I received this book from the debutant author himself. When I first saw the book, I found the title impressive with a good cover design. Story Of Tublu : An Amazing Journey Called Lifeby Jahid Akhtar - A straightforward, heart warming story of a boy and girl, put in a simple and neat narration.
Being a slow reader, I managed to finish reading it in a couple of days. I enjoy thrillers the most but though this novel did not have any twists or thrilling scenes, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.
The story is about Tublu, our protagonist who developed a silent love for his secret crush - Maina. It’s a journey through different phases of life, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood.
In the chapters where the author portrays the essence of adolescence, I had some nostalgic moments of my boarding school and college days. Seniors, ragging, the hostel friendships and especially the boy talks. I personally enjoyed the mentions of Mahabharata, Chitrahar, Doordarshan news and Sunday movies.
The narration was simple with bare facts. Anyone can tie in with the story and dialogues.
It was like traveling with each character. Tublu's characterization took a backseat in few scenes as the focus shifted onto other characters. This slowed down my reading but the story moved on in it’s own pace. Maina's characterization could have etched better. I liked the character Shilpa, a care free girl. With her brief presence, she made an impact to the story. I liked the relationship Tublu and Shilpa share.To me, if the first few chapters didn't impress me much, I'd lose my interest in reading the book and take my own time to complete it. This straightforward story didn't offer me much thrill but its simplicity kept me reading. As the story took its pace, I was glued towards the end.
I think it’s better to skip the foreword for its spoilers. It reveals the climax right before the start. Even though it is a predictable drama, its better to let the scenes unfold as the story moves on.
Author Jahid Akhtar is one of my blogger friends. He enjoys writing about some of his unforgettable moments, in his blog - Flashbacks. I like reading his write ups especially for the sense of humor and that continued in this book too. It’s a wonderful job done for his debut novel.
Altogether, this book is an engaging read and perfectly light when you want to chill out on a journey.This book is now available at Flipkart and Amazon.
