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Life... Love... Kumbh...
The story in Life...Love...Kumbh... is told from the perspective of the three main characters- Annant, Agastaya, and Aditi. Their paths cross on January 13, 2010. It is the day before the first of the eleven sacred baths of the Haridwar Maha Kumbh.
The three characters meet each other and exchange their stories. They remember the days gone by and are unsure about what lies ahead.
As the Kumbh Mela draws towards an end, all three of them are thrown into a challenging situation that they have to face. The book then follows their journey as they try and find answers for their personal quests all at the same time - on life, love, and the thirst for knowledge.
The three characters meet each other and exchange their stories. They remember the days gone by and are unsure about what lies ahead.
As the Kumbh Mela draws towards an end, all three of them are thrown into a challenging situation that they have to face. The book then follows their journey as they try and find answers for their personal quests all at the same time - on life, love, and the thirst for knowledge.
290 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2011
10 people are currently reading
1399 people want to read
About the author
Aporva Kala
6 books82 followers"I observe, explore, evolve, therefore I author"
'Life..Love..Kumbh..' is about the miasma called life with all its little foibles and joys.
'Alchemist of the East' is an inspirational fable , one can read it for wisdom, adventure and love.
'The Chronicle of Sapata Sindhu' is my first histo- Mytho novel which has been on Amazon bestseller's lit a few times.
'Black Coffin, Sweet Flowers', is an experimental crime fiction.
'Love Ugh!' is a crime thriller with a twisted end.
Presently I am working on a compilation of ghost stories from the Himalayas.
In an interview with Dr Roopleen, Aporva talks about his life, philosophy and his book “life love kumbh”
Roopleen Prasad: What’s the story behind the story of “lifelove Kumbh?” What inspired you to pen this novel?
Aporva Kala: During early part of 1980s, when I was a child, I happen to attend a Kumbh Bath at Prayag, Allahabad; the images of which stayed with me. Then I attended a couple of Kumbh fairs at Haridwar, last one being in 2010. It was a lucky break that the story unfolded in January 2010 and I started penning it with three characters on the backdrop of Kumbh fair.
As for the inspiration for writing, we all of us have ideas which we want to share with others; writing is thus a need to communicate. Of late we (Indians) have developed a sense of gloom and a self-deprecating attitude which this book tries to correct as it celebrates what our country stands for- peace, universal brotherhood and learning.
RP: What were the challenges you faced in getting your book published?
AK: I would consider myself lucky that I found a passionate publisher who understood my work and went ahead with publishing it. But I do agree that publishing is one hell of a challenge.
RP: Although there is no magic formula to become a good writer, there are certain attributes of a good writer. What in your view are those “must have” qualities?
AK: I think a writer is a magician in his own right! An eye for details, human sensitivity, dreamers’ passion, idea and proficiency of language and courage to be a part of the story are some of the qualities a writer must possess.
RP: What avenues have you found to work best for marketing your book?
AK: I followed my publisher’s advice of being active on the Social Networking sites. And, I must confess, it did help. Other than this, I haven’t really chalked out a formal strategy for marketing my book for I believe that if a book is well written, well researched and has a unique idea, it would find many a good readers. I’m quite happy with the response it has received from the readers so far.
RP: Do you feel any competitive pressure from other authors and their work in the same genre?
AK: Every writer has a style and content which makes him stand out in the crowd. Having said that, I would also like to add that Capitalism does entail a sense of competitiveness and struggle to capture the interest of the readers, which makes it imperative for a writer to write well!
RP: What advice would you give to the aspiring writers?
AK: Write from the heart, without the fear or apprehensions about whether your work will get published or not; whatever you write, write honestly.
RP: We have heard that writing for you is an ‘exercise in creativity.’ How do you define creativity and what do you when you are not engaged in your ‘creative work-outs?’
AK: Creativity is a unique way to do everyday work- not something which overwhelms you but something which challenges you ‘to achieve, to grow and to seek.’ When not writing, I pursue Yog and am involved in teaching which I feel is full of challenges and has a lot of potential for innovations.
RP: What is your idea of a “Happy Life?”
AK: Life itself is free from adverbs, prefixes and definitions. It is our c
'Life..Love..Kumbh..' is about the miasma called life with all its little foibles and joys.
