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The Trial of 2091
In the year 2091, a Perfect System ensures that no crime goes Unpunished. Then a Murder in a quiet town brings together four people with sinister motives and a troubled past. An officer in search of a lie, a killer in search of revenge, a genius in search of perfection, and a father in search of deception. They will stop at nothing to achieve what they have set out for, and a chain of events will trigger that will put the whole world on Trial. Welcome to the Trial of 2091!
- GenresScience Fiction
242 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 2, 2015
It saddens me to give this book such low rating, as this one had potential - a lot of it! But is ultimately let down with the narrative and the lackluster plot.
The Good:
1) Have to appreciate the author for the innovative world-building. This is not hard science fiction, but you get a wonderful array of future tech which truly was cutting-edge and felt utterly possible by the time we get to 2091.
2) The love story between Ather and Jasmine. We only see it through their chats and later on through Ather's thoughts but they always had such interesting and thought-provoking conversations. And Jasmine did feel like a very intriguing person.
Unfortunately everything apart from the above was a minus-point -
The Bad:
1) The narrative and chapter layout leaves a lot to be desired.
Get this -
Something 'interesting' happens in the book only at the 28% percent mark.
I was at 60% and still had no clue what the story was actually about!!
2) The book's constant insistence to not stay in the NOW. This book is essentially a collection of flash-backs with not much happening in the present.
Don't get me wrong, I love non-linear books! But this one felt like it was being non-linear for the sake of being non-linear. Case in point...
3) A chapter gets repeated twice!!! With no change in a single word. The author might have thought that we would see the scene in a new light. But it's not a worthy trick. I would have loved to go back and re-read that chapter instead!
4) I didn't really care for Ather by the end. Too one-dimensional. And boring. On second thoughts, I don't really know this guy that well apart from what he does.
5) The meta info before each chapter, it doesn't really get registered and should probably have been integrated into the main text.
6) UN2311W - turned out to be such a dampener! Maybe I was just expecting something even more brilliant.
On the whole, what the book lacked was lucidity. A lot of information is dumped on you at once, and then we're off to the next dump without giving the reader time to process and analyse the story on his own.
I wouldn't have minded a bigger book with expanded character profiles, better editing and more focus on action than description.
If it's any consolation, I think the author can be good if he corrects his mistakes in the future books.
The Good:
1) Have to appreciate the author for the innovative world-building. This is not hard science fiction, but you get a wonderful array of future tech which truly was cutting-edge and felt utterly possible by the time we get to 2091.
2) The love story between Ather and Jasmine. We only see it through their chats and later on through Ather's thoughts but they always had such interesting and thought-provoking conversations. And Jasmine did feel like a very intriguing person.
Unfortunately everything apart from the above was a minus-point -
The Bad:
1) The narrative and chapter layout leaves a lot to be desired.
Get this -
Something 'interesting' happens in the book only at the 28% percent mark.
I was at 60% and still had no clue what the story was actually about!!
2) The book's constant insistence to not stay in the NOW. This book is essentially a collection of flash-backs with not much happening in the present.
Don't get me wrong, I love non-linear books! But this one felt like it was being non-linear for the sake of being non-linear. Case in point...
3) A chapter gets repeated twice!!! With no change in a single word. The author might have thought that we would see the scene in a new light. But it's not a worthy trick. I would have loved to go back and re-read that chapter instead!
4) I didn't really care for Ather by the end. Too one-dimensional. And boring. On second thoughts, I don't really know this guy that well apart from what he does.
5) The meta info before each chapter, it doesn't really get registered and should probably have been integrated into the main text.
6) UN2311W - turned out to be such a dampener! Maybe I was just expecting something even more brilliant.
On the whole, what the book lacked was lucidity. A lot of information is dumped on you at once, and then we're off to the next dump without giving the reader time to process and analyse the story on his own.
I wouldn't have minded a bigger book with expanded character profiles, better editing and more focus on action than description.
If it's any consolation, I think the author can be good if he corrects his mistakes in the future books.
November 18, 2016
What I liked was the story concept - it was simply marvellous, and I found it encouraging that an Indian writer had the vision and courage to tackle the sci-fi fantasy genre. Moreover, the author has captured the essence of the removal of choice very well, of the inherent duality of human nature that rebels against the perfect system. It transports the reader into an age where only the truth is absolute, and makes them wonder if it is really such a good thing (as an inveterate liar myself, I don't think I'll be too happy with it).
On the downside, I think the execution was a bit hasty. The story-plot had enough meat to be easily spread across a two or even three part series. The world, so different from what we envision today, could have been built up gradually over the series, as could have been the stories of Ather, Mr. Prakash and the others. It seemed to happen too fast, too soon for my liking, and I would have preferred to know the characters better. Also, the to-and-fro of the timeline required much effort to be put into the reading; keep the book down for a night's sleep, and you'll end up turning pages back to see where you'd left it earlier.
On the whole, the book made for a good read, and I really must commend Sarang on a job well done. The chats between Ather and Jasmine are very profound; he, the non-believer, and she provided an interesting contrast of opinions. A few moments touch your heart - like the suicide of a mother when her child says he doesn't love her - and makes you wonder if a utopian society would really be worth living in. The seven-sense graphs, spiders and nech-technology were very imaginative (although personally, I felt it needn't have explained or emphasised as much, instead being a part of the world that the reader gradually comes across). Moreover, I liked the way you've used Jasmine as a background score - there and not there. All the best for this book, Sarang, and hope to have many more books in your name. :)
On the downside, I think the execution was a bit hasty. The story-plot had enough meat to be easily spread across a two or even three part series. The world, so different from what we envision today, could have been built up gradually over the series, as could have been the stories of Ather, Mr. Prakash and the others. It seemed to happen too fast, too soon for my liking, and I would have preferred to know the characters better. Also, the to-and-fro of the timeline required much effort to be put into the reading; keep the book down for a night's sleep, and you'll end up turning pages back to see where you'd left it earlier.
On the whole, the book made for a good read, and I really must commend Sarang on a job well done. The chats between Ather and Jasmine are very profound; he, the non-believer, and she provided an interesting contrast of opinions. A few moments touch your heart - like the suicide of a mother when her child says he doesn't love her - and makes you wonder if a utopian society would really be worth living in. The seven-sense graphs, spiders and nech-technology were very imaginative (although personally, I felt it needn't have explained or emphasised as much, instead being a part of the world that the reader gradually comes across). Moreover, I liked the way you've used Jasmine as a background score - there and not there. All the best for this book, Sarang, and hope to have many more books in your name. :)
July 26, 2015
Okay, so after the page refreshed while I was in the middle of my first review, let's try this again. I'm hoping I've rewritten everything the original one had, but if not I may have to add on to this later. I wanted to enjoy this book a lot more than I did. Though I'm not normally a fan of science fiction, I am a fan of crime and mystery, and I thought this would be a good blend to get me into the genre.
The premise was interesting - set in an idealistic 'utopic' society wherein crime has become a thing of the past, The Trial of 2091 details the events leading up to and including one of the few trials of this new world. There was a lot the author did well - the story was engaging, the characters were interesting, and there were no moments that dragged on. Unfortunately, there were a few things that just didn't appeal to me.
To start with, there was a lot of 'futuristic' technology. I'm not saying that part is bad - obviously this is science fiction, and such developments are to be expected. Unfortunately, the author chooses to describe most of this technology and lingo at the start of the book, in a glossary. As a reader, I didn't find this successful - to start with, I had no context to help me remember any of what I had read, so I wound up having to go back to the glossary just to know what I was reading about. In addition, I couldn't help but wonder - if these words were so important, why didn't they warrant a few sentences within the story to explain them while they were being brought up to begin with? However, I soon found that maybe that wasn't the best approach after all - one form of technology, nanotech, was defined four times. All of those descriptions were identical - "skin thin strips that could change color." Yes. I got that after the first time. This isn't a long book, I don't think I need to read the same sentence four times to understand that when you say nanotechnology you mean skin thin strips that could change color .
The book also makes use of time jumps. Again, this isn't necessary a bad thing, and the author does do some of it quite well. He uses an illustrative timeline at the start of each section that helps readers to understand two things - where the chapter happens in regards to the Trial, and where the chapter happens in regards to the previous chapter. This helps the book to make sense, but I'm still not sure so much jumping around was necessary in the first place. By the end of the book it almost felt like a poorly-used gimmick.
My last comment may be something that I just failed to understand the narrative appeal of - one of the chapters, chapter 13, was essentially just a repeat of the prologue. I understand including a little bit of what's going on in the prologue, but from what I can tell (and I just skimmed back through both sections) the two chapters are actually identical, word-wise. The only difference is that the prologue interrupts the narrative to include some pictures. If I can skip an entire chapter, why include it in the first place?
The premise was interesting - set in an idealistic 'utopic' society wherein crime has become a thing of the past, The Trial of 2091 details the events leading up to and including one of the few trials of this new world. There was a lot the author did well - the story was engaging, the characters were interesting, and there were no moments that dragged on. Unfortunately, there were a few things that just didn't appeal to me.
To start with, there was a lot of 'futuristic' technology. I'm not saying that part is bad - obviously this is science fiction, and such developments are to be expected. Unfortunately, the author chooses to describe most of this technology and lingo at the start of the book, in a glossary. As a reader, I didn't find this successful - to start with, I had no context to help me remember any of what I had read, so I wound up having to go back to the glossary just to know what I was reading about. In addition, I couldn't help but wonder - if these words were so important, why didn't they warrant a few sentences within the story to explain them while they were being brought up to begin with? However, I soon found that maybe that wasn't the best approach after all - one form of technology, nanotech, was defined four times. All of those descriptions were identical - "skin thin strips that could change color." Yes. I got that after the first time. This isn't a long book, I don't think I need to read the same sentence four times to understand that when you say nanotechnology you mean skin thin strips that could change color .
The book also makes use of time jumps. Again, this isn't necessary a bad thing, and the author does do some of it quite well. He uses an illustrative timeline at the start of each section that helps readers to understand two things - where the chapter happens in regards to the Trial, and where the chapter happens in regards to the previous chapter. This helps the book to make sense, but I'm still not sure so much jumping around was necessary in the first place. By the end of the book it almost felt like a poorly-used gimmick.
My last comment may be something that I just failed to understand the narrative appeal of - one of the chapters, chapter 13, was essentially just a repeat of the prologue. I understand including a little bit of what's going on in the prologue, but from what I can tell (and I just skimmed back through both sections) the two chapters are actually identical, word-wise. The only difference is that the prologue interrupts the narrative to include some pictures. If I can skip an entire chapter, why include it in the first place?
April 22, 2015
Hats off to the imagination of Sarang Gupta. He has knitted the story in most effective way it could be ever. It has given a new way to think to reduce the crime in properly scheduled way. Story comes with the confusing startup but it is well explained with the image representation to bring smoothness in the mind of reader. He had pushed the story forward with a heavy plot which covers the prerequisite things to engage the booklovers. Every chapter brings reader more close the mystery solved and arises the curiosity to turn the page.
Writing could be more effective. Not all but somewhere chapters are not arranged properly. Characters are forgotten step by step, they must be evinced. Footling is also included to enhance the literature which is not that much impressive. Gibberish leaves the breaths of the story at many places.
Story goes slowly on very smooth way and doesn’t let readers to be bored. Better explanation is tied by creating a virtual scenario. The end of the story is awesome; literature is at its peak in the entire novel. Multiple stories are connected with each other very cleverly without creating balderdash. Author has revealed eureka with the depth of love and revenge which were dissembled.
Story is really a nice attempt to preview the e-future of human and surrounding. It tides the patience and curiosity up to the end page and leaves a smile over the lips and great respect for author Sarang Gupta for such creative work.
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Writing could be more effective. Not all but somewhere chapters are not arranged properly. Characters are forgotten step by step, they must be evinced. Footling is also included to enhance the literature which is not that much impressive. Gibberish leaves the breaths of the story at many places.
Story goes slowly on very smooth way and doesn’t let readers to be bored. Better explanation is tied by creating a virtual scenario. The end of the story is awesome; literature is at its peak in the entire novel. Multiple stories are connected with each other very cleverly without creating balderdash. Author has revealed eureka with the depth of love and revenge which were dissembled.
Story is really a nice attempt to preview the e-future of human and surrounding. It tides the patience and curiosity up to the end page and leaves a smile over the lips and great respect for author Sarang Gupta for such creative work.
catch Kamal Paneru on facebook
read the blog of Kamal Paneru
May 12, 2015
The author has a very clear view of the futuristic world he has created. Nothing has been forgotten, no loose ends the author knows his technology; it's quirks and all. The same can be said for characterisation, small little details make humans out of what could have been cardboard characters.The love story is sensitive, the suspense firmly in place as is the philosophy without being preachy. Definitely some quotable quotes there.
With all those pluses, it definitely has the makings of a 5 starer but I felt that there was too much happening all at once.I missed delving deeper into the lives of characters, everything was incident related...just a little too crisp for my liking.I also struggled with the erratic time-line which while providing a edge to the book on one hand, provided a little overwhelming.
All in all an excellent book, just missed being magical.
With all those pluses, it definitely has the makings of a 5 starer but I felt that there was too much happening all at once.I missed delving deeper into the lives of characters, everything was incident related...just a little too crisp for my liking.I also struggled with the erratic time-line which while providing a edge to the book on one hand, provided a little overwhelming.
All in all an excellent book, just missed being magical.
May 20, 2015
This book was absolutely fantastic! It kept me turning the pages well into the night, so much so that my wife was irritated I hadn't come to bed yet lol. Sorry Honey :) This book reminds me so much of the classic dystopian novels and I couldn't help but draw a parallel to Minority Report. The character Ather is very likeable and it genuinely pains the reader that the one person he wants most is the one he cannot have. If done correctly this would make an excellent movie. I for one would not like the passing of UN2311W. Definitely looking forward to Sarang Guptas next novel, should he write one.
December 10, 2015
The year is 2091, and there is a Perfect System that makes sure crime does not go unpunished. But then, a murder in a small town occurs and it brings together a group of people with sinister motives who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
The Trial of 2091 by Sarang Gupta is unusual science fiction, almost surreal in its scope and concept. The characters are as strange as the plot as the story weaves through the trial of the century. A thought-provoking story, it contains illustrations that really add nothing to it, but thankfully, also don’t detract from it.
I’m not sure if the author intended this to be considered experimental, but that’s the way I view it—and, it works.
The Trial of 2091 by Sarang Gupta is unusual science fiction, almost surreal in its scope and concept. The characters are as strange as the plot as the story weaves through the trial of the century. A thought-provoking story, it contains illustrations that really add nothing to it, but thankfully, also don’t detract from it.
I’m not sure if the author intended this to be considered experimental, but that’s the way I view it—and, it works.
February 25, 2015
Like any good sci-fi book, this creates a parallel universe that you start imagining being a part of. Its well written and creates lovable characters. I just loved the small talk that kept on going between Jasmine and Ether. In fact I was looking forward to the next chapter eagerly to catch some more of it. Everything in the book leads you that big thing in the end.
In all I feel this is a brave attempt given that sci-fi writing as well as readership is still in nascent stages in India. Hopefully this book can be a breakthrough.
In all I feel this is a brave attempt given that sci-fi writing as well as readership is still in nascent stages in India. Hopefully this book can be a breakthrough.
March 30, 2015
It takes us in a very fast pace into an advanced world where we're depended on technology. A world where people probably feel real emotions in the virtual world. And that's why the conversations between Jasmine and Ather are so endearing. And when these are recalled as memories, this almost serves like the conscience of the book.
The book isn't 'slow' for sure. You'll probably end up finishing it pretty quickly but maybe the end really won't end your confusion as the timeline and sequence of events need a lot of unravelling.
The book isn't 'slow' for sure. You'll probably end up finishing it pretty quickly but maybe the end really won't end your confusion as the timeline and sequence of events need a lot of unravelling.
February 27, 2015
Well , I am not a person who is fond of Sci-fi but when i read this book , loved every bit of it. The book is quiet engaging and is a quick read. Its a story which talks about world in future where humanity plays an important role. The Jasmine character is so well crafted that you would fell in love with her, Little conversations between Ether and Jasmine makes you feel like you are talking to your subconscious. Go ahead and read this !!
April 9, 2017
Well worth the read
The story started out a little slow but it soon picked up and captured my attention. Sometimes I wasn't sure what was going on but that was part of the appeal of watching the story unfold.
Sarang Gupta has a talent for story telling and I look forward to reading more by this author. This story kept my attention to the end.
The story started out a little slow but it soon picked up and captured my attention. Sometimes I wasn't sure what was going on but that was part of the appeal of watching the story unfold.
Sarang Gupta has a talent for story telling and I look forward to reading more by this author. This story kept my attention to the end.
February 25, 2015
the trial of 2091 is a definite page turner, captivating me with its futuristic story plot and engrossing me with its unique suspense built up. Once started, I just couldn't stop reading till I unravelled the mystery in the end! . Definitely one of my best thriller reads in recent years.
July 22, 2015
I personally found this book a little too tiresome to read, primarily because of one of the techniques used by the author in sequencing the chapters.
Detailed review put up at http://thetalespensieve.com/2015/07/b...
Detailed review put up at http://thetalespensieve.com/2015/07/b...
November 22, 2015
Trial Of A Century Yet To Come
This is about a murder trial in the year of 2091. Each chapter starts with information to clue the reader into the world this book is set in. Let's just say it's not a future will want.
This is about a murder trial in the year of 2091. Each chapter starts with information to clue the reader into the world this book is set in. Let's just say it's not a future will want.
February 23, 2015
A Sci-fi thriller, the book comes bundled with loads of drama, action, suspense, wrapped with unforeseen narration. Good stuff by the first time author.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews