This year has been unusually kind to me. For the first time in ages I have time and an internet connection at hand. I have been able to experience the magic of blogs for the first time. The reading rather than the writing that is. I think I should thank the IPL season 2 for this than anything else. The earlier matches were slow and watching them was a tedium that only the “fakeiplplayer” could alleviate. One thing led to the other and here I am posting my first blog.
Well with my blog's name it is only fair that I start with a review of the novel "The Zoya Factor". I had read the review of this novel in Indian Express a year back but never managed to read it. Recently my friend Somya recommended this novel again and I felt I had to read this novel. The premise of the novel is very simple. It is the love story of an advertising exec and the India cricket captain. The twist in the tale is that due to the heroine "Zoya" being born precisely at the moment that India won the 1983 World Cup, she is extremely lucky for any cricket team that has breakfast with her on match day which the India captain "Khoda" does not believe in. After all the usual M&B twists in the story and the misunderstandings, the hero and heroine live happily ever after.
The novel by Anuja Chauhan has an authentic flavor due to the author herself coming from an advertising background. The novel gives an insider's peek to the relationship between cricketers, agents, marketing companies, brands and advertising agencies. Although, the novel sometimes reads like a massive product placement, there is enough humor and "cute moments" to make the novel a page turner. I liked the fact that the protagonist had no illusions about her looks, had unruly curly hair and was extremely impulsive. If she had been chubby, my cup of happiness must have runneth over, but then the success of the novel would have been short-lived.
The novel would have been even better if some obvious bloomers had been taken care of. In the final over of the World Cup, newcomer "Vikram Solanki" comes in with 3 balls to spare. He hits a six off the 3 rd ball. With 2 balls to go, suddenly "Khoda" is on strike without the two batsmen going for a run or change in over. Wish this were true each time Munaf Patel came to bat. Again Zoya goes to the India dressing room during the semifinals match without meeting a single member of the ubiquitous ICC security staff. Gigantic achievement! All the betting agents would be gunning for that kind of access.
Another major issue I have with the novel is the "luck" factor. Many people I see around me are superstitious despite being highly educated and having a science background. I have also seen a spate of Telugu movies recently that emphasized on "luck", horoscope and other such factors. Although one cannot and should not discount the luck factor, emphasizing it over other aspects of the game would undermine the person's skills. I was hence uncomfortable reading about these aspects in a novel although the author tried to balance it with the political party thread (which again looked like a points scoring session). However, the description of the interactions with the political leaders, agents, and the board president were entirely hilarious and often bubbling enough to be close to reality.
All in all a good page turner and recommended for any Sunday afternoon with time on hand.
Well with my blog's name it is only fair that I start with a review of the novel "The Zoya Factor". I had read the review of this novel in Indian Express a year back but never managed to read it. Recently my friend Somya recommended this novel again and I felt I had to read this novel. The premise of the novel is very simple. It is the love story of an advertising exec and the India cricket captain. The twist in the tale is that due to the heroine "Zoya" being born precisely at the moment that India won the 1983 World Cup, she is extremely lucky for any cricket team that has breakfast with her on match day which the India captain "Khoda" does not believe in. After all the usual M&B twists in the story and the misunderstandings, the hero and heroine live happily ever after.
The novel by Anuja Chauhan has an authentic flavor due to the author herself coming from an advertising background. The novel gives an insider's peek to the relationship between cricketers, agents, marketing companies, brands and advertising agencies. Although, the novel sometimes reads like a massive product placement, there is enough humor and "cute moments" to make the novel a page turner. I liked the fact that the protagonist had no illusions about her looks, had unruly curly hair and was extremely impulsive. If she had been chubby, my cup of happiness must have runneth over, but then the success of the novel would have been short-lived.
The novel would have been even better if some obvious bloomers had been taken care of. In the final over of the World Cup, newcomer "Vikram Solanki" comes in with 3 balls to spare. He hits a six off the 3 rd ball. With 2 balls to go, suddenly "Khoda" is on strike without the two batsmen going for a run or change in over. Wish this were true each time Munaf Patel came to bat. Again Zoya goes to the India dressing room during the semifinals match without meeting a single member of the ubiquitous ICC security staff. Gigantic achievement! All the betting agents would be gunning for that kind of access.
Another major issue I have with the novel is the "luck" factor. Many people I see around me are superstitious despite being highly educated and having a science background. I have also seen a spate of Telugu movies recently that emphasized on "luck", horoscope and other such factors. Although one cannot and should not discount the luck factor, emphasizing it over other aspects of the game would undermine the person's skills. I was hence uncomfortable reading about these aspects in a novel although the author tried to balance it with the political party thread (which again looked like a points scoring session). However, the description of the interactions with the political leaders, agents, and the board president were entirely hilarious and often bubbling enough to be close to reality.
All in all a good page turner and recommended for any Sunday afternoon with time on hand.
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