NAME: BESTSELLER.
AUTHOR: Ahmed Faiyaz.
GENRE: Fiction, contemporary, drama-comedy.
PUBLISHER: Rupa Publications.
PAGES: 196RATE: 3.5/5
This book has a very interesting and amusing story to tell, and was especially fascinating to me, because I have always wondered about the inside view of the publishing world, and the writer does a great job of portraying the dirty side of the publishing 'game' and how money and power play a huge role here as in any other industry (all the while being hilarious!)
The main aspects that work for this book are, the narration and the characters. The story is about a London-based failed writer Akshay Mathur who's sent to India to revive a doomed publishing house run by Mr. Kalim by any possible means. For most part of the book, I really couldn't root for this guy but I liked the idea of a not-so-perfect protagonist who felt real. I couldn't forgive him for a few things he did and felt he was quite a hypocrite. But he does get some much needed development by the end of the book, and puts his heart into bettering the publishing house, which makes it easier for the reader to appreciate his efforts.
My favourite character in this book though was Zorah Kalim, the daughter of Mr. Kalim who really is as feisty as her name! She was a breath of fresh air into how female characters (mainly Muslim women) are portrayed, & I enjoyed reading about her. The girl lost her mother quite early, had an estranged relation with her dad and must have had to deal with quite a lot to emerge out that confident. Honestly I thought she was far too good for Akshay and I just want to request the author to maybe write a spin-off about her story before and after meeting Akshay!
The other characters like the superstar 'Roshan Khan' is hilarious as this self-obsessed actor who thinks he can act, Anya Malik is quite a go-getter too and I love how her sexual preference was written in an understatement and not made a huge deal about. All the other characters worked for me as well.
The book is fast paced and the continuous peeks into what goes on in Akshay's mind made it a really fun read.
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Though this book wasn't everything I wanted it to be, and I wasn't quite convinced about a few plot points like the issue with the Minister, yet I found this to be absorbing, entertaining & will recommend it to anyone looking for a light, intelligent read.