'Alchemist of the East' is an inspirational fable , one can read it for wisdom, adventure and love.
'The Chronicle of Sapata Sindhu' is my first histo- Mytho novel which has been on Amazon bestseller's lit a few times.
'Black Coffin, Sweet Flowers', is an experimental crime fiction.
'Love Ugh!' is a crime thriller with a twisted end.
Presently I am working on a compilation of ghost stories from the Himalayas.
In an interview with Dr Roopleen, Aporva talks about his life, philosophy and his book “life love kumbh”
Roopleen Prasad: What’s the story behind the story of “lifelove Kumbh?” What inspired you to pen this novel?
Aporva Kala: During early part of 1980s, when I was a child, I happen to attend a Kumbh Bath at Prayag, Allahabad; the images of which stayed with me. Then I attended a couple of Kumbh fairs at Haridwar, last one being in 2010. It was a lucky break that the story unfolded in January 2010 and I started penning it with three characters on the backdrop of Kumbh fair.
As for the inspiration for writing, we all of us have ideas which we want to share with others; writing is thus a need to communicate. Of late we (Indians) have developed a sense of gloom and a self-deprecating attitude which this book tries to correct as it celebrates what our country stands for- peace, universal brotherhood and learning.
RP: What were the challenges you faced in getting your book published?
AK: I would consider myself lucky that I found a passionate publisher who understood my work and went ahead with publishing it. But I do agree that publishing is one hell of a challenge.
RP: Although there is no magic formula to become a good writer, there are certain attributes of a good writer. What in your view are those “must have” qualities?
AK: I think a writer is a magician in his own right! An eye for details, human sensitivity, dreamers’ passion, idea and proficiency of language and courage to be a part of the story are some of the qualities a writer must possess.
RP: What avenues have you found to work best for marketing your book?
AK: I followed my publisher’s advice of being active on the Social Networking sites. And, I must confess, it did help. Other than this, I haven’t really chalked out a formal strategy for marketing my book for I believe that if a book is well written, well researched and has a unique idea, it would find many a good readers. I’m quite happy with the response it has received from the readers so far.
RP: Do you feel any competitive pressure from other authors and their work in the same genre?
AK: Every writer has a style and content which makes him stand out in the crowd. Having said that, I would also like to add that Capitalism does entail a sense of competitiveness and struggle to capture the interest of the readers, which makes it imperative for a writer to write well!
RP: What advice would you give to the aspiring writers?
AK: Write from the heart, without the fear or apprehensions about whether your work will get published or not; whatever you write, write honestly.
RP: We have heard that writing for you is an ‘exercise in creativity.’ How do you define creativity and what do you when you are not engaged in your ‘creative work-outs?’
AK: Creativity is a unique way to do everyday work- not something which overwhelms you but something which challenges you ‘to achieve, to grow and to seek.’ When not writing, I pursue Yog and am involved in teaching which I feel is full of challenges and has a lot of potential for innovations.
RP: What is your idea of a “Happy Life?”
AK: Life itself is free from adverbs, prefixes and definitions. It is our c
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 7, 2013
I am a student of literature and found the book close to James Joyce's Ulysses.... infact the author uses lot of literary references...words like Kinch..(Nick name of Stephen Daedalus in Ulysses), jejune... Upanishads are , it seems, the author's attempt to prove that, his book. life..love..kumbh.., too is a story of a day, but it is not an in consequent day, but is the most important day!!
He goes further to use T.S Elliot's, opening of the Wasteland..april is the cruelest month... and says that 'who is it who calls April the cruelest month, damn, i was born out of the loins of my father in the month of April'...he goes on to add that 'i will perform a Julius Ceaserian on him'!!
What i mean is that the book is a homage to the literature of yore...
At other place he writes Rush Die roll in Padama..' an obvious reference to Salman rushdie and his ex-girlfriend Padma Lakshmi!
Maupassant (short story Mishti, the name of the cat) H. G Wells (His shorty story 'the country of the blind is named to drive home the point of conformity)Vikram Seth(suitable Boy and upcoming girl)
The author makes a seething comment at falling standards of writingin the present times..and offers an alternative...
A must read for all lovers of good fiction and literature....
He goes further to use T.S Elliot's, opening of the Wasteland..april is the cruelest month... and says that 'who is it who calls April the cruelest month, damn, i was born out of the loins of my father in the month of April'...he goes on to add that 'i will perform a Julius Ceaserian on him'!!
What i mean is that the book is a homage to the literature of yore...
At other place he writes Rush Die roll in Padama..' an obvious reference to Salman rushdie and his ex-girlfriend Padma Lakshmi!
Maupassant (short story Mishti, the name of the cat) H. G Wells (His shorty story 'the country of the blind is named to drive home the point of conformity)Vikram Seth(suitable Boy and upcoming girl)
The author makes a seething comment at falling standards of writingin the present times..and offers an alternative...
A must read for all lovers of good fiction and literature....
August 15, 2015
A wonderful book which surprised me with its honesty and the celebration of life despite all oddities and the ups and downs. Three protogonists, Aditi, Agastaya and Annant live their lives across a day before the Kumbh Mela bath, on the 13th of Jan 2010. The author covers all the aspects of emotions- love, longing, hate, passions, and the lingering saddness of death(thru a girl Nina))
it is a heady mix of philosophy, yoga and the play of nature.
It talks of peace and thus, moves about, back and forth in the maze of pasts and present.
Capitalism and the changing value system of the country is also taken in to account.
It celebrates Indianess as no one else.
And above all a guideline for a qualitative living is also given.
Wonderful effort.
Go for it..
AGAIN GO FOR IT..LOVED IT THE THIRD TIME AROUND!!!
it is a heady mix of philosophy, yoga and the play of nature.
It talks of peace and thus, moves about, back and forth in the maze of pasts and present.
Capitalism and the changing value system of the country is also taken in to account.
It celebrates Indianess as no one else.
And above all a guideline for a qualitative living is also given.
Wonderful effort.
Go for it..
AGAIN GO FOR IT..LOVED IT THE THIRD TIME AROUND!!!
January 14, 2017
I found something in this book which made me rate it!! here is sharing a link from The Pioneer Sunday, today....The excerpts of life..love..kumbh..are given with a small review...
It is in in 'Sunday Agenda of The Pioneer'
http://archive.dailypioneer.com/sunda...
What the Indian National Newspapers say about Life..love..kumbh..
"The book life..love..kumbh.. by aporva kala, is as much a story of the three persons, Aditi, Agastaya and Annant, as of the age old tradition of Indian spiritual journey." The Daily Pioneer.
"The author Aporva kala has used his yogic knowledge to pen his first novel Life..love..kumbh.., which talks about world peace and evolution of the self." TOI
"After successfully debuting with Life..love..kumbh.. the Dehra Doon based novelist has started his journey to the Indus valley Civilizatio, in his second book, "The Chronicle of Sapta Sindhu".HT
"Life..love..kumbh.., Bhartiya darsan aur bhartiya adhyatm is ek adbhut kahani hai." Rashtriya Sahara.
"The author uses his personal life as bases to write his book, which, I am sure, will find many a readers." Famed author about Indology,Stephen Alter.
"Excellent work of fiction with a dose of learnig." (late) Sudhir Thapliyal, famous author of many a books.
The Hindustan Times (City) calls Life..Love..Kumbh.. a unique book..
See the Link...
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epape...
"Bhartiya darsan aur ek khahani" Yugwani hindi monthly magazine.
It is in in 'Sunday Agenda of The Pioneer'
http://archive.dailypioneer.com/sunda...
What the Indian National Newspapers say about Life..love..kumbh..
"The book life..love..kumbh.. by aporva kala, is as much a story of the three persons, Aditi, Agastaya and Annant, as of the age old tradition of Indian spiritual journey." The Daily Pioneer.
"The author Aporva kala has used his yogic knowledge to pen his first novel Life..love..kumbh.., which talks about world peace and evolution of the self." TOI
"After successfully debuting with Life..love..kumbh.. the Dehra Doon based novelist has started his journey to the Indus valley Civilizatio, in his second book, "The Chronicle of Sapta Sindhu".HT
"Life..love..kumbh.., Bhartiya darsan aur bhartiya adhyatm is ek adbhut kahani hai." Rashtriya Sahara.
"The author uses his personal life as bases to write his book, which, I am sure, will find many a readers." Famed author about Indology,Stephen Alter.
"Excellent work of fiction with a dose of learnig." (late) Sudhir Thapliyal, famous author of many a books.
The Hindustan Times (City) calls Life..Love..Kumbh.. a unique book..
See the Link...
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epape...
"Bhartiya darsan aur ek khahani" Yugwani hindi monthly magazine.
January 5, 2013
It’s a book tough to read and tough to put down. There was too much stoned philosophy, culture, yoga for my liking... I continued reading and liked the plot... the intertwined stories of characters... the passion... detachment... love... responsibilities... desire... ambition portrayed through them.
13th of January 2010, The background of Kumbh allows a different level of flow to the narration... it allows culture and philosophy to be discussed in a differential level... and at the same time relate to the contemporary modern society and traditions at large.
more at http://rivr.sulekha.com/life-love-kum...
13th of January 2010, The background of Kumbh allows a different level of flow to the narration... it allows culture and philosophy to be discussed in a differential level... and at the same time relate to the contemporary modern society and traditions at large.
more at http://rivr.sulekha.com/life-love-kum...
March 15, 2013
It is not often one comes across a book like this! And it forces the reader to delve deep and find out the mystery of the writings and cherisn the creation in its entirety. Life..love..kumbh.. is such a book. It forced me to look up to it and research what it is all about. Here is what i found...
First its colorful, evolving characters...
Jorden a Jew from Londonium, of the Maccabees race..the one which fought against the oppression of the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes(175-64BC). he is a regular visitor to the holy town of Haridwar on the banks of River Ganga in search of peace, solace and the mother of his previous birth (Aditi). He is deep into philosophy and Bhakti of the town and befriends Sameer, Annant's cousin. 'Jorden flowing into Ganga'
Tweaney, the Brit from London, who comes to haridwar "To clean my cluttered mind ,after i lost my parents in the WTC attack-'poor workers of capitalism innocently attending to daily chores'He marries a brahmin girl Shamistta-"The english tutor and his pupil; the Veda mentor and her Shishya'. He brigs a wry british humor to the proceedings..
Annant, the Stephen Dedalus of the novel! he is a rebel , philosppher and an exponent of yoga.Minniee is his love interest, whom he wants to lay , as a form of rebel agains-damn society'. He has lost Nina and grieves for her death.
Agastay, the Yogi, who tries to make two ends meet, keeping his daughter, Kierrie and wife ,Aditi happy despite the rising demands and aspirations 'due ot emerging capitalism in India.
Aditi, the painter, philosopher, gurumaa, who has a wild affair with agastaya and then moves on to give birth to Kirrie. She paints and wants to explore the markets to supplement her family income.
Nicole, a jew, working for BBC, photographing the naked Naga Sadhus and living i Juna Akhara.
Nina, the girls who succumbs to the 'Procrustean predilections of a middle class society' and dies.
Kashi, the silent folloower of Guru Ekaba..
Ekaba, the guru who wants to build up a system of organised religion.
Sameer, the doctor, who is annant's cousin.
Now about the book: Written in a Joycean style, it tells us the story of a day..13 jan, 2010, now this happens to be the death anniversary of James Joyce, too 'Bloomsday of the east'. The author examines literature, philosophy and spirituality through his characters. However unlike Ulysses, in which Joyce picks up an inconsequential day, here the author picks up an important day and fills his book with wisdom, erudition. He pays homage to Joyce as well as to the literature of yore..Elliot, 'Whose "April is the cruelest month" is used. to Shakespeare and his wife's affair "Anna hath a way away from his" is used. Mermaid in a tavern is mentioned, referring to the cafe the great dramatist frequented.
The author invents words like Whorascious(whore vorascious) Sham bridge(Cambridge) to nowhere, Creatiwitty..etc.
Now i want to share some of the brilliant lines from the book..
"Sameer informs Annant and then tells him that from henceforth, the parts of his speech shouldn't be put under the wrench and martini scanner or chirped upon like a wren and it is his trick at practicing the fine art of writing his prescriptions".
"But why have you dear english Jew; whose fore fathers fought to enter the country of the Jhonny Mill, the stuart with a little heart; saunter into haridwar; no fish and chips' counters here; only the Ganga'Jal, the Holy ale-quaff it for the spirit and carry it to the banks of Thames in s holy grail."
"He asks her and the ntells her that one's dress tells where one has reached, yours where you are heading to."
"Ah! the passion of a creator Good Lord without the cross; come out of this master bait of intellectualism that the mind dangles , my friend, and i treat you to C2H5OH- roll on the bandwagon of alchol, pick up a treatise of human understanding on the way."
"And i for potentiality, leading to the possibility of actuality; wood is cold but has the potential of fire and a possibility of turning into ash. The flux, my friend and the four stages of Aristotle superimposed over the ashram system of vedic times."
"The phantasmagoric philosophy; ineluctable bride of mediocrity."
"As Thoreau writes in Walden; In the morning i bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvad geeta. He goes on to proclaim, that the waters of Walden is mingled with the sacred waters of Ganga."
"Why can't one live the life of disappearing? An invisible man, the real superman."
"I thought of her as she and she as her. The last time she came, with a drained face, unkempt hairs, unclipped and unribbionned, unwashed and knotted; overnight hairs-a dish fermented. Her clothes were strained with over wear uncreased and unwashed .Shoes without socks. Eyes without lashes. Lips without a smile. Heart without a beat."
The author writes with lyricism and gives us a good book which can be re-read many a times. It talks of world peace and advocates a healthy life style..I recommend it to all...
First its colorful, evolving characters...
Jorden a Jew from Londonium, of the Maccabees race..the one which fought against the oppression of the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes(175-64BC). he is a regular visitor to the holy town of Haridwar on the banks of River Ganga in search of peace, solace and the mother of his previous birth (Aditi). He is deep into philosophy and Bhakti of the town and befriends Sameer, Annant's cousin. 'Jorden flowing into Ganga'
Tweaney, the Brit from London, who comes to haridwar "To clean my cluttered mind ,after i lost my parents in the WTC attack-'poor workers of capitalism innocently attending to daily chores'He marries a brahmin girl Shamistta-"The english tutor and his pupil; the Veda mentor and her Shishya'. He brigs a wry british humor to the proceedings..
Annant, the Stephen Dedalus of the novel! he is a rebel , philosppher and an exponent of yoga.Minniee is his love interest, whom he wants to lay , as a form of rebel agains-damn society'. He has lost Nina and grieves for her death.
Agastay, the Yogi, who tries to make two ends meet, keeping his daughter, Kierrie and wife ,Aditi happy despite the rising demands and aspirations 'due ot emerging capitalism in India.
Aditi, the painter, philosopher, gurumaa, who has a wild affair with agastaya and then moves on to give birth to Kirrie. She paints and wants to explore the markets to supplement her family income.
Nicole, a jew, working for BBC, photographing the naked Naga Sadhus and living i Juna Akhara.
Nina, the girls who succumbs to the 'Procrustean predilections of a middle class society' and dies.
Kashi, the silent folloower of Guru Ekaba..
Ekaba, the guru who wants to build up a system of organised religion.
Sameer, the doctor, who is annant's cousin.
Now about the book: Written in a Joycean style, it tells us the story of a day..13 jan, 2010, now this happens to be the death anniversary of James Joyce, too 'Bloomsday of the east'. The author examines literature, philosophy and spirituality through his characters. However unlike Ulysses, in which Joyce picks up an inconsequential day, here the author picks up an important day and fills his book with wisdom, erudition. He pays homage to Joyce as well as to the literature of yore..Elliot, 'Whose "April is the cruelest month" is used. to Shakespeare and his wife's affair "Anna hath a way away from his" is used. Mermaid in a tavern is mentioned, referring to the cafe the great dramatist frequented.
The author invents words like Whorascious(whore vorascious) Sham bridge(Cambridge) to nowhere, Creatiwitty..etc.
Now i want to share some of the brilliant lines from the book..
"Sameer informs Annant and then tells him that from henceforth, the parts of his speech shouldn't be put under the wrench and martini scanner or chirped upon like a wren and it is his trick at practicing the fine art of writing his prescriptions".
"But why have you dear english Jew; whose fore fathers fought to enter the country of the Jhonny Mill, the stuart with a little heart; saunter into haridwar; no fish and chips' counters here; only the Ganga'Jal, the Holy ale-quaff it for the spirit and carry it to the banks of Thames in s holy grail."
"He asks her and the ntells her that one's dress tells where one has reached, yours where you are heading to."
"Ah! the passion of a creator Good Lord without the cross; come out of this master bait of intellectualism that the mind dangles , my friend, and i treat you to C2H5OH- roll on the bandwagon of alchol, pick up a treatise of human understanding on the way."
"And i for potentiality, leading to the possibility of actuality; wood is cold but has the potential of fire and a possibility of turning into ash. The flux, my friend and the four stages of Aristotle superimposed over the ashram system of vedic times."
"The phantasmagoric philosophy; ineluctable bride of mediocrity."
"As Thoreau writes in Walden; In the morning i bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvad geeta. He goes on to proclaim, that the waters of Walden is mingled with the sacred waters of Ganga."
"Why can't one live the life of disappearing? An invisible man, the real superman."
"I thought of her as she and she as her. The last time she came, with a drained face, unkempt hairs, unclipped and unribbionned, unwashed and knotted; overnight hairs-a dish fermented. Her clothes were strained with over wear uncreased and unwashed .Shoes without socks. Eyes without lashes. Lips without a smile. Heart without a beat."
The author writes with lyricism and gives us a good book which can be re-read many a times. It talks of world peace and advocates a healthy life style..I recommend it to all...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2012
Excellent. never read anything so deep presented so well. Great book!!!!!
September 17, 2012
a mind blasting book!! got hold of it through online stores and was immediately hooked to Kala's mesmeric writings.A wonderful experience, this book is a tough read and tough to review, only when we take it as just another book. WHICH IT IS NOT! so read it deep and drink deep and one can enjoy the interplay of emotions, passions and love, yog, philosophy and destiny. the way Kala, uses Hindu and Greek philosophy is amazing. The book talks of creation, peace and togetherness, which during times like these is like a wish sent from heaven. Go on read it to believe it. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT.
January 16, 2013
An unreviewable book!..but has loads of enjoyable moments. The mad twist of the plots and the setting of the Kumbh fair makes it a unique book in contemporary indian fiction, next only to Roy, if not above it..
February 9, 2013
enchanting saga of love,romance,relation,religion and spirituality..
January 7, 2013
a book of art. MY SURPRISE READ OF THE YEAR!!
it is a smartly written book by kala, every time one reads it one finds something new in it. despite the fact tht i skipped a few chapters the first time around, i re-read them after wards..
it is masstt!! read...lot of philosophy and stoning!!to go with the bitchy writings..
"MAIDENHEAD MASH, TODAY, TOMORROW WOULD BE THE WASHING PART"
have fun...but work for it..
it is a smartly written book by kala, every time one reads it one finds something new in it. despite the fact tht i skipped a few chapters the first time around, i re-read them after wards..
it is masstt!! read...lot of philosophy and stoning!!to go with the bitchy writings..
"MAIDENHEAD MASH, TODAY, TOMORROW WOULD BE THE WASHING PART"
have fun...but work for it..
July 11, 2012
A must read for a better living and love. It gives us a wonderful view of the kumbh mela, held in India ans which is the largest congregation of humanity on earth. The book has a feel of being alive and is replete with wisdom and nuggests of life and love.
November 28, 2012
Candid, frank and straightforward. Good read in terms of expressions,language, thought and depth but God help the madness. A great read!!!!!!!
May 24, 2021
we have had the privilege of being Mr. Kala's students and were surprised to find one more quality about him..that he is a good author ,too!! The book life..love..kumbh.. is a book which teaches us a lot and at the same time entertains us. The sheer drama created by Mr. Kala, through his characters and giving the story a background of huge dimensions is indeed a laudable effort and he pulls it off with very good results!!
We, a group of over three hundred students, strongly recommend this book to be read for not only what it extols, but also for the guts the author shows in writing a book, which very few writers would dare to write, for they follow the diktats of the market.
There are many a reasons to read this book, we request to all the readers to please share their views with us, here at goodreads or on our facebook page. regards and happy reading to all members...
We, a group of over three hundred students, strongly recommend this book to be read for not only what it extols, but also for the guts the author shows in writing a book, which very few writers would dare to write, for they follow the diktats of the market.
There are many a reasons to read this book, we request to all the readers to please share their views with us, here at goodreads or on our facebook page. regards and happy reading to all members...
October 4, 2012
A LOVELY BOOK. SHEER INCISIVE WRITINGS WITH LOADS OF HUMOR MAKES THIS A UNIQUE BOOK. HE LANGUAGE IS TOP CLASS. THE IDEA IS WONDERFUL AND THE PROSE IS LOVELY. ALL SHOULD READ IT FOR EVERYTHING..
February 19, 2016
AN ODE TO JAMES JOYCE.
All those JJ fans read this book to pay homage to the great writer. It took an Indian author to do so. The book life..love..kumbh.. takes a leaf out of Ulysses and re-interprets it , adding spirituality, philosophy and and a love story of three persons to it. Agastaya, Aditi and Annant live a day, a day before the commencment of the Kumbh/Pitcher fair, that happens to be the death anniversary of JJ..13/01/2010.
The author uses wonderful insights, depth and language of yore to paint a picture of life, love, longings, passions, philosophy, yog, learning, literature and then gives us an unadulterated version of hinduism.
If you liked..'Eat Pray Love' 'Life of Pie' or 'Shantaram'..now you have to graduate to Life..love..kumbh...a concentrated version of knowledge, insights and a way of life..
go for it..highly recommended...
All those JJ fans read this book to pay homage to the great writer. It took an Indian author to do so. The book life..love..kumbh.. takes a leaf out of Ulysses and re-interprets it , adding spirituality, philosophy and and a love story of three persons to it. Agastaya, Aditi and Annant live a day, a day before the commencment of the Kumbh/Pitcher fair, that happens to be the death anniversary of JJ..13/01/2010.
The author uses wonderful insights, depth and language of yore to paint a picture of life, love, longings, passions, philosophy, yog, learning, literature and then gives us an unadulterated version of hinduism.
If you liked..'Eat Pray Love' 'Life of Pie' or 'Shantaram'..now you have to graduate to Life..love..kumbh...a concentrated version of knowledge, insights and a way of life..
go for it..highly recommended...
February 8, 2013
nice read..
March 18, 2013
What a book!! Couldn't believe that it is written by an Indian author. Top class language, to the extent that even off course has a meaning! Kala invents words ans takes us to a mesmeric journey of love ,passions, death, life, passions, eroticism and what not. Three people with intertwined life explore India, the culture and the life with all its ups and downs. After reading this i find Coelho and the rest self help books as more theory and less practice. Go for it for the sheer depth of writings, lyrical ism and for a change, forget about Amish, Chetan, Roy and Rushdie...
September 1, 2013
Heavy Dose. Too many commas, too much to read as in too many different references. But wonderful, intellectually packed, truth about Jewish and Indian heritages. I'm still reading it, i'm not slow, it's just that the book is too FAST.
March 1, 2013
great read...go for it and be patient..the story evolves and grows on you..
TOP CLASS WRITINGS...
TOP CLASS WRITINGS...
December 9, 2012
it is a wonderful book, and you can read the comment i have made. Becoz, to review this book is a tough task. Yet, i can say that the three protagonists Aditi, Agastaya and Annant are so real that it seem so very close to reality!!
Must read...
i don;t want to spoil the fun by revealing more!!
the experience of reading is fabulous....
Must read...
i don;t want to spoil the fun by revealing more!!
the experience of reading is fabulous....
March 15, 2013
recommended to all those who love good fiction, literary writings and deep thoughts in a book..GO FOR IT..TAKE MY WORD...
June 19, 2013
Won this book through Goodreads. Full review to come soon :)
Update 6th July.
Definitely 5 out of 5.
This book is an amazing read. Writing is rich and the descriptions are well made. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
This book surprised me with all topics, like culture, Kumb mela and ofcourse love, life ...etc
I look forward to read more books by Mr. Kala
Update 6th July.
Definitely 5 out of 5.
This book is an amazing read. Writing is rich and the descriptions are well made. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
This book surprised me with all topics, like culture, Kumb mela and ofcourse love, life ...etc
I look forward to read more books by Mr. Kala
July 14, 2013
This is a book which celebrates the spirit of the Kumbh fair, and not to forget, has a strong Indianness stapled to it. The plot is slow to unfold at first, but as it does, we get to experience the genius of the author. The sub-plots also connect incredibly well. Even though the characters are not so three-dimensionally etched out, the reader gets to read the mind of the main characters, something which I consider to be a great plus point of this work. Idioms and mythological references are abundantly sprinkled throughout the text, may even seem a little tedious to the lay Indian reader. One thing that bugs me, is that even the conversations carry a hue of academic burden and there is no delineation of style between the general narration and dialogues.
This book is a worthwhile attempt at bringing the Indian setting into mainstream of a work of fiction. Clear influences from English Classics are to be seen, and students of literature will find this book hard to put down till the end.
This book is a worthwhile attempt at bringing the Indian setting into mainstream of a work of fiction. Clear influences from English Classics are to be seen, and students of literature will find this book hard to put down till the end.
June 13, 2013
I won this book through this good reads giveaway!
what I liked about the book- The language. I have never read a book filled with so much of idioms and verbal expressions.
what I didn't like- the whole yoga philosophy thing.
This book is not exactly my cup of tea. May be I am not intellectually old enough to understand what is being conveyed by the writer. But I am sure saving this book for future when I would probably find a bigger meaning in life
what I liked about the book- The language. I have never read a book filled with so much of idioms and verbal expressions.
what I didn't like- the whole yoga philosophy thing.
This book is not exactly my cup of tea. May be I am not intellectually old enough to understand what is being conveyed by the writer. But I am sure saving this book for future when I would probably find a bigger meaning in life
May 9, 2013
my sumptuous read of the year!! the book and its cover belies what follows in the pages written. Wonderfully written this is a bitchy and frank tale of love and the attractions of the opposites.
Do read it for life, love and more...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED..
Do read it for life, love and more...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED..
December 17, 2017
I usually don't keep up as much of an interest in novels written from several different characters' views; however I thoroughly enjoyed and connected with the three unique voices telling the tale of life.
May 9, 2014
Humanistic concern. Life adjourn.
Utopian sight. Dystopian might.
Bitchy writin'. Oh really???
It's everywhere, check your sight.
Absolute life, relative lives,
Passion sits, Reason thrives.
Book is superb, book answers,
Lest we forget, on edgy knives.
The journey of life becomes absurd many a times, such absurdness should be dealt with calmed-composeness. This book tells that the lack of freedom of will and the free-will both are same things when seen through the eyes of universalistic approach. One should be open to all challenges and should decide through the instincts he/she has in him/her and through his/her conscientic rationalism. Book also deliver good in splitting the concept of RELATIVE and ABSOLUTE in our lives. It's a book about real humanism. Bitchy writing is no concern, we see such things in Society. So, i(I) can't say must read but ABSOLUTE read... ;)
Utopian sight. Dystopian might.
Bitchy writin'. Oh really???
It's everywhere, check your sight.
Absolute life, relative lives,
Passion sits, Reason thrives.
Book is superb, book answers,
Lest we forget, on edgy knives.
The journey of life becomes absurd many a times, such absurdness should be dealt with calmed-composeness. This book tells that the lack of freedom of will and the free-will both are same things when seen through the eyes of universalistic approach. One should be open to all challenges and should decide through the instincts he/she has in him/her and through his/her conscientic rationalism. Book also deliver good in splitting the concept of RELATIVE and ABSOLUTE in our lives. It's a book about real humanism. Bitchy writing is no concern, we see such things in Society. So, i(I) can't say must read but ABSOLUTE read... ;)
September 23, 2013
First and foremost, this is one book where I have no complaint with the content, but I was put off by the form. There are typographical and grammatical errors in the first few pages and it continues well beyond. I don’t know if the editors hadn’t touched the manuscript at all. The punctuation is clumsy, too many short sentences are clustered to form a huge one and the reader is bound to get lost at the end of each sentence. I am not fond of such style of writing, it strains my eyes as well as my psyche.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Please read the full review here:
http://oneandahalfminutes.wordpress.c...
It is a recommended read for people who would like to taste a dash of philosophy in their mundane lives.
My Rating: 3.5/5
Please read the full review here:
http://oneandahalfminutes.wordpress.c...
It is a recommended read for people who would like to taste a dash of philosophy in their mundane lives.
March 26, 2013
wonderful writings,perhaps the first time an Indian author experiments with English language with a high degree of success.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED...MUST READ!
July 13, 2014
wonderful book by kala, must read for sheer humor, depth and madness..
highly recommended..
highly recommended..
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