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The Book of Answers
There’s nothing more dangerous than a book no one has read.
All that Patros Patranobis wants is to be left alone – to live his ordinary, unremarkable life with Rose, the woman he has not married, and Tippy, the son he has not fathered. But one day, he receives a mysterious, metal-bound book, a bequest from a long-dead ancestor. In its pages, he is told, are answers to all the world’s problems. There’s only one hitch: The Book of Answers is locked. Its key is hidden somewhere in Kerala.
But Patros doesn’t really want to make the world a better place. Eager to be rid of this burdensome book, he sells it to a junk shop. And that is when the madness begins. Within months, The Book of Answers reappears in the hands of a godman claiming that through it, God speaks to him. The godman is soon advising the most powerful politician in the land, the ruthless Ishwar Prasad. Citing The Book of Answers as the divine source, Ishwar Prasad unleashes a slew of Orwellian laws.
The India 50-50 Law proposes dividing the country into two, with rich states in one cluster and poor in the other.
The Happiness Tax imposes a levy on sexual intercourse, replete with amnesty schemes for voluntary disclosure, and tax havens where you can have sex for nothing.
The FYI Act legalizes cheating in examinations making it mandatory for answers to exam questions to be made available all over the campus.
Trivial Courts are set up all over the land, where anyone may accuse anyone else of anything, and be judged and sentenced by anyone with a little free time that morning. Soon the country is squabbling.
A Grey Area is set up to quarantine people who think too much.
A Ministry of Errors and Regrets is formed, to apologize in public each time the government announces yet another atrocious measure.
Pushed by his friends and Rose, Patros tries to undo the harm he has unleashed by his sale of the book but only gets embroiled deeper in intrigue and politics. In the process, he becomes a reluctant hero to an embattled and confused nation. Finally, he is left with no option but to make the journey to Kerala in search of the key. But nothing could have prepared him for what he finds there.
All that Patros Patranobis wants is to be left alone – to live his ordinary, unremarkable life with Rose, the woman he has not married, and Tippy, the son he has not fathered. But one day, he receives a mysterious, metal-bound book, a bequest from a long-dead ancestor. In its pages, he is told, are answers to all the world’s problems. There’s only one hitch: The Book of Answers is locked. Its key is hidden somewhere in Kerala.
But Patros doesn’t really want to make the world a better place. Eager to be rid of this burdensome book, he sells it to a junk shop. And that is when the madness begins. Within months, The Book of Answers reappears in the hands of a godman claiming that through it, God speaks to him. The godman is soon advising the most powerful politician in the land, the ruthless Ishwar Prasad. Citing The Book of Answers as the divine source, Ishwar Prasad unleashes a slew of Orwellian laws.
The India 50-50 Law proposes dividing the country into two, with rich states in one cluster and poor in the other.
The Happiness Tax imposes a levy on sexual intercourse, replete with amnesty schemes for voluntary disclosure, and tax havens where you can have sex for nothing.
The FYI Act legalizes cheating in examinations making it mandatory for answers to exam questions to be made available all over the campus.
Trivial Courts are set up all over the land, where anyone may accuse anyone else of anything, and be judged and sentenced by anyone with a little free time that morning. Soon the country is squabbling.
A Grey Area is set up to quarantine people who think too much.
A Ministry of Errors and Regrets is formed, to apologize in public each time the government announces yet another atrocious measure.
Pushed by his friends and Rose, Patros tries to undo the harm he has unleashed by his sale of the book but only gets embroiled deeper in intrigue and politics. In the process, he becomes a reluctant hero to an embattled and confused nation. Finally, he is left with no option but to make the journey to Kerala in search of the key. But nothing could have prepared him for what he finds there.
337 pages, Hardcover
First published June 27, 2011
3 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
C.Y. Gopinath
4 books20 followersMy newest novel, Hoyt’s War , is a sharply funny, dystopian satire about America’s descent into an idiocracy under a Trump-like president called Barry Codbag.
Trump himself apparently doesn't like it. I hope you read it soon, and share it with every sane American you know.
I never thought I could ever write a book. Being a journalist sometimes does that to you. But now I’m working on my fifth and sixth books, one of them fiction and the other not.
My first novel, The Book of Answers was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Best Fiction.
I've been writing as long as I can remember, but fiction only since 2005. Traveling to places that intrigued me — which led to my first book, Travels with the Fish , published by HarperCollins in 1998. It stayed a best-seller in India for two years.
In writing Hoyt’s War, I could not travel to all the American cities and landscapes I was describing, so I did the next best thing — I used Google Maps Street View. I wonder if anyone can tell.
Every breath is a wonder, every day is a journey, and i can't wait to get up in the morning.
Trump himself apparently doesn't like it. I hope you read it soon, and share it with every sane American you know.
I never thought I could ever write a book. Being a journalist sometimes does that to you. But now I’m working on my fifth and sixth books, one of them fiction and the other not.
My first novel, The Book of Answers was shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Best Fiction.
I've been writing as long as I can remember, but fiction only since 2005. Traveling to places that intrigued me — which led to my first book, Travels with the Fish , published by HarperCollins in 1998. It stayed a best-seller in India for two years.
In writing Hoyt’s War, I could not travel to all the American cities and landscapes I was describing, so I did the next best thing — I used Google Maps Street View. I wonder if anyone can tell.
Every breath is a wonder, every day is a journey, and i can't wait to get up in the morning.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 2, 2017
ce livre est très drôle
May 3, 2012
CY Gopinath's 'The Book Of Answers', richly deserves its place on this year's Commonwealth Book Award shortlist.
No doubt, it is a strange and unusual book. It seems entirely fitting that it should arrive in a strange and unusual way: published with sub-continental rights only by HarperCollins last year, the author has taken it upon himself to reach a wider audience by self-publishing. It is fully available by the e-book platform Smashwords.
Not that such things unduly matter much when it comes to content. And it is there that the real uniqueness of'The Book Of Answers' lies. Set in an Orwellian near-future in India, the story revolves around a happily unremarkable man by the name of Patros Patranobis, whose life of inconsequence is shattered when he receives a hefty, metal-bound book, an apparent bequest from some ancient relative.
The Book Of Answers purports to solve all the world's problems, but it can only be opened by a key to be found somewhere in Kerala. So Patronobis does what any self-respecting unremarkable, inconsequential man would do when faced such a burdensome situation: he sells the book to a second-hand skin-flick store for thirty-five rupees.
Months later, the book reappears in the hands of a self-styled (and faintly familiar) Godman, who is acting as spiritual adviser to one of India's most powerful politicians, Ishwar Prasad. Claiming divine intervention, Prasad passes a slew of laws designed to consolidate his push for power: the FYI Act, legalising cheating in examinations; the Happiness Tax, imposing a levy on sexual intercourse, and the 50-50 Law, proposing to partition India into two states: rich and poor. All laws, according to Prasad, which have been passed down from his Godman via the book - and thus, by inference, by God himself. Unbeknown to the public, the book remains unopened, because only one man is capable of finding the key. Not that its self-appointed guardians are in any rush to find it: as the author points out, there is nothing more dangerous than a book no-one has read.
The more the bumbling, endearing Patronobis tries to extricate himself from his situation and return to his anonymous, quiet life, the deeper he becomes inveigled in the political conspiracy. With each speech designed to resign his assigned role as some kind of national liberator-in-waiting, he becomes more of a talisman, his reticence mistaken for humility.
Eventually, inevitably, Kerala beckons. But who or what he will find there is unclear to everyone, not least Patronobis, as this bizarre, unpredictable, utterly readable novel winds towards its conclusion.
What makes 'The Book Of Answers' so good is that behind the general, clumsy humour, the preposterous satires on corruptive power and the life-affirming ode to ambivalence, lies a serious essay on faith and trust, and an example of the shocking ease with which it is is possible to manipulate the masses.
The concept behind the FYI Act would be laughable if it hadn't already been pursued in various diluted forms in the real world: think, by way of a random example, of Hugo Chavez pandering directly to the poor and hitherto disenfranchised communities of Venezuela.
This is a fine, thought-provoking book. Some parts are destined to remain unfathomable - I'm not sure I will ever fully understand what the role of the Circus Lady was in the general conspiracy) - but that's kind of the point. What is clear is it deserves its place on the shortlist, and beyond that, on the shelves of western bookstores.
No doubt, it is a strange and unusual book. It seems entirely fitting that it should arrive in a strange and unusual way: published with sub-continental rights only by HarperCollins last year, the author has taken it upon himself to reach a wider audience by self-publishing. It is fully available by the e-book platform Smashwords.
Not that such things unduly matter much when it comes to content. And it is there that the real uniqueness of'The Book Of Answers' lies. Set in an Orwellian near-future in India, the story revolves around a happily unremarkable man by the name of Patros Patranobis, whose life of inconsequence is shattered when he receives a hefty, metal-bound book, an apparent bequest from some ancient relative.
The Book Of Answers purports to solve all the world's problems, but it can only be opened by a key to be found somewhere in Kerala. So Patronobis does what any self-respecting unremarkable, inconsequential man would do when faced such a burdensome situation: he sells the book to a second-hand skin-flick store for thirty-five rupees.
Months later, the book reappears in the hands of a self-styled (and faintly familiar) Godman, who is acting as spiritual adviser to one of India's most powerful politicians, Ishwar Prasad. Claiming divine intervention, Prasad passes a slew of laws designed to consolidate his push for power: the FYI Act, legalising cheating in examinations; the Happiness Tax, imposing a levy on sexual intercourse, and the 50-50 Law, proposing to partition India into two states: rich and poor. All laws, according to Prasad, which have been passed down from his Godman via the book - and thus, by inference, by God himself. Unbeknown to the public, the book remains unopened, because only one man is capable of finding the key. Not that its self-appointed guardians are in any rush to find it: as the author points out, there is nothing more dangerous than a book no-one has read.
The more the bumbling, endearing Patronobis tries to extricate himself from his situation and return to his anonymous, quiet life, the deeper he becomes inveigled in the political conspiracy. With each speech designed to resign his assigned role as some kind of national liberator-in-waiting, he becomes more of a talisman, his reticence mistaken for humility.
Eventually, inevitably, Kerala beckons. But who or what he will find there is unclear to everyone, not least Patronobis, as this bizarre, unpredictable, utterly readable novel winds towards its conclusion.
What makes 'The Book Of Answers' so good is that behind the general, clumsy humour, the preposterous satires on corruptive power and the life-affirming ode to ambivalence, lies a serious essay on faith and trust, and an example of the shocking ease with which it is is possible to manipulate the masses.
The concept behind the FYI Act would be laughable if it hadn't already been pursued in various diluted forms in the real world: think, by way of a random example, of Hugo Chavez pandering directly to the poor and hitherto disenfranchised communities of Venezuela.
This is a fine, thought-provoking book. Some parts are destined to remain unfathomable - I'm not sure I will ever fully understand what the role of the Circus Lady was in the general conspiracy) - but that's kind of the point. What is clear is it deserves its place on the shortlist, and beyond that, on the shelves of western bookstores.
May 20, 2012
In an near-future alternate-reality India, the Supreme Commander establishes a Ministry of Regrets whose function is to publicly apologise for the mistakes of the Government (of which there are many). It's only one of the myriad of bizarre elements to the story that fly at you thick and fast, and makes The Book of Answers experience an engaging one.
The Ministry of Regrets also reflects my thoughts about this review. After receiving a PDF copy directly from the author, for which I am extremely grateful, I was hoping to give it an unambiguous 5 star rating. Regretfully this hasn't happened...
At its best, The Book of Answers hits a big six (for those more familiar with baseball than cricket, it hits the ball out of the park) - it can be funny, insightful, irreverent, engaging and enchanting all at once. But after a blistering opening partnership that racked up some quick-fire runs, the next few wickets fell cheaply. It's a roller-coaster of a novel in every sense of the word.
I suspect that I would have enjoyed The Book of Answers more if I'd been more familiar with Indian politics. The Book is dripping with satirical comment, but I suspect that some of it simply went over my head. I also suspect that some of the humour (of which there is a lot!) fell a bit flatter than it might otherwise have done.
My rating has swung wildly for this novel. At the start I was thinking 4 stars, then I thought it might nudge 5. And then I hit a fairly long patch where I really struggled, and then I started enjoying it again. And then I hit the end, which I thought was quite powerful. How do you rate something that triggers such a variable response? I started this review thinking I'd take the easy option and give it 3 stars, but the reality is that for me it fell a little bit short of this when considered as a total package.
In retrospect, I probably wasn't the best person to review this book, as I generally shy away from this genre of fiction. However, if you are a lover of quirky satirical comedy, please don't be turned off by my lukewarm response - it's not a bad novel by any means, and you'll probably love it. Any novel with so many flashes of obvious brilliance needs to be given a chance.
The Ministry of Regrets also reflects my thoughts about this review. After receiving a PDF copy directly from the author, for which I am extremely grateful, I was hoping to give it an unambiguous 5 star rating. Regretfully this hasn't happened...
At its best, The Book of Answers hits a big six (for those more familiar with baseball than cricket, it hits the ball out of the park) - it can be funny, insightful, irreverent, engaging and enchanting all at once. But after a blistering opening partnership that racked up some quick-fire runs, the next few wickets fell cheaply. It's a roller-coaster of a novel in every sense of the word.
