Story of Tublu

by Jahid Akhtar

Devastated by the floods, Bipin and his little boy Tublu move to a faraway land, where they meet the Sharma’s. This marks the beginning of a long and enduring relationship between Bipin and the Sharma’s, and the growing friendship of their children Tublu and Maina. The book captures the journey of this friendship through childhood to adolescence and into adulthood. From some interesting school and college humor, the story progresses on and develops into a mature narrative. As years pass, Tublu’s plain and silent crush on Maina develops into deep love and longing for Maina which bears the potential to conquer all of life’s challenges. The story has its share of drama, that entertains; humor, that makes one reminisce; love, friendship and emotions that defines the amazing journey that is, life.

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssem-...

204 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2015

About the author

Jahid Akhtar is a software developer by profession. He was born and brought up in Assam and resides in Bangalore with his wife Anjali and their little daughter, Jia. Jahid enjoys writing about some unforgettable moments, in his blog tiled 'Flashbacks'
http://jahidakhtar.blogspot.com/

Reviews

[Arish Dhawan]

This story is a wonderful rollercoaster ride from puerility, childhood infatuations, innocent talks, the love disease, hesitations, college and hostel life, drawing together to one’s parents, to being adults and eventually being parents themselves in the span of 204 pages, which makes it a perfect read for people of all age groups.

Read the entire review here:
http://preciousglories.blogspot.com/2...

[Maniparna Sengupta majumder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jahid Akhtar’s Story of Tublu is the story of a boy who hails from a village in Assam. As the tagline reads, the book is about “an amazing journey called life”. Jahid has declared in the ‘Acknowledgment’ section of his book, that, it is through blogging he has developed a habit of writing. And, I must admit that if you’re a regular reader of his blog Flashbacks, you’ll clearly understand how congruous the name is with the content of the blog.
In his debut novel also, Jahid has retained his simplistic style of writing. The backdrop of the story is set in the late eighties, in Assam. After losing almost everything in a devastating flood, Bipin along with his son Tanmay aka Tublu, come to the Sharmas in search of shelter. Mr. Sharma and his family not only provide them shelter but also make the father and the son capable enough to become self-dependent. The relationship between the Sharmas and Bipin-Tublu develops quickly and soon they become indispensable for each other. Life keeps on meandering through time but never does this bonding end between the two families.
From his very childhood, Tublu rears a soft spot for Maina, Mr. Sharma’s daughter. Never has he revealed his love to her, Maina is his very own imagination and fantasy. Some subtle hints, however, sometimes have raised doubts in Maina’s mind about Tublu’s feelings for her, but, the large social, cultural, and, economic gulf between them have restrained her to act accordingly.
With every passing year, as both of them grow up and experience the vast expanse of life outside their town, life molds itself differently for them. Every character of the story also changes in the due course of time. Their happiness, love, friendship, point of view- everything takes new twists and turns. Only one thing remains the same; not only same, it becomes stronger with time, that is Tublu’s love for Maina.
Jahid has a penchant for rejuvenating memories, his writings, most of the times, induce nostalgia. I have enjoyed the chapters dealing with Tublu’s college life, long sessions of chatting with friends, studying hard for hours and, indulging in innocent mischief. Jahid has painted those colourful days very nicely.
Apart from the protagonist Tublu, other characters like Maina, her brother Paplu, Mr. Sharma, Bipin, have been given enough space to breathe. Though has appeared for considerably a shorter period of time, but I think the character of Shilpa is quite strong and endearing. She has been able to mark her presence in my mind (perhaps, for her tattoo).

Story of Tublu is an enticing read. As I’ve already said, the language is too simple, you will need not to stumble upon any word. The plot is a simple one too, with no unexpected twist. But I would have been happier if the characters were more developed. The labyrinths of their minds, the mazes through which a relationship matures- all these had enough space to develop. The characters lack the myriad shades which every human being has; they appear to be too simple, too naive, almost monochromatic. And, there is not-so-good editing, which I hope, will be rectified in the next edition.
The ‘Foreword’ is a kind of spoiler and my advice to the readers is to leave it. You can come back to it happily after finishing the book.
The Chetan Bhagat era of writing is still very much in vogue and, Jahid’s narrative style has some resemblance with that of Bhagat’s. The nitty-gritty of everyday life, things known to everybody, small hopes and desires of a small town boy; all these have found life in Story of Tublu. I recommend this book for all who love life as it comes with romance and every other emotion.

[Rishikesh Pande · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review (No Spoilers!)

Read complete review at:
http://letusreviewyourbook.blogspot.i...


A couple of days ago, I found out about the book ‘Story of Tublu’ by Jahid Akhtar. The blurb of the book as given above made me curious. I contacted the author of the book and he was really kind enough to send me the review copy of the book. I really want to thank Jahid Akhtar for the review copy of the book. I really appreciate that.


The story of the book is quite the simple one and very beautiful one indeed. The story is about Tublu and Maina, two lead characters of the book, who fall in love over the course of time. I really enjoyed reading this beautiful story. The entire book is a story of Tublu and Maina and their love story and it is divided into chapters quite well. Every chapter of the book is, in a way, a phase of life of Tublu and Maina. Every chapter kind of tries to sum up the period of time in Tublu and Maina’s life and hence, the pace of the story seems a little faster. I must mention here that had it not been for the pace of the story, I would have enjoyed the book even more.


The language is quite simple and flows beautifully throughout the novel. I really enjoyed how in certain places the author has used Hindi dialogues. The best thing about Hindi dialogues was that there weren’t too many! Anything which is over-done loses its shine and the author has justice to this rule by not using too many Hindi Dialogues. Apart from a few places where the author missed to use spaces between the words, the language was wonderful and I really enjoyed the simplicity of it.


The best part about the book was how two beautiful children, Tublu and Maina, fell in love with each other over the course of time. Tublu is somewhat shy and taciturn and lacks the courage to tell Maina how he feels for her. The author has beautifully written a story about young love and how over the course of time it grows and matures. This is where the author has done an exceptionally great job! Apart from that, I also enjoyed the information about the region author himself grew up in. The author hails from Assam and he has beautifully given bits and pieces of information throughout the story about the North-East. For a person like me, who is born and brought up in Maharashtra, this information was really helpful in understanding the North-East a little better.


Probably the only thing that turned me off was that there were spoilers in the ‘Foreword’ and ‘Introduction’ at the beginning itself. I mistakenly read them before I finished the novel and hence, the story became predictable for me. I would advise readers not to read this part of the book before finishing the novel. But although that is the case, I must mention here that the author has surprised me on many occasions with his brilliant twists and turns and made the story enjoyable.


I would be rating this wonderful first attempt by Jahid Akhtar as 3 out of 5 for writing such a beautiful story in simple and beautiful language. I recommend it to all those who enjoy a simple and beautiful story in simple language.


Note: I sincerely apologize to Jahid Akhtar for the delay in reviewing this wonderful book. I am truly touched by his generosity towards me by granting me more time in reading and reviewing the book. I really appreciate that.


Huge thanks to Jahid Akhtar for providing me the review copy of the book. I really appreciate it.


~RP

[Anirban Nanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Story of Tublu” written by “Jahid Akhtar” is a wonderful debut for any writer. The tag-line of the story says ‘an amazing journey called life’ ─an apt tagline indeed! It is literally a journey of life; filled with every human emotion possible ─love, pain, loss, friendship, hate, jealousy and more. The story shows the transformation of adolescence to maturity which is done quite brilliantly for both Maina and Tublu ─our central characters. The jokes of Ganesh and mischief of Pranjal is so funny that it will make you laugh like a mad. Hostel life is described nicely and it will compel you to take a walk down your memory lane.

The infatuation and later turned love of Tublu is presented skillfully and small lovely encounter of Raja and Swati is sweet. The story is constantly moving, running faster than a Lamborghini :) ! If you miss one paragraph, that will cost you a significant amount of story. The story has paced so smoothly that it is easy to complete it in one sitting.

Characters in ‘Story of Tublu’ are huge in number and each one is described as required. Major characters like Mr. Sharma, Tublu, Maina and Bipin are described nicely. Along with the main characters, I particularly love the characters of Pranjal and Swati as they’ve left a mark in their short appearances. Mrs Sharma’s superstition and communism seem misdirected ─she accepted quite easily the marriage of a Hindu with Christian, but was outrageous for the same of Hindu and Muslim; which is quite expected from our everyday experience. This book never tries to be artistic masterpiece but win your heart; hence, don’t expect J.M. Coetzee or Salman Rushdie from here. The story is a gripping read and fascinating tale for every person to enjoy.

IN A NUTSHELL

Rating: 4 out of 5

Plus Point: Fascinating and gripping story till the end which can be finished in one sitting. If you want a fast and good story in a simple language; grab this one.

Minus Point: The novel is full of incidents. For this, some critically emotional situations could have been narrated more elaborately.

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.in/Story-Tublu-Amaz...

Happy Reading!

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

We meet Tublu as he begins a new chapter in his life in a new city as he is forced to move with his father – driven away from his hometown due to floods. As Tublu and his father start to settle in, their lives get entwined with the Sharma family. Tublu finds a new friend in Maina, the daughter of the Sharma family. The story then follows them from their childhood to their teenage to as they turn into adults.

Through Tublu and Maina, the author has portrayed different stages of a person’s life and their different perspectives at those stages. From childhood friendship to teenage crush to something that is more matured, the stages of love in a person’s life are also beautifully captured. I enjoyed reading as these characters grew and developed over the years and through the pages. Initially when I picked up this book, I was expecting a simple love story but this book offers a lot more. The everyday nuances captured give a feel of reality to the story. Growing up, friendships, love and infatuations, facing harsh realities and even sorrow are few very simple elements of the story that makes it so gripping. The author’s narrative is engaging and he has kept his language dainty enough to make it really easy to get into the flow of things. Additionally, I would like to point out that as per the current trend; the author has included Hindi dialogues at certain moments. But he doesn’t overdo it and therein lays his success.

There are two things that I did not like much about the book. First is the fact that the Foreword and Introduction contain innumerable spoilers. After reading about three pages, I felt as if I knew the whole story. It was quite a turn off because of which I had put the book down for two days before picking it up again. The second thing that bugged me is the fact that the author covers decades of time period within two hundred odd pages. As a result, I found the pace rushed and a bit cheated because I felt like there was lot more that we could have known about the characters.

The title of the book maybe simple and not that attractive, but the book holds a lot more promise.

[Deepak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading ‘Story of Tublu’ authored by fellow blogger Jahid Akhtar. I enjoyed reading it. It felt as if I was sitting with him for a couple of evenings as he narrated this wonderful tale of how a poor boy falls in love with a rich girl (clichéd, yet not) and the obstacles that he has to overcome to express his undying love. Despite it being a love story it is not mushy. The idiom is Indian, nothing fancy in the language which is day to day and practical.
I also liked the fact that equal importance was given by Jahid to the girl’s thinking and actions. It is not only about the hero but also about the heroine so effectively the book does have two stars that manage to shine throughout.
Though the plot is nothing out of the ordinary the treatment given is uniquely refreshing. For a debut novel it is impressive.
It does not get into too much of detailing the geographical ambiance but concentrates mainly on the emotions of the characters that have been fleshed out without boring the reader with a lot of history.
The pace is consistent and the end of every chapter wants you to continue to the next as soon as possible.
While reading the book it feels like the author has your pulse and answers your questions in anticipation.
It is refreshingly Indian in its language and laid back pace.
If you are planning to read the book, which you must, avoid reading the foreword where the killer’s name is given away!
Jahid blogs at http://jahidakhtar.blogspot.com You can find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jahid.akhtar.37 and on twitter at https://twitter.com/jahid_666
The paperback 204pages book is available on Amazon for Rs.200/-

[Pratikshya Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the story, the innocence of the characters, and the easy plot. It gave me an old world kind of feeling. Though there is not much twist and turn in the storyline, it still keeps the readers’ attention. It is not that eventful, and the plot is predictable, still you’d want to read on and on to know what happens to the characters. I liked Maina, Tublu, their families and all the supporting characters. The language used is simple, aimed at readers of all age groups. But the third person narrative and the lack of good dialogues seems mundane and drab at a few places. Anyways, considering it’s the author’s debut novel, he has done a really commendable job.


There are many cute moments in this coming-of-age novel. We see the lead characters grow through childhood, and teenage years, achieving academic excellence and accomplishing so many things while living and evolving constantly. I liked that scene where Tublu brought home a big framed colored photograph of his parents’ marriage using modern technology on the black and white photo. Bipin, his father was so touched and was in awe of the modern technology. I liked the tea stall and gossip stations scenes where Tublu met Rustam whenever he returned to him hometown. And the characters grow, start their own lives; it is emotional full of poignant partings and meetings. Though the end is not unpredictable, the readers would get attached with the characters to accompany them in their journey till the end.

[Akshat Solanki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Numerous writers have expounded on annihilation, adoration, mischances and thus Jahid Akhtar. As the title proposes the tale of Tublu continues with the lives and experiences of Tublu and individuals encompassed by him.

Being a title fan, I considered it a chronicled fiction or something between the conflict of religions yet it’s exactly what distinctive you get the chance to encounter once you begin perusing this book. The story continues with the loss endured by Tublu and his father in the surge and afterward they move to another spot where they conflict with Sharmas, their neighbor, and a Hindu family.

What we experience involvements in everyday life is perfectly introduced by the author are neighborhood love, school experiences, adulthood and numerous different things one wishes to peruse in a book. It’s a book of scarcely 200+ pages, however, author empowers everybody to investigate such undertakings by reading.

Be that as it may, but a large portion of the times appears like a normal one with that tremendously included ‘masala and other undesirable things. Author Jahid Akhtar has most likely taken a dynamic style of portrayal however it needs creative ability or imagination we need to see or read, I particularly enjoyed the character of Maina more than that of Tublu as her presentation was more genuine for me than any other person.

[Aayesha Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a light read. The pace is consistent and the end of every chapter wants you to continue to the next ASAP. Which is the reason why I completed it in 5 hours straight! This is my quickest review!

It is roughly about Engineering, hostel background and most importantly it is about life! The story after education and the struggles in later life are aptly described!

Jahid Akhtar’s blog is called Flashbacks, and it is so amazing to notice how congruous the name of the blog is with the content of the book. Jahid has a penchant for rejuvenating memories, his writings induce nostalgia.

In his debut novel, Jahid has retained his simplistic style of writing with neat narration.

The backdrop of the story is set in the late eighties, in Assam. Every character of the story changes in the due course of time. This book is about happiness, love, friendship, emotions, growing up and life's new twists and turns.

A young, peppy youthful story that has the rustiness of the north east. The environments of the novel are also special and evocative.

Story of Tublu is an enticing read. As I’ve already said, the language is simple. It flows neat and smooth. As the story takes its pace, it keeps you glued.

Full review here: https://intheclassroomoflife.blogspot...

[Shivani Chauhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An environmental catastrophe forced Tublu and his father to find somewhere else to live. In the midst of their struggles, the book presents you a kind family, Sharmas. Tublu and his father were deeply moved by their obliging response and both the families embarked on a new journey of trust and bonding. Moreover, it succeeded in sowing the seeds of love in the womb of Tublu's heart for Maina(Sharma's only daughter.) With such simple beginning in the late eighties in Assam, the story has different shades of life which eventually come to an end in Berlin.

The tagline adds the finishing touch to the title of the book. The simple story line incorporates divergent aspects of life. From the elucidation of school days, fantasy, innocence, first love to those thrilling college times, hostel life, hesitancy, flashbacks; everything has its share of drama, feelings, heartbreak, relationships which defines 'an amazing journey called life.'

Several characters in the book are well portrayed. Apart from the protagonist Tublu, I found Shilpa's character to be quite powerful and pleasant. Each character has its own significance in the story. An easy plot with very simple language complements the story. However, I felt a lack of interesting dialogues which consequently made it mundane at certain places.

The blurb goes well with the story. I liked the simplicity of the story as it comprises quotidian situations which are illustrated greatly. There is a consistency which keeps you glued till the finale. The cover seemed attractive to me. Furthermore, I felt that the title could have been more appealing. According to me, the foreword initially mentioned in the book can definitely lose the reader's interest. Therefore, the climax of the story has no surprise element and is predictable.

The book not only concentrates on the basic theme of love but, the author's narration also includes other emotions. There were certain portions to which I could relate. Such as the anecdotes of the engineering college, ebullience of students and the significance of family and friends in life.

All in all, it is a simple, light and fast read.

[Biswanath Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the story of the next door boy getting grown up. So common, yet so uncommon, that we all can easily match our story with the story of Tublu- at some point of time of our life’s journey.
The childhood, the adolescence, the infatuation, the youth all have been described with artistic precision by the writer.
Life is a wonderful voyage. It presents with unexpected encounters at every corner. There are surprises- that sometimes make our life joyful, sometimes make our life painful! But life is the sum total of all these moments-all these surprises-that makes our life so colourful- like a rainbow after a splash of rain. All shades of colours are present there- that all plays in a perfect symphony to make this wondrous journey called life! Story of Tublu by Jahid Akthar is the orchestra of that life- that indomitable life that has the potential to rise above all obstacles, all grief, all despair!
First of all the story depicts the story of semi urban India of the early nineties. So we have to judge the fiction from that perspective.
The curtain of the story is lifted in a small town at Assam- the rainy season at its peak and torrential rainfall has devastated rural Assam. It was the house of Mr. Sharma- better known as Sharma sir in the locality-famed principal of a prestigious public school! Destiny brought here Vipin and Tublu- father and a son- unfortunate victim of the cruel nature-in a quest of a shelter-like a drowning man catches a straw as his last resort. They have heard about the Sharma sir from a visiting doctor at their camp-no previous acquaintance, nothing!


Read the full review at

https://jayasreesown.wordpress.com/20...

The book was received as part of Reviewers Programme on The Tales Pensieve.

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw this book, I was intrigued by the title. It is Tublu’s journey- from being a dependant in the Sharma family to becoming an independent and successful citizen. Tublu changes as a person through the journey of life but all along the only thing that is constant in him from the time he meets Maina is his silent love for her.

The book describes the life of the main characters in the same endearing style that Jahid writes his blog posts. Straight from the heart narration, from start to end, it doesn’t deviate anywhere. Major characters that come into Tublu’s and Maina’s life bring in humour, adventure and even love. I found the sudden changing in narration from one character to another a little abrupt at times. And even places and events changed fast.

The adolescent adventures of Tublu and his friends are narrated with frankness. Ragging, embarrassing moments, crushes, love stories, the book is filled with anecdotes from Tublu’s life.
Tublu emerges as a person who has lived a simple life and one who is focussed on achieving his goals. Be it his career or his personal life. Even though he is the son of a dependant in their household, the Sharmas consider him as one of them, sees to his education and he is with them through their ups and downs.

Maina, didn’t appear as someone suitable for Tublu. She appears a shallow character who doesn’t show any depth in her love towards anyone in her life. But as first loves often remain unforgotten, Tublu is obsessed about her.

I finished reading it in three hours straight. It was a tension free afternoon read for me.

Pick the book up if you want an escape from the gore and tensions that fill many of the books that come out these days.

[Arpita Dash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my complete review on http://shinningappy.blogspot.in/2015/...

‘Story of Tublu’ is a story about the journey of life where the author has presented all the shades of life; happiness, compassion, conflicts, tragedy and much more. I like the plot of the story; the story starts in the late eighties in Asam and ends in present day in Berline.

The characters are well portrayed. Tublu is a soft hearted, introvert and understanding guy. From childhood he never revealed his love for Maina, whereas Maina has guessed his feelings from certain hints. I like the conversion of childish Maina to mature Maina. The author has given space to other characters; Bipin, Mr. Sharma, Mrs. Sharma, Papluda, Shilpa. Among the other characters I like the character of Shilpa most; she has a strong personality.

This is my first read in ‘coming of age’ genre. I enjoyed every chapter; the main characters grow up together and with the change in the time period they experienced the different shades of life. The narration style of the author is simple yet striking. The plot is simple without any twist and the story is predictable. Jahid has penned the story beautifully. He also gives justice to the tag line of the book ‘an amazing journey called life’. Jahid Akhtar has the ability of storytelling.

I can relate tublu’s college life with mine as I’m an engineering student. I liked the mischief, hard work for studies, ragging, and gossip with friends. The story has kept its place in my memories.

I will give 4 out of 5 stars for the author’s beautiful narration. I would like to recommend it to everybody. I can say it’s worth reading.

[Parwati Singari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of Tublu
ISBN 98-93-82536-75-8
Genre –Fiction--Coming of age
Synopsis – devastating floods, bring Bipin and his son Tublu to Calcutta and the life of Sharma’s. The book documents the growing relationship and bond between Sharma’s and Bipin, their children paplda, Maina and Tubulu, the growing ache and pains of Maina and Tublu, Maina’s interim affair with Ikram, then her marriage to Sanjay, and eventual widowhood to remarrying Tublu who had a crush on her.
The book runs the course of placid river, the turbulence is trapped inside. The author has not really tapped into his story telling skill or the potential of the story. There were some very clichéd metaphors used like “elegant smile of Swati” a humble suitor looking up to the trophy he can never have.
There moments like leaving the hostel to get into the real world that could have worked into a dynamic scene but was left to create a gentle ripple on the placid river. Then Mr. Sharma’s discovery of cancer, the five stages of grief could have been woven into the story well.
What reduced the joy of the beautiful narration to me, as a reader, was the author bullying me into conclusions by delivering judgements on the actions of his characters and situation.
Over all a good read, your way from work. The language is very good, wish the author could give some lessons to Chetan Bhagat and Ravindra Singh.
About the author—Jahid Aktar is a software developer by profession, be was born and brought up in Assam and resides in Bangalore with his wife Anjali and their daughter, Jia Jahid shares his memories on his blog flashbacks.

[Charulatha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reacting during a tragedy, relationship bonding, kind-hearted people, gratefulness, love, emotions are few of the various attributes on which the story is set upon.

Bipin along with his son Tublu move to a faraway land in search of help when they lost everything during a natural calamity. Sharmas turn out to be their saviour resulting in a wonderful bond not only amongst the parents but also between their kids.

The story seems to be plain, predictable and has been narrated in stages in the form of a Journey. The journey of life of a young boy to a manhood and the journey of a young girl to womanhood. The description of crush-feeling at school level, love and relationships at college level and then the maturity level is explained with the central characters Tublu and Mania. The supporting characters have been made fit appropriately in the story.

Misunderstanding, emotional stress and how dangerous it can turn out to be in a relationship is also highlighted in the story.
After reading the foreword, I could easily predict the story with every page turning. It just seems to me like a predictable one time watch Bollywood masala flick. Simple language makes it easy to comprehend. The cover and the caption did attract me. Recommend to those who need a light predictable short story revolving around college fun, love and emotions.

[Amit Gupta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Devastated by the floods, Bipin and his little boy Tublu move to a faraway land, where they meet the Sharma’s. This marks the beginning of a long and enduring relationship between Bipin and the Sharma’s, and the growing friendship of their children Tublu and Maina. The book captures the journey of this friendship through childhood to adolescence and into adulthood. From some interesting school and college humor, the story progresses on and develops into a mature narrative. As years pass, Tublu’s plain and silent crush on Maina develops into deep love and longing for Maina which bears the potential to conquer all of life’s challenges.

As you would imagine, this blurb and the foreword give away all the story and major twists in the book. One needs to wonder why anyone remotely associated with the book did not bother to check on this major goof up. Consequently, as a reader you are never deeply interested in the tribulations and the respective, coming of age story of Tublu. There is too much happening - moving to different places, devastation of floods, college memories, childhood nostalgia, happy but cliche ending but there is never a feeling of anything of genuine interest or even a slight tension in the narrative. You are going through the pages without really bothering what is happening with these characters.

I am going with 1.5/5 for Jahid Akthar's Story of Tublu. Noble intentions aside, this is a poorly structured and presented book asking for little investment from you as a reader. Even if you are a fan of mass fiction, this will be a difficult book to go through. Read at your own risk!

[Nabanita · Rating 3 out of 5]

his wonderful book has been lying in my bag for about a month now, accompanying me to office and even to the doctor’s. But due to heath issues, I just couldn't get myself to reading it. If you have been a regular on my blog, you’ll know what a month without reading means to me. Well, it spells dread and depression in the same breath because I simply cannot imagine whirling away precious time. And that too without discovering a new book or story. But I guess the past month was an exception. And hence I must first apologize to Jahid for taking so much time to review his book. Sorry Jahid!

Being a regular reader of Jahid’s work on his blog, I knew ‘Story of Tublu’ would not disappoint and disappointed me it not. The book is described by Jahid as an amazing journey called life and I must add it is an equally enjoyable reading experience as well. And what’s even better is that Jahid’s book helped me break out from my reading rut!

There are purists who believe that a good book must have heavy words to woe readers but I believe otherwise. It’s not so much the vocabulary as the narration, simplicity and honestly of storytelling that is important. Jahid, to me, belongs to that category of writers who have it in them to spin yarns with such candor that you can’t help but get involved with the plot and characters.

Read the complete review on my blog here: http://www.nabanitadhar.in/

[Namrota Mazumdar · Rating 2 out of 5]

What does it take to make debut of a book decent? Fine narration with the proper use of language along with skilled editing. The story of Tublu lags behind in these departments forcing Jahid's commencement into the literary world to elicit less interest from the reader.
I don't seek words that would make me sit with a dictionary to decipher every sentence. A simple prose with simple lingo can weave a grand tale.

Further, ill conceived characters and bad editing makes you cringe all through.
The repetitious 'cute little' to describe all the babies/toddlers in the story and the 'wells' coming on to prefix itself before sentences, in little less than 1/4th of the book, are enough to make it limp.

Dynamics between the characters remained unexplored. Sigh! I so wanted to see some alchemy at least between Tublu and Adi. Nothing. The romance was placid too. And what mother would get into a passionate night in the couch with a person whom she gingerly pushes to marry someone else, while her unwell kid is in the bedroom? I wonder!

To read further clink on the link below...
http://namrota.blogspot.in/2015/03/bo...

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying please don't read the forward it's a dead giveaway.

Characters: It's a sweet story, with really lovable characters.... characters that anybody can identify with. It's a story of Tublu aka Tanmay Bora (protagonist) and Maina aka Sujata Sharma (who he secretly loves). My favourite is Shilpa, she is fun and absolutely awesome. Though I wish the author dwelled a little more on Tublu's character.

Story: Thanks to the forward nothing came as a surprise. Initial chapters are slow paced and sad. You might even get tempted to leave the book mid-way. But slowly the story starts picking up. Hostel sequences were my favourite part. It's a good story, I wouldn't call it extraordinary. So if you read this book, just read it because you want a good time-pass, don't expect too much.

Language: The language used in the story is nice and simple (thankfully) I didn't feel the need to run for a dictionary every now and then. But in some places it did look a little too simplistic which did mar a smooth read.


My Verdict: All in all it's nice light read, the kind you would like to read in a journey.

[Book Reviews & Promotion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly,thanks to the author for sendiing me the book.
Whetever i want to say about this book,its already given in the blurb, as u can see its all clear & simple story...light read.
So, i tell you my viewpoint :-
The story begins in the late eighties ,in a small town of Assam.Bipin's life was devasted by the floods, which had wiped away hundreds of villages.
Bipin & his little boy Tubulu move to faraway land , where they meet the Sharmas.
This marks the beginning of a long & enduring relationship between Bipin & Sharmas.
The book captures the journey of friendship of Tubulu & Maina through childhood to adolescence & their journey.
Soon , Tubulu falls in love & develop feels for Maina . In the end Tubulu marries Maina & together they make a complete family along with their son Adi.

I felt that some lines are repititive,which i dont lyk.
All Together , i love the story & the simplicity ,the way author has written the book.
Iwould like to give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

[Garima Nag · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of Tublu, a life journey of a young boy that started with a heart wrenching tragedy & ended on a positive note, is youthful engaging read. The tittle & cover give you the impression that you are in for an interesting ride, which stands true to an extend.

This is the debut novel by the author, Jahid Akhtar, who is a software developer by profession. The highlight of his work is his sincerity towards the craft. He is genuine & straightforward. He used simplicity to communicate his thoughts or rather the Story of Tublu than lacing the work with unnecessary heavy words. From a reader’s point of view, it is a great thing. However .... Read the complete review here http://www.sweetsharing.com/book-revi...

[Kaushal Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy Ending, no I am not talking about the movie starring Govinda and Saif Ali Khan, is usually what most of us look forward to. We have heard a lot of stories with happy endings and have seen them more frequently in Bollywood movies. Many people struggle a lot, go through emotional and mental stress before they claim that their story has got a "Happy ending".

Story of Tublu, a book by Jahid Akhtar is based on the various phases and circumstances of life and how the characters of the book overcome them. The story is about life, the struggle,the feeling of belonging, lost and found love and a happy ending. Please visit http://guptakaushal.blogspot.in/2015/... to read the complete review of the book.

[Bhavya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is the Story of Tublu, a sweet young boy who had to pack his belongings and move because of the floods that devastated Assam and left his father and Tublu homeless. They seek refuge under a school principal and a kind man Mr. Sharma. From then on, Tublu's life takes a whole different turn.
The characters are all sweet and gentle, with almost no shades of grey in them, be it Maina, Tublu, the Sharmas or Bipin, Tublu's father. Tublu eventually falls in love with Maina, who in turn is in love with another guy. So does finally Maina fly home to Tublu or will he have to let her go? You wJahid Akhtarill have to read the book to know that.

[Ragini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story of Tublu is a candid, straight-laced story of Tanmay aka Tublu, a small town boy from Assam, who falls in love with Maina, his benefactor Mr. Sharma's daughter. Maina is way above Tublu in the social hierarchy and despite being constantly overwhelmed by her social stature, he develops romantic feelings for her and furtively keeps striving for her attention.

Pick this one up and I'm sure the book will give you moments galore to go down memory lane and reminisce about carefree childhood days and everything that comes with the territory.

Detailed review at - http://solitaryreading.blogspot.in/20...

[Madhavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story Of Tublu is a tale of emotions, coming of age & relationships. I personally loved the simple & beautiful narration & finished the book in 2 days. Akhtar beautifully takes us through each stage in Tublu’s life journey. Destroyed by floods, Bipin and his young boy Tublu move to a distant land, where they seek help from the Sharmas which starts a deep bond between the two families. This also marks the start of a budding friendship of their children, Tublu and Maina.

For the whole review, read http://madhavikatre.blogspot.in/2015/...

[T.F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read for a firt time Indian author. Details the life and times of typical Indian middle class boy following his journey of life from boyhood to manhood. A must read for all fans of Indian campus romances. People who generally feel intimidated by books due to heavy language, ideas or content should give this book a try – it is one of the simplest books they can pick up. Check out detailed review here.

http://www.luciferhouseinc.blogspot.i...

[Karan Sampat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book captures various scenarios of the life of an engineer, and keeps the reader connected with a simple yet engaging plot. The plot is quite the life of an engineer and that’s also one of the reasons why I liked the book. Keeping it simple is the key, and Jahid has very nicely managed that while not allowing the book to drop from the reader’s hands.

The full review: http://karan-sampat.blogspot.in/2015/...

[Anmol Rawat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed Review

2.5 on 5

For a debut, Jahid Akhtar does a decent job. The book is a quick read with simple narration. I just thought that it tried to cover a lot in just 200 pages. Due to this, the bigger events left no impact at all on me while reading. Other than that, it is a light read which can be picked up on those lazy afternoons.

[Vatsala Dorairajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short novel is a centered around Tublu, aka Tanmay Bora, a regular boy-next-door character, just like you and me. Life takes him through multiple twists and turns, but he ultimately succeeds in settling down with the love of his life Maina Sharma. It is a quick and enjoyable read, and is set in Assam, in the washlands of Brahmaputra. Pick this up for a light yet entertaining read. The author Jahid Akhtar presents a good story in a simple language.

[Nehali Lalwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished reading Story of Tublu in one go. Language used by the author is noticeable. Minor editing errors were found in the book.

If you are looking forward for a kind of book, which can prove to be a light read in these summer vacations or If you are a kind of person who likes to have happy endings to every story you read, this book is definitely for you! Go for it.

Read full review here: https://nehalilalwani.wordpress.com/2...