What do you think?
Rate this book
As Boys Become Men
Freedom, friends and fun. That’s how most of us remember our college years. But for those studying to get into the coveted Indian Civil Services, college life acquires an additional layer. As Boys Become Men revolves around three such boys, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep, who set out together to crack the Civil Services exam. Narrated by the thoughtful and intense Mihir, this book explores college life, friendship, romance, leaving home and adjusting to a new environment, and describes how negotiating the path between dharma and desire, love and lust, can be tricky.
A sparkling story of the bond between a boisterous trio, the book will take you on a journey of discovery, where boys become men, and students become civil servants. In the course the book also ends up telling us what not to do when writing the Civil Services exam. A slice-of-life tale with a ‘Mona Lisa’ flavour that offers fun and romance aplenty, this book also imparts philosophical truths that will help every young person out to discover life.
A sparkling story of the bond between a boisterous trio, the book will take you on a journey of discovery, where boys become men, and students become civil servants. In the course the book also ends up telling us what not to do when writing the Civil Services exam. A slice-of-life tale with a ‘Mona Lisa’ flavour that offers fun and romance aplenty, this book also imparts philosophical truths that will help every young person out to discover life.
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2016
5 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 19, 2019
Follow Just A Girl High On Books for more reviews.
I received a copy of this book as part of Outset review program.
Okay, now before I begin, I just want to make one thing very clear. The book, when I received it, was not in a very nice condition. I had ordered it from Amazon and a). I got a very late delivery and b). when I did get a delivery, my copy was tattered. It was literally divided into two separate pieces and there were pages that were completely smudged. How THAT happened, I cannot even imagine! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that if the seller is sending something during monsoon, then I guess that person should be aware of the fact that it IS monsoon! The book should have been protected accordingly. It was as if they didn't even care about the fact that it was a book and should be respected. Gosh, I mean, the pages were so wet! I guess what I'm trying to say is that if it is monsoon then people who pack things should keep that in mind. Heck, even India Post ensures the things don't get wet during rains. And let me remind you, the months of July and August are packed with rain. But I guess I'm saying this in the beginning so that I can fully explain how my reading experience wasn't great even before I began the book.
Alright, rant over. Now moving to the book.
As Boys Become Men is the story of three boys, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep as they grow from boys and become more matured men. It is the story of how these boys turn from cribbing idiots to men who can take full responsibility for their actions.
Well, to begin, the plot of the book wasn't that unusual. Students preparing for Civil Services has often been used a lot in Indian literature and initially I thought it was just like that. But then, I'm a sucker for comedies and I figured, I might as well give it a go. Which, I'm going to say wasn't that much of an enlightening experience. I mean, the book was great and everything but I doubt it was that funny. So in other words, the book wasn't as true to its blurb as it was supposed to be.
Moving on, I think the writing style of the author was nice and decent. The language was simple and lucid and I didn't have any problems in reading (apart from the smudged ink at the edges) and it kept the flow going. I guess the fact that the book was in third person helped it a lot. There are a lot many stories where people keep on changing first person POVs and after a point, it just gets tiring. I can't tell one from the other. So that was good.
What bothered me was that it was a little slow in its pace. I mean, I get that there couldn't have been much going on to make it "run" considering how it wasn't a thriller but I still think the pace could have been improved a lot by adding or deleting scenes here and there.
Now remember my earlier comment about lack of humour? Well, let me just rectify that to you before I end it. The book had humour. There were points when I even laughed out loud but all of that was rather short-lived. So when you read this review, and you try to figure out whether or not to buy it, just remember what it is about and don't expect too much fun because it is also a serious novel (in a way—I mean, it tries to impart philosophical knowledge to aspirants so I guess it kind of is serious) and then, buy it. Because the writing style was fine, it wasn't that bad. So I guess there isn't much harm done.
I received a copy of this book as part of Outset review program.
Okay, now before I begin, I just want to make one thing very clear. The book, when I received it, was not in a very nice condition. I had ordered it from Amazon and a). I got a very late delivery and b). when I did get a delivery, my copy was tattered. It was literally divided into two separate pieces and there were pages that were completely smudged. How THAT happened, I cannot even imagine! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that if the seller is sending something during monsoon, then I guess that person should be aware of the fact that it IS monsoon! The book should have been protected accordingly. It was as if they didn't even care about the fact that it was a book and should be respected. Gosh, I mean, the pages were so wet! I guess what I'm trying to say is that if it is monsoon then people who pack things should keep that in mind. Heck, even India Post ensures the things don't get wet during rains. And let me remind you, the months of July and August are packed with rain. But I guess I'm saying this in the beginning so that I can fully explain how my reading experience wasn't great even before I began the book.
Alright, rant over. Now moving to the book.
As Boys Become Men is the story of three boys, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep as they grow from boys and become more matured men. It is the story of how these boys turn from cribbing idiots to men who can take full responsibility for their actions.
Well, to begin, the plot of the book wasn't that unusual. Students preparing for Civil Services has often been used a lot in Indian literature and initially I thought it was just like that. But then, I'm a sucker for comedies and I figured, I might as well give it a go. Which, I'm going to say wasn't that much of an enlightening experience. I mean, the book was great and everything but I doubt it was that funny. So in other words, the book wasn't as true to its blurb as it was supposed to be.
Moving on, I think the writing style of the author was nice and decent. The language was simple and lucid and I didn't have any problems in reading (apart from the smudged ink at the edges) and it kept the flow going. I guess the fact that the book was in third person helped it a lot. There are a lot many stories where people keep on changing first person POVs and after a point, it just gets tiring. I can't tell one from the other. So that was good.
What bothered me was that it was a little slow in its pace. I mean, I get that there couldn't have been much going on to make it "run" considering how it wasn't a thriller but I still think the pace could have been improved a lot by adding or deleting scenes here and there.
