After Messiah

by Aakar Patel

Now the Big Man is gone, with nobody named as his successor. Into this void is pushed Mira, who is reluctant at first but increasingly interested in the position she finds herself in. Will she use her authority to further her agenda, or will she hold on to her principles? Watched by her political rivals, Jayeshbhai and Swamiji, and guided by well-wishers Ayesha, Prabhu and Du Bois, she marches on and discovers something about power-and about herself.

Genres: Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing in Aakar Patel’s non-fiction quite prepared me for this novel. Despite its slimness, it successfully captures the world of high-level politics in India by imagining a scenario of the political vacuum left by the sudden death of a demagogue leader. The interplay of machination and idealism and the contemporary relevance of the story make for a gripping read.

[Manasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between the initial backdrop of the story & the current political atmosphere of the country.

Through Mira, we are given an opportunity to explore how it’s not always easy to make the right choice & how the right choice for one might not be the morally right choice at all.

The novels second half was honestly unsettling. Mayas character in the second half felt very limiting. I was honestly expecting to see a different kind of leadership through Maya but It felt like an honest person cannot affect any change to a corrupt system. By the end, this thought was internalised by Maya , all other characters in the book & also the reader.. It makes one wonder what qualities of politicians & government have we normalised over the years?

[Avid reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Later half of book is not interesting though it depicts the behind the scenes manipulations in politics.

It doesn't feel good when an honest person in position of power, given the opportunity she had, misses out and leaves midway after half heartedly adopting to the dirty tricks.

The ending seemed inconclusive without providing any solutions. That's why it looked that the book has been written merely to highlight the actions of Messiah , Jayesh Bhai and the Monk.

I Expected more from Aakar Patel.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aakar Patel at his best. There was an acute sense of deja vous while reading the book- I wonder why? After all, all characters are fictional and any resemblance to people alive or dead is purely coincidental, isn't it?
There is not much that makes us smile these days, but if you want a couple of quick chuckles, read this book. The joke, however, is on us.
The characters were well developed, and I really wish we see more of Ayesha and Prabhu. Loved them both.

[Yogananda N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great fiction from an author whom we know as one who likes to call a spade a spade. His trademark is his compelling writing with facts and figures.

Did not know he can fantasise as well.

[Rashmi Duggal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book, but I preferred his earlier works. Despite clear similarities with the real life people, I will summarise this book as a depiction of the games politicians play

[Pardhasaradhi Rallabandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good one. First half is racy and of course, by Page 2 you know all characters are fiction, obviously. While that part is good for a non-bhakt and half funny with the joke on us, it's the second part that had me thinking.

The way house manager explains how to think what is right if you are in a position of power is good food for thought. As you can expect from contemporary, no solutions offered but good to see the alternate points of view and think for yourself.

We should not expect Aakar to come up with a solution, right? It's for people to think for themselves outside a fairytale world.

[Ashish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aakar Patel's debut fiction novel is a crisp read and tackles an issue the country will face up to at some point in the next few years. The plot moves along at a fair clip and both educates and poses ethical questions of the reader as it goes. Despite an underwhelming end, it is a must read for the times we are living in.

[Vaibhav Anand · Rating 3 out of 5]

A roman-a-clef about Adarniya set in the future, this book had me in stitches with the absolutely funniest but also real life Indian situations. I did not know Aakar Patel could write fiction but this is even better than the Price of Modi years.