Book Review: Dreams Die Young by C.V.Murali

Title: Dreams Die Young

Author: C.V.Murali

Publisher: Frog Books

Pages: 95

Price: Rs 145

Genre: Fiction / Nostalgia / Naxalite movement

Rating: 8/10 for the basic story and its potential; 2/10 for the editing

Format: Paperback

I am yet to read another book which has such a promising story line but such poor editing. It is always hard for me to look past the glaring mistakes, but this book is an exception.

The book begins at ‘the end’, and the core story is narrated in the flash-back. Rajat Sen is a 50-something, highly successful US-based professor. A chance meeting with an old classmate, Arindam Sanyal, brings back the ghosts of his days of youth and idealism.

The main story is set in the India of 1960s, which saw the emergence of Naxalite movement. Murali’s main protagonist, Rajat Sen, has had a protected, affluent upbringing. The divide between different classes, the sufferings and the dearth of opportunities for the less-fortunate never mattered in his scheme of things. When he joins Engineering, he gets influenced by Arindam and is drawn towards the idealistic beliefs of a classless society. It appeals to his young mind that several well-educated young people with a sound background, like his own, are part of the struggle and taking matters in their hands to create a better future. They are disillusioned enough to believe that their violent means and killing of innocent lives are justified as long as they serve the purpose of achieving the end.

Soon Rajat is also sucked into the vicious circle of violence, plotting the killings of one government official to another minister; until he is asked to kill a prominent government official who was known to be masterminding government action against the Naxalites.

This 95-pages book is a fast-paced story that raises pertinent questions about grim realities of contemporary India in the minds of readers. What instigates the bright, young minds with promising futures to get sucked into the cycle of violence in pursuit of a blurry vision? Is it romantic to be part of the revolution that promises an ideal world? Why choose unrealistic and unreasonable means to achieve a just society? Are they justified? Agreed, the poor have been wronged forever now, but is this the way out?

I admit, there are some unnecessary details in the narrative like the details on the railways or monsoon which go on and on for a while, and yet I loved the book. It could have been significantly better through better editing.

With dramatic twists and turns, it is hard not to notice that this book is a movie waiting to be made. 

The cover page evokes nostalgia and has a certain melancholic appeal; and suits the theme of the book perfectly.  

Do read it if you could lay your hands on it. 

Image source: crossword.in

Red Sun: Travels Naxalite Country by Sudeep Chakravarti

This is not a book which I have read myself. I generally refer Book Reviews of The Hindu or Business World to find out about good books which may not be of popular genre. You might not get it in Crossword. I could not find it in most of the online book shops.

V.R. Lakshminarayanan states in The Hindu - “Reading Sudeep Chakravarti’s Red Sun, a travelogue-cum-political narrative of his travels through India’s ever lengthening Red corridor, is intimidating. The picture of young Indian intellectuals, a collection of educated, unemployed and unemployable youth coming out of schools in JNU fashion is demolished by the stories that Sudeep unveils. One better watch, he warns of the imminent peril that a large chunk of India may explode any moment, for the stories are real.” You may want to check out the complete review here.
I have not been majorly into non-fiction till now but of late, I feel I need to get out of my ignorance about our own country. Watching Sudhir Mishra’s "Hazaar Khwahishen Aisi”, which is set against the Naxal revolution, was quite intriguing. I had only passingly read about Naxalite attacks in the interiors of Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh; though the gruesome cover page of Outlook, from years ago, has stuck to my sub-conscious. It had the picture of a policeman carrying the head of a victim.
Engrossed in the mushy romances of Indian cinema and Mills and Boons, I never really tried finding out more about the cause for this struggle. When I came across this book, while my usual skimming through of Hindu Book Reviews, I could not ignore it. It definitely goes on my bookshelf!

Available at Rs 396 @ Strand Book Stall, Rs 470 @ Flipkart and Rs 386.10 @ BSBazaar. Strand Book Stall charges Shipping at actuals. The rest two have Free Shipping. Check out the respective sites for more details.