Saturday 3 January 2015

Story of Tublu - Review by Prof Harish Narang



Dr Harish Narang is a professor of Centre for English Studies, School Language, Literature & Culture Studies, JNU. He is also the General Council of Sahithya Akademy, New Delhi. I am grateful to him that he took out time from his busy schedule to read my book. This is what Prof Narang has to say about my first novel.

In a recent study, Harvard Business Review called it 'a strategic tool with irresistible power'. The tool being spoken about is nothing but the age old art of storytelling - something that began with the dawn of humanity and that will last as long as humanity does. Over time, the art of storytelling has undergone a sea change - both in its content as well as the manner of narration. By the time the twentieth century arrived, it had become really esoteric. However, as the Harvard Business Review put it, you need to have a good story’ because 'as humans we know that stories work'.

Story of Tublu which the writer Jahid Akhtar calls 'An amazing journey called life' is one such story. The writer has certainly a story to tell – that of Tanmay alias Tublu and his father Bipin Bora and many others - and he knows how to tell it. Hemingway had once observed that the best way to tell a story is to tell as straight as possible and this is what Jahid Akhtar has done in the novel. 

Tublu and his father have a dream run in their lives after meeting Mr. Sharma when their home was destroyed by the surging Brahamputra, things keep on happening around them: Mr. Sharma, having helped Bipin and his son Tublu, develops cancer, arranges his daughter Maina’s marriage hurriedly with Suraj who commits suicide within days of the marriage. But there are many more twists and turns in the story before Tublu who had a secret crush on Maina since the childhood, is united with Maina in marriage thereby bringing the novel to a close.

In this age of post-modernist narration, where medium is the message and method has had replaced the content, Jahid Akhtar’s novel Story of Tublu is refreshingly different from many novels being written by Indians today. Located for a major part in the northeast of the country, the narrative is full of anthropological details of lives of people in that part of India, some of which are well-known and some less known. The end, in some ways, is predictable and not full of suspense as many stories these days are. And yet the writer manages to keep the readers’ interests alive until the inevitable happens, that is, until Tublu and Maina – a widowed mother of a five-year old son, located in Berlin get married.

All in all a very racy, engaging readable book.

Harish Narang


                                                                       Coming Soon...


26 comments:

  1. Looking forward to reading the book, Jahid. All the best.

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    1. Thanks Tomichan Sir :) you deserve a free copy from me :)

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    1. Thanks Mridula :) you are one of my initial blogger friend !!

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  3. Sounds interesting.
    All The Best!

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    1. Glad you found it interesting :) Thanks a lot for your wishes and for dropping by!!

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  4. Interesting Jahid. Looking forward to read it.

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    1. Glad you found it interesting, Preethi :)

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    1. Glad you found it interesting :) thanks a lot for dropping by!!

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  6. All the best. Wish to read it

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  7. Motivating words... all the best :)

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    1. Thanks Kokila :) your comments are always motivating!!

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  8. Looking forward to reading it.....all the best..:)

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  9. Great review of I am sure, a wonderful book!

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    1. Thanks Rajeev :) Yes, it's an interesting story!!

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  10. Congratulations Jahid. I hope you keep getting positive reviews.

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  11. Congratulations, Jahid.
    All the best. And Happy New Year.

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    1. Thank you so much D.Nambiar :) Wish you a very Happy New Year !!

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  12. wow bro..I'm now talking to a novelist!.....read the theme in your previous blogpost...busy now but if life permits someday will surely dive myself into the world of reading and writing novels(might need some of your help of your experiences then).....reading some of your posts,I can imagine how you would have plotted the storyline....emotions worked in life's moments!....that's what I love about your blog....keep writing bro...wishing you my best wishes as a novelist..who knows I may get a privileged access to attend your literary award show someday:)........(and please don't mind this mahabharat-like profile name I have adopted...I have paused writing long ago and not into advertisment mode either...it's just to differentiate between me and other readers with same name on comment threads of blogs,as it was clashing many a times)....my sincere best wishes...novelist sir!

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    1. Thanks a lot Rohit for such a lovely and inspiring comment :) Glad to know that you liked many of my blog posts. Thanks a lot for your good wish!!

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  13. Looks very interesting, would love to read the book at the first opportunity, congrats!!way to go..

    .I wanted to write this comment as menakabharathi from simpleindianmom, but am not able to, so have added this here

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    1. Thanks Menaka :) Glad you found the review interesting. Thanks for your wishes and for dropping by!!

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