Book Review : Love is Vodka - A Shot ain't Enough

Title : Love is Vodka - A Shot ain't Enough
Author : Amit Shankar

Publisher : Vitasta

Genre : Fiction

Pages : 203

Price : Rs. 195 

My Take 

A fight with my boyfriend gifted me with a good three-hour "please-don't-talk-to-me" time, and that is when I picked up, started and finished this book. Yes, it is a quick and breezy read.

The protagonist, Moon, is a nineteen year old, confused teenager, born to an Indian mother and a French biological father, who never married her mother or gave Moon the status of a 'daughter', but send expensive gifts to Moon, every now and then. Moon being a love child, was raised by her news anchor mother amidst all glam and glitter. By nineteen, Moon had tasted her share of stardom via modelling assignments. By nineteen, Moon had been in and out of numerous so-called relationships.

Riding a three-hour roller-coaster ride with this extremely confused teenager was indeed a tedious job for me. Her innumerable flings or so-called relations with multiple men before she apparently 'found her true love' is a bit too much to digest. I agree that girls of this age have a rush of hormones which make them go crazy once in awhile, but in Moon's case, the rush was a bit too abnormal. 

In spite of having a boyfriend, falling in love with her mother's boyfriend Ashwin, getting slapped after her mother discovers about it, packing off and landing up at Ashwin's doorstep, only to get dumped by him - turned out to be a bit too melodramatic for my palate. And not to forget Moon's romantic encounters with Nikhil, Aditya and Gautam, whose presence acts as garnishings to the story. It seemed like the poor protagonist had a life like a maze - you enter, spend some time and then leave. 

Moon's actions and tantrums are flabbergasting at times. She leaves you wondering about her motives throughout the book. The concoction of romance and politics towards the end of the book is very comparable to a cocktail of oil and water. The climax could have been weaved better to create a smoother ending. 

The only interesting part of this book is its fast paced writing and the author's ability to write from the POV of a nineteen year old girl. 

Rating : 2/5

Verdict  : The book is a classic example of stereotyping teenage girls. The author might have come across a character as fascinating to him as the protagonist, but in real life, I wonder how many of us actually know some teenager with characteristics similar to Moon. Her character fails to show any depth, values or growth. This book might provide an excellent script for a Bollywood flick.

While the author was working too hard on building the plot, he missed out on a very crucial task of proof reading and editing his book. It is evident from the scattered spelling errors. 

Tailpiece : Consumption of vodka leaves you with a hangover, this book fails miserably. 

About the Author : Amit Shankar hails from the advertising industry and has authored two titles before this venture - Flight of the Hilsa and Chapter 11. You can learn more about him here.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Review : My Lawfully Wedded Husband and other Stories

Title: My Lawfully Wedded Husband and Other Stories

Author:  Madhulika Liddle

Publisher:  Westland Limited (2012)
Genre : Fiction
Date:  2012

Price: Rs. 250

Pages: 215

The First Impression

Madhulika Liddle, best known for her Muzaffar Jang Series, exhibits her exceptional story weaving capability in this delightful and thrilling short story collection, "My Lawfully Wedded Husband and other stories". Each of the stories are shaded with a coat of dark humour and the readers are thrown a red herring at the end of each one. It is a thrilling package, cover-to-cover!

A dozen stories, each of a different shade. Be it the office ghost in Silent Fear, the inquisitive and concerned young couple neighbours to Number 63, the artfully crafty government clerk Mr.George in St.George and the Dragon or Helen the prostitute in Hourie, all these characters have been carefully painted and detailed to perfection. The imagery created in each of the narratives is so vivid, that you feel it rolling in front of your eyes. This collection is a perfect example of how simple words can be used to weave magic.

Digging Deeper

The book opens with the story Sum Total, which is about a young lady who feels the best way to get rid of people she dislikes or finds a nuisance in her life, is to murder them. Though it ends in a slightly predictable fashion, it grips the reader till the end, undoubtedly. 

The second story, A Tale of a Summer Vacation is the narration of a young girl who is visiting her grandmother in a picturesque town of Goa, and befriends two sisters, around whom the story revolves. Smartly narrated plot with a equally smart ending. 

A Brief Lesson in Trust, the third story in the book, is where Geeti realizes that trusting the most reliable and practical girl from her school days, is a lost gamble she made. It leaves the readers pondering over "Whom should I trust".

Feet of Clay, the story next in line describes beautifully how a little girl hero-worshiped the bakery man who used to come to her gates each afternoon with his wares. Totally unexpected ending, which might leave the readers thoughtful for a while.

The next story, My Lawfully Wedded Husband, from which the book gets its title, is strategically placed as the fifth story and one of the best in the collection. Delightful writing style with a perfectly twisted ending. 

Story number six is Number 63 which is about a inquisitive young couple trying to search for mystery in their neighbours' house. The story ends with its signature twist, but it came and ended a bit too abruptly. It might be a writers strategy to create the impact of the ending on readers, but I would have preferred a smoother impact curve rather than such a steep one!

On the Night Train is a witty tale about a young boy's night journey in an almost empty rail coach and it leaves you all in smiles. Another one in the must-reads list.

Hourie is one of the longest stories, but the narration about a girl called Hourie and her friends in a brothel is interesting enough to keep you glued till the end. This is one of those stories which was highly predictable despite the writer's efforts to keep the suspense unraveled till the end.

Silent Fear featuring the office ghost is another short and smart story with the theme of paranormal activity.

The tenth story, St.George and the Dragon is an interesting read where a government clerk who initially portrays the good man character, later using his cunning ways overpowers his corrupt boss. 

The Crusader and The Howling Waves of Tranquebar are the last two of the collection and are completely opposite to each other. While the former one is slightly amateurish and highly predictable, the latter provides a perfect end to the collection with its vivid descriptions and mysterious aura.

Passing the Verdict

A crisp and interesting read for all short story lovers and aspiring short story writers. It definitely grabs a 3.5/5 from me.

About the Author

Madhulika Liddle is an Indian writer who writes in English. She is best known for her books featuring the 17th century Mughal detective Muzaffar Jang, although she is also a prolific writer of short fiction, travel writing, and writing related to classic cinema.

To read more about her and her works, you can refer here.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!