.ly/WCbzw3
March 6, 2013
Mr.Bhagath! Wouldn't everyone love to hate him? Love him, hate him one cannot deny that he is the one to beat in the Indian Writing Arena at least as far as mooolah churning goes. Hasnt he made IIT-IIM-turned-writer syndrome a fad? First there was brain-drain, now there is novel-drain as far as Indian engineering talent is concerned :P
That out of my system, this isn't about Mr.Bhagath,is it? Its about this sort of interesting novel by Mr.Divaakar. Its a must read for any one who wants to publish a book someday. The idea of being a published author crops up easily but to really implement it is difficult and how! Thats what this book puts forth really nicely and it was good to know certain facts about the publishing in India.
That out of my system, this isn't about Mr.Bhagath,is it? Its about this sort of interesting novel by Mr.Divaakar. Its a must read for any one who wants to publish a book someday. The idea of being a published author crops up easily but to really implement it is difficult and how! Thats what this book puts forth really nicely and it was good to know certain facts about the publishing in India.
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