Two States...

I recently read the book Two states by Chetan Bhagat… As usual, a bit of a prelude before I start telling about the book... I haven’t read any of Chetan Bhagat’s books before… But I knew every title… From everyone around me… which is very surprising… coz ppl around me are definitely not the bookworms that I consider myself to be… and yet all of them had read almost all his books… to put things into perspective, here is an encounter between me and my friend (A):

A: Hey, have you read the latest book by Chetan Bhagat?
Moi: Chetan who?
A: Are! The guy who wrote five point something and one night @ the call center and the three mistakes of my life!!
Moi: Ah.. that guy… so he has released another book?
A: Yes and it is supposed to be very good. So I and two of my team mates have each bought the book.
Moi: Why would three of you in the same team buy the same book? Couldn’t you guys buy 3 different books and thereby read more at the same price?
A: No, I really wanted to buy this book. It’s more like a collection…
Moi: Oh, so you have his other books too?
A: No, this is the first book. Although I have read all his other books
Moi: So you are starting the collection with this book? Are his books that good?
A: Actually, five point something is the only book I liked. One night at the call center was just okay.
Moi: ?!?!?!?

So, as you can see, when A gave me the book, I had an over-hyped author’s under-expected book… But what was unexpected was that it was actually good. Or maybe I have just become a bit rusty with my reading… or maybe it’s the genre that I didn’t have much exposure to... Whatever may be the reason, the book seemed to hold me…

For one, the stereotypical description of tamilian and punjabis were actually hilarious and some of them I had actually experienced myself (directly or indirectly). Probably, the love story involving inter-region marriage evoked some deep hidden fantasy - The prospect of parents not accepting but the duo still not wanting to fight & run away from parents struck right at home (Not that I have anything planned like that now or the near future or that I am in any such situation. But if at any point in future, I do happen to be in a similar situation, I would try to convince my parents too) And the portrayal of the Chennai auto wala’s was actually an understatement :P

So much for the good of the book… So where does this awe wane off? That would be some places in between where the guy is trying to win the hearts of the girl’s parents… some pretty easily guessable scenarios… and the major thing would obviously be the ending… as usual… not that it was the expected… but coz it did not hold a strong reason… Without trying to break the “twist” in the story, I will try to explain what I felt went wrong. This might actually be a spoiler and I refrain you from reading further unless you have already read the book. 

The whole book shows the father and the son not meeting eye and arguing over everything. Then, with no special deed done by the son, or for no strong reason to like the girl, why would the father do what he did? How did the father-son love and affection suddenly bloom and surface? Except for the logical flaw on that part, the book is worth a read.

Rating: Read if you want to pass time