Now remember my earlier comment about lack of humour? Well, let me just rectify that to you before I end it. The book had humour. There were points when I even laughed out loud but all of that was rather short-lived. So when you read this review, and you try to figure out whether or not to buy it, just remember what it is about and don't expect too much fun because it is also a serious novel (in a way—I mean, it tries to impart philosophical knowledge to aspirants so I guess it kind of is serious) and then, buy it. Because the writing style was fine, it wasn't that bad. So I guess there isn't much harm done.
December 3, 2021
Okay, now before I begin, I just want to make one thing very clear. The book, when I received it, was not in a very nice condition. I had ordered it from Amazon and a). I got a very late delivery and b). when I did get a delivery, my copy was tattered. It was literally divided into two separate pieces and there were pages that were completely smudged. How THAT happened, I cannot even imagine! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that if the seller is sending something during monsoon, then I guess that person should be aware of the fact that it IS monsoon! The book should have been protected accordingly. It was as if they didn't even care about the fact that it was a book and should be respected. Gosh, I mean, the pages were so wet! I guess what I'm trying to say is that if it is monsoon then people who pack things should keep that in mind. Heck, even India Post ensures the things don't get wet during rains. And let me remind you, the months of July and August are packed with rain. But I guess I'm saying this in the beginning so that I can fully explain how my reading experience wasn't great even before I began the book.
Alright, rant over. Now moving to the book.
As Boys Become Men is the story of three boys, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep as they grow from boys and become more matured men. It is the story of how these boys turn from cribbing idiots to men who can take full responsibility for their actions.
Well, to begin, the plot of the book wasn't that unusual. Students preparing for Civil Services has often been used a lot in Indian literature and initially I thought it was just like that. But then, I'm a sucker for comedies and I figured, I might as well give it a go. Which, I'm going to say wasn't that much of an enlightening experience. I mean, the book was great and everything but I doubt it was that funny. So in other words, the book wasn't as true to its blurb as it was supposed to be.
Moving on, I think the writing style of the author was nice and decent. The language was simple and lucid and I didn't have any problems in reading (apart from the smudged ink at the edges) and it kept the flow going. I guess the fact that the book was in third person helped it a lot. There are a lot many stories where people keep on changing first person POVs and after a point, it just gets tiring. I can't tell one from the other. So that was good.
What bothered me was that it was a little slow in its pace. I mean, I get that there couldn't have been much going on to make it "run" considering how it wasn't a thriller but I still think the pace could have been improved a lot by adding or deleting scenes here and there.
Now remember my earlier comment about lack of humour? Well, let me just rectify that to you before I end it. The book had humour. There were points when I even laughed out loud but all of that was rather short-lived. So when you read this review, and you try to figure out whether or not to buy it, just remember what it is about and don't expect too much fun because it is also a serious novel (in a way—I mean, it tries to impart philosophical knowledge to aspirants so I guess it kind of is serious) and then, buy it. Because the writing style was fine, it wasn't that bad. So I guess there isn't much harm done.
Alright, rant over. Now moving to the book.
As Boys Become Men is the story of three boys, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep as they grow from boys and become more matured men. It is the story of how these boys turn from cribbing idiots to men who can take full responsibility for their actions.
Well, to begin, the plot of the book wasn't that unusual. Students preparing for Civil Services has often been used a lot in Indian literature and initially I thought it was just like that. But then, I'm a sucker for comedies and I figured, I might as well give it a go. Which, I'm going to say wasn't that much of an enlightening experience. I mean, the book was great and everything but I doubt it was that funny. So in other words, the book wasn't as true to its blurb as it was supposed to be.
Moving on, I think the writing style of the author was nice and decent. The language was simple and lucid and I didn't have any problems in reading (apart from the smudged ink at the edges) and it kept the flow going. I guess the fact that the book was in third person helped it a lot. There are a lot many stories where people keep on changing first person POVs and after a point, it just gets tiring. I can't tell one from the other. So that was good.
What bothered me was that it was a little slow in its pace. I mean, I get that there couldn't have been much going on to make it "run" considering how it wasn't a thriller but I still think the pace could have been improved a lot by adding or deleting scenes here and there.
Now remember my earlier comment about lack of humour? Well, let me just rectify that to you before I end it. The book had humour. There were points when I even laughed out loud but all of that was rather short-lived. So when you read this review, and you try to figure out whether or not to buy it, just remember what it is about and don't expect too much fun because it is also a serious novel (in a way—I mean, it tries to impart philosophical knowledge to aspirants so I guess it kind of is serious) and then, buy it. Because the writing style was fine, it wasn't that bad. So I guess there isn't much harm done.
July 4, 2019
As Boys Become Men
“As boys Become Men” is moralistic and preachy and is having a very beautiful and tender story about the lives of three comrades. The story is all about three college mates from Bihar and they are having a life moto of clearing Civil Service examination. The boys grapple a lot as they carry lot of presupposition from their respective middle-class families. They find it remarkably strenuous to put their foot down at Delhi as cost of living of the Metro city is huge. The story is all about their initial struggles for accommodation, expensive high-cost classes etc. They face huge obstruction one after another and the three friends finding resolutions to their problems among themselves. Will it be a success? rest is the story. Please read.
Style of Writing: -
The writing style of Mukul Kumar is very simple and elegant. The author decently tried to touch few socio issues thru the book. The book is having wonderful characters and lovely language, but in the middle, it becomes a bit preachy and slow. Mukul Kumar managed to introduce the new generation with such unfeigned emotion, that I couldn't help but to give in and loathe them just as much as the original characters. The only catch I found by reading this book is one or two words used frequently eg. (Melancholy)… apart from this, the writing is too skilled.
