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And We Remained
It is Bangalore in the late 1990’s. There are tremendous socio-economic and cultural transformations taking place as a result of liberalization. How would these changes impact a group of friends in their late teens? How would they cope, find opportunities and what of their original identities would they be left with, after western ideologies are brought in and bombarded into their awareness by cable TV and new media?
Told through emails and first person account of events, And We Remained is a light and entertaining read of these friends as they experience love, heartbreak, prison, politics, drunken binges, strip clubs, sexcapades, US and Europe during their journey into adulthood.
Told through emails and first person account of events, And We Remained is a light and entertaining read of these friends as they experience love, heartbreak, prison, politics, drunken binges, strip clubs, sexcapades, US and Europe during their journey into adulthood.
269 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2014
About the author
Asad Ali Junaid
1 book16 followersAsad Ali Junaid is a design professional in Bangalore working in the area of Human-Machine Interaction.
Junaid’s book – And We Remained – started as a story which needed to be told… and one which needed to be told differently. While he was struggling to get the narration style and structure right, he joined a three week in residence ‘Just Write’ fiction writing workshop where he got a chance to learn the nuances of and hone his story telling skills from authors Anil Menon, Anjum Hasan and Rimi Chatterjee.
Junaid writes whenever there is a compelling story inside him bursting to get out.
Junaid has been a resident of Bangalore most of his life except for brief stints in the US for higher education and work. He has seen Bangalore’s transformation from the sleepy town that it was, to an IT hub of today.
Junaid’s wife is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Their toddler completes their home while keeping them on their toes.
Junaid’s book – And We Remained – started as a story which needed to be told… and one which needed to be told differently. While he was struggling to get the narration style and structure right, he joined a three week in residence ‘Just Write’ fiction writing workshop where he got a chance to learn the nuances of and hone his story telling skills from authors Anil Menon, Anjum Hasan and Rimi Chatterjee.
Junaid writes whenever there is a compelling story inside him bursting to get out.
Junaid has been a resident of Bangalore most of his life except for brief stints in the US for higher education and work. He has seen Bangalore’s transformation from the sleepy town that it was, to an IT hub of today.
Junaid’s wife is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Their toddler completes their home while keeping them on their toes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 11, 2015
And we remained chronicles the journey of five friends over a decade. Five young people from an Engineering College at Bangalore in India witness life through changing times. As per the blurb, ‘And We Remained is a light and entertaining read of these friends as they experience love, heartbreak, prison, politics, drunken binges, strip clubs, sexcapades, US and Europe during their journey into adulthood.’
Before picking up the book, I read the author’s biography and watched the video about this book on goodreads. The video built my appetite for a perusal on transition in lives of five people in the context of socio-economic changes in India. In the video, the author’s perception of and ambition to portray the social and cultural changes in India during late 90’s is forthright however, it is diluted miserably in the novel. The dilemmas, struggles and identity erosion and transformations that five young adults go through were issues that had much potential for a deeper engagement and development. The story however, focuses on obsession with a long lost love and sexcapades. The author’s efforts at keeping the narration lucid and entertaining are effective; the story is narrated through five different voices interspersed with e mail conversations between friends. The transition between chapters and time points is smooth. The reader can identify the most dominant voice, yet cannot decipher the difference in viewpoints. Considering that there were five boys coming from different backgrounds, carrying an individual baggage, the difference in perspectives is non-recognizable.
I had thought that the reason for having e mail conversations between the friends was to highlight the transformation in each individual and their friendship. The conversations, however, are facile, concrete and repetitive. The degradation of human mind as evidenced by focus on sex, virginity, porn etc is manifest in the book. It sure is a portrayal of ‘real conversation that happens between guys’ but, it is also a reflection of the choice the author has made while emphasizing this content over some others. It is for this reason that despite having an interesting plot, the book has not come a bit close at quenching my thirst in a literary quest. Or was I searching for profoundness at the wrong place? Or was the blurb misleading?
I am also disappointed with the apparent disinterest of the author in lending the reader a window to emotions of each of the characters. The narration also loses its strength due to superficial handling of characters. The characters have no depth, no complexity, they are simplified to the extent that reader feels distant and the story fades away just as one puts the book down.
I believe that the author had a vision before he gave his thoughts a form, but somehow, the vision got diluted probably by over ambitiousness. The author poured everything possible to make ‘it’ work, but ‘it’ lacks essence. Despite this being his first book, author did deliver an interesting story with intelligible articulation.
I got this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Before picking up the book, I read the author’s biography and watched the video about this book on goodreads. The video built my appetite for a perusal on transition in lives of five people in the context of socio-economic changes in India. In the video, the author’s perception of and ambition to portray the social and cultural changes in India during late 90’s is forthright however, it is diluted miserably in the novel. The dilemmas, struggles and identity erosion and transformations that five young adults go through were issues that had much potential for a deeper engagement and development. The story however, focuses on obsession with a long lost love and sexcapades. The author’s efforts at keeping the narration lucid and entertaining are effective; the story is narrated through five different voices interspersed with e mail conversations between friends. The transition between chapters and time points is smooth. The reader can identify the most dominant voice, yet cannot decipher the difference in viewpoints. Considering that there were five boys coming from different backgrounds, carrying an individual baggage, the difference in perspectives is non-recognizable.
I had thought that the reason for having e mail conversations between the friends was to highlight the transformation in each individual and their friendship. The conversations, however, are facile, concrete and repetitive. The degradation of human mind as evidenced by focus on sex, virginity, porn etc is manifest in the book. It sure is a portrayal of ‘real conversation that happens between guys’ but, it is also a reflection of the choice the author has made while emphasizing this content over some others. It is for this reason that despite having an interesting plot, the book has not come a bit close at quenching my thirst in a literary quest. Or was I searching for profoundness at the wrong place? Or was the blurb misleading?
I am also disappointed with the apparent disinterest of the author in lending the reader a window to emotions of each of the characters. The narration also loses its strength due to superficial handling of characters. The characters have no depth, no complexity, they are simplified to the extent that reader feels distant and the story fades away just as one puts the book down.
I believe that the author had a vision before he gave his thoughts a form, but somehow, the vision got diluted probably by over ambitiousness. The author poured everything possible to make ‘it’ work, but ‘it’ lacks essence. Despite this being his first book, author did deliver an interesting story with intelligible articulation.
I got this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
December 11, 2014
I am surprised at myself that I gave this book 4 stars. I seldom give any book 4 stars. But honestly speaking, this book deserves 5 stars. I am keeping one star for reasons that can cause spoiler alert. Hint: check the end again.
Asad Ali Junaid crafts a beautiful story about college friends growing up and finding a place for themselves in the sofiety . I know the market is flooded with engineering college stories as if engineering colleges of today are teaching literature and creative writing as well. But this one still stands out from the dozens I have read. The author does not over try to make it more reader worthy or forces masala into the book. He simply tells us a story, to the point and in a smooth narrative.
The story itself is about Anand, David, Gopal, Sandeep and Sahir all friends since their college days. Through their emails and first person narratives we travel through their journey from college freshers to grown up adults. And also about Wardha who is the main female lead in the story.
All in all makes a great read. Asad, thanks a ton for sending me a complimentary copy for a review. I really loved it and can't think of anything you could have done better here.
Asad Ali Junaid crafts a beautiful story about college friends growing up and finding a place for themselves in the sofiety . I know the market is flooded with engineering college stories as if engineering colleges of today are teaching literature and creative writing as well. But this one still stands out from the dozens I have read. The author does not over try to make it more reader worthy or forces masala into the book. He simply tells us a story, to the point and in a smooth narrative.
The story itself is about Anand, David, Gopal, Sandeep and Sahir all friends since their college days. Through their emails and first person narratives we travel through their journey from college freshers to grown up adults. And also about Wardha who is the main female lead in the story.
All in all makes a great read. Asad, thanks a ton for sending me a complimentary copy for a review. I really loved it and can't think of anything you could have done better here.
November 18, 2014
After reading the blurb i braced myself for a coming-of-age novel chronicling the journey of a bunch of friends from college to "settled" lives a decade after they left college. Contrary to other readers, i was completely at home with the narration style.
Though i expected a light read, i didn't really expect an extra light diluted read where the one and only one topic of conversation among four friends for an entire decade is sex, losing virginity, Shakeela's "assets", blah, blah and nothing else. Or rather the author "chose" to only show that part of their conversations.
I agree that considering its a taboo topic in the Indian society, more so in the late 90s than now, it obviously takes center place in the conversations among a bunch of engineering students. But more than a decade later, am still surprised to see they haven't matured in any way (despite their glowing successes in their respective careers) and still find nothing else to talk except losing virginity and exchanging nude pics of their teenage heart-throbs.
Next, the first hand accounts of the four friends could be written much better i believe. If i was telling my story first hand, like writing a diary i would be describing the thoughts going on in my mind rather than chronicling incidents happening before my eyes. My perception of my friends is what matters. In this novel, the person telling his story lends only his voice to the author but not his thoughts or soul or character. I never knew "point of view" could be so literal - like just changing the camera angle in a movie :P
I understand that a number of incidents depicted in the novel are actually experienced either by the author or some of his friends. So i don't intend to criticize their characters. Rather i think the author did a very very superficial portrayal of those characters, as if they have nothing else but dicks and hormones even after mentioning that they landed successful jobs/careers
And the title, "And we remained" seems to say that they all remained the dick heads they were back in college, rather than change, while am sure the author meant to say that they remained friends through thick and thin and eventually survived and succeeded in life. The prison episode was hugely dramatic, defying logic completely. That's the only plot hole i could think of, considering this isn't much of a "plot"ting novel.
To conclude, i believe in the story that this book could have been and saddened at what it had become. Looking forward to a bit more from this author who looks to have much stronger stories to tell but probably diluted by the pressures of the publishers/editors.
PS: I was offered a free copy by the author to review this, which i declined.
Though i expected a light read, i didn't really expect an extra light diluted read where the one and only one topic of conversation among four friends for an entire decade is sex, losing virginity, Shakeela's "assets", blah, blah and nothing else. Or rather the author "chose" to only show that part of their conversations.
I agree that considering its a taboo topic in the Indian society, more so in the late 90s than now, it obviously takes center place in the conversations among a bunch of engineering students. But more than a decade later, am still surprised to see they haven't matured in any way (despite their glowing successes in their respective careers) and still find nothing else to talk except losing virginity and exchanging nude pics of their teenage heart-throbs.
Next, the first hand accounts of the four friends could be written much better i believe. If i was telling my story first hand, like writing a diary i would be describing the thoughts going on in my mind rather than chronicling incidents happening before my eyes. My perception of my friends is what matters. In this novel, the person telling his story lends only his voice to the author but not his thoughts or soul or character. I never knew "point of view" could be so literal - like just changing the camera angle in a movie :P
I understand that a number of incidents depicted in the novel are actually experienced either by the author or some of his friends. So i don't intend to criticize their characters. Rather i think the author did a very very superficial portrayal of those characters, as if they have nothing else but dicks and hormones even after mentioning that they landed successful jobs/careers
And the title, "And we remained" seems to say that they all remained the dick heads they were back in college, rather than change, while am sure the author meant to say that they remained friends through thick and thin and eventually survived and succeeded in life. The prison episode was hugely dramatic, defying logic completely. That's the only plot hole i could think of, considering this isn't much of a "plot"ting novel.
To conclude, i believe in the story that this book could have been and saddened at what it had become. Looking forward to a bit more from this author who looks to have much stronger stories to tell but probably diluted by the pressures of the publishers/editors.
PS: I was offered a free copy by the author to review this, which i declined.
October 31, 2014
First Impressions…
As I got this book in my hands, looked at the synopsis and the background, I felt that this is one more in the series of many newbie graduate authors.
I was more inclined to find out what this “Absorbing story” is all about and how “differently” it is told as the cover page mentions.
The Story and the Style…
As soon as I started with the book, I got myself convinced that this is not a story like the ones being mass produced these days. The writing style is very unique, this new experiment with writing goes well with me and it really holds the interest till the end.
This is a story of five college mates namely Sahir, Sandip, Gopal, Anand and David. The one after the other incidents in their lives in the college lives are extremely hilariously narrated by the author.
What happens during their college life is narrated by individual person in individual chapters. The chapters are titled on the name of the one who speaks about it.
The life and events after completion of college days is presented through talks between all five by emails, which is the most entertaining, hilarious and engaging factor of this book.
Approach of the author is quite noticeable towards maintaining the originality of the story. Everything between the five friends is described quite openly in the language we have used during our college times, all the slangs, F words; CAPITAL wordings are very expertly used. I always felt that the writing style was very original and near to real life. The story kept reminding me the college days and my buddies throughout the book.
To Conclude…
Debutant author Asad Ali Junaid has done an excellent job with this book.
Storyline and the style- quite refreshing, entertaining and unique. However I felt that the end should have been more interesting. The book publishing thing was like something out of the blue.
Binding and paper quality – Excellent
Editing – Done well
The cover – Very unique and tells you a lot about the book
I must thank Asad Ali Junaid for sending me the personalized review copy of the book.
This review is entirely my own views about the book and is in no way biased.
April 12, 2015
"And we remained" is the coming of age story of five friends who grow up at a time when the nation was beginning to reap the benefits of the economic policies introduced in the last decade of the millennium. Most of them just manage to pass through their courses but somehow manage to settle well in their lives later on.
The narration is done in a unique way, in the form of e-mails exchanged among the friends a few years after they had completed their engineering alternated with first person accounts of their life in college. Though the concept of narration is unique, yet it is also one of the shortcomings of the book. This format means that the reader gets to read the personal chat of the five friends, yet remains disconnected from them. Also this makes the book more of a novella than a novel. Things happens at a breezy pace, as is expected from this format, and the reader gets no time to connect with the various characters.
Another major problem was that the personal chat of the five friends, which I think should have been used to give their afterthoughts about the various incidents in the college now that they faced the real world, is dominated by two topic only: porn and virginity. Now, these would surely attract a student but a person is expected to move on in life. But the five friends refuse to do so. They show that they have grown but not matured. Only in the last few pages of the book do the friends show some sign of maturity. But then the epilogue spoiled it for me, as I expected Sahir to behave differently towards Wardha, now that he was married.
Lastly, I would like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of the book. I wish the author luck and success in his life :)
The narration is done in a unique way, in the form of e-mails exchanged among the friends a few years after they had completed their engineering alternated with first person accounts of their life in college. Though the concept of narration is unique, yet it is also one of the shortcomings of the book. This format means that the reader gets to read the personal chat of the five friends, yet remains disconnected from them. Also this makes the book more of a novella than a novel. Things happens at a breezy pace, as is expected from this format, and the reader gets no time to connect with the various characters.
Another major problem was that the personal chat of the five friends, which I think should have been used to give their afterthoughts about the various incidents in the college now that they faced the real world, is dominated by two topic only: porn and virginity. Now, these would surely attract a student but a person is expected to move on in life. But the five friends refuse to do so. They show that they have grown but not matured. Only in the last few pages of the book do the friends show some sign of maturity. But then the epilogue spoiled it for me, as I expected Sahir to behave differently towards Wardha, now that he was married.
Lastly, I would like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of the book. I wish the author luck and success in his life :)
April 6, 2015
‘And we Remained’ is nothing if not true to its name. In an age when social networking has become such an important part of our lives, this book, written in the form of e-mails by first time author Asad Ali Junaid, is both believable and also effortlessly brings out the message of being true to oneself and your friends.The book certainly is a pacey read peppered with humorous situations and believably interesting characters. However, my only problem with the book is that it involved too much sex. Not as in writing about sex but it being a topic of discussion of five friends for more than a decade is downright tiresome.But I don't have the right to say this because who knows what revolves around the minds of men. I spotted a few editing errors too.I kind of disliked Wardha's character as it is not clear why she stopped talking to the boys and started seeing some other boy called Sanjay or something.I wish the author was more specific about this.Other than that ‘And we remained’ delivers all what it promises.The best thing about it is that it is a book which will truly make you nostalgic and is totally relatable without being about skimpy girls and lusty guys drowning their college woes in booze.It’s gutsy, provocative and very very entertaining.I read it from cover to cover.If you’re looking for something light and fun, this is the book to pick up.
P.S- Thanks to the author Mr. Junaid for sending me a paperback copy in exchange for an honest review. I expect more books from the author in future. Lastly, how can I finish without praising the cover which everyone else has? Yes, The cover designed by the author himself is pretty amazing as well.
P.S- Thanks to the author Mr. Junaid for sending me a paperback copy in exchange for an honest review. I expect more books from the author in future. Lastly, how can I finish without praising the cover which everyone else has? Yes, The cover designed by the author himself is pretty amazing as well.
August 1, 2015
# As I am a new person in the league of many, this book gave me a good start.
# The book was suggested by my mentor to start with and believe me IT WAS A GREAT CHOICE.
# This book made me sit and read it for hours (Usually I am not the kind off person who sit at one place for that much time).
# One can relate his story with this book , how guys are desperate and trying to have girls with them but END UP HAVING NOTHING.
# How they over come all the difficult situations in various phases of their life & justified their existence.
# At last there is a saying “MEN WILL BE MEN” doesn’t matter how old they become, how successful they are , some things never change.
# One should definitely read this book if he/she is trying to develop the habit of reading.
# The book was suggested by my mentor to start with and believe me IT WAS A GREAT CHOICE.
# This book made me sit and read it for hours (Usually I am not the kind off person who sit at one place for that much time).
# One can relate his story with this book , how guys are desperate and trying to have girls with them but END UP HAVING NOTHING.
# How they over come all the difficult situations in various phases of their life & justified their existence.
# At last there is a saying “MEN WILL BE MEN” doesn’t matter how old they become, how successful they are , some things never change.
# One should definitely read this book if he/she is trying to develop the habit of reading.
January 9, 2020
This book deserves 5 stars. It got me nostalgic as it's based on college life and the struggles and how a group of five friends saw the cultural and social transformation in the late 90's in India.
Emailing was the way of life, 90's kids would relate to this book the most.
How all the friends move across the world for studies and they face varied cultures is portrayed so beautifully in the book that a reader can actually visualize the whole thing.
The book got me hooked throughout.
Very well written.
Emailing was the way of life, 90's kids would relate to this book the most.
How all the friends move across the world for studies and they face varied cultures is portrayed so beautifully in the book that a reader can actually visualize the whole thing.
The book got me hooked throughout.
Very well written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2014
And We Remained... - an apt title with a cover that summarizes the entire book, but not until you read all of it do you actually realize how each word is a snapshot taken strategically from the book and placed on the cover. The seamless transition from one phase to another is remarkable and I found it very innovative. Moreover, it keeps the reader asking for more.
What I also liked was the effective infusion of 'gyaan' about the technological development that took place in the 1990s within the story. The progression from the email era to Facebook and LinkedIn was something that I could connect with. There were many instances where I could connect with the story. Even the songs mentioned in the book made me smile.
What seems like another tale of college life and its reminiscence in the beginning turns out to be much more than it, mostly because of the way the author has brought everything together. The reader delves into the lives of the characters thanks to the characters being made to speak their side of the story, albeit one by one. I don't know if I enjoyed this book particularly because of the age-group that the characters seem to be in initially or if it was their placement at crossroads of life where I find myself and my friends to be at this point of time.
I would especially like to thank the author for the realistic portrayal of life, right from the engineering semesters to the family saga that ensues as a result. It made me laugh, made me think, made me look back at my own college life till now. How can I miss mentioning the *dappankoothu*?
A thorough entertainer, it transports the reader to his/her college days where friendships were thicker than blood and life-changing decisions were always made after group discussions that could put any philosopher to shame! Sahir Hassan's shift from Electrical Engineering to Philosophy and the resulting lines by Anand Nair were fodder for the Indian brain, which I would like to quote here-
" Isn't every decision we make in our lifetime an experiment, with life itself being the biggest experiment of all?
the first time I came to know about Sahir's wish was a few months after our graduation from ECVU. Those were troublesome times for me. Most of that conflict and turmoil had their roots in the perceptions of 'gainful' employment. Let me explain what I meant by this 'gainful' and how these perceptions came about.
The South Indian upper castes were jolted out of their safe and easy existence after Indian independence. This meant they had to fall back on other sure- shot formulas for economic sustenance, namely, knowledge-based professions.
Amongst all knowledge- based professions, engineering and medicine became the new "priesthood." Practitioners of these were considered elite, and became the new kind of Brahmins.
But in the new scenario of independent India, this new priesthood was something that anyone with resources could aspire to and achieve. As a result, it was soon embraced by the general Indian middle class and, to some extent, lost its primarily casteist and communal sheen.
So where is the common thread in all these ramblings?
Well, it is in the new priesthood and the wisdom of it that Sahir has dared to challenge. Not directly, but it is implicit in his decision to pursue Philosophy."
In the beginning, many words in CAPS kept jumping at me and I got a bit annoyed but few pages later, either it decreased or my focus shifted to the story more than the printed words.
On a lighter note, it served as a window into the lives of guys and how crazy they can be! ;) Oh and it's an eye-opener for girls as well.
Note to all girls: The Facebook post that went viral a few years ago is true about guys. Subtle hints don't work with guys. Strong hints don't work either. Tell them what you have been wanting to. Otherwise there are high chances that your hint would go unnoticed and you would only have yourself to blame for it!
P.S. The inspirational people behind this story, please take a bow! :)
-Divya Nambiar
Author:
What I also liked was the effective infusion of 'gyaan' about the technological development that took place in the 1990s within the story. The progression from the email era to Facebook and LinkedIn was something that I could connect with. There were many instances where I could connect with the story. Even the songs mentioned in the book made me smile.
What seems like another tale of college life and its reminiscence in the beginning turns out to be much more than it, mostly because of the way the author has brought everything together. The reader delves into the lives of the characters thanks to the characters being made to speak their side of the story, albeit one by one. I don't know if I enjoyed this book particularly because of the age-group that the characters seem to be in initially or if it was their placement at crossroads of life where I find myself and my friends to be at this point of time.
I would especially like to thank the author for the realistic portrayal of life, right from the engineering semesters to the family saga that ensues as a result. It made me laugh, made me think, made me look back at my own college life till now. How can I miss mentioning the *dappankoothu*?
A thorough entertainer, it transports the reader to his/her college days where friendships were thicker than blood and life-changing decisions were always made after group discussions that could put any philosopher to shame! Sahir Hassan's shift from Electrical Engineering to Philosophy and the resulting lines by Anand Nair were fodder for the Indian brain, which I would like to quote here-
" Isn't every decision we make in our lifetime an experiment, with life itself being the biggest experiment of all?
the first time I came to know about Sahir's wish was a few months after our graduation from ECVU. Those were troublesome times for me. Most of that conflict and turmoil had their roots in the perceptions of 'gainful' employment. Let me explain what I meant by this 'gainful' and how these perceptions came about.
The South Indian upper castes were jolted out of their safe and easy existence after Indian independence. This meant they had to fall back on other sure- shot formulas for economic sustenance, namely, knowledge-based professions.
Amongst all knowledge- based professions, engineering and medicine became the new "priesthood." Practitioners of these were considered elite, and became the new kind of Brahmins.
But in the new scenario of independent India, this new priesthood was something that anyone with resources could aspire to and achieve. As a result, it was soon embraced by the general Indian middle class and, to some extent, lost its primarily casteist and communal sheen.
So where is the common thread in all these ramblings?
Well, it is in the new priesthood and the wisdom of it that Sahir has dared to challenge. Not directly, but it is implicit in his decision to pursue Philosophy."
In the beginning, many words in CAPS kept jumping at me and I got a bit annoyed but few pages later, either it decreased or my focus shifted to the story more than the printed words.
On a lighter note, it served as a window into the lives of guys and how crazy they can be! ;) Oh and it's an eye-opener for girls as well.
Note to all girls: The Facebook post that went viral a few years ago is true about guys. Subtle hints don't work with guys. Strong hints don't work either. Tell them what you have been wanting to. Otherwise there are high chances that your hint would go unnoticed and you would only have yourself to blame for it!
P.S. The inspirational people behind this story, please take a bow! :)
-Divya Nambiar
Author:
January 8, 2015
‘And We Remained’ is the debut book of Asad Ali Junaid, who is a design professional in Bangalore working in the area of ‘human-machine interaction’. The book is about a bunch of college friends and all the drama that surrounds a college life. There is bunking of classes, canteen food, lounging with friends, running after girls, college elections, cultural feasts, grade troubles, and career dilemma. And, yes, the story also has heart breaks, an important component of college life. While the backdrop of the story is an engineering college in Bangalore, reading this book takes you back to your own college days.
The book has a beautiful title, wrapping a sense of incompletion to it. It certainly rouses one’s curiosity. The cover of the book is brilliantly done and without doubt gives a different feel. A cover like this will surely stand out from the crowd of love stories filling the bookshelves on a regular basis now days. At the same time, it will not be wrong to say that the cover, in a way, sums up the contents of the book. Read the book and you will find that out. The cover has been designed by the author himself and clearly reflects the designing talent of the author. I should complement the author for coming out with such an innovative idea for the cover.
Coming to the plot, the story follows the lives of five close friends - Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David. Three of these friends fall in love with a beautiful girl Wardha, who becomes an important part of their lives. So, what happens? Do these friends fight with each other for that girl? And, who gets the girl in the end? You will have to read the book to find answers of these questions.
I liked the narrative technique the author has attempted in this novel. The story has been narrated in two different ways to pen down two different phases of time- past and present. While there are first person accounts of events by the main characters, alternate chapters are told through a series of emails exchanged among these friends (much like quick conversations). First person accounts take us to the past and email exchanges brings us back to the present. Though the author has very carefully framed the story line, some readers may not like the idea of putting email exchanges as alternate chapters.
The tagline of the book says: An absorbing story told differently. So, was it really different? If we talk about the style of narration, it was certainly different. However, as mentioned earlier, the same may be irksome to some readers. Talking about the storyline, I did not find anything new. It was a usual college love story with a slight twist in it. Additionally, in my opinion, more attention could have been given to Wardha. After all, it was her story too. There is one chapter at the end of the book where Wardha has been given opportunity to narrate her side of story. Still one feels that few more pages could have been devoted to this chapter as one would certainly like to know more about her side of story. To me, Wardha fails to attain any significance in the book. In other words, the character of Wardha fails to make any place in my mind. Another point that deserves attention is the way depiction of different characters is done. While author has attempted a unique way to put across his characters, characters seem to merge with each other. I did not find any individuality among different characters.
Overall, this book is a light and entertaining read that reminds you of your college days.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
Read more on:
http://pgalmora.wordpress.com/2015/01...
The book has a beautiful title, wrapping a sense of incompletion to it. It certainly rouses one’s curiosity. The cover of the book is brilliantly done and without doubt gives a different feel. A cover like this will surely stand out from the crowd of love stories filling the bookshelves on a regular basis now days. At the same time, it will not be wrong to say that the cover, in a way, sums up the contents of the book. Read the book and you will find that out. The cover has been designed by the author himself and clearly reflects the designing talent of the author. I should complement the author for coming out with such an innovative idea for the cover.
Coming to the plot, the story follows the lives of five close friends - Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David. Three of these friends fall in love with a beautiful girl Wardha, who becomes an important part of their lives. So, what happens? Do these friends fight with each other for that girl? And, who gets the girl in the end? You will have to read the book to find answers of these questions.
I liked the narrative technique the author has attempted in this novel. The story has been narrated in two different ways to pen down two different phases of time- past and present. While there are first person accounts of events by the main characters, alternate chapters are told through a series of emails exchanged among these friends (much like quick conversations). First person accounts take us to the past and email exchanges brings us back to the present. Though the author has very carefully framed the story line, some readers may not like the idea of putting email exchanges as alternate chapters.
The tagline of the book says: An absorbing story told differently. So, was it really different? If we talk about the style of narration, it was certainly different. However, as mentioned earlier, the same may be irksome to some readers. Talking about the storyline, I did not find anything new. It was a usual college love story with a slight twist in it. Additionally, in my opinion, more attention could have been given to Wardha. After all, it was her story too. There is one chapter at the end of the book where Wardha has been given opportunity to narrate her side of story. Still one feels that few more pages could have been devoted to this chapter as one would certainly like to know more about her side of story. To me, Wardha fails to attain any significance in the book. In other words, the character of Wardha fails to make any place in my mind. Another point that deserves attention is the way depiction of different characters is done. While author has attempted a unique way to put across his characters, characters seem to merge with each other. I did not find any individuality among different characters.
Overall, this book is a light and entertaining read that reminds you of your college days.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
Read more on:
http://pgalmora.wordpress.com/2015/01...
November 20, 2014
“The most telling sign of receding youth is not balding or a paunch, it is when you do not feel like laughing as much anymore.” – Asad Ali Junaid, And We Remained.
And We Remained closely follows the lives of five good friends – Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David – through their years of mischief and camaraderie. The novel flips back and forth between individual POV (flashbacks) as well as their emails (present) so as to give us a thorough understanding of the events that played a significant role in their character development. These students who belonged to not very well off families spent their adolescence travelling in crowded buses; eating from roadside vendors only to later travel far and wide, earning great for themselves in terms of money, fame and self satisfaction. The novel covers a period of Bangalore battling technology and ancient values. While these boys tried to strain against the society and traditions that held them back, some inevitably fall prey. Of the five, three are awestruck with the admission of a junior, Wardha, though each of them feels differently about her. Love, heartbreak, opportunities and failures are interplayed in this narrative to give us a very realistic take on the lives of five ordinaries boys in Bangalore, India.
The synopsis is simple yet effective in delivering the message of what you would be chancing upon by reading this book. And after all the fantasy, scifi books I’ve been reading, this one was a happy change. It is an epistolary novel and that too was a good surprise as I love reading books with emails, chats, journal entries etc. There were some things that made me hesitant about continuing to read it and others that urged me on. Particularly, David’s tone of language was a little loud or bawdy and some other characters too had a one track mind. But I soon realized as growing up teenagers, its only natural. Sahir and Sandeep seemed like the typical good boys who’d think of their family, maintain good relations with everyone. What I was most enthusiastic to find out was the ending concerning their feelings for Wardha and let me tell you – it is unexpected. The book, in a true philosophical sense, portrays that life doesn’t always work out the way we want and its not one of those tales where everything is perfect. I really liked the author’s writing style which is very eloquent and shows his good grasp on language. It wasn’t all big words but very well meant and deep ones that mattered in instilling the story in hearts and minds. Another thing I was able to relate to is the email language, terms of endearment and slangs that were used because being a south Indian, I’ve heard my share of “machans”, “dai”, “poda”. Wardha, being not only a unique name, is portrayed as a different character – not your ideal female love interest. She is carefree and mingles well with people. But the status between her and the boys towards the end makes you wonder about her thought process. The highlight of the novel was Sahir’s sentiments, the form of the novel and the author’s talent for making mundane happenings special. A light and fun read. Recommended to all!
I was sent this book by the author himself in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Asad!
And We Remained closely follows the lives of five good friends – Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David – through their years of mischief and camaraderie. The novel flips back and forth between individual POV (flashbacks) as well as their emails (present) so as to give us a thorough understanding of the events that played a significant role in their character development. These students who belonged to not very well off families spent their adolescence travelling in crowded buses; eating from roadside vendors only to later travel far and wide, earning great for themselves in terms of money, fame and self satisfaction. The novel covers a period of Bangalore battling technology and ancient values. While these boys tried to strain against the society and traditions that held them back, some inevitably fall prey. Of the five, three are awestruck with the admission of a junior, Wardha, though each of them feels differently about her. Love, heartbreak, opportunities and failures are interplayed in this narrative to give us a very realistic take on the lives of five ordinaries boys in Bangalore, India.
The synopsis is simple yet effective in delivering the message of what you would be chancing upon by reading this book. And after all the fantasy, scifi books I’ve been reading, this one was a happy change. It is an epistolary novel and that too was a good surprise as I love reading books with emails, chats, journal entries etc. There were some things that made me hesitant about continuing to read it and others that urged me on. Particularly, David’s tone of language was a little loud or bawdy and some other characters too had a one track mind. But I soon realized as growing up teenagers, its only natural. Sahir and Sandeep seemed like the typical good boys who’d think of their family, maintain good relations with everyone. What I was most enthusiastic to find out was the ending concerning their feelings for Wardha and let me tell you – it is unexpected. The book, in a true philosophical sense, portrays that life doesn’t always work out the way we want and its not one of those tales where everything is perfect. I really liked the author’s writing style which is very eloquent and shows his good grasp on language. It wasn’t all big words but very well meant and deep ones that mattered in instilling the story in hearts and minds. Another thing I was able to relate to is the email language, terms of endearment and slangs that were used because being a south Indian, I’ve heard my share of “machans”, “dai”, “poda”. Wardha, being not only a unique name, is portrayed as a different character – not your ideal female love interest. She is carefree and mingles well with people. But the status between her and the boys towards the end makes you wonder about her thought process. The highlight of the novel was Sahir’s sentiments, the form of the novel and the author’s talent for making mundane happenings special. A light and fun read. Recommended to all!
I was sent this book by the author himself in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Asad!
July 12, 2014
Note : This review was originally posted @ Readers' Muse
Prompt replies and follow ups are one thing that impresses us. (er….effects of corporate world may be!)The writer wrote to us and promptly followed up with timely replies. The summary intrigued both of us and we had a mini fight as to who should review the book ( Nothing to worry there! Just the normal banter between two kids…er…okay…. adults who just didn’t grow up!) The solution ended up being asking the writer for two copies and me being chosen as the “communicator”. Alas! to our surprise he just said yes and promptly couriered it. Till date the whole backend process of our review system hasn’t been mentioned anywhere. Now our little secret it out!
When the book arrived I eagerly tore open the covers only to find a very intriguing cover with lot of words which invited some raised eyebrows from my roomie! Good job with the cover which happens to be designed by the writer himself! ( No wonder there! The writer is a HMI specialist. He would obviously know about design and stuff!)
I picked up the book with a lot of expectations. And yes, the book did live 90% to my expectations. The story line just didn’t give me a closure that I prefer. Or to look at it from a different perspective, some stories don’t have that closure. Like that of Sahir’s & Wraddha’s from the story.
The story is a memoir of a bunch of friends from college as narrated by Sahir, Sandeep,Gopal, David & Anand in two different time lines – the present in a series of email conversations and past in the form of a normal narrative. This whole concept of multiple narrations in two times can get a bit confusing if the writer messes up with the characterisation. Thankfully for me the writer managed to keep his characters distinct but similar (Oh come on! What can possibly ‘not similar’ about male gender during their college days chasing the same girl! :-p). Though initially I had some struggles getting adjusted to this switch, as the story progressed I got comfortable.
Hang on there. There isn’t actually a cohesive ‘normal’ or ‘mundane’ sort of story. The ‘story’ is more like a memoir or series of events of bunch of graduate kids who went through all the normal stuff (expect for the getting arrested part of it) that a grad student goes through.
Every bit and every other incident of the past narration by various characters reminded me of my time in college (Which BTW was 2 whole years ago!)and for some reason provoked quite a number of lost emotions in me.
The writing or vocabulary didn’t exactly stand out. The writer used a lot of local slang. I wouldn’t really complain about that as the book’s theme is such.
My only complaint ( or may be a bit weariness?!) is the similarity between the characters. Can men possibly think just about hot babes or liquor or love all the time? Aren’t there other mundane things! I wonder *in Olivander’s tone from Harry Potter*
VERDICT: Go for it if you had a memorable time in college for the book might provoke the painful memories from past.
Prompt replies and follow ups are one thing that impresses us. (er….effects of corporate world may be!)The writer wrote to us and promptly followed up with timely replies. The summary intrigued both of us and we had a mini fight as to who should review the book ( Nothing to worry there! Just the normal banter between two kids…er…okay…. adults who just didn’t grow up!) The solution ended up being asking the writer for two copies and me being chosen as the “communicator”. Alas! to our surprise he just said yes and promptly couriered it. Till date the whole backend process of our review system hasn’t been mentioned anywhere. Now our little secret it out!
When the book arrived I eagerly tore open the covers only to find a very intriguing cover with lot of words which invited some raised eyebrows from my roomie! Good job with the cover which happens to be designed by the writer himself! ( No wonder there! The writer is a HMI specialist. He would obviously know about design and stuff!)
I picked up the book with a lot of expectations. And yes, the book did live 90% to my expectations. The story line just didn’t give me a closure that I prefer. Or to look at it from a different perspective, some stories don’t have that closure. Like that of Sahir’s & Wraddha’s from the story.
The story is a memoir of a bunch of friends from college as narrated by Sahir, Sandeep,Gopal, David & Anand in two different time lines – the present in a series of email conversations and past in the form of a normal narrative. This whole concept of multiple narrations in two times can get a bit confusing if the writer messes up with the characterisation. Thankfully for me the writer managed to keep his characters distinct but similar (Oh come on! What can possibly ‘not similar’ about male gender during their college days chasing the same girl! :-p). Though initially I had some struggles getting adjusted to this switch, as the story progressed I got comfortable.
Hang on there. There isn’t actually a cohesive ‘normal’ or ‘mundane’ sort of story. The ‘story’ is more like a memoir or series of events of bunch of graduate kids who went through all the normal stuff (expect for the getting arrested part of it) that a grad student goes through.
Every bit and every other incident of the past narration by various characters reminded me of my time in college (Which BTW was 2 whole years ago!)and for some reason provoked quite a number of lost emotions in me.
The writing or vocabulary didn’t exactly stand out. The writer used a lot of local slang. I wouldn’t really complain about that as the book’s theme is such.
My only complaint ( or may be a bit weariness?!) is the similarity between the characters. Can men possibly think just about hot babes or liquor or love all the time? Aren’t there other mundane things! I wonder *in Olivander’s tone from Harry Potter*
VERDICT: Go for it if you had a memorable time in college for the book might provoke the painful memories from past.
October 3, 2014
I started reading "And We Remained" by Asad Ali Junaid on 1st October. After completing half of it, I began reading "Half Girlfriend" which got delivered on 1st itself. After completing/reviewing it, I completed 2nd half of it today. So many Halves in the above sentences, right? Haha! Before starting to talk about the book, I would like to inform you that this book is not just written by the author, but he has himself designed the cover page of the book being a designer himself and also went on publishing it on his own. For this tremendous efforts, author should be applauded irrespective what the book is all about.
Coming to the book, it is one among many that discusses college life of a group of friends and how they face that all of us do in our college lives- identity crisis, friends, girls, crushes, bunks, bad scores, semesters, parents, joblessness etc. Author has tried to write it in a most specific way without getting deep into something that is not part of the main theme of the story. It basically talks about the inclination of 3 friends towards a girl named Wardha who studies with them. Well, it sounds little illogical and unbelievable but that's what author has decided to write on. With that, this book also doesn't indulge into drama where 3 friends fight for this particular girl whom they wish to get committed with. They are fine with the competition. Distinct, isn't it? Haha!
Each character of the book talks in first person and therefore, you get an insight from everyone's view. Also, every alternate chapter includes "mail conversation" where these friends keep informing each other about their developments in life after college. It's a good idea but I felt it an interruption many of the times. Book could have been shorter by 50 pages if little more editing could have been performed in this email section. Otherwise, the main story is indulging, charming and beautiful. It's one of those light reads that you love during train journeys. If you have passed out from college, this book will provide enough nostalgia that you will end up calling your friends on conference.
Sahir Hussain's character is my favorite from the book. I felt his state of mind quite stable and clear in comparison to others. Therefore, I feel that it's a character based on author himself. Am I right, Mr. Asad? :-) Also, the joblessness even after 2 Master Degrees and settling to work in a restaurant as waiter is something that touched my heart. I just wished that Wardha's thing could have gotten a proper ending. It's fine to add little drama even if the story is based on your real experiences in college. I also wished character to be little more insightful so that it could have given a flavor to each of them. Like, I personally felt that David's character was given the least focus. That's all. I would ask author to edit bit of the portions from the email section and then go for the next print of the book. I give this book 3*/5.
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!
July 21, 2014
Thoughts of school, college and university days can easily make one turn nostalgic. Indeed, refreshing are those salutary days surrounded by friends, enhanced by boyfriends and girlfriends (if any), pranks on teachers and friends, bunking lectures and unlimited fun.
I just finished reading an absorbing story And We Remained by Junaid Asad. This story too reminds one about college/university days. This story basically, takes us to Bangalore where the protagonist and his friends are pursuing Engineering from ECVU. Sahir Hasan, Anand Nair and Gopal Veranjanyelu are their names and these three are friends. Here, one fine day, they meet a girl Wardha and her friend Kalpana. Both of them are from BULSH. Wardha is a very jovial kind of a girl who maintains good relations to the protagonist as well as his friends.
While Wardha, her friend Kalpana along with these four guys Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal and Anand are playing a game at the university library, their principal walks in with cops and charges these four boys for ragging. When Wardha and Kalpana attempt to deny the principal’s claims, he shuts their mouth. Eventually, four boys are taken to the police station where they are beaten black and blue. The principal, through this act, takes revenge from these four boys. At this difficult time, not only their friends and teachers but also Wardha stands by them.
Interesting memories of university elections, activities of student union, feelings and proposals for the beautiful Wardha, combatting the indecent principal are all beautifully narrated by the author in the story.
Over-all: When I received the book and saw the cover, I did not find it that interesting. But it is not that bad too. This is a self-published novel and this must be kept in mind that the author himself has designed the cover. Commenting on the title of the book, it’s catchy and good enough. I would personally appreciate the internal layout of the book which is really well designed.
The story is divided into two parts. Also, along with the actual story, emails and messages exchanged between these friends have been given a space in the book. The narration of the author completely engaged me in the story and I was going on turning page after page to find more. Only at some parts, close to the end of part 1, this absorbed attention tends to dodge. Yet, the book, I’ll say, has an attention grabbing story and I am sure readers too will enjoy reading it!
Considering everything, I would rate the book with 4/5. Congratulations to Junaid for his debut novel and hope he comes up with more such interesting stories.
I just finished reading an absorbing story And We Remained by Junaid Asad. This story too reminds one about college/university days. This story basically, takes us to Bangalore where the protagonist and his friends are pursuing Engineering from ECVU. Sahir Hasan, Anand Nair and Gopal Veranjanyelu are their names and these three are friends. Here, one fine day, they meet a girl Wardha and her friend Kalpana. Both of them are from BULSH. Wardha is a very jovial kind of a girl who maintains good relations to the protagonist as well as his friends.
While Wardha, her friend Kalpana along with these four guys Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal and Anand are playing a game at the university library, their principal walks in with cops and charges these four boys for ragging. When Wardha and Kalpana attempt to deny the principal’s claims, he shuts their mouth. Eventually, four boys are taken to the police station where they are beaten black and blue. The principal, through this act, takes revenge from these four boys. At this difficult time, not only their friends and teachers but also Wardha stands by them.
Interesting memories of university elections, activities of student union, feelings and proposals for the beautiful Wardha, combatting the indecent principal are all beautifully narrated by the author in the story.
Over-all: When I received the book and saw the cover, I did not find it that interesting. But it is not that bad too. This is a self-published novel and this must be kept in mind that the author himself has designed the cover. Commenting on the title of the book, it’s catchy and good enough. I would personally appreciate the internal layout of the book which is really well designed.
The story is divided into two parts. Also, along with the actual story, emails and messages exchanged between these friends have been given a space in the book. The narration of the author completely engaged me in the story and I was going on turning page after page to find more. Only at some parts, close to the end of part 1, this absorbed attention tends to dodge. Yet, the book, I’ll say, has an attention grabbing story and I am sure readers too will enjoy reading it!
Considering everything, I would rate the book with 4/5. Congratulations to Junaid for his debut novel and hope he comes up with more such interesting stories.
July 12, 2014
‘And We Remained’ is a debut novel by designing professional Asad Ali Junaid. I loved the cover of the book because the cover says everything about the content of the book. Designed obviously by Asad Ali Junaid. This is what happens when a designer, design for himself.
The story is described in a different and unique way. At the very beginning it struck to me that the narrating style is a bit confusing but as the story goes on I find this style unique and innovative. This story is narrated in the voice of four friends. The author has very efficiently managed to keep the two side of the story going simultaneously, one is narrated by those four friends and one is by numerous numbers of emails with their dates, which helps the readers to keep the track of the time. This smooth and different narrating style will definitely catch readers’ attention.
The story unfolds around the late 1990’s when there is neither internet nor mobile phones. In the era of love letters Sahir (the main protagonist) and his friends Gopal and Sandeep falls for the new girl in the college, Wardha is how the story starts. On the other hand, the author keeps showing how these friends lives are moving on after completing Engineering through numerous mails. In the Engineering part, readers can enjoy the flavor of late 1990’s and the way of blooming love and friendship in that era and In the email part readers are going to see what the conversation between teenagers and about their journey to the adulthood. Few scenes will leave readers laughing while at the end readers are going to cherish about the friendship described in the story.
This book is a light read. Readers may feel that the content could be much better and the end of the love story inside the book can be described in a better way. The ending is predictable as well. Overall this book is a nice and fresh read apart from this nominal flaws.
Final Words: Interesting story told in a different style. As a debut author Asad Ali Junaid has done a good job and hope he keeps growing in his future projects.
For more reviews click on: www.timidfingers.blogspot.in
The story is described in a different and unique way. At the very beginning it struck to me that the narrating style is a bit confusing but as the story goes on I find this style unique and innovative. This story is narrated in the voice of four friends. The author has very efficiently managed to keep the two side of the story going simultaneously, one is narrated by those four friends and one is by numerous numbers of emails with their dates, which helps the readers to keep the track of the time. This smooth and different narrating style will definitely catch readers’ attention.
The story unfolds around the late 1990’s when there is neither internet nor mobile phones. In the era of love letters Sahir (the main protagonist) and his friends Gopal and Sandeep falls for the new girl in the college, Wardha is how the story starts. On the other hand, the author keeps showing how these friends lives are moving on after completing Engineering through numerous mails. In the Engineering part, readers can enjoy the flavor of late 1990’s and the way of blooming love and friendship in that era and In the email part readers are going to see what the conversation between teenagers and about their journey to the adulthood. Few scenes will leave readers laughing while at the end readers are going to cherish about the friendship described in the story.
This book is a light read. Readers may feel that the content could be much better and the end of the love story inside the book can be described in a better way. The ending is predictable as well. Overall this book is a nice and fresh read apart from this nominal flaws.
Final Words: Interesting story told in a different style. As a debut author Asad Ali Junaid has done a good job and hope he keeps growing in his future projects.
For more reviews click on: www.timidfingers.blogspot.in
August 4, 2014
While reading the book I recalled my collage days; bunking the class, sitting at the last benches doing nothing, canteen, playing volleyball, etc, I guarantee you, read this book you will fell relaxed, a must read for the fun loving person.
And We Remained is a story of five friends Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David, and their friend Wardha, during 1990s in Bangalore. They were studying in a college called Engineering Collage of Vidyakeerthi University (ECVU). From the beginning till the last page the book is very interesting you will never get bored, its humorous book. I think this book is a Memoir of Asad Ali Junaid. According to my thinking every graduate has his own story, the celebration and the freedom from school makes a person important identity in collage.
In the movie Rang de Basanti there is a dialogue by DJ (Daljit – Amir Khan) that he is in the collage for more than 7 years, why because he doesn’t wants’ to face the real world. There are more Daljits roaming in the world other than in the college. Same happens to the protagonist of this book who in real world has to struggle to prove his identity.
The concept and the way of expressing is different. The story is narrated in present i.e. through emails along with the dates and in past as a normal narrative. Through emails every friend was connected. The email exchange concept is a new thing; I have read it first time. The book is a mixture of many events like love, heartbreak, prison, drinking, canteen, porn, nude pics, politics, strip clubs, principal etc, its a power packed book. Every character is given equal importance.
One thing which I liked the most is the Cover Design which is done by Author himself. It’s truly awesome. Black and white with many words randomly placed in the front. Also I salute to the author for self publishing his book, it’s a daring attempt. But the author’s attempt is worth it. It’s a one man army writing, designing and publishing.
This book is a good celebration of friendship. Congratulations to Asad Ali Junaid for his debut novel and hope he comes with much more interesting stories in future.
November 23, 2014
a really different way of telling the story...a great attempt..!!!
first I would thank asad for sending me over this copy in exchange of an honest review :)....that too a signed one.... yayieee.....however this did not earn him any brownie points for the review :D
alright to the book now!!!!
it would surely have earned 4 stars from me...if not for so many (and by that I mean SO MANY) proofreading mistakes :(.....sad but true
book is about 5 friends......loved the way it has been written......from the past (through individual voices) and present (mails) and then converging them all to the middle....but I guess somehow that killed the fun of "what's going to happen next".... it was just left to be a series of normal events.....
sahir is just too obsessed with wardha to keep writing about her and when this thing is pointed out by his own friends....makes you laugh
...
Sandeep being a true buddy to sahir.....always together..whatever we do...even liking the same girl ;)
..
David is cool...Anand is sometimes annoying..other times he looks like the only one who is sane out of the bunch.....Gopal always scared of unknown .....
.
.
college life was so much fun for them......after-grad not so great but they made it in their lives
and that too great!!
inspiring for many people around.....
I have recommended so many of my own college friends to read this :D...this reminded me of my college life.....annual fest...favorite teachers....bunking classes......frnds Adda...hehe
(could have cut down on the almost a acknowledgement part written by sahir in the end) :D
.
.
all in all engaging the different voices was a risk well taken and lived well......
kudos to the author for his attempt.....
would surely wait for next book with similar style or something different!!!!
its refreshing to find something new and simple :)
first I would thank asad for sending me over this copy in exchange of an honest review :)....that too a signed one.... yayieee.....however this did not earn him any brownie points for the review :D
alright to the book now!!!!
it would surely have earned 4 stars from me...if not for so many (and by that I mean SO MANY) proofreading mistakes :(.....sad but true
book is about 5 friends......loved the way it has been written......from the past (through individual voices) and present (mails) and then converging them all to the middle....but I guess somehow that killed the fun of "what's going to happen next".... it was just left to be a series of normal events.....
sahir is just too obsessed with wardha to keep writing about her and when this thing is pointed out by his own friends....makes you laugh
...
Sandeep being a true buddy to sahir.....always together..whatever we do...even liking the same girl ;)
..
David is cool...Anand is sometimes annoying..other times he looks like the only one who is sane out of the bunch.....Gopal always scared of unknown .....
.
.
college life was so much fun for them......after-grad not so great but they made it in their lives
and that too great!!
inspiring for many people around.....
I have recommended so many of my own college friends to read this :D...this reminded me of my college life.....annual fest...favorite teachers....bunking classes......frnds Adda...hehe
(could have cut down on the almost a acknowledgement part written by sahir in the end) :D
.
.
all in all engaging the different voices was a risk well taken and lived well......
kudos to the author for his attempt.....
would surely wait for next book with similar style or something different!!!!
its refreshing to find something new and simple :)
December 29, 2014
WISTFUL AND NOSTALGIC!!!
“And They Lived…” was the series finale title of an American TV show, ‘Once Upon A Time in Wonderland’ that I’m familiar with. The title similarities was primary reason why I was interested in this book as the title ‘And We Remained’ evoked a similar feeling of absolute completion. And then I began to read this book…
‘And We Remained’ chronicles the lives of Sahir, Sadeep, Anand, Gopal and David during their college days. Grade troubles. Lecturer crushes. Cultural fests. Canteen food. A villainous college head. Elections time. Girl trouble and heart aches. All the drama surrounding a college life is described realistically so well along with the bonds of friendship that are nurtured within the walls of ECVU. These past events alternate with the current events in their lives that is narrated in an epistolary format. As these friends exchange their lives’ happenings with each other, you realize that grades and degrees will not solely help you in the real world. Persistence goes a long way. Not all of life is perfect for anybody. But a bunch of dependable friends who have your back will certainly help you get through life with witty remarks and a pat on the back.
The one thing I didn’t care too much about was the boys’ comments on sex, strip clubs, nude pictures and virginity. But as a girl, I’d probably never understand!
Many of us grow up clichéd perfect versions of ‘love’. And the author has also aptly stated that we all fall in love at least once in life. But whether it works or not, whether it lasts for a moment or for a lifetime, love is love and the lessons that we learn from it are the ones that truly matter. ‘And We Remained’ shows us this in a ‘different and entertaining’ manner.
Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for Junaid for sending me the book :-)
“And They Lived…” was the series finale title of an American TV show, ‘Once Upon A Time in Wonderland’ that I’m familiar with. The title similarities was primary reason why I was interested in this book as the title ‘And We Remained’ evoked a similar feeling of absolute completion. And then I began to read this book…
‘And We Remained’ chronicles the lives of Sahir, Sadeep, Anand, Gopal and David during their college days. Grade troubles. Lecturer crushes. Cultural fests. Canteen food. A villainous college head. Elections time. Girl trouble and heart aches. All the drama surrounding a college life is described realistically so well along with the bonds of friendship that are nurtured within the walls of ECVU. These past events alternate with the current events in their lives that is narrated in an epistolary format. As these friends exchange their lives’ happenings with each other, you realize that grades and degrees will not solely help you in the real world. Persistence goes a long way. Not all of life is perfect for anybody. But a bunch of dependable friends who have your back will certainly help you get through life with witty remarks and a pat on the back.
The one thing I didn’t care too much about was the boys’ comments on sex, strip clubs, nude pictures and virginity. But as a girl, I’d probably never understand!
Many of us grow up clichéd perfect versions of ‘love’. And the author has also aptly stated that we all fall in love at least once in life. But whether it works or not, whether it lasts for a moment or for a lifetime, love is love and the lessons that we learn from it are the ones that truly matter. ‘And We Remained’ shows us this in a ‘different and entertaining’ manner.
Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for Junaid for sending me the book :-)
August 16, 2015
‘And We Remained’ by Asad Ali Junaid is an account about friendship and tell tale story of friendship – told differently. Differently, because, the author had bid farewell to the customary lengths of pages and loads of paragraphs to share his thoughts and perceptions rather he has chosen an interactive platform of exchanging emails between re-connecting friends.
Today, we are all surrounded by plethora of apps and applications for making communication and reconnecting with our long lost friends with utmost easiness but it was not such a couple of years back. The story is set in early 2000’s when this app-boom was about to burst. It’s just before that when it was e-mails other than females () that bind males together. The then young generation was exposed to this electronic medium for the first time and instant replies and minimal waiting time were among a few reasons that attracted friends to get re-united.
The exclusivity lies in the approach of sharing these incidents. He takes a dual approach wherein first he acclimatizes the readers with the incident thorough a mention in an email exchange and then followed by a personal take on the incident by one of the friends. This dual approach may also be renamed as holistic approach because instead of narrating it by himself, he imparts a personal tough by sharing it in the voice of the actual persons involved in the scene. It adds up to the influence quotient. Though, an innovative approach that makes it a light read but in my personal opinion, such an experiment left it with a missing thing.
Source: https://booksnewsindia.wordpress.com/...
Today, we are all surrounded by plethora of apps and applications for making communication and reconnecting with our long lost friends with utmost easiness but it was not such a couple of years back. The story is set in early 2000’s when this app-boom was about to burst. It’s just before that when it was e-mails other than females () that bind males together. The then young generation was exposed to this electronic medium for the first time and instant replies and minimal waiting time were among a few reasons that attracted friends to get re-united.
The exclusivity lies in the approach of sharing these incidents. He takes a dual approach wherein first he acclimatizes the readers with the incident thorough a mention in an email exchange and then followed by a personal take on the incident by one of the friends. This dual approach may also be renamed as holistic approach because instead of narrating it by himself, he imparts a personal tough by sharing it in the voice of the actual persons involved in the scene. It adds up to the influence quotient. Though, an innovative approach that makes it a light read but in my personal opinion, such an experiment left it with a missing thing.
Source: https://booksnewsindia.wordpress.com/...
March 16, 2015
Different and entertaining, that is how you will see this book being promoted. These adjectives pretty much sum up the experience of reading this book. An amalgamation of five different point-of-views, the story is also interspersed with each character sharing some of their past memories.
The story has an easy drift between the past and the present, a web woven so clean that getting lost into it is a pleasant experience.
The story is about five friends from an engineering college in Bangalore/Bengaluru who, even after long years of graduating and being placed in different parts of the world, continue to keep in touch through email.
Their present day journey, from fresh graduates to responsible young men is captured through email updates shared with the rest. The joys and travails of their college life, the coming of age stories have all been captured through flashbacks.
The language is easy as is the flow of the story. The author's decision to adopt this style of story-telling has paid off well, for it allows his reader easy shifts between the past, the present, and the different point of views. The maturity and rationality that the lead characters show during a difficult situation in college is presented well and is inspirational, to an extent. The end, with a sixth point of view coming in is a little open-ended in the beginning, but manages to pick up later, giving the book a realistic end.
Although the storyline is something that has been written on for quite some time now, the author's writing style does make it a different and entertaining read-definitely a page-turner.
The story has an easy drift between the past and the present, a web woven so clean that getting lost into it is a pleasant experience.
The story is about five friends from an engineering college in Bangalore/Bengaluru who, even after long years of graduating and being placed in different parts of the world, continue to keep in touch through email.
Their present day journey, from fresh graduates to responsible young men is captured through email updates shared with the rest. The joys and travails of their college life, the coming of age stories have all been captured through flashbacks.
The language is easy as is the flow of the story. The author's decision to adopt this style of story-telling has paid off well, for it allows his reader easy shifts between the past, the present, and the different point of views. The maturity and rationality that the lead characters show during a difficult situation in college is presented well and is inspirational, to an extent. The end, with a sixth point of view coming in is a little open-ended in the beginning, but manages to pick up later, giving the book a realistic end.
Although the storyline is something that has been written on for quite some time now, the author's writing style does make it a different and entertaining read-definitely a page-turner.
July 30, 2014
Asad Ali JunaidTitle: And We Remained
Author: Asad Ali Junaid
Date: 2014
Price: 249
Pages: 267
'And We Remained' is a journey down memory lane. It is a story of five college friends, love, career and ever evolving life relations and circumstances.
Initially, the narrative might seem a bit ambiguous but, gradually the reader gets hooked and can decipher the link drawn with the past and the present. The writer has used active voices to describe the notions of its characters and it has all come out really well. Whether it be the emails or the dialogues one can feels to be a part of it.
The book is ever entertaining, one seems to get involved with the story and its ups and down. The friendships and love appear to be all real and happening. Once engaged a reader can't put it down without completing the entire story. And must say, it is a quick read.
The book offers to be a perfect travel companion and needs to be read and enjoyed!
Kudos! to the debutant writer, the book successfully conveys its story to the reader and leaves him/her with countless memories of love and friendship.
May 15, 2015
Time Travel...
Writers are very blessed. With a few strokes of a pen or jamming on a keyboard one can time travel. Reliving your memories of the days bygone makes one think of all the hits and misses that one has experienced in life. This story is like a two-way street, in which the author makes us travel back and forth, throughout the novel. The excitement of a college life, the fears, the tribulations all turn out to be the background of this story.
The characters came to life...
The author has not restricted the POV to the protagonist. It's almost like small patches woven together to make a quilt. Warm, fuzzy and very relatable. How many of us can truly say that college life is only our experience? Youth is selfless and as a result it shapes the person not for what he or she has done but what has been done to him or her. Sahir Hasan had experienced all these things in his college life which has shaped him to be the man he was in his 30s. Each chapter is the POV of one of the friends and all culminate to project their college days.
Some cuts are too deep...
One bad experience can take over your life. Here too there was such a case which could have really spoiled the lives of all those involved. But young hearts heal very quickly.
Read the full review at
http://www.rubinaramesh.com/2015/04/a...
Writers are very blessed. With a few strokes of a pen or jamming on a keyboard one can time travel. Reliving your memories of the days bygone makes one think of all the hits and misses that one has experienced in life. This story is like a two-way street, in which the author makes us travel back and forth, throughout the novel. The excitement of a college life, the fears, the tribulations all turn out to be the background of this story.
The characters came to life...
The author has not restricted the POV to the protagonist. It's almost like small patches woven together to make a quilt. Warm, fuzzy and very relatable. How many of us can truly say that college life is only our experience? Youth is selfless and as a result it shapes the person not for what he or she has done but what has been done to him or her. Sahir Hasan had experienced all these things in his college life which has shaped him to be the man he was in his 30s. Each chapter is the POV of one of the friends and all culminate to project their college days.
Some cuts are too deep...
One bad experience can take over your life. Here too there was such a case which could have really spoiled the lives of all those involved. But young hearts heal very quickly.
Read the full review at
http://www.rubinaramesh.com/2015/04/a...
August 18, 2014
So what if you have studied Engineering in an Indian college. So what if you have had friends to watch your back, hold you from ‘falling’ in and out of love, spent a night with you in prison (that’s rare, but still!), and shared your passion for life. So what if you have had a mammoth heartbreak.
You might have experienced some or all of these. You might have read books about some or all of these. We’d still ask you, urge you to go read ‘And We Remained’ by Asad Ali Junaid.
The book is about five guys – Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David – and a girl in most of their lives – Wardha. They are all Engineering students in various departments of ECVU, in Bangalore. What’s unique about the book is the style of narration. The author has darted back and forth to the past and present depicting various phases of life. The protagonists’ life post-college is shared with the readers via emails. The conversations and banter between the friends in an email format is quite interesting and entertaining.
Read the full review here: http://www.writersmelon.com/2014/08/b...
You might have experienced some or all of these. You might have read books about some or all of these. We’d still ask you, urge you to go read ‘And We Remained’ by Asad Ali Junaid.
The book is about five guys – Sahir, Sandeep, Gopal, Anand and David – and a girl in most of their lives – Wardha. They are all Engineering students in various departments of ECVU, in Bangalore. What’s unique about the book is the style of narration. The author has darted back and forth to the past and present depicting various phases of life. The protagonists’ life post-college is shared with the readers via emails. The conversations and banter between the friends in an email format is quite interesting and entertaining.
Read the full review here: http://www.writersmelon.com/2014/08/b...
March 2, 2015
This book is unique, starting right from the disclaimer which goes like this " This is not a work of fiction......interpretation of the his reality and are presented fictitiously. Any resemblance.....is entirely intentional", so you start laughing right from here.
And the chapters are hilarious and innovative.
Like Newton's fourth Law of motion: " Loose motion cannot be done in slow motion"
"......Miracles are natural, when they do not happen, then something is wrong"
This book is the best example of what students have to go through at college and then in life. And provided your technical and scientific concepts are crystal clear it can be applied anywhere and anytime "Like energy, love can neither be created nor destroyed. It can just be transferred from one girl friend to another".
If I go on ...Then I have to write down extracts from the entire book.
So in short, the book is written in a very simple, humorous and classy way. Once you start reading it there is no stopping your laughter, and you realize how much life has to offer through authors like Asad Ali Junaid. Keep it up Asad and thank you for penning this down for your readers.
And the chapters are hilarious and innovative.
Like Newton's fourth Law of motion: " Loose motion cannot be done in slow motion"
"......Miracles are natural, when they do not happen, then something is wrong"
This book is the best example of what students have to go through at college and then in life. And provided your technical and scientific concepts are crystal clear it can be applied anywhere and anytime "Like energy, love can neither be created nor destroyed. It can just be transferred from one girl friend to another".
If I go on ...Then I have to write down extracts from the entire book.
So in short, the book is written in a very simple, humorous and classy way. Once you start reading it there is no stopping your laughter, and you realize how much life has to offer through authors like Asad Ali Junaid. Keep it up Asad and thank you for penning this down for your readers.
August 14, 2014
And We Remained is a unique story, with a catchy title and an even catchier cover, which earns one a few raised eyebrows and a lot of attention.
The story revolves around five friends, their experiences in college and those in the outside world. Set in the backdrop of a gradually changing India, in the remaining few years of the 20th century and those of the 21st, it’s heartening to see that they manage to keep in touch and update each other of the happenings in their lives via email.
Their experiences are bound to remind the reader of their own college days : lounging with friends, college festivals, inedible hostel food, perpetually broke financial status, awkward encounters with the opposite sex and relive them through these five protagonists. One of the protagonists echoes my sentiments when he says “ feels like a trip back to college.”
I liked a few things in the book.
This is a small preview. The review is available on : http://www.ad1274895.blogspot.in/
July 19, 2014
‘And We Remained’ remains a light and entertaining read ending on a sweet note and affirming the bonds of college friendship, exactly what its author intended it to be. That there was never any ambition to make it anything other than what it is is apparent. I connected with the book not because it is a masterpiece in the world of writing and Literature but only because I have been through it all when I was in college. So in that sense, it is a fun way to re-visit days of your own freshers’ party and college elections, breaking hearts and finding new ones. I do have to give it to its author for being the one-man army behind the book – writing it, designing the cover and then publishing it too.
To read the full review, kindly click on the link below:
http://www.sakshinanda.com/2014/07/bo...
To read the full review, kindly click on the link below:
http://www.sakshinanda.com/2014/07/bo...
October 19, 2014
A novel that has the flavour of the epic, the book seems well built that is really exciting and we can not help but live intensely the emotions of the characters. In characteristic style, the author mixes the compelling daily life of his characters, amidst hopes and desires, greed and corruption, a mixture of dream and resourcefulness that is the hallmark of today’s teens that has become a symbol. The characters are numerous and offer multiple possibilities of identification with the background is described in detail without becoming boring.
Overall a good book that takes us through the contemporary stage off the protagonists who makes us travel through time who takes us on a quay from Bangalore to Europe painting a realistic depiction, filled with hopes and hunger for freedom that seem to arise spontaneously in the protagonists.
Overall a good book that takes us through the contemporary stage off the protagonists who makes us travel through time who takes us on a quay from Bangalore to Europe painting a realistic depiction, filled with hopes and hunger for freedom that seem to arise spontaneously in the protagonists.
December 27, 2014
College life of an individual’s life is worth remembering. At the onset of adulthood, an individual gets the first taste of freedom at campus. Sometimes the stream of freedom is canalized in the right direction, sometimes in the wrong direction –but it is the time when the individual first feels the joy of breathing in the open air, standing under the open sky. The bonding of friendship that college life usually experiences usually has a life long adhesiveness. ‘And we remained’ by Asad Ali Junaid is a tale of this unbound youth in the backdrop of an engineering college.
READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW AT-
https://eokhardahreview.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/and-it-will-remain/And We Remained
READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW AT-
https://eokhardahreview.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/and-it-will-remain/And We Remained
January 12, 2015
Aiyoo!! Actually, it is by God's grace that the book turned out really well.
Honestly, the story isn't extraordinary but it's the way of presentation that makes it stand out. The nostalgic 90s, boom of internet and IT, sudden growth in engineering are all covered gracefully. The shifts to and from email storyline make it a real page turner. The POVs are great but would have loved to read David's side of story and some insights from the ladies.
A noteworthy point is that the frequency of email communications reduce as the story progresses; a reader is left to decide if the cause is social networking sites or the leads get too absorbed in their marital lives.
Three stars and an additional one for style of narration.
Here's Newton's fourth law of motion: "Loose motion cannot be done in slow motion!"
Honestly, the story isn't extraordinary but it's the way of presentation that makes it stand out. The nostalgic 90s, boom of internet and IT, sudden growth in engineering are all covered gracefully. The shifts to and from email storyline make it a real page turner. The POVs are great but would have loved to read David's side of story and some insights from the ladies.
A noteworthy point is that the frequency of email communications reduce as the story progresses; a reader is left to decide if the cause is social networking sites or the leads get too absorbed in their marital lives.
Three stars and an additional one for style of narration.
Here's Newton's fourth law of motion: "Loose motion cannot be done in slow motion!"
January 3, 2015
'And We Remained' is an intriguing book.
The Title, The Cover and The Narration Style proves that.
The book is an attempt to tell a story and maybe make people nostalgic. Unfortunately, even if the plot is good enough, the various South Indian words and Hindi songs make it less appealing. The attempt at portraying socio-economic changes does not help either. It is simply not conspicuous enough to make an impact.
I'll be honest, I'm a school student right now, so maybe the college part is not that engaging for me. But the point of fiction is to take the reader out of the real dull life, and the book fails at that.
The best thing about the story is the short ,sweet and unusual Romance.
At the end of the day, this is again a college story by an Indian writer although written in a fresh and fun style.
The Title, The Cover and The Narration Style proves that.
The book is an attempt to tell a story and maybe make people nostalgic. Unfortunately, even if the plot is good enough, the various South Indian words and Hindi songs make it less appealing. The attempt at portraying socio-economic changes does not help either. It is simply not conspicuous enough to make an impact.
I'll be honest, I'm a school student right now, so maybe the college part is not that engaging for me. But the point of fiction is to take the reader out of the real dull life, and the book fails at that.
The best thing about the story is the short ,sweet and unusual Romance.
At the end of the day, this is again a college story by an Indian writer although written in a fresh and fun style.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews