Jack & Master: A Tale of Friendship, Passion and Glory

by Karan Verma

The Legend of Jack and Master began twenty years ago in Grinnel's University, Goa..
One is the charismatic 'Jack of all trades' who can play the guitar, sing his way into your heart, be the cyber-wiz next door and also charm the ladies. The other is the near-legendary 'Master of one', the economic wizard who shook the very foundations of the political system of Goa. Jack has the sizzling fashion diva Samantha by his side, while Master has soul mate Sakshi, his pillar of support. What happens when the flamboyant college drop-out Jack meets the indomitable Master? Friendship, fun, craziness or a battle to the finish?.
All the 'Jacks' and 'Masters' of the town, get ready for the ride of your lifetime. With no rules and no limits, this one's for glory. Find out who will come out on top.
Flamboyance or Excellence.
Folk hero or Cult figure.
Jack or Master.

Book Features:

Jack & Master, a contemporary story of two friends, is a feel good tale about the triumph of human spirit. It has the right mix of fun, romance, emotions, mystery and adventure which would attract wide readership.
The fast-pace of the novel shall keep the readers hooked till the last page.
Jack & Master will be of interest to all readers of commercial and mass-market fiction.

254 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2014

About the author

Karan Verma is a prolific public Speaker, Author and a young dynamic Entrepreneur. His debut novel 'Jack & Master' became a run-away success and was declared a 'National Best Seller' within 3 months of its release. Widely appreciated by critics and commercial readers, Jack & Master created a special place in the hearts of its readers.
Karan's talks on leadership and motivation have inspired thousands of students and corporates across the country. A sports buff and political enthusiast, this young lad is all set to reach out for the stars.

To know more visit :www.karanverma.co.in

Reviews

[Lazybee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story about two friends who happens to have different ideologies. Story moves at a pleasant pace and it will pull you in quite quickly.
These kind of books shows the potential of new generation Indian writers. I am glad I read this.

[Karthik Kailash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack and Master. One, a talented vagabond, who lives in the moment. The other, a prodigy, who rattles economics as an extempore. The start their life together in college, till there comes a time when they are pitted against each other in a battle of their lives. Who will win? The mercurial Jack, or the meticulous Master. Read to find out.

The book is actually nothing great, but yet has an endearing quality to it, that makes you read on and on. It also makes you visualize their lives as you read on, something that I likes a lot. 5 stars, just for the way the book made me feel.

[Rohini N · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts on Jack & Master by Karan Verma
4 stars
The Legend of Jack and Master began twenty years ago in Grinnel's University, Goa…
One is the charismatic 'Jack of all trades' who can play the guitar, sing his way into your heart, be the cyber-wiz next door and also charm the ladies. The other is the near-legendary 'Master of one', the economic wizard who shook the very foundations of the political system of Goa. Jack has the sizzling fashion diva Samantha by his side, while Master has soul mate Sakshi, his pillar of support. What happens when the flamboyant college drop-out Jack meets the indomitable Master? Friendship, fun, craziness or a battle to the finish?
All the 'Jacks' and 'Masters' of the town, get ready for the ride of your lifetime. With no rules and no limits, this one's for glory. Find out who will come out on top.
Flamboyance or Excellence.
Folk hero or Cult figure.
Jack or Master.

Book Features:

Jack & Master, a contemporary story of two friends, is a feel good tale about the triumph of human spirit. It has the right mix of fun, romance, emotions, mystery and adventure which would attract wide readership.
The fast-pace of the novel shall keep the readers hooked till the last page.
Jack & Master will be of interest to all readers of commercial and mass-market fiction.
Review:
I would like to thank Goodreads and the author for the free copy.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I am going to keep this review short and sweet and here’s what I felt:
Jack & Master provides a fresh, frothy perspective to a modern-day tale of friendship. Jack and Master are two different individuals and the story tracks their growth from college students to the most powerful men in Goa and perhaps the country, and the ups and downs they face in their lives.
Characters are distinct and likeable. Jack is a sweet college drop-out, a wanderer- looking out for that one job meant for him. Siddharth aka Master is smart, ambitious, focused on his dream. There is no fixed antagonist in the story and the rest (including Samantha) are supportive and loyal. Jack’s capers added humour to the story and his unpredictability made the story exciting. Master’s struggles were believable and convincing. To tell the truth, I liked reading about Jack’s tumultuous life more than Master’s tussles towards his goal. The election became the game-changer in the story and successfully and compellingly, as the two characters prepare for the electoral battle, the reader also gets into flow and is required to pick a side.
The ending seemed a bit predictable but the twist added a melodramatic touch to the story.
The book is well-written and the emotions are judiciously handled. Although I couldn’t understand much of the economical/commercial terms and ideologies, the story is simple nevertheless worth-reading.
The mature and pleasant writing makes it a delightful read on a boring weekend.
I look forward to reading more of Karan Verma’s books and I must say Jack & Master is a gripping, outstanding book one shouldn’t miss.

[Jaideep Khanduja · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Book Review: Jack & Master by Karan Verma: A Superb Debut With A Promise of Lot More To Come

This is not the best from Karan Verma as it is yet to come. But there is a sincere and clear promise in his writing that he has undoubtedly the potential to produce one in the times to come. Jack & Master: A tale of friendship, passion and glory is an excellently molded and flawlessly written story of two extremely opposite guys who meet for the first time in Grinnel's University, Goa and after their first encounter they happen to meet and interact at various instances of their life - some common and some discreet, during next 20 years of their life; till both reach to a common dais to share their plethora achievements and failure in their individual lives.

Jack & Master: A tale of friendship, passion and glory by Karan Verma is a story of two lead characters Siddharth and Jack, who are just opposite to each other and in entirety and both join Grinnel's College in Goa for their Masters in Economics. Grinnel's is one of those prestigious colleges in Goa where ranking does not ensure admission in the university in the course of your choice. You have to prove your worth beyond ranking to get admission here. That is what Jack's record showed. Having a ranking of 293 would have never let him get admission here if it was only based on it, but he had certain other laurels to prove - state level sports player, awarded cyber expert and so on.

Siddharth on the other hand is a born brilliant and topped to rank for admission. Probably the difference between Siddharth and Jack was that Siddharth was an expert of his subject and was sure to excel on his track to prove his mettle. Jack on the other hand had no set track to follow. He would carve his own path out of nowhere and succeed. Jack meets Samantha one day, who had come to visit Goa and was waiting for her guide who had to travel her to the beaches of Goa. Samantha mistook Jack as her tour guide, but Jack took this responsibility as he lost his heart to her at first sight. Samantha is already engaged to Aakash.

Jack, who was always full of surprises, accepts the challenge given to him by one of the college professor's, of hacking their college's website and does it. For this, he gets rusticated from the college thereby leaving his studies incomplete. But soon he gets a good job in a company. Both Siddharth and Jack get married to the girls of their choice respectively and start moving on their life tracks.

The story has a great amount of turfs and curves to pass through. There are so many interesting twists and turns in the beautifully woven story. Undoubtedly Karan Verma has a power to product magical spell of writing to bound his readers throughout. A lot more is yet to come from him.

[Kamiya Motwani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading the book :)
The story described in the book flows beautifully through the events in lives of 2 best friends : Jack and Master. It unravels the changes in their lives as they grow up -- personal and professional so nicely that very soon you start feeling like being a part of the book.
The author has very nicely described the emotional aspects and dilemma which characters get in. This gives a very realistic touch to the story.

It was inspiring to read Jack's part especially which seemed to rise from the ashes after each fall in his life. Loved the description when Jack starts doubting himself for things not going his way, but still does not looses courage and keeps going on :)
A nice read in short. The title very aptly describes the story -- which actually is a tale of friendship, passion and glory :)
Great attempt for a first-time author !

[Jasmeet Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as i feel this book is too good by a first time writer which is high on literary quotient too :)
Jack of all trades ' and 'Master of One', a question everybody has to address at some point in life and the writer has put it across brilliantly and given us 2 characters we'll carry with us for a long time!!
It will be a fun ride for the readers, may be of any age groups,its about college friends,its about romance, its about pranks, its about state politics which goes on with the current scenario of our country.
i would strongly recommend this book to all the readers out there....
this book goes with the emotions of generation and last but not the least
it will make u grip till the end and smile wont fade away for a second.

[Aryan Sarath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome story. The way how 2 different characters met and became good friends and how they kept meeting on frequent intervals during their life journey was excellently narrated in this book.

There were little twists and turns as well since there was Politics involved later in the story and had a great ending. Good job done by the author.
The book has certainly made me feel it is worth reading it.

All the Best Karan!!

[Kalyan Panja · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the largely enthralling works of fiction the book just reverberates with you where you will by no means sense that the tempo is drooping but was in the vein of a zephyr of unsullied air in the globe of creative writing with a comprehensive wrap up and it has all the essentials that one can imagine off from excitement, passion, hilarity exploits, to obscurity.

Read full review here

[Sheetal Dash]

I really want to read this bestseller.

[Meera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack & Master - A tale of Friendship, Passion and Glory is set in the backdrop of Goa, the story revolves mainly around two characters (Jack & Siddarath). Both the characters have their own charm. It dwells upon the struggles and their triumphs in their journey of life. The flow of the story is pleasant, language simple. The end had predictable twist. It is a feel good book. The author Karan Verma has done a good job considering it is his first book.
Thanks to Goodreads and the author for the giveway.

[Saikath Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very gripping and a very smart story.....a story which not only holds u till the end but also make us smile all the way ....the twist in the story are such that it makes the readers ( as far as i feel) keep on guessing the next scene but the author has kept it dicey and smart . The end is quite encouraging and well planned .
a superb work

[Anurag · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very composed and awespiring novel. its takes you as you start reading and you just cannot stop till you finish.

[Neha Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

simply awesome :)

[Mirang Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book indeed. A tale of two friends who gradually becomes opponents of each other in very spectacular and surprising ways. This book will keep you hooked with its narration style. Very well written and well balanced though. Indeed go for it upon finding. It won't disappoint you. But yes, nothing exceptionally good.

[Parwati Singari]

Spring cleaning is a good idea, when I did so I found a book stashed under my bed I had kept it there for my before bed reading.
The author Karan Verma, debuts with this novel, Jack And Master published by Rupa ISBN 9788129130938. I really enjoyed the book with its racy pace, elegant, yet everyday language that is grammatically correct.
It is in the genre of fiction rightly so. Other than the Name Goa, and stray use of something called Vasco Hall, a Cavalosseim here and a Calangute there the geography and ethos is fictional.
Karan dishes out the usual head versus heart conflict, or the conventional and off beat debate through the story of two friends in an mythical institute called Grinells, really Karan Grinell, do realize how close you came to Grinch?
The story opens at India Gate, where the author’s equivalent of Bharata Ratna is happening, he calls it the hall of Fame,(by the way I have a hall of monsters) where one of the protagonist Siddarth Rane is being inducted into the hall of fame. The story then moves into a flash back narrative, the author has used an interesting concept which I seen being used only in traditional theatre where the narrator opens the story and then lets the reader walk in. In a lime line when he is dealing with the present, Karan has opted for italics then the flash back enters in normal font.
The story tracks the lives of two friends Siddarth Rane, and jack I don’t recollect the last name, but it was not very goan. The traditional Ramu Kaka or whatever chachi is replaced by Joseph here, Joseph we are told sees the students as surrogates to a son he has lost.
Siddarth follows the traditional track, genius in his subject, visionary and revolutionary in his work till he talks and spear heads economic revolution of Goa. On the other Jack is more search of his own purpose in life and meanders through various options the only stable aspect being his love for Goa. Sakshi Siddarth’s wife is the ideal woman behind the man, the textbook ideal wife. We do not know if Jack’s wife Samantha is one, she however leaves him half way through his meandering and returns only when discovers his goal.
Both Siddarth and Jack find refuge in the refuge of all scoundrels that is politics, that’s when both of them are face with their strengths, weakness, and vision they are political rivals, with a common focus Goa though what the greater good of Goa is different.
Though being Goan I do feel the author has lost a wonderful opportunity to actually walk through the rich ethos of goa, the tourist guide Jack could have shared the heritage walks, the temples, the prehistoric sites of Goa rather than make random references to Calungute or Cavalossim. It effects us could have at least unique goa issue like the influx of domestic tourists causing increased prostitution and drugs. The disruption drunken tourists cause.
When references are made to seminar halls and convention center, there are enough and more actual ones in Goa, referring to existing ones would have rooted the story . while talking about labour issues it sounds like the labour issues that could be in Bengal or Kerala, the labour issue in Goa is goan’s go out of the country as labourers, while migrant workers from Karnataka come down to Goa, this comes with its own cost. Over the past 5yrs we have labourers coming in UP and Bihar that comes with another set of problems. The hospitality industries labour comes from North east, we have influx of labourers and business house that tuned to the tourist season it is like looting the state.
It is only after page 228 in a 243 page book does the reference to the fact that Goa has two zones comes out, and Panjim the capital is mentioned in page 228, but commercial hub Margao stays unacknowledged. By the City centre is building in Patto Island not centre of the city, if people were to make a demonstration we would assemble at Azad Maidan.
Now that the Goan Citizen has vented her frustration, as a reader I enjoyed the book, it is light, uncomplicated uncluttered. The characters are adequate in number and presentation. The language is light crisp and flows easily, the book is obviously written by a person who thinks in English.
A great book to relax with, don’t forget the coffee and banana chips.
Yenjoy.

[Jalpa S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant story of two friends with complete different personalities and eventually how their lives cross path to put them against each other. Beautiful writing style, good plot (though some places it can remind you of popular scenes of Bollywood hindi movies). It was quick read and capable to engross reader in the story. The reason still 3 star is somewhere story lost its hook mid way and never regained back. Somewhere story became predictable and unreasonable to reach to conclusion author wanted readers to believe. I would have loved little more depth in detailing the experience of each character going through this irony of life rather than just defining their actions in such situations.

[Ashish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the book was like watching a movie, it has Drama, comedy, tragedy, emotions & finally a Happy Ending of course with a lesson to be learnt. It dose leave you with some ?'s about the Jack & Master in you or in your life & what would you choose.
Loved the way Writer Karan Verma Penned the book, the choice of words & the way the story moves, it kept me glued to it from page 1 till end..

[rakeshnetha ponna · Rating 4 out of 5]

spoke about budding youth politicians. done a good work but he used lot of cliches.