Characterization
I still love Mihir. He is such an acute and witty character, and Mukul Kumar has written about him with a lot of shallowness. There is much more of an ongoing plot in this one, even though stories of each personality make up to that plot. I found it much more engaging. It takes the basic formula of Friendship, Motivation, Achieving your life Goals etc. The story is perhaps somewhat realistic, and it provides several healthy values lessons to become a success person in life.
While I think that this book can be enjoyed by all ages, it is written for the young. It’s a wonderful adventure of an adult and his true friends, the type of story I would have devoured as a child. There are few-romances, but it surely didn’t spoil the story and there are good lessons and interesting characters.
Fathers and mothers are too absorbed in business and housekeeping to study their children and cherish that sweet and natural confidence which is a child’s surest safeguard, and a parent’s subtlest power So the young hearts hide trouble and struggles for success in life. The main theme of the book is about achieving your goal thru hard work.
All in all, I would say this is a solid four. Right smack dab in the middle. There is sweetness, sentiment and truth throughout. It is uplifting and inspiring and if you want to be a better person please read it.
In short, this book will motivate to take a deep and honest inventory of who we are and what choices we need to make to create a better life for our self.
“As boys Become Men” is moralistic and preachy and is having a very beautiful and tender story about the lives of three comrades. The story is all about three college mates from Bihar and they are having a life moto of clearing Civil Service examination. The boys grapple a lot as they carry lot of presupposition from their respective middle-class families. They find it remarkably strenuous to put their foot down at Delhi as cost of living of the Metro city is huge. The story is all about their initial struggles for accommodation, expensive high-cost classes etc. They face huge obstruction one after another and the three friends finding resolutions to their problems among themselves. Will it be a success? rest is the story. Please read.
Style of Writing: -
The writing style of Mukul Kumar is very simple and elegant. The author decently tried to touch few socio issues thru the book. The book is having wonderful characters and lovely language, but in the middle, it becomes a bit preachy and slow. Mukul Kumar managed to introduce the new generation with such unfeigned emotion, that I couldn't help but to give in and loathe them just as much as the original characters. The only catch I found by reading this book is one or two words used frequently eg. (Melancholy)… apart from this, the writing is too skilled.
Characterization
I still love Mihir. He is such an acute and witty character, and Mukul Kumar has written about him with a lot of shallowness. There is much more of an ongoing plot in this one, even though stories of each personality make up to that plot. I found it much more engaging. It takes the basic formula of Friendship, Motivation, Achieving your life Goals etc. The story is perhaps somewhat realistic, and it provides several healthy values lessons to become a success person in life.
While I think that this book can be enjoyed by all ages, it is written for the young. It’s a wonderful adventure of an adult and his true friends, the type of story I would have devoured as a child. There are few-romances, but it surely didn’t spoil the story and there are good lessons and interesting characters.
Fathers and mothers are too absorbed in business and housekeeping to study their children and cherish that sweet and natural confidence which is a child’s surest safeguard, and a parent’s subtlest power So the young hearts hide trouble and struggles for success in life. The main theme of the book is about achieving your goal thru hard work.
All in all, I would say this is a solid four. Right smack dab in the middle. There is sweetness, sentiment and truth throughout. It is uplifting and inspiring and if you want to be a better person please read it.
In short, this book will motivate to take a deep and honest inventory of who we are and what choices we need to make to create a better life for our self.
July 2, 2019
I picked up this book thinking that this might be some romantic comedy on college life but to my surprise, it turned out completely different. I would like to mention that I loved the cover design. The book is about three boys- friends Mihir, Uday and Sandeep. The story starts and fall into flashback, at that point I felt like this is going to be light read on boys college life where they fall in love, celebrate days but in this one, they started preparing for their Indian civil service examinations. How they got interested and preparation phase etc. and along with that the other factors such as friendship, romance, leaving home etc have been mentioned. I worked in teaching field and also cleared GPSC so I know about IAS exam and it’s way too more tough that one can ever imagine. So I have a huge respect for IAS officers and I have seen and met few people also preparing for it. If we talk about the book, the plot is different and unique. The book is written in simple and easily understandable language so that everyone can enjoy it, especially students, for whom it is a must read. But I felt some how I was expecting more twists and turns into a story. For me it’s like a diary of civil service aspirant. But I recommend this to students because nowadays when I look around, students don’t have any motivation for study, job, or to opt a good career. Very few young kids have that. And clearly in the era of mobile phones and high speed internet, it’s really difficult to focus on such things also. It’s not entirely their fault. So this will work as motivation or as a guide for them. Overall good one.
"I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset" with a hyperlink to https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
"I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset" with a hyperlink to https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
July 11, 2019
Full review on my blog:
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2019/07/bo...
Mihir who is a government employee has just shifted to a new place and is unhappy about not getting an official accommodation. But his unhappiness is not just about his job or the accommodation but something more that has been bothering him. His wife suggests that he needs to explore his other interest — writing, and what best to bring from life to words than his own struggle and journey of preparing for the Civil Services Exam. Thus Mihir goes back in time recollecting his life from coming out of college to preparing full time for the Services, the time spent with his roommates and close friends and ultimately how the young boys turn men and crack this exam.
The story goes back and forth recollecting the time when the friends come from Bihar to Delhi like a majority of middle class boys aspiring to make their mark in this competitive and brutal world. The story is not just about the college fun and bromance of the men but about more serious and practical issues faced by young people when they shift to a new place and struggle to adjust to the circumstances. Of course the book is also a primer on the do’s and dont’s for aspirants who have the sole purpose of cracking the Civil Services.
The story is not just filled with drama hence can feel slow at places. Also, the writing and narration style of the author are different hence it will take the reader sometime to get pulled into the book. While there are many books coming out with college backdrop, the main characters Mihir, Uday and Sandeep are sure to win hearts in their own way.
If you are also an aspirant like the protagonists and if you are looking to pick a book which is realistic and different from the glossy college stories, then this one is a must read.
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2019/07/bo...
Mihir who is a government employee has just shifted to a new place and is unhappy about not getting an official accommodation. But his unhappiness is not just about his job or the accommodation but something more that has been bothering him. His wife suggests that he needs to explore his other interest — writing, and what best to bring from life to words than his own struggle and journey of preparing for the Civil Services Exam. Thus Mihir goes back in time recollecting his life from coming out of college to preparing full time for the Services, the time spent with his roommates and close friends and ultimately how the young boys turn men and crack this exam.
The story goes back and forth recollecting the time when the friends come from Bihar to Delhi like a majority of middle class boys aspiring to make their mark in this competitive and brutal world. The story is not just about the college fun and bromance of the men but about more serious and practical issues faced by young people when they shift to a new place and struggle to adjust to the circumstances. Of course the book is also a primer on the do’s and dont’s for aspirants who have the sole purpose of cracking the Civil Services.
The story is not just filled with drama hence can feel slow at places. Also, the writing and narration style of the author are different hence it will take the reader sometime to get pulled into the book. While there are many books coming out with college backdrop, the main characters Mihir, Uday and Sandeep are sure to win hearts in their own way.
If you are also an aspirant like the protagonists and if you are looking to pick a book which is realistic and different from the glossy college stories, then this one is a must read.
July 4, 2019
As boys become men is a fine blend of fun, emotions and philosophy. This is my second read by Mukul Kumar and like his other book Seduction by Truth, this, too, has a philosophical edge. The story is about Mihir, a CS, who hails from a middle class family from Bihar. The story runs in flash back when Mihir comes to Delhi for studies and preparation for Civil services exam. He makes friends with Sandeep and Uday and the trio prepares for CS exam together. Later, after cracking the exam, the story describes the struggle and pressure a CS goes through while discharging his duties contrary to how easy the life of a CS appears to be. The story also depicts a constant struggle between passion and ambition. Other than that the book addresses the biases an outsider particularly from Bihar faces in Delhi, getting a place to stay and manage expenses in an expensive city like Delhi with a limited budget, stress of exams and result. The story has few light moments like fun time with friends and finding love interests, indulging into boyish stuff like drinking and smoking. This the book is a potpourri of various emotions and journey of three carefree boys to responsible men.
The cover and title of the book are simple and give an impression of the story being that of college friends.
The blurb, as compared to story, sounds more promising. The story, I found, had a few draggy sequences.
The CS aspirants may find the book inspiring and get to have a glimpse of what the life of a CS like. Otherwise a good one time but slow read.
Thanks to the author and http://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.com/... for sending a review copy in exchange of an honest review.
The cover and title of the book are simple and give an impression of the story being that of college friends.
The blurb, as compared to story, sounds more promising. The story, I found, had a few draggy sequences.
The CS aspirants may find the book inspiring and get to have a glimpse of what the life of a CS like. Otherwise a good one time but slow read.
Thanks to the author and http://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.com/... for sending a review copy in exchange of an honest review.
March 25, 2016
Lives of civil servants is a field that has not been reaped much in the literature world. As boys become men is a brimful account of the journey to the bureaucracy and thereafter. Lives of CS has always been topics of interest to the laymen. There has always been a curiosity to know how they study, how the course will be, how their lives with their friends will be, how difficult the journey would be ! There has been a wave of jealousy towards the ones who could pass through the peephole of exams and interview. But little was thought after about how they handle the pressure which accompanies the power.
There were so many philosophical tete-a-tete moments between friends in the book. A lot of different ideas were instilled in the minds of the readers. But somewhere these conversations seemed forced. Nevertheless, it is good to see that author portrayed a different dimension of boys' lives other than the cliched ogling at girls, drinking and smoking.
The book is an asset for the aspiring students. It is an entertainer for those who are looking for a story with substance. The pace of the story is slow. Don't read the book expecting hardcore fun. It is more of reality. The authenticity of the story and the events cannot be doubted since the author himself is a civil servant who studies in Kirori Mal College where the story revolves around. So I would like to view the book as a fictional adaptation of an autobiographical account.
There were so many philosophical tete-a-tete moments between friends in the book. A lot of different ideas were instilled in the minds of the readers. But somewhere these conversations seemed forced. Nevertheless, it is good to see that author portrayed a different dimension of boys' lives other than the cliched ogling at girls, drinking and smoking.
The book is an asset for the aspiring students. It is an entertainer for those who are looking for a story with substance. The pace of the story is slow. Don't read the book expecting hardcore fun. It is more of reality. The authenticity of the story and the events cannot be doubted since the author himself is a civil servant who studies in Kirori Mal College where the story revolves around. So I would like to view the book as a fictional adaptation of an autobiographical account.
July 21, 2019
I received this book as part of the Outset review program.
'As boys become men' by Mukul Kumar depicts the journey of 3 students Mihir, Uday and Sandeep through the journey of Civil services examination.
The cover of the book is self explanatory and trying to depict the three protagonists. It is simple and conveys the message. The blurb tells you quite enough about the story.
The writing style is really good and the plot is pretty much straightforward involving the journey of the three students. Amidst the three Mihir turns out to be the main protagonist. The narrative is a bit jumpy moving from one scene to other and catches you unawares initially but I could understand later in the story.
The language is a bit complicated and beginners may find it difficult to get through the book.