I suspect that I would have enjoyed The Book of Answers more if I'd been more familiar with Indian politics. The Book is dripping with satirical comment, but I suspect that some of it simply went over my head. I also suspect that some of the humour (of which there is a lot!) fell a bit flatter than it might otherwise have done.
My rating has swung wildly for this novel. At the start I was thinking 4 stars, then I thought it might nudge 5. And then I hit a fairly long patch where I really struggled, and then I started enjoying it again. And then I hit the end, which I thought was quite powerful. How do you rate something that triggers such a variable response? I started this review thinking I'd take the easy option and give it 3 stars, but the reality is that for me it fell a little bit short of this when considered as a total package.
In retrospect, I probably wasn't the best person to review this book, as I generally shy away from this genre of fiction. However, if you are a lover of quirky satirical comedy, please don't be turned off by my lukewarm response - it's not a bad novel by any means, and you'll probably love it. Any novel with so many flashes of obvious brilliance needs to be given a chance.
March 31, 2016
This is...an odd book.
There are no two ways about it. It's a book of contradictions in every way possible. The protagonist (the unfortunate recipient of the eponymous Book of Answers) is at once a man of profound courage and a spineless twit. It's a book that asks questions at a rate equivalent to the solutions it proffers. The writing style oscillates similarly with almost dizzying speed, between the poetic and the surreal.
In many ways, however, it's this contrariness which is perhaps most suited to its setting and narrative. Set in India, The Book of Answers attempts to highlight the rampant corruption and inefficacy which plagues the Indian political system. From the implementation of a Happiness Tax (a levy on sexual intercourse) to the establishment of a Ministry of Errors and Regrets to issue formal apologies in tandem with (or even in advance of) horrific government laws, this not-entirely parodic version of India is transformed into a Stalinist state fueled by an encouragement of deceit, ignorance, and corruption. This leaves Patros Patranobis with no choice other than to find the key to The Book of Answers and attempt to take down the government.
Gopinath's novel is undeniably entertaining. However, it is also moulded by the unique paradigms of modern India; a fact which might cause difficulties for a reader unfamiliar with the country's Zeitgeist. In many ways, this makes The Book of Answers all the more deserving of its nomination for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize Shortlist. After all, the India that Gopinath reveals to us is, ultimately, the product of British colonialism and the bureaucratic nightmare that is its legacy.
There are no two ways about it. It's a book of contradictions in every way possible. The protagonist (the unfortunate recipient of the eponymous Book of Answers) is at once a man of profound courage and a spineless twit. It's a book that asks questions at a rate equivalent to the solutions it proffers. The writing style oscillates similarly with almost dizzying speed, between the poetic and the surreal.
In many ways, however, it's this contrariness which is perhaps most suited to its setting and narrative. Set in India, The Book of Answers attempts to highlight the rampant corruption and inefficacy which plagues the Indian political system. From the implementation of a Happiness Tax (a levy on sexual intercourse) to the establishment of a Ministry of Errors and Regrets to issue formal apologies in tandem with (or even in advance of) horrific government laws, this not-entirely parodic version of India is transformed into a Stalinist state fueled by an encouragement of deceit, ignorance, and corruption. This leaves Patros Patranobis with no choice other than to find the key to The Book of Answers and attempt to take down the government.
Gopinath's novel is undeniably entertaining. However, it is also moulded by the unique paradigms of modern India; a fact which might cause difficulties for a reader unfamiliar with the country's Zeitgeist. In many ways, this makes The Book of Answers all the more deserving of its nomination for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize Shortlist. After all, the India that Gopinath reveals to us is, ultimately, the product of British colonialism and the bureaucratic nightmare that is its legacy.
October 29, 2011
'The Books of Answers' is of Orwellian proportions, bordering the absurd. It is a social satire, critical of contemporary Indian society with all its nastiness and corruption. With plenty of humour and an open eye for the minor details of every day life in India, Gopinath's books promises to be an engaging read.
A plethora of characters litter the novel and, apart from Patros Patranobis, we're also introduced to the corrupt police officer, the unscrupulous politician, the young rebel, and the good Samaritan. On top of all these, we have Mumbai, the city itself, a place that constantly suppresses its inhabitants. Voicu Mihnea Simandan
A plethora of characters litter the novel and, apart from Patros Patranobis, we're also introduced to the corrupt police officer, the unscrupulous politician, the young rebel, and the good Samaritan. On top of all these, we have Mumbai, the city itself, a place that constantly suppresses its inhabitants. Voicu Mihnea Simandan
April 30, 2012
This book has been shortlisted for the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews