An above average story

This is going to be my first real blog. I say this because the other day something very bloggish happened which I definitely want to share with my fellow reader.

Let me start from the very beginning. On my birthday as I was strolling the mgf mall in gurgaon for the nth time I decided to revivify my reading and bought two books, one which I had been searching for a long time; Liar’s Poker and the other about which I had heard just once (and that too from my mother) whose name even I couldn’t exactly remember (I hardly remember anything mumma tells me). So I asked the bookstore guy whether a book on “IIT” had come recently and snap came the reply – “five point someone�” To this question I gave an are-you-kidding-me look and said no, it’s a fairly new one with the word “average” in the title. The book he told me was called Above Average written by Amitabha Bagchi. As one of the salesmen searched the shelves for the book I argued with Himanshu “I wanna buy the book. It sounds nice! C’mon its about IIT.” The argument originated from the fact that both the books had been my choice. “Its my birthday; lets buy it.” That did it. But now I had to finish the book asap if I wanted to lay my hands on Liar’s poker before Himanshu left for L.

So I read it in two nights, one of my fastest finishes.

After reading I tried to form an opinion about the book. This was weird because whenever I read a book my take on it develops during the course of the reading so that by the time I finish it I am all set to prattle about it to the next person I talk to. But here, I was lost for words. It was only later that I realized that the reason I was having so much trouble forming an opinion on the book was because I had identified with it so much that judging the book was like virtually judging my life.

See, the book is about a middle-class, “above” average boy, Arindham Chatterjee, who goes on to become Rindu in IIT who struggles through strenuous coaching classes to get into the prestigious IIT’s and is thus surrounded by students who are all “above” average in their own worlds. Obviously here lies a paradox. So the book oscillates back and forth in space and time unraveling the not-so-happening yet singular life of this boy, displaying the diversity of people he meets who vary from those who dwell in a hindi-film world with melo-dramatic yet truly real world filled with violence to those cover up their incapabilities with betrayal and many more.

I think the essence of the book is that any one trying to cope up in an ever changing fast-paced environment trying to make something of his own can identify with the protagonist who has no frills attached to him. He is no tragedy hero, just the guy next door trying to be above average; forgive the cliche. He is someone who wants to be a drummer in a rock band, who does well in all the humanities courses effortlessly and thus all the more wants to score high in a subject considered to be the fundooest of all, someone who though sensitive enough to understand the misery of his friend is incapable of supporting him.

That’s what made it special I guess…the understating of emotions….painful yet real. I identified most with the style of the book wherein Bagchi doesn’t give answers to all the on-the-verge-of-adulthood problems. The answers come in at a later age – on reminiscence. As the saying goes: “By the time you’ve learnt the rules of the game called life; you are too old to play the game.” I like the incompleteness in various incidents, the effort which goes waste so many times, even in the case of love with our poor Rindu. But isn’t that what happens mostly? Most pursuits cause suffering and sometimes still end up futile. I think that�s how I had ended one of my blogs as well. Some questions are worth pondering over just for their sake.

There is a paragraph where the author talks about how the DU JNU et al culture is much more porous to the city as compared to the IIT�s. We live in our own world dealing with its demons, foreigner to the real one for four years. When I read it I could only think of one thing: “I’ve said this thing a million times!”

But I think if one can’t enjoy Mr. Bagchi’s writing style, the book may turn out to be somewhat unsatisfactory. I thoroughly did. And to be honest, I think this is the first book I would wanna read over and over again. I’ve liked many books, but this is one I can truly relate to. And for all the readers who enjoy empathizing with one or the other characters in a novel this is a treat. But this is no five point someone where we read over the top fiascos happening like quotidian events with these three peculiar students. This is if I may say, real. Even an ordinary chap like me has experienced a lot of stuff written in the book.

Anyway, enough with the book review and praise. Let me continue with the bloggish story.
The next day I decided that the book deserved an entry to the “my communities” list if one existed. It did and I even posted a comment on it which was very unlike me.
So here I was, wiling away time on the net and pop comes a scrap: “read your comment on the community and read your blog; would love to know your comments on the book. Regards Amitabha” My first thought was “is this the real author guy”? So I visited his profile. It looked pretty authentic with the blog, website etcetera. And then suddenly I started smiling all alone in front of my comp. I felt like one of those kids who innocently grin and grin when they see a movie star. It felt good to wear such an unadulterated smile even though it may not seem like a big deal. So I chose my words very carefully and replied trying not to sound too flattered. The result was an extended chat with him and a very pleasant evening.

In the past couple of days I’ve narrated this incident to almost everyone around me in one way or another but I thought it wouldn’t do any harm to put all of it in writing in a corner of this virtual abyss for more people to read.

originally posted on june 12 2007

~ by neha mehta on June 27, 2007.