The things I liked about the story:
1. The beautiful one liners that are interspersed throughout the narrative which give valuable life lessons.
2. The banter between the CS aspirants.
The things that could have been better are that some of the loose ends could have been tied up. There are quite a few at the end. The jumpy narrative could have been worked on. I would have loved it better if the story could have had a bit more happening through it.
All in all, I would recommend it to all the youngsters who are aspiring to join the CS ....they will relate better to it. For the others you could pick it up for the life lessons interspersed through the book.
'As boys become men' by Mukul Kumar depicts the journey of 3 students Mihir, Uday and Sandeep through the journey of Civil services examination.
The cover of the book is self explanatory and trying to depict the three protagonists. It is simple and conveys the message. The blurb tells you quite enough about the story.
The writing style is really good and the plot is pretty much straightforward involving the journey of the three students. Amidst the three Mihir turns out to be the main protagonist. The narrative is a bit jumpy moving from one scene to other and catches you unawares initially but I could understand later in the story.
The language is a bit complicated and beginners may find it difficult to get through the book.
The things I liked about the story:
1. The beautiful one liners that are interspersed throughout the narrative which give valuable life lessons.
2. The banter between the CS aspirants.
The things that could have been better are that some of the loose ends could have been tied up. There are quite a few at the end. The jumpy narrative could have been worked on. I would have loved it better if the story could have had a bit more happening through it.
All in all, I would recommend it to all the youngsters who are aspiring to join the CS ....they will relate better to it. For the others you could pick it up for the life lessons interspersed through the book.
July 23, 2019
Book : As Boys Become Men
Author : Mukul Kumar
Publishers : Rupa Publication
Genre : Fiction
Review :
In any democracy, Ministers are responsible to the people through Parliament and therefore the Civil Servants have to be accountable to the minister. At the same time, implementing the policies of the duly elected government is a core function of Civil Servants. Every year many people give their best to get eligible as a Civil Servant but only few gets qualified.
"As Boys Become Men" is a story on Freedom, Friends, Fun, Goal, and struggle.
The story is narrated by Mihir right from his college days. College life is best life filled with fun but for those studying to get into coveted Indian Civil Services, life requires an additional attention. The book revolves around Mihir, Uday and Sandeep and few more characters describing their journey towards the only common Goal.
The story begins when Mihir expresses his passion for writings and to live his passion he decides to write unfolding his past when the Civil Service exam was the only main purpose of his life.
This book explores college life, friendship, romance, leaving home and adjusting to a new environment and describes how negotiating the path between Dharma and Desire, love and lust, can be tricky.
The youth generation can relate themselves to this book and everyone who are away from their home, trying to secure the respective positions they are concentrated in.
The author has a unique style of writing with a mix of Philosophy and Literature. The way Mona Lisa has been portrayed relating to situations is impressive.
Few lines I liked from this book are :
⏩You have to muster your will power. Everyone finds it difficult to conquer their minds, but that is what the pursuit of passion demands; you have to fight this out.
⏩As a Public Servant one can make a huge difference to the lives of the people. Service and authority combined will be a heady cocktail.
⏩Desire playing out under the shadow of death; the hue of the room is perfectly Mona Lisa.
The book is recommended to everyone.
The students who are struggling to achieve something, this book can act as a motivator and fills never giving up attitude in the readers. The book conveys the message that "The victory isn't easy, it needs patience, hard work, dedication, and a continuous effort with never ending hope".
The conflict between Love and Lust, Dharma and Desire is beautifully written.
The book holds some discussion among the trio such as Gandhi vs. Bose, Reservation System, Delhi vs. Bihar, Jagaprakash Narayan's fight, Israel vs. Palestine are worth reading.
The last interview ( Page 202 to 205) can actually help the readers to expand their knowledge.
Language is simple and clear.
Book cover is interesting.
My rating 5/5
July 4, 2019
‘As Boys Become Men’, written by ‘Mukul Kumar’ is the book about three friends from Bihar- Mihir, Uday and Sandeep. They are college mates and became Civil Service aspirants after their graduation. The story begins with Mihir letting out his frustration to his wife, Ruchi, of not getting a government accommodation and then came the reminiscence of his preparation days for CS.
The story involves the preparation phase of the three confrères, their friendship, living with friends, their love story, discussions on their MA subjects, adjusting themselves into a new environment, etc. The book is more or less like an account of a civil aspirant and his daily struggles.
Discussions on various social issues is also brought up in the book. The trio is obsessed with History & God irrespective of their beliefs, often their discussions revolves around these.
I expected it to be an engrossing read since the plot is quirky but, it came out to be a casual story instead. The author could have put more twists and turns to make it a compelling read. I literally had to force myself to read this book. It was such a tedious task to complete this one to be honest. One thing which irritated me the most is the recrudesce use of Monalisa reference and Soma.
The central theme of the book is about achieving your ultimate goal by working hard for it with your full dedication. It can be a fascinating read for civil service aspirant as they can relate to the events happening in the story.
Read the full review on:
https://bit.ly/327YPnr
I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset: https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
The story involves the preparation phase of the three confrères, their friendship, living with friends, their love story, discussions on their MA subjects, adjusting themselves into a new environment, etc. The book is more or less like an account of a civil aspirant and his daily struggles.
Discussions on various social issues is also brought up in the book. The trio is obsessed with History & God irrespective of their beliefs, often their discussions revolves around these.
I expected it to be an engrossing read since the plot is quirky but, it came out to be a casual story instead. The author could have put more twists and turns to make it a compelling read. I literally had to force myself to read this book. It was such a tedious task to complete this one to be honest. One thing which irritated me the most is the recrudesce use of Monalisa reference and Soma.
The central theme of the book is about achieving your ultimate goal by working hard for it with your full dedication. It can be a fascinating read for civil service aspirant as they can relate to the events happening in the story.
Read the full review on:
https://bit.ly/327YPnr
I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset: https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
August 3, 2019
The story is about three civil service aspirants, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep and their struggle with it. In a country like India, civil services exam is the most prestigious one, rightly quoted by the author. The exam requires determination, hard work and more than that it requires faith in oneself and courage to accept failures. The country has witnessed a numerous success stories and failures associated it CS. The plot is based in Delhi, where most of the boys come in for the preparation of CS. Delhi has recorded the highest success rate with respect to CS preparations. The struggle for finding a flatmate, accommodation and living usual lifestyle is tough in a metropolitan city. However it is not difficult. Three men, came in together to be flatmates in Mukherjee Nagar and continued for their conquest towards CS. The chapters revolve around some lessons and characters from History, still the conflict prevails with Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose style of freedom struggle for the country. The plot has a unique silent character which is Mona Lisa, from the famous painting. The painting is quite near and dear to Mihir, where he finds his inspiration and anticipation in life. The author quotes, “Mona Lisa is the most attractive hue in life, always leaving something to be desired, with shade of both pain and pleasure.” The questions raised by Mihir, were quite true in my opinion… when is it Karma and when it is miracle of God? The journey of the boys has been incredible as described by the author, however the beauty of conquering the destination is by far more mesmerizing.
August 20, 2019
Book : As Boys Become Men
Author : Mukul Kumar
Publishers : Rupa Publication
Genre : Fiction
As Boys Become Men
Hi Guys, This Book is all about three civil service aspirants, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep and their struggle with it. As you know UPSC (CSE) as one of the toughest exam in the country UPSC attracts aspirants across commerce, humanities and science. Aspirants from premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, DU, JNU etc. to aspirants from institutions which you haven’t even heard of. Aspirants from the corporate sector to the education sector and even many unemployed ones.
Role of Mukharjee Nagar
I decided to become an IAS officer while I was in 2nd year of college. I took the plunge and landed in Mukherjee nagar as soon as I completed my BSc in 2018. So, i can related my story with this book because this all about Struggle , FUN , freedom and lot's of learning which you can learn only from experiences.
In the Story,
As i told you in the beginning Three men, came in together to be flatmates in Mukherjee Nagar and continued for their conquest towards CS. The chapters revolve around some lessons and characters from History, still the conflict prevails with Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose style of freedom struggle for the country. The plot has a unique silent character which is Mona Lisa, from the famous painting.
My Rating : 4/5
Author : Mukul Kumar
Publishers : Rupa Publication
Genre : Fiction
As Boys Become Men
Hi Guys, This Book is all about three civil service aspirants, Mihir, Uday and Sandeep and their struggle with it. As you know UPSC (CSE) as one of the toughest exam in the country UPSC attracts aspirants across commerce, humanities and science. Aspirants from premier institutions like IITs, IIMs, DU, JNU etc. to aspirants from institutions which you haven’t even heard of. Aspirants from the corporate sector to the education sector and even many unemployed ones.
Role of Mukharjee Nagar
I decided to become an IAS officer while I was in 2nd year of college. I took the plunge and landed in Mukherjee nagar as soon as I completed my BSc in 2018. So, i can related my story with this book because this all about Struggle , FUN , freedom and lot's of learning which you can learn only from experiences.
In the Story,
As i told you in the beginning Three men, came in together to be flatmates in Mukherjee Nagar and continued for their conquest towards CS. The chapters revolve around some lessons and characters from History, still the conflict prevails with Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose style of freedom struggle for the country. The plot has a unique silent character which is Mona Lisa, from the famous painting.
My Rating : 4/5
August 22, 2019
As boys become men by mukul kumar is a contemporary novel based on the lives of some civil service aspirants .
The story revolves around the lives of Mihir, uday and sandeep who are Civil service aspirants. The book explores various parts of the protagonist (s) life such as college, spirituality, love, friendships, romance, family, adventures, adjustments and so on.
I had a good time reading this book! The concept around it was unique and it's executed well.
The language was easy going and lucid.
The writing style was good and engaging
The narration was average, it could have been way better so that it could keep me gripped.
The narration keeps shifting to various characters POV.
The plot of the book truly was a thoughtful one, during the first half of the book the story progressed well, however it lost its hold in the latter half as it seemed overstretched .
The characters were very well developed. I could connect with 1 of the protagonist Mihir, very well.
The Book has a very slow pace and it takes time to pick up.
The title is pretty innovative but the cover could have been designed better.
Overall, this was a good, insightful, witty and an enjoyable read. You can pick it up for some light reading.
MY RATING: 3.5/5❤
The story revolves around the lives of Mihir, uday and sandeep who are Civil service aspirants. The book explores various parts of the protagonist (s) life such as college, spirituality, love, friendships, romance, family, adventures, adjustments and so on.
I had a good time reading this book! The concept around it was unique and it's executed well.
The language was easy going and lucid.
The writing style was good and engaging
The narration was average, it could have been way better so that it could keep me gripped.
The narration keeps shifting to various characters POV.
The plot of the book truly was a thoughtful one, during the first half of the book the story progressed well, however it lost its hold in the latter half as it seemed overstretched .
The characters were very well developed. I could connect with 1 of the protagonist Mihir, very well.
The Book has a very slow pace and it takes time to pick up.
The title is pretty innovative but the cover could have been designed better.
Overall, this was a good, insightful, witty and an enjoyable read. You can pick it up for some light reading.
MY RATING: 3.5/5❤
July 6, 2019
Book- As Boys Become Men
AUTHOR- Mukul Kumar
Publisher- Rupa publication
Review:
As Boys Become Men by Mukul kumar is a story of three frnds and their journey to discover their own life goals.
The story revolves around three friends such boys Mihir , Uday , Sandeep. Mihir set out from bihar to delhi ,to crack the civil service examination and he met with other two aspirant CS candidates Uday and Sandeep.
They study together and their bond is very strong and enjoy their life the most.
The story starts with a flashback and go through their struggles, friendship, attraction towards love and constant pressure to balance their family crisis , ambition and passion. The author highlighted the problems that facing most of bihari students in delhi and some other social issues .
The title goes perfectly with the book. It's a journey of some carefree boys to responsible man. I love the cover page. Author's writing style is simple and decent.
Overall i like the book and i would recommend to the CS aspirant candidate to read .they can relate to this book easily.
"I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset" with a hyperlink to https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
AUTHOR- Mukul Kumar
Publisher- Rupa publication
Review:
As Boys Become Men by Mukul kumar is a story of three frnds and their journey to discover their own life goals.
The story revolves around three friends such boys Mihir , Uday , Sandeep. Mihir set out from bihar to delhi ,to crack the civil service examination and he met with other two aspirant CS candidates Uday and Sandeep.
They study together and their bond is very strong and enjoy their life the most.
The story starts with a flashback and go through their struggles, friendship, attraction towards love and constant pressure to balance their family crisis , ambition and passion. The author highlighted the problems that facing most of bihari students in delhi and some other social issues .
The title goes perfectly with the book. It's a journey of some carefree boys to responsible man. I love the cover page. Author's writing style is simple and decent.
Overall i like the book and i would recommend to the CS aspirant candidate to read .they can relate to this book easily.
"I got the book as a part of the review program in Outset" with a hyperlink to https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in
July 7, 2019
if you want to read a normal college life romance story then don’t pick it. In case you are in search of a story which is slightly different and with some meaningful substances then go for it. It’s a story which narrates different aspects of the lives of boys who don’t want to remain restricted in typical college life, love, vagabonding and meaningless activities and want to do something fruitful.
It may prove a useful book for students who aspire to become something big and meaningful in life. It will act as a motivational book for them which they majorly lack these days.
It was the first book for Mukul Kumar
and I must say it’s a good effort which he made and I found him more improved and entertaining in his second book #SEDUCTION_BY_TRUTH. All in all, I liked the book and rate it with 3.5 /5.
For detail review visit here:
https://www.indiacafe24.com/book-revi...
July 7, 2019
IAS stands for Indian Administrative Service is the prestigious administrative civil service for the government of India. It needs a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience to pass this examination. Delhi has become a coaching hub for IAS aspirants.
Our protagonist Mihir is also traveled from Bihar to Delhi for IAS preparations. The author has portrayed his journey. The story is about three friends Mihir, Uday, and Sandeep. They are the biggest fan of Big B ( Amitabh Bachchan). The author has portrayed many scenes in the book so nicely. There are some light situations, which keep the readers entertained.
Each character gives its own space and is crafted very well. The language of the book is very easy and simple. The narration is good. The pace of the story is slow and irregular. All the situations are described very well. Readers can relate to many situations. IAS aspirants should definitely give it a read. I’m sure they’ll enjoy the book and can learn something from it.
Our protagonist Mihir is also traveled from Bihar to Delhi for IAS preparations. The author has portrayed his journey. The story is about three friends Mihir, Uday, and Sandeep. They are the biggest fan of Big B ( Amitabh Bachchan). The author has portrayed many scenes in the book so nicely. There are some light situations, which keep the readers entertained.
Each character gives its own space and is crafted very well. The language of the book is very easy and simple. The narration is good. The pace of the story is slow and irregular. All the situations are described very well. Readers can relate to many situations. IAS aspirants should definitely give it a read. I’m sure they’ll enjoy the book and can learn something from it.
August 21, 2019
My full review is at http://www.diaryofabookgirl.in/2019/0...
The book starts of with Mihir complaining about his frustration with his government job to his wife Ruchi and his inability to find peace within. Ruchi then probes Mihir to pursue with his love for writing and Mihir decides to give it a go by narrating his life story where he along with his two intimate college friends, Sandeep and Uday, dive into the path of preparing for their Civil Services exam.
As Boys Become Men is a book about Mihir's journey in Delhi along with his friends to face India's toughest exams. With this comes Mihir's journey of falling in love, building new friendships, enjoying his college days of having roadside food and watching Amitabh Bachchan movies, studying with his friends and his ferocious will to make his parents proud.
The book starts of with Mihir complaining about his frustration with his government job to his wife Ruchi and his inability to find peace within. Ruchi then probes Mihir to pursue with his love for writing and Mihir decides to give it a go by narrating his life story where he along with his two intimate college friends, Sandeep and Uday, dive into the path of preparing for their Civil Services exam.
As Boys Become Men is a book about Mihir's journey in Delhi along with his friends to face India's toughest exams. With this comes Mihir's journey of falling in love, building new friendships, enjoying his college days of having roadside food and watching Amitabh Bachchan movies, studying with his friends and his ferocious will to make his parents proud.
July 12, 2019
Since I'm about to start my first year of college, I expected a lot more than this book because the synopsis on the back clearly reads 'the book explores college life, friendship, romance, leaving home and adjusting to a new environment, and describes how negotiating the path between dharma and desire, love and lust, can be tricky.' Although yes, the author did touch upon these themes, he just showed the tip of the iceberg when he could've shown so much more.
The plot revolves around 3 boys Mihir, Uday and Sandeep who set out together to crack the civil services exam. The book is very very well-written but the weak plot does not do justice to the author's impeccable vocabulary and beautiful imagination.
He focused more on the civil services stuff and went to lengths to explain everything he knew about it. So it just turned out to be a book about the struggles gone through and hard work put in by the people while cracking the civil services exam, more than about the mainstream college life.
I also adored the way the author compared instances of Hindu mythology with real life challenges which satisfies the philosophical touch in the book. Plus, his description of a dilemma as the Mona Lisa smile was also creative. And once again, the vocabulary and references used by the author were commendable!
I got this book as a part of the review program in Outset. https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in/
The plot revolves around 3 boys Mihir, Uday and Sandeep who set out together to crack the civil services exam. The book is very very well-written but the weak plot does not do justice to the author's impeccable vocabulary and beautiful imagination.
He focused more on the civil services stuff and went to lengths to explain everything he knew about it. So it just turned out to be a book about the struggles gone through and hard work put in by the people while cracking the civil services exam, more than about the mainstream college life.
I also adored the way the author compared instances of Hindu mythology with real life challenges which satisfies the philosophical touch in the book. Plus, his description of a dilemma as the Mona Lisa smile was also creative. And once again, the vocabulary and references used by the author were commendable!
I got this book as a part of the review program in Outset. https://rakhijayashankar.blogspot.in/
July 4, 2019
This book is the story of three friends – Mihir, Uday and Sandeep and their journey from college on path to become Civil Servants. I think you can take this as a Self Help Handbook as it is written by a Civil Servant, so perhaps drawing from his own experience. As an aspirant, you can get inspiration from the portrayal of repeated attempts by the protagonists to crack the toughest selection procedure of the country. Major content is dedicated towards subject selection for the CS and ways of tackling stress, coping with family pressures and organising study time. And, ofcourse, adding a dab of fun from the college life - playing Holi, finding love and clinking the glasses with friends.
July 6, 2019
As Boys become Men is a story of three collage mates from the middle class families of Bihar and their life towards achieving their dream of clearing the Civil Services. They find it difficult to manage their expenses at Delhi. The story talks about their struggle for accommodation, classes etc. and how the three friends come together and find resolution to their problems.
Read the complete review on my blog - http://blushesandsparkle.com/as-boys-...
Read the complete review on my blog - http://blushesandsparkle.com/as-boys-...
March 12, 2017
A brimful journey of a common man to the bureaucrat ,specially inspiring for aspirants who come across enduring hardship and finally a soul sets to peace.Narrated by the thoughtful and intense explores college life,romance,leaving home and adjusting to a new environment and describes how negotiating the path between dharma and desire,love and lust,can be tricky.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2016
Just because a couple of Bollywood movies with three friends became popular, it seems three is a magical number.
And just because Chetan Bhagat made his college life into a crowd pulling story, doesn't mean everybody starts writing story of their college days.
I too went to a college and it was one of the first few all girls architecture college. We had to struggle quite a lot to make people see us as serious students. This way I guess I am qualified to write my college life story as well.
In this book "As Boys Become Men", the story revolves around three civil services aspirants and their trials and tribulations. The three boys hailing from Bihar come from modest backgrounds and each one carries burden of expectation of their families. The boys struggle with biases towards students from Bihar, accommodation problems in the expensive capital city, finding love and no-strings attached relationships, coaching sessions, anxiety of results, successes and failures.
Now I don't know much about preparing for a civil services exam. No doubt it must be a hard nut to crack....after all not everyone becomes an IAS officer. But after reading first few pages, I was not much inspired to read the book. I had to literally force myself to read the story, all because I had signed in for book reviewer's programme.
The effort in describing a scene like 'the trio is laughing and chatting' or 'the boys finish eating and switch off the movie' throughout the story do not really make for an attractive reading.
The story telling is way too ordinary....not interesting enough. The reference of 'Monalisa' and 'Soma' again and again do not work at all. The struggle of a civil services aspirant does not 'shine' through the entire narrative at all.
When I received the book, someone asked me what my opinion was judging from the blurb. And I honestly replied that the blurb seems promising but I couldn't have been more wrong. The blurb is better than the story inside. I have even skipped portions of book because it did not hold my attention.
I am quite disappointed by the story and the mediocre style of writing. I am dying to read a good book now where the language, the situation, the characterisation and plot all come together to make a good read.
Read if it works for you....
And just because Chetan Bhagat made his college life into a crowd pulling story, doesn't mean everybody starts writing story of their college days.
I too went to a college and it was one of the first few all girls architecture college. We had to struggle quite a lot to make people see us as serious students. This way I guess I am qualified to write my college life story as well.
In this book "As Boys Become Men", the story revolves around three civil services aspirants and their trials and tribulations. The three boys hailing from Bihar come from modest backgrounds and each one carries burden of expectation of their families. The boys struggle with biases towards students from Bihar, accommodation problems in the expensive capital city, finding love and no-strings attached relationships, coaching sessions, anxiety of results, successes and failures.
Now I don't know much about preparing for a civil services exam. No doubt it must be a hard nut to crack....after all not everyone becomes an IAS officer. But after reading first few pages, I was not much inspired to read the book. I had to literally force myself to read the story, all because I had signed in for book reviewer's programme.
The effort in describing a scene like 'the trio is laughing and chatting' or 'the boys finish eating and switch off the movie' throughout the story do not really make for an attractive reading.
The story telling is way too ordinary....not interesting enough. The reference of 'Monalisa' and 'Soma' again and again do not work at all. The struggle of a civil services aspirant does not 'shine' through the entire narrative at all.
When I received the book, someone asked me what my opinion was judging from the blurb. And I honestly replied that the blurb seems promising but I couldn't have been more wrong. The blurb is better than the story inside. I have even skipped portions of book because it did not hold my attention.
I am quite disappointed by the story and the mediocre style of writing. I am dying to read a good book now where the language, the situation, the characterisation and plot all come together to make a good read.
Read if it works for you....
April 9, 2016
Interesting in its own way but a little stilted in the beginning and the ending a little abrupt...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews