Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat
I didn't get to read Chetan Bhagat, so far.
Come on, how on earth someone as whacky as this one, hasn't been read despite his being in this book-writing business for over a decade? Criminal.
Indeed.
Worse, a sacrilege.
I plead guilty but as is my won't, offer some lame excuses: (1) It is difficult to read every book that gets into the market.
(2) I missed the book store (as also the book).
(3) I had no time to read it, the book has been on my shelf only for six months etc.
etc.
Ok.
As if to ablute (No such word? Never mind, Here I coin one and you know what I mean) for my unpardonable sin, I skipped office to read his not so recent (only seven years old) book 'Five point Someone' in under three hours.
Never knew I could ever read a book that fast.
Credit in fact, goes to Chetan.
If the book's terrain is an IIT, it has to revolve around the 'bright' students, simultaneously 'cruel and dumb' professors, and the torturements (Again, you know what I mean, isn't it?) that each class inflicts on the other.
The three characters of the students will interplay with a much larger set of characters through the novel - some regular and pretty, like Neha Cherian, and some good and unusual academics like Prof.
Veera and of course, the ever intimidating Head of the Department, Prof.
Cherian.
The setting is Delhi and all around the IIT campus about which some of us would be familiar.
If you are a regular reader ie.
, you read at least one book per year, then you will read this book under three hours, and if not, that is, you haven't read a book in the last decade, then it may take fifteen minutes longer.
Phew..
How could anyone write like this? Reading this one is like being at the Race Course.
Not to watch, but to run, like those Horses.
What kind of a mind must one have to write a book like this? And was it all a personal experience...
Or is the book autobiographical? Whatever.
The story, in a manner of speaking is all about what not to do at the IIT, if one were to come out of it, 'successfully' i.
e.
, transit from being five point some one to five point somebody.
Well, the three idiots didn't obviously figure it out, sooner.
That is the essence, the blundering bums ending up with a suspended semester and burning their asses off, to recover from the damage.
And, mind you, one of them does the unthinkable for a man, cheat the very own girl friend who trusts him, for, at the cross roads, he convinces himself to 'survive first, romance next'.
To say the transition is complete, would however, be not entirely correct.
At least two out of the three idiots sleep through the convocation to realize that their degrees had been awarded to them while they were asleep.
That is it.
Story keeps a few possibilities open, but makes a strong case for slight rejig of the IIT education system that has the accent on mindless learning by rote or 'mugging', the favourite Indianism for learning for the sake of learning without ever questioning the purpose.
This book will appeal to any engineering student, and for average IIT students I am certain it would be under their pillows for, it rants on their behalf, it riles against the near cruel academia of the IITs, it pleads for more time for small mercies like Paranthas at the Sasi's, oh, the tale of woes would never be complete.
But none of them would grudge a comfortable job at the end of it all, despite being a five point some one.
This one need not be recommended for purchase now, that is good seven years after it has been published.
Many of you would have read it already.
But if you have not done that so far, then you are somewhat like me, living in a world that is entirely immunized and sanitized.
My shared sympathies.
Your time has not yet come.
Come on, how on earth someone as whacky as this one, hasn't been read despite his being in this book-writing business for over a decade? Criminal.
Indeed.
Worse, a sacrilege.
I plead guilty but as is my won't, offer some lame excuses: (1) It is difficult to read every book that gets into the market.
(2) I missed the book store (as also the book).
(3) I had no time to read it, the book has been on my shelf only for six months etc.
etc.
Ok.
As if to ablute (No such word? Never mind, Here I coin one and you know what I mean) for my unpardonable sin, I skipped office to read his not so recent (only seven years old) book 'Five point Someone' in under three hours.
Never knew I could ever read a book that fast.
Credit in fact, goes to Chetan.
If the book's terrain is an IIT, it has to revolve around the 'bright' students, simultaneously 'cruel and dumb' professors, and the torturements (Again, you know what I mean, isn't it?) that each class inflicts on the other.
The three characters of the students will interplay with a much larger set of characters through the novel - some regular and pretty, like Neha Cherian, and some good and unusual academics like Prof.
Veera and of course, the ever intimidating Head of the Department, Prof.
Cherian.
The setting is Delhi and all around the IIT campus about which some of us would be familiar.
If you are a regular reader ie.
, you read at least one book per year, then you will read this book under three hours, and if not, that is, you haven't read a book in the last decade, then it may take fifteen minutes longer.
Phew..
How could anyone write like this? Reading this one is like being at the Race Course.
Not to watch, but to run, like those Horses.
What kind of a mind must one have to write a book like this? And was it all a personal experience...
Or is the book autobiographical? Whatever.
The story, in a manner of speaking is all about what not to do at the IIT, if one were to come out of it, 'successfully' i.
e.
, transit from being five point some one to five point somebody.
Well, the three idiots didn't obviously figure it out, sooner.
That is the essence, the blundering bums ending up with a suspended semester and burning their asses off, to recover from the damage.
And, mind you, one of them does the unthinkable for a man, cheat the very own girl friend who trusts him, for, at the cross roads, he convinces himself to 'survive first, romance next'.
To say the transition is complete, would however, be not entirely correct.
At least two out of the three idiots sleep through the convocation to realize that their degrees had been awarded to them while they were asleep.
That is it.
Story keeps a few possibilities open, but makes a strong case for slight rejig of the IIT education system that has the accent on mindless learning by rote or 'mugging', the favourite Indianism for learning for the sake of learning without ever questioning the purpose.
This book will appeal to any engineering student, and for average IIT students I am certain it would be under their pillows for, it rants on their behalf, it riles against the near cruel academia of the IITs, it pleads for more time for small mercies like Paranthas at the Sasi's, oh, the tale of woes would never be complete.
But none of them would grudge a comfortable job at the end of it all, despite being a five point some one.
This one need not be recommended for purchase now, that is good seven years after it has been published.
Many of you would have read it already.
But if you have not done that so far, then you are somewhat like me, living in a world that is entirely immunized and sanitized.
My shared sympathies.
Your time has not yet come.
