Book Review: 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, he makes an earth shattering decision, that changes the course of his life. He wants to pursue his passion of writing, and make it big and overthrow the celeb author K-10, who also happens to be his friend. The book chronicles the struggle of an aspiring, debutante writer.

We have seen many films that portray struggling actors, and how they fight against all odds to shine in the star-studded world of celebs. This is the first time we get an insight into the big bad world of publishing.

What follows is a roller-coaster ride of trials, tribulations and of course fun. 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. The author is brutally honest about his opinions, and does not mince words while writing about the publishing industry.

The story easily flows, although a bit tedious at times. While the author sticks to modern lingo, it became a sore-point of the book. Mixing Hindi and English freely into the narration is confusingly irritating.

That was the good part. Here comes the bad. I feel Beaten by Bhagath is just another addition to the Chetan Bhagat-esque writers club. Be it the writing style, language or the appeal – it is too “massy” (if you know what I mean). Not that it is bad, but I would never have bought a book like this, had I not received the book for review. There is a growing trend among Indian writers to emulate the CB formula. Incidentally, the book itself talks about it. However, does it stand out in the herd? Find out yourself.

If you are travelling soon, this could be an ideal read to while away time at the airport/on the train.

About the Author:

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.

My Rating: 2.5/5 stars

P.S. I am sorry for the very late review. Because of some miscommunication on part of the courier services, I had not received the book. Upon Yatin’s request i got hold of a copy and reviewed it 🙂

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