Review of the book

IIM Alumni gives us a reason “TO CATCH A SMILE”
(Extracts from the review in the Free Press Release, (May 27, 2008) http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200805/1211903159.html )

The recent book by an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus – “To Catch a smile” is making waves in the literary circles. Vivek is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and is currently works at KPMG, the international advisor
"These are not mere stories created for drama and impact. These are experiences narrated with retrospective introspection. These are thoughts which capture the inner turmoil and dilemmas. They make you laugh, make you smile but more importantly, they make you think. Anyone who has lived life can easily relate to them. Because these are not mere set of events, these are people reacting to events with their preconceived notions; these are moments where life comes up triumphantly. These are moments which can define lives for some. These are discreet words spilling some sweet secrets of your life. These are stories which seemed to have been pulled from a chapter of your life." It seemed at first that the book would be like many a campus novels floating in the market. The trend that was started by Chetan Bhagat's Five Point Someone and Tushar Raheja's Anything For You Ma'am has given rise to potential authors who want to translate their campus experiences. I gave a quick look at the author's profile. A knowing smile floated on my face as I saw the pedigree. IIMA graduate, working for an international consulting firm. Hah, another one cashing the recent wave, I thought. What must he be talking about, I wondered - his days at IIMA? His struggle through the years to get there or what he faced once he was in there trying to give us a cooked up narrative of what will get eyeballs? I would probably have sealed its fate right there but something caught my eye. It was not a novel; it was a short story collection instead. May be I can flip through a couple, I thought. And I am glad I did. What struck me first was that it was not about IIM, it was about the person behind, which is what a story should be, I believe. As I kept finishing stories, more things occurred to me. After long, here was a collection of stories which was modern in real sense. It did not bank upon common notions about today's life and how it should be; it actually brought them forth the way you and I would have witnessed. It does not tell me that today we face lot of dilemmas and temptations, that a lot of us lead a confused life where multiple choices are facing us every moment. Each story lives these feelings but it never says them aloud. The tension, the confusion in the stories is very palpable and so are the elements of curiosity and vulnerability. Never once it appears to have been written keeping an audience in mind other than writer himself. He is very experimental with his style and narration. One moment it is abstract, the next moment it is subtle. If it is philosophical at one time, the next moment it is fun and exudes exuberance. It can be entertaining you with real life portrayal that you can relate to and at the same time it can transport you to a world where you feel engrossed in deep thoughts about life. I hate to use these words but I felt as if I could see writer's soul in a few of them. I liked what I saw. It had a bit mine in it.