Book Review: Karna's Celestial Armor by Surendra Nath

Karna's Celestial Armor

Author: Surendra Nath

Sold By: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited

Rating: 3.5/5

Personally, Karna is my favourite character from mythology. And the foremost reason why this book caught my attention in a jiffy was that I had already read its first part. The author has chosen a subject that is seldom dealt with. Unlike other mythological books, this story revolves around a boy (Vasu) who is intrigued by the calibre and persona of Karna. In the first part, he sets on a quest to discover his true self. In this part, inspired and motivated by Karna’s alter ego, he decides to go on an expedition to find the Kavach-Kundal of Karna that was hidden by Lord Indra.

Trying his luck in every nook and corner, Vasu becomes the new Harry Potter (Deathly Hallows), who makes an attempt to find the missing parts of the armour that had been hidden wittily by Indra. While reading, one might feel like reading the chase for Horcrux (like in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows). With lucid narration, the plot moves smoothly. The author’s prowess to showcase the marvel of nature through mere words is worth appreciation. With the help of the protagonist, he virtually takes the readers to some of the most magnificent locations in India. However, the simplicity of the language did not quite match my expectations. The vocabulary could have been better.

For the first book, Ruskin Bond had said that the genre of the book was still a question for him. And yet again, I would not refrain from highlighting the difficulty in classifying the genre appropriately. There is mythology, there is fiction, there is mystery and there is spiritual aspect associated as well. The character sketch of Vasu, as the alter ego of Karna, has been done beautifully and successfully. Not only does this book provides an insight into his life but also gives a sneak peek into the great Mahabharata.

The cover of the book was disappointing; it could have been better.

Overall an entertaining read with all the essential elements of a good story!

Drawbacks

There are some printing errors in the book.

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Book Review: Educating Naughty Chimpu by Gouri Dash

Educating Naughty Chimpu

Author: Gouri Dash

Genre: Children’s book

Publishers: Happy Squirrel (Leadstart)

Area A: Text

The text has been organized in simple sentences. ‘Onomatopoeia’ has been chosen as the literary tool and it will definitely cater to the interest of the little children. The way the different animals have been described will compel the children to form an image in their minds and relate to the story better. Each page ends on a ‘curious’ note and the child will be tempted to read further.. However, the grammatical errors will hinder the process of learning. Also, I felt the inclusion of the part in which the young Chimpu proposes the bird, was irrelevant. For such young children, it is wise to not expose them to white lies and concepts that their minds cannot process.

Area B: Illustrations

The cover of the book neatly presents the main conflict of the plot. The illustrations (in broad strokes) strike the right chord and will be liked by the children. The primary medium used in illustrations is drawing. However, clearer illustrations would have been better.

Area C: Characterization

The main character of the story is Chimpu and the most dominant trait that can be identified is his impish behaviour. The central idea and the conflict of the story- the reluctance of Chimpu to study- will be relatable. The exposition, rising action and climax are fine but the resolution and falling action are a bit out of place. The story could have been twisted in a better way.

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How important are book reviews?

Evaluation of work and the critique of the same is one of the essential components of the production cycle of literature. Since it is a well-known fact that books help in transferring literature and information, book reviewing is an essential constituent of literary progress. With writing becoming the cash cow for every other individual, the race of getting your book included in the list of ‘bestsellers’ is on. And it is this reason which has enabled the art of book reviewing become crucial.

What is the latest book that you have read? Was it recently bought or long time back? Did you like the book? Did you give your review about the same? I bet nine out of ten times the answer to the last question is a big no. It is the general human tendency to showcase the negative feedback/ criticism on social media than to praise what is good. It is more like too many chiefs, not enough Indians. There is so much criticism but seldom is any positive feedback seen.

The business of book reviewing has almost cornered the market and there are many reasons why this has happened:

1.   There are different strokes for different folks and the reviews can help the reader decide what to add and what not to add to the reading shelf

2.   Online shopping is one such thing that causes a stir. Nowadays people prefer everything online, right from shopping, selecting, and studying to payments, bookings and what not! This is the reason why the publishing companies offer more widespread online distribution as compared to the offline market. Gone are the days when people used to spend at least an hour in a library or a bookstore. Hence, if the purchasing has to be done online, it is important to get as many reviews as possible

3.   Advertisements are important. They are the medium that helps name, fame and opulence fall into your lap. But they come with a price. None of the advertisement companies agrees to sell your ad unless there is a certain count of positive reviews on the retailer site

4.   The more the number of reviews, the more likely it becomes for the book to be listed among the top choices or the top few suggested reads

5.   Word of mouth can help in transforming a book from being arcane to being the bestseller

6.   The readers might not always know about all the books and here the role of retail sites comes into play. The section on Amazon, ‘you might also enjoy’ or ‘other features in this category’ contains the list of books that have higher sales or higher number of reviews. Both ways the sale graph of the book goes higher.

So, yes, it is true that book reviews impact the book sales and that too more than any promotional activity or sponsors. People like to follow the lead. And in this case, the lead of a good book invites a larger number of copies to be printed and ensures the overall success of the author.