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The Book Hunters of Katpadi: A Bibliomystery
Neelambari Adigal and her young associate, Kayal, together run Biblio, a one-of-a-kind store of rare books in Chennai, specializing in modern Indian first editions. The lives of these passionate bookwomen revolve around curious browsers, eccentric book collectors, private-press printers and the occasional thrill of unexpected discoveries of the antiquarian kind.
On a book-collecting trip to Ooty, Kayal stumbles upon an incendiary manuscript, long thought to be a myth, purportedly authored by explorer and translator Sir Richard Francis Burton. Almost simultaneously, a cache of priceless editions that looks like it could be from the 300-year-old library of one of the greatest book collectors the world has ever known, turns up at the bookshop. When it falls upon the two women to authenticate their finds, Neela and Kayal discover, quite suddenly, that their lives are more full of bibliographic intrigue than they could ever have imagined.
India’s first-ever biblio-mystery, The Book Hunters of Katpadi, is the book every lover of the written word has been waiting for. In the tradition of the greatest in the genre, it holds within its pages adventure, action, suspense – and the sheer thrill of close encounters with prized print-on-paper.
On a book-collecting trip to Ooty, Kayal stumbles upon an incendiary manuscript, long thought to be a myth, purportedly authored by explorer and translator Sir Richard Francis Burton. Almost simultaneously, a cache of priceless editions that looks like it could be from the 300-year-old library of one of the greatest book collectors the world has ever known, turns up at the bookshop. When it falls upon the two women to authenticate their finds, Neela and Kayal discover, quite suddenly, that their lives are more full of bibliographic intrigue than they could ever have imagined.
India’s first-ever biblio-mystery, The Book Hunters of Katpadi, is the book every lover of the written word has been waiting for. In the tradition of the greatest in the genre, it holds within its pages adventure, action, suspense – and the sheer thrill of close encounters with prized print-on-paper.
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2017
37 people are currently reading
850 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 25, 2018
An antiquarian bookshop in Chennai, Biblio is run by Neela along with her assistant Kayal. They specialize not in merely ‘second hand’ books, but old books with actual worth: rare books, fine editions, book arts. They are purveyors to some of the leading bibliophiles of India, including other members of the elite Ziegenbalg Club, a community of dedicated bibliophiles.
And then one day, there comes their way what promises to be a find like none other: a history teacher from Ooty, Kenton Francis Selvaganesan, who claims to be a descendant of the famous 19th century traveller/explorer/writer/translator Richard Francis Burton, offers up some Burtoniana. A couple of books, a letter, and—most intriguing of all—a fragment of a shocking report that may have been the reason for Burton having to eventually leave India.
My opinion of The Book Hunters of Katpadi underwent changes even as I read the book. I started off being interested, taken up by this world of expertise on books (I adore books, but I have rarely paid that much attention to the actual form of the physical work). The first ‘mystery’ that cropped up—more a problem than a mystery, really—about a college librarian who has obviously cheated his college out of some invaluable books, began intriguingly. Other jobs for Neela and Kayal—going off to Ooty to check through a lot of school library discards for possible treasures, meeting Kenton, etc—sounded like this book would segue into something rather like a biblio version of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
And then, the book began losing its focus as a novel and going deep into the related aspects of bibliophily. Private-press, hand presses, the technical aspects of everything from paper to binding. The bibliomaniacs of the world, and the many manifestations of their obsession with books. Auctions. History. Books, books, books.
To grade this book, eventually, is difficult. The bulk of it, really, is not a novel at all: it is a well-written, engrossing work on bibliophily. The fiction angle is relatively small (and too many of the dialogues quickly begin to sound more like a presentation on books and their making and collecting, than anything else). At the end, I felt that this should have been two books and not one. A longish novella, perhaps, with the (certainly entertaining, somewhat Jeffrey Archer-ish) twist in the tale about the Burton papers. And a separate book, a non-fiction one, about the entire art of books. Their making, the finesse and craft which goes into books that are works of art, the mania for these among those who fall in love with them.
If these were two books, each would probably have won a four star rating from me (I have a feeling the non-fiction one could've even been a five star). Put together and offered as a novel, it’s a little unconvincing: there’s too little actual story, and too much background for it to be balanced.
And then one day, there comes their way what promises to be a find like none other: a history teacher from Ooty, Kenton Francis Selvaganesan, who claims to be a descendant of the famous 19th century traveller/explorer/writer/translator Richard Francis Burton, offers up some Burtoniana. A couple of books, a letter, and—most intriguing of all—a fragment of a shocking report that may have been the reason for Burton having to eventually leave India.
My opinion of The Book Hunters of Katpadi underwent changes even as I read the book. I started off being interested, taken up by this world of expertise on books (I adore books, but I have rarely paid that much attention to the actual form of the physical work). The first ‘mystery’ that cropped up—more a problem than a mystery, really—about a college librarian who has obviously cheated his college out of some invaluable books, began intriguingly. Other jobs for Neela and Kayal—going off to Ooty to check through a lot of school library discards for possible treasures, meeting Kenton, etc—sounded like this book would segue into something rather like a biblio version of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
And then, the book began losing its focus as a novel and going deep into the related aspects of bibliophily. Private-press, hand presses, the technical aspects of everything from paper to binding. The bibliomaniacs of the world, and the many manifestations of their obsession with books. Auctions. History. Books, books, books.
To grade this book, eventually, is difficult. The bulk of it, really, is not a novel at all: it is a well-written, engrossing work on bibliophily. The fiction angle is relatively small (and too many of the dialogues quickly begin to sound more like a presentation on books and their making and collecting, than anything else). At the end, I felt that this should have been two books and not one. A longish novella, perhaps, with the (certainly entertaining, somewhat Jeffrey Archer-ish) twist in the tale about the Burton papers. And a separate book, a non-fiction one, about the entire art of books. Their making, the finesse and craft which goes into books that are works of art, the mania for these among those who fall in love with them.
If these were two books, each would probably have won a four star rating from me (I have a feeling the non-fiction one could've even been a five star). Put together and offered as a novel, it’s a little unconvincing: there’s too little actual story, and too much background for it to be balanced.
August 6, 2019
India's birth bibliomystery, it is a must read for all bibliophiles. The book is filled with trivia and deep researched knowledge on the art of collecting books. It also delves deep into fine press books, the art of book binding and illustrations. And of course there is a mystery thrown in, which is every bit a thriller. If you do not love the fine art of book collecting or are not a serious book lover, i can guarantee that you will become one after reading this. Wonderful work by Pradeep Sebastian
June 17, 2019
The Book Hunters of Katpadi is a story that takes one into the world of antiquarian books and collecting. Set around a fictional bookstore Biblio in Chennai, supposed to be the country’s first full-fledged antiquarian book store. Run by two bibliophiles, Neela and Kayal, the store specialises in modern Indian first editions, and is in the process of preparing its first catalogue. There are two story threads that we essentially follow in the book, both connected with Biblio. One a librarian from a college has been helping himself to valuable antiquarian editions from the college and replacing them with better looking editions of far lesser value—and doing so not secretly as such, but taking advantage of the fact that no one else knows the true worth of the older books and think the ‘fancier’ editions better. Some of these treasures have found their way to Biblio, and it falls to Neela and Kayal to help restore the college library’s collection. Then we have the second thread which focuses on the adventurer–explorer–translator (among other things) Richard Francis Burton, and a set of book collectors obsessed with material associated with him or that came from his pen. Some exciting pieces of Burtonia have surfaced in the small hill station of Ooty, and Burton collector, Nallathambi Whitehead, one of Biblio’s regular patrons, who can’t travel for health reasons asks Kayal (who is travelling to Ooty to look at some other old books at a school) to look into it. The Burton material she comes across there has the potential to shake up the world of bibliophiles, and especially of Burton collectors completely.
This was a really lovely read for me. The book is labelled a Bibliomystery, and while there isn’t much of a mystery, there is a surprise twist at the end which makes the ‘mystery’ part of it good fun. And it is the Burton thread that essentially has this component, the other being focused on how our two bookwomen deal with the little ‘problem’ at the college library.
For the most part, it is really all about the world of books—more so the printed book, printing culture, bibliophiles, collectors, and first or otherwise important editions. The book takes us specifically into the world of book collectors in India, where the pursuit is not as prominent or sizeable as in the West with their being few collectors, and fewer antiquarian booksellers. We also get some background into collecting in the West, major auctions that changed the collecting world, great collectors and such. And we also get a look into specific books, writers, and collectors (largely from India’s colonial past) that were associated in some way or other with the country—either they lived and travelled here for a while or wrote their works here. As a bibliophile (just a hoarder of books though, not a collector), I truly enjoyed reading these segments in which the author’s love for books and enthusiasm are infectious. [Lots of my favourite children’s books/series are also mentioned, Anne of Green Gables, William, and The Three Investigators among them.] Anyone who loves books or collecting would enjoy them equally, I think. The author also goes into aspects of printing, hand presses, paper which make physical books special, in addition to the material that’s in them, which again was something I enjoyed reading.
Another plus of the book for me was that it has illustrations (by Sonali Zohra)!!! Always love those. Plus, the publishers have taken trouble with how the book looks—not only the cover but the little motifs like a little golden key on the cover (under the jacket) and the locked trunk that it opens (unlocking the bibliomystery) on the inner cover page.
I have seen reviews of the book critiquing it for being more non-fiction than fiction, which is true in a sense as these parts were more prominent than the story/stories, and while the two are related certainly, perhaps it does not read as a work of fiction as a whole—but despite this being the case, I did enjoy reading this very much, and will look out for more by the author. This is incidentally his first novel—earlier works are non-fiction bookish essays.
This review is also on my blog: https://potpourri2015.wordpress.com/2...
This was a really lovely read for me. The book is labelled a Bibliomystery, and while there isn’t much of a mystery, there is a surprise twist at the end which makes the ‘mystery’ part of it good fun. And it is the Burton thread that essentially has this component, the other being focused on how our two bookwomen deal with the little ‘problem’ at the college library.
For the most part, it is really all about the world of books—more so the printed book, printing culture, bibliophiles, collectors, and first or otherwise important editions. The book takes us specifically into the world of book collectors in India, where the pursuit is not as prominent or sizeable as in the West with their being few collectors, and fewer antiquarian booksellers. We also get some background into collecting in the West, major auctions that changed the collecting world, great collectors and such. And we also get a look into specific books, writers, and collectors (largely from India’s colonial past) that were associated in some way or other with the country—either they lived and travelled here for a while or wrote their works here. As a bibliophile (just a hoarder of books though, not a collector), I truly enjoyed reading these segments in which the author’s love for books and enthusiasm are infectious. [Lots of my favourite children’s books/series are also mentioned, Anne of Green Gables, William, and The Three Investigators among them.] Anyone who loves books or collecting would enjoy them equally, I think. The author also goes into aspects of printing, hand presses, paper which make physical books special, in addition to the material that’s in them, which again was something I enjoyed reading.
Another plus of the book for me was that it has illustrations (by Sonali Zohra)!!! Always love those. Plus, the publishers have taken trouble with how the book looks—not only the cover but the little motifs like a little golden key on the cover (under the jacket) and the locked trunk that it opens (unlocking the bibliomystery) on the inner cover page.
I have seen reviews of the book critiquing it for being more non-fiction than fiction, which is true in a sense as these parts were more prominent than the story/stories, and while the two are related certainly, perhaps it does not read as a work of fiction as a whole—but despite this being the case, I did enjoy reading this very much, and will look out for more by the author. This is incidentally his first novel—earlier works are non-fiction bookish essays.
This review is also on my blog: https://potpourri2015.wordpress.com/2...
November 14, 2018
This book is a true reflection of its plot.
What I loved:
The look and feel, publishing quality.
Premises - antiquarian Indian bookshop!
Well researched - from publishing details to paper quality, typesetting, ink, fonts, cover types - what makes a book unique.
A couple of lovely illustrations.
Didn't like:
The plot-line.
The narration - gets dry and forced often, especially in the latter half.
Editing could have been crispier.
A must have for those who want to decorate their shelves.
What I loved:
The look and feel, publishing quality.
Premises - antiquarian Indian bookshop!
Well researched - from publishing details to paper quality, typesetting, ink, fonts, cover types - what makes a book unique.
A couple of lovely illustrations.
Didn't like:
The plot-line.
The narration - gets dry and forced often, especially in the latter half.
Editing could have been crispier.
A must have for those who want to decorate their shelves.
August 26, 2018
I loved every bit of it..Have a book with about 20 pages filled with all the book references in it...Got to know so many things about printing and paper types...And that is just the point which has forced me to cut off a star. There was too much of bookish information albeit presented in an interesting manner some parts did feel like reading a nonfiction...And the twist in the end I feel like I've been taken for a ride..The characters were bland with nothing much happening in their lives emotionally... But the hardcover was a pleasure to hold and read.. And I will surely read the authors nonfiction books... Meanwhile there is very little information available about the author both in the book and the web...
October 13, 2018
5 stars : for the character names. Every single one of them.
4 stars : for the simplicity of text and the graceful ease
2 stars : Neela’s Heber auction speech
4 stars : for introducing a lot of us to this whole antiquarian world
4 stars : for the title, the typography, the cover design and overall feel
4 stars : for very strong characterisation
2 stars : for detail when it’s not needed, a little tiring at places
5 stars : for the refreshing genre
4 stars : for the simplicity of text and the graceful ease
2 stars : Neela’s Heber auction speech
4 stars : for introducing a lot of us to this whole antiquarian world
4 stars : for the title, the typography, the cover design and overall feel
4 stars : for very strong characterisation
2 stars : for detail when it’s not needed, a little tiring at places
5 stars : for the refreshing genre
March 20, 2018
Having read and enjoyed The Groaning Shelf, Pradeep Sebastian's collection of essays on bibliophilia, I was looking forward to this one. A bibliomystery featuring female book collectors? Take my money already!
How I wish the book had lived up to my expectations. Book Hunters is not a bibliomystery so much as a non-fiction book about book-collecting, disguised as a novel using a very thin layer of plot and characters.
Neela and Kayal run Biblio, an antiquarian bookshop in Chennai. Neela travels the world to acquire rare books at book fairs, and then sells them to collectors in India. Kayal helps her run the bookshop -- handling the counter, creating catalogues, traveling if needed.
The main thread in the book is about a manuscript that they discover that may have been written by Sir Richard Francis Burton, the great explorer. There are a couple of other minor plotlines as well - one about Kayal discovering a rare first edition of a famous children's book, and the other about a librarian who tries to steal rare editions from the library he is supposed to take care of.
Though all this sounds interesting enough, the problem with the book is that the author lets himself get carried away by his bibliomania. He uses the "novel" as an excuse to give long lectures on book collecting and book history.
Just for fun, let's compare Book Hunters to a train. Its long blocks of text on bibliphilia and book history are the long stretches the train travels between stations. Once in a while, the train stops at a station for a few minutes, and we meet a few characters and the plot moves forward a bit. And then again we start off into another piece of book history.
Don't get me wrong - all this book history is quite interesting, especially if you are a book-lover yourself. It offers a peek into the world of the rare book collector, at the kind of rivalries that flare up between collectors. But as a reader, I felt cheated - if I'd wanted non-fiction, I would have read a non-fiction book, wouldn't I?
Book Hunters may claim to be India's first bibliomystery, but SURELY we can do better? I hope Pradeep Sebastian himself does the job by writing a sequel to this book, this time without the lectures. Kayal and Neela are interesting characters, and I would hate to have this book be the last we see of them.
How I wish the book had lived up to my expectations. Book Hunters is not a bibliomystery so much as a non-fiction book about book-collecting, disguised as a novel using a very thin layer of plot and characters.
Neela and Kayal run Biblio, an antiquarian bookshop in Chennai. Neela travels the world to acquire rare books at book fairs, and then sells them to collectors in India. Kayal helps her run the bookshop -- handling the counter, creating catalogues, traveling if needed.
The main thread in the book is about a manuscript that they discover that may have been written by Sir Richard Francis Burton, the great explorer. There are a couple of other minor plotlines as well - one about Kayal discovering a rare first edition of a famous children's book, and the other about a librarian who tries to steal rare editions from the library he is supposed to take care of.
Though all this sounds interesting enough, the problem with the book is that the author lets himself get carried away by his bibliomania. He uses the "novel" as an excuse to give long lectures on book collecting and book history.
Just for fun, let's compare Book Hunters to a train. Its long blocks of text on bibliphilia and book history are the long stretches the train travels between stations. Once in a while, the train stops at a station for a few minutes, and we meet a few characters and the plot moves forward a bit. And then again we start off into another piece of book history.
Don't get me wrong - all this book history is quite interesting, especially if you are a book-lover yourself. It offers a peek into the world of the rare book collector, at the kind of rivalries that flare up between collectors. But as a reader, I felt cheated - if I'd wanted non-fiction, I would have read a non-fiction book, wouldn't I?
Book Hunters may claim to be India's first bibliomystery, but SURELY we can do better? I hope Pradeep Sebastian himself does the job by writing a sequel to this book, this time without the lectures. Kayal and Neela are interesting characters, and I would hate to have this book be the last we see of them.
May 4, 2018
A great amalgamation of facts related to book making, rare editions, book collecting and antiquarian book dealing. A true bibliophile will enjoy this book. The nitty-gritty of how a book comes to be completely fascinated me. Also the vivid description of Chennai, the culture and cuisine, the localities and the people add a certain charm to the book. I did learn a lot about Sir Richard Francis Burton through the plot, although the large scale details of many things and events did not make sense to me. It only added some loose connections and abrupt ends to the scenes and paragraphs. The characters are definitely lost in the pile of books and I did not find them growing in the story. The balance was lost somewhere. If you are someone who can overlook this and would want to know more about the bibliophile world I do recommend this for a read.
March 23, 2022
The book starts slow, to an extent that I started to wonder "okay, I get the biblio, but where's the mystery?". Stick to it, though. In retrospect, I understand that I as a reader, especially a reader relatively unfamiliar with the antiquarian world, needed this longer, slow start to get settled in this world and be able to fully appreciate the mystery once it becomes clear. The mystery involves a real historical figure, Sir Richard Burton, in a fictional mystery in an elegant and interesting way, adding new perspectives without messing too much with history. I don't want to give too much away, but there were some unexpected and well done surprises, to me at least.
did-not-finish
February 17, 2018Couldn’t do this. Just way too much technical and historical details of antiquarian books and first editions and blah blah blah... it just couldn’t hold my attention. So yeah, unless you’re also into antiquarian books and/or book collection, you’re not going to enjoy this all that much.
March 29, 2020
Refreshing take on the Indian Antiquarian market and bibliomania.
June 30, 2018
I loved the novel, and I think it occupies a unique and striking place in the world of Indian novels. To me, this book felt like an essay-novel about the history of books, about book-collectors and their love of books as artifacts, as physical objects with value and meaning that goes beyond the content. I am new to bibliophily but the thoroughly researched bibliographic element of the novel was, for me, the source of its real vitality. I felt that the 'mystery' aspect of the book was not separate from 'bibliophily' part of the book but rather deeply embedded in it: in the realistic detail about books and their artful binding, their provenance, and their authentic value, the disciplined knowledge it takes to participate in the world of book-collecting, the thrill of the chase, the discovery of lost or unpublished or authentic editions, the rivalries in the world of book-collectors, how to be an honest book-collector rather than a money-making cynical investor in books (think of art investment today and you will see the contrast), how to spot the forgeries and the counterfeit books, and what does it mean to esteem and care for books and not just love them! For me, this was the excitement of the book. I loved just as much the places and cities invoked in this book: bookstores in erstwhile Madras, Ooty, London. It is superbly written, and I found the focus on rare Indian books and Indian manuscripts relevant and inspiring: for example, Burton's learning of Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Marathi, Sindhi. I found equally interesting the life of the mind of the characters, for instance, Kayal's interest in Burton's time in Ooty, her careful research, and mainly, her capacity for enjoyment in research. The ability to move from one interest to another in a natural, meticulous, and enjoyable way; this is what research is about. Research is not the preserve of academia and universities. This book shows that--the world of self-made scholars, and reveals the writer's own life-long love of books. This book is an exciting read for bibliophiles and non-bibliophiles alike. I will be stepping into an antiquarian and rare-bookstore for the first time after a life-time of scouring local second-hand bookstores, thanks to this book.
Padmaja
Padmaja
March 16, 2018
There isn’t much of a mystery here. The book doesn’t get 4 stars for its plot or its nonexistent twists. It gets 4 stars because it is a FASCINATING study of bibliophilia and book collecting in India. It’s an area I was woefully ignorant of and it was wonderful to be reading about antiquarian book stores and the joy of first editions. It’s one of those books that I actually want to buy a paper copy of and write notes in margins and doodle little love notes to.
August 17, 2018
The nostalgic rush of Chennai and the cozy book discussion aren't enough to mask the fact that The Book Hunters of Katpadi feels more like a nonfiction work on bibliography than the bibliomystery it claims to be. The seemingly never-ending discourses on book collecting and Burton, albeit extremely well written (I cannot stress this enough), still end up sounding like lectures.
The title of the book was a bit of a misnomer to me. Katpadi is a truly special place for me. It was here, swinging on a hammock, that I was introduced to my first non children's novel. As is typical with Indians, my first foray into adult fiction was Jefferey Archer. My hopes for a nostalgic trip to Katpadi ended in disappointment, with the place making just a fleeting impression in the entire book.
The book starts on an engrossing note, but seems to lose its footing trying to juggle between its fiction and non-fiction aspects.
The title of the book was a bit of a misnomer to me. Katpadi is a truly special place for me. It was here, swinging on a hammock, that I was introduced to my first non children's novel. As is typical with Indians, my first foray into adult fiction was Jefferey Archer. My hopes for a nostalgic trip to Katpadi ended in disappointment, with the place making just a fleeting impression in the entire book.
The book starts on an engrossing note, but seems to lose its footing trying to juggle between its fiction and non-fiction aspects.
December 18, 2018
Not what I had expected, but a good effort on the author's part nonetheless. To be honestly, the plot was actually interesting - if only the author had narrated the story a bit better. It felt like I was reading a treatise on rare books rather than an actual novel - which was a major drag.
Still, the characters were well fleshed out, and I particularly liked the ending. The author was clearly looking for a way of educating the readers while keeping up a separate narrative. Can't really blame him there!
Still, the characters were well fleshed out, and I particularly liked the ending. The author was clearly looking for a way of educating the readers while keeping up a separate narrative. Can't really blame him there!
December 13, 2020
A Bibliomystery? No, definitely not. All that is there in the name of novel is extensive history on book collecting, typography, book clubs, printing etc. I was torn between a 2 star and 3 star review, but some of these things interest me hence going for a 3 star. Having read The Groaning Shelf for so long, I expected better from Pradeep Sebastian. Though you got to agree that the Kayal & Neela were 2 awesome book women.
July 18, 2022
This is one of the better written books by Indian authors that I have recently. The cover advertises it as a bibliomystery, but it reads more as an essay on bibliomania: its history and evolution in India, than a mystery.
November 24, 2017
A nice read for book lovers . Pradeep Sebastian has thrown light on the art of collecting antiquarian books in this mystery .
January 7, 2019
A surprisingly sweet delight.. happened to come across this gem while browsing through a bookshop.. which is what I love to do.. from the fascinating cover to the intriguing title .. everything is a complete delight.. the story, narration and the mesmerizing world of bibliomania .. it's a treasure for a book lover👍
March 23, 2020
This is not a novel. It is a bibliographic essay with characters. I'm fine with that, I'm an old-school librarian who cut her teeth on Mansells. But anyone stumbling onto it expecting something else will be confused.
As bibliographic essays go it is clearly a 5+ stars!!
As bibliographic essays go it is clearly a 5+ stars!!
October 30, 2021
Synopsis: Neelambari Adigal and Kayalveli are the proprietors of Biblio, an antiquarian Indian bookstore. They stumble upon a controversial fragment of the renowned traveller and translator, Sir Richard Francis Burton and while trying to authenticate and find the right price for their find; is drawn into the riveting world of Bibliomania.
Review: This book is hailed as India's first bibliomystery and is a journey of the book through it's origin and it's evolution to the present format. This is an ode to the art of bookmaking , printing and collecting. Many intriguing travels in the name of bibliophily bordering onto Bibliomania are shed light upon .The setting of this book includes the sunny Chennai to Adayar and the lush green valleys of Ooty- that ride in the famous TOY TRAIN amidst the Nilgiris was a joy to read. The life of Sir Richard Francis Burton and his lesser known life in India is hinted upon and forms a main part of the book. Reading this book gives you the feeling of being in the midst of a history lecture , coz there's a lot of narration involved. However, I did feel that the mystery element in the book wasn't given due importance since there was something missing in the narration as to the edgy feel of any mystery novel. This book focusses more on the joy of holding a coveted first edition, signed or maybe once owned by a favorite author or illustrator. As the author says in his prelude, he urges readers to go on our own antiquarian book journey and collection. I can't wrap up the review without applauding the wonderful illustrations in the book.
Kudos to the author , once again for such bibliophilic ecstasy.
Rating: 3.8/4
August 6, 2018
As a non-fiction book on bibliophiles and bibliophilia, focusing on India, this would easily have rated 5 stars from me. As a work of fiction it is woefully lacking. The plot is incredibly thin and the characters shallow. Worst of all, it is all tell and no show. If a character is using an Albion hand-press, count on a couple of pages of monologue on the history of the press and what notable things were printed on it. The full gamut of bibliophilia is covered from typography to book-binding, from fine press to first editions. A good novel will give you just enough information to make you want to explore things independently. Here the characters are little more than talking heads explaining everything in great detail. If you have a keen interest in the world of bibliophilia and antiquarian books, you should love this book. Personally, I'm a reader, not a bibliophile.
July 16, 2020
The book had its high points, but overall-- I felt like the efforts to make the book all about the mysteries of antiquarian books and its collectors superseded the need to make the characters appear more human and multi-faceted. We know nothing about these characters except that they like books and deal with books. This made it difficult to relate to their thoughts and actions.
What I liked:
- The setting: With slight hints about Chennai and its famous Murugan Idli, bus and auto rides, paatis who always want us to eat, the book made me miss the sweaty city.
- The ending: It ended on a peculiarly high note, with a lot of excitement.
- The illustrations: The book is packed with beautiful illustrations in between and catches your eye instantly.
What I liked:
- The setting: With slight hints about Chennai and its famous Murugan Idli, bus and auto rides, paatis who always want us to eat, the book made me miss the sweaty city.
- The ending: It ended on a peculiarly high note, with a lot of excitement.
- The illustrations: The book is packed with beautiful illustrations in between and catches your eye instantly.
November 11, 2023
The Book Hunters of Katpadi by Pradeep Sebastian claims to be India’s first biblio-mystery and, whether that’s true or not, the hardback design is a work of beauty which gives the deserved respect and attention to this somewhat experimental novel. It is one of the rare hardbacks, which I usually avoid because of the sheer volume of books and diminishing shelf space that I end up with, that I bought without much thought, and I let it adorn my bookshelf for a while before picking it up.
At the heart of the story is an antiquarian/rare books store called Biblio, in an affluent Chennai locality, which is run by the owner Neela and her employee Kayal. The resilient Kayal is the primary protagonist of the story here, a veritable spitfire when it comes to hunting down the last bit of information on any rare book or its production process. One of their most valued customers and one of the foremost collectors of rare books in India has been contacted by an obscure teacher in Ootacamund who claims to have hitherto rarely seen writings from the archives of the feted and eccentric nineteenth century adventurer and writer, Sir Richard Francis Burton, including an explosive fragment of the long rumored but never ascertained Karachi Report he was supposed to have written for the empire and which he claimed brought about his gradual downfall in the colonial service at the time. On behalf of the collector and Biblio, Kayal makes the trip to Ootacamund to determine the truth behind these claims and if so, to persuade the man to make his dealings with Biblio and their customer. What happens in during and in the aftermath of this expedition is what the rest of the story deals with. There is also a smaller track which runs parallelly, and which is quite interesting, about an old librarian who fleeces his college of their old and precious books ingeniously, and how Kayal and Neela help to recover them for the college.
The ‘Book Hunters’ from Katpadi here are not Neela and Kayal. Instead, it refers to two friends turned foes, avid book collectors (one turned to running an auction house for antiquarian books) who grew up in Katpadi (in Vellore, a district near Chennai famed especially for the Christian Medical College and my alma mater, VIT) and who go by the delightfully catchy names of Nallathambi Whitehead and Arcot Templar. While the names themselves are suited to protagonists who embark on swashbuckling adventures, over here these are older, heaving gentlemen whose primary and perhaps only passion is using their wealth for the collection of fine antiquarian books. Their craze, when it comes to light that there perhaps are some rare Burton material up for grabs, is understandable in the context of the story. But what about for us, the readers?
That’s a bit of a tricky question. For a book lover, the theme is a fascinating one, a world of people whose lives revolve around the fine art of books and writing. But purely on a storytelling level, this book lacks in the mystery and forward momentum of narrative part of things. It is quite obvious that the author (who actually did work for a brief period in an unassuming stationary shop that doubled up as a seller of antique books in Kundapur) is a lover of the mystery and history behind antiquarian books and there is a lot of painfully detailed rendering of the various aspects of the trade and of book hunting, like bindings, letterpress printing, what happens at book auctions and how once can recognize different editions among other things. In fact, it maybe a bit too exhaustive at times, taking away from developing a coherently captivating story. Though there is a mystery and a twist surrounding the purportedly rare Burton memorabilia, it seems like more of a diversion to the primary task of elaborating on the details of the rare book trade. There is also a lot of pages devoted to the retelling of Burton’s history, which may help the uninitiated in understanding the context of the work being highlighted, but which adds to the overall feeling of a discourse rather than a story. Another slight problem is the lack of development of the main characters. Thought we follow Kayal and Neela for most of the book, there really isn’t anything else delved into when it comes to who they are and their personalities. They exist mostly as ciphers to introduce the book’s themes to us rather than fully fleshed out individuals with hopes and desires.
Yet, I wouldn’t want this to seem like I’m slagging off the book. In its own right, it is a unique work of fiction, especially in the Indian English writing scene. And while I wouldn’t recommend it to the more escapist or occasional reader, who could end up being bored to tears by parts of it, it is still something the more literary and serious reader could find to be fascinating enough. And, as I had at times, there is a conundrum to be had for the avid reader; the physical form of the book is important and deserves to be appreciated for the skills and craftsmanship involved in bringing it to light, but is there a chance that fetishizing it too much will take away the import of the true soul of the book, its words?
On the plus side, that beautiful book cover will make this a finely aesthetic addition to your shelves. The care taken in its design and a few beautiful illustrations found within the pages of the story all prove that this was a labor of love all around.
At the heart of the story is an antiquarian/rare books store called Biblio, in an affluent Chennai locality, which is run by the owner Neela and her employee Kayal. The resilient Kayal is the primary protagonist of the story here, a veritable spitfire when it comes to hunting down the last bit of information on any rare book or its production process. One of their most valued customers and one of the foremost collectors of rare books in India has been contacted by an obscure teacher in Ootacamund who claims to have hitherto rarely seen writings from the archives of the feted and eccentric nineteenth century adventurer and writer, Sir Richard Francis Burton, including an explosive fragment of the long rumored but never ascertained Karachi Report he was supposed to have written for the empire and which he claimed brought about his gradual downfall in the colonial service at the time. On behalf of the collector and Biblio, Kayal makes the trip to Ootacamund to determine the truth behind these claims and if so, to persuade the man to make his dealings with Biblio and their customer. What happens in during and in the aftermath of this expedition is what the rest of the story deals with. There is also a smaller track which runs parallelly, and which is quite interesting, about an old librarian who fleeces his college of their old and precious books ingeniously, and how Kayal and Neela help to recover them for the college.
The ‘Book Hunters’ from Katpadi here are not Neela and Kayal. Instead, it refers to two friends turned foes, avid book collectors (one turned to running an auction house for antiquarian books) who grew up in Katpadi (in Vellore, a district near Chennai famed especially for the Christian Medical College and my alma mater, VIT) and who go by the delightfully catchy names of Nallathambi Whitehead and Arcot Templar. While the names themselves are suited to protagonists who embark on swashbuckling adventures, over here these are older, heaving gentlemen whose primary and perhaps only passion is using their wealth for the collection of fine antiquarian books. Their craze, when it comes to light that there perhaps are some rare Burton material up for grabs, is understandable in the context of the story. But what about for us, the readers?
That’s a bit of a tricky question. For a book lover, the theme is a fascinating one, a world of people whose lives revolve around the fine art of books and writing. But purely on a storytelling level, this book lacks in the mystery and forward momentum of narrative part of things. It is quite obvious that the author (who actually did work for a brief period in an unassuming stationary shop that doubled up as a seller of antique books in Kundapur) is a lover of the mystery and history behind antiquarian books and there is a lot of painfully detailed rendering of the various aspects of the trade and of book hunting, like bindings, letterpress printing, what happens at book auctions and how once can recognize different editions among other things. In fact, it maybe a bit too exhaustive at times, taking away from developing a coherently captivating story. Though there is a mystery and a twist surrounding the purportedly rare Burton memorabilia, it seems like more of a diversion to the primary task of elaborating on the details of the rare book trade. There is also a lot of pages devoted to the retelling of Burton’s history, which may help the uninitiated in understanding the context of the work being highlighted, but which adds to the overall feeling of a discourse rather than a story. Another slight problem is the lack of development of the main characters. Thought we follow Kayal and Neela for most of the book, there really isn’t anything else delved into when it comes to who they are and their personalities. They exist mostly as ciphers to introduce the book’s themes to us rather than fully fleshed out individuals with hopes and desires.
Yet, I wouldn’t want this to seem like I’m slagging off the book. In its own right, it is a unique work of fiction, especially in the Indian English writing scene. And while I wouldn’t recommend it to the more escapist or occasional reader, who could end up being bored to tears by parts of it, it is still something the more literary and serious reader could find to be fascinating enough. And, as I had at times, there is a conundrum to be had for the avid reader; the physical form of the book is important and deserves to be appreciated for the skills and craftsmanship involved in bringing it to light, but is there a chance that fetishizing it too much will take away the import of the true soul of the book, its words?
On the plus side, that beautiful book cover will make this a finely aesthetic addition to your shelves. The care taken in its design and a few beautiful illustrations found within the pages of the story all prove that this was a labor of love all around.
January 10, 2020
Set in Chennai, India, this book follows the lives of two bibliowomen – Neelambari Adigal and Kayalveli Anbuchelvan who own an antiquarian bookstore called Biblio in Adyar. The other protagonists of the book are collectors Nallathambi Whitehead and Arcto Templar, frenemies from the town of Katpadi in Tamilnadu.
This book’s tagline is “A bibliomystery”, and mainly revolves around Richard Francis Burton, a British novelist, geologist, explorer, and colonial bigot (had to say this after reading about him). And while it is a mystery if you want to go by semantics, there is not a lot in this book in the lines of a plot. It is a non-fiction book about antiquarian book collection, collectors, enthusiasts, and printing aficionados disguised as a fiction book. There is absolutely no coherence, not much to call a mystery, and the vaguely interesting turns the story takes are very few.
The writing is also quite uninteresting, with forced plot twists, unnecessary adjectives, and dragging disjointed explanations. The author starts a story, goes off on a tangent about some other story, and comes back to the first, leaving the reading utterly confused – and I can tell you that I am not easily confused by plot points in any story.
While I did enjoy the notes about old authors, literature, their stories, collections, and sometimes the emotions associated with them, I thought that the author forces you to read these when you are anticipating a mystery – not cool!
This book’s tagline is “A bibliomystery”, and mainly revolves around Richard Francis Burton, a British novelist, geologist, explorer, and colonial bigot (had to say this after reading about him). And while it is a mystery if you want to go by semantics, there is not a lot in this book in the lines of a plot. It is a non-fiction book about antiquarian book collection, collectors, enthusiasts, and printing aficionados disguised as a fiction book. There is absolutely no coherence, not much to call a mystery, and the vaguely interesting turns the story takes are very few.
The writing is also quite uninteresting, with forced plot twists, unnecessary adjectives, and dragging disjointed explanations. The author starts a story, goes off on a tangent about some other story, and comes back to the first, leaving the reading utterly confused – and I can tell you that I am not easily confused by plot points in any story.
While I did enjoy the notes about old authors, literature, their stories, collections, and sometimes the emotions associated with them, I thought that the author forces you to read these when you are anticipating a mystery – not cool!
February 15, 2023
The book is very well written and crafted with such a beauty. Neelambari started her own antiquarian shop along with her young associate Kayal. She has a huge interest in collecting old and first editions of books. They hold their own unique value. While one day kayal finds a manuscript from a 300-year-old-library in Ooty and finds out a something shocking and surprising. The book has history of books and Anglo-Indians. This is India’s first-ever Bibliomystery.
- And they also investigate about the antiquarian books being stolen from the library and sold at their bookshop.
- From late eighteenth century to the turn of twentieth, India has gone through vast changes from books, maps, prints and ephemera printed in India to raising awareness about Indian authors books.
- We get to read about different types of bindings, editions and India’s recycling papers. The book that was bound in handloom sari cloth, calligraphed and gold stamped has its own unique beauty.
- It has shared about India love poems that was translated by Tambimuttu and printed by the Rampant Lions Press in 1967.
- The most shocking fact was that Kayal was the descendant of someone she had high opinion about and ended up being disappointed with him.
- The mystery of Anglo-Indians is connected with Richard Francis Burton who not only betrayed a woman but disowned and abandoned his own daughter.
- And they also investigate about the antiquarian books being stolen from the library and sold at their bookshop.
- From late eighteenth century to the turn of twentieth, India has gone through vast changes from books, maps, prints and ephemera printed in India to raising awareness about Indian authors books.
- We get to read about different types of bindings, editions and India’s recycling papers. The book that was bound in handloom sari cloth, calligraphed and gold stamped has its own unique beauty.
- It has shared about India love poems that was translated by Tambimuttu and printed by the Rampant Lions Press in 1967.
- The most shocking fact was that Kayal was the descendant of someone she had high opinion about and ended up being disappointed with him.
- The mystery of Anglo-Indians is connected with Richard Francis Burton who not only betrayed a woman but disowned and abandoned his own daughter.
March 11, 2018
I learned so much from reading this book! There is loads of information here about Sir Richard Francis Burton, the world of book collecting and both contemporary and colonial India. In that respect, this was a fantastic book.
In terms of the story itself though, to be honest it felt like an information dump.
To me, it didn’t read or resolve itself at all like a novel or a mystery. The structure seems random, it flips back and forth from very detailed descriptions about book collecting to in depth explanations about the background of the characters to long descriptions about Richard Burton, then it tunes back into the plot. It was almost like the author wanted to write several very different books and blended them all into one instead. I can tell Sebastian is very passionate about book collecting but he doesn’t seem as invested in telling the story. There’s a lot of telling and not very much showing going on.
All in all an interesting and informative read but it’s very technical and does not read like a traditional literary mystery novel.
In terms of the story itself though, to be honest it felt like an information dump.
To me, it didn’t read or resolve itself at all like a novel or a mystery. The structure seems random, it flips back and forth from very detailed descriptions about book collecting to in depth explanations about the background of the characters to long descriptions about Richard Burton, then it tunes back into the plot. It was almost like the author wanted to write several very different books and blended them all into one instead. I can tell Sebastian is very passionate about book collecting but he doesn’t seem as invested in telling the story. There’s a lot of telling and not very much showing going on.
All in all an interesting and informative read but it’s very technical and does not read like a traditional literary mystery novel.
October 5, 2018
This is a pretty good book. Set in Tamil Nadu ( mostly Chennai), to offers an extremely familiar and warm setting. It is also extremely illuminating for someone like me,who, though an avid reader, knows nothing about bibliography. Actually, with 60% of the book about bibliography, this book is actually a text book masquerading as a novel!
What works for the book is however a nice, seamless interweaving of charming characters, interesting histories and passionate discourses by characters that try to bring you up to speed on everything about the art of collecting and printing books so that the writer can have you understand the novel. An interesting challenge that Pradeep Sebastian must have faced and has quite successfully navigated in the book.
What doesn't work is the story line that is actually quite weak and extremely implausible. You need to wait till the end to be let down, however.
What works for the book is however a nice, seamless interweaving of charming characters, interesting histories and passionate discourses by characters that try to bring you up to speed on everything about the art of collecting and printing books so that the writer can have you understand the novel. An interesting challenge that Pradeep Sebastian must have faced and has quite successfully navigated in the book.
What doesn't work is the story line that is actually quite weak and extremely implausible. You need to wait till the end to be let down, however.
July 14, 2023
[3.5]
It started as a highly gripping and unique story and it is well researched and full of interesting details right till the end. But soon after laying out the premise and the backdrop in the first part, it's failed to capture my interest; it wandered off into unnecessary side plots and overtly detailed descriptions of bibliophilia. After a point, it felt like the author is just showing off his specific domain knowledge packaged as a story which had actually stopped being a story by that point. Even the flashbacks and characterizations he added later in the book did nothing in terms of progressing the story or engaging one better with it - in fact did quite the opposite in both respects.
He would have been better of writing a novella of 50-100 pages than this bloated novel which started as extremely promising, I can imagine giving that version a five-star rating.
It started as a highly gripping and unique story and it is well researched and full of interesting details right till the end. But soon after laying out the premise and the backdrop in the first part, it's failed to capture my interest; it wandered off into unnecessary side plots and overtly detailed descriptions of bibliophilia. After a point, it felt like the author is just showing off his specific domain knowledge packaged as a story which had actually stopped being a story by that point. Even the flashbacks and characterizations he added later in the book did nothing in terms of progressing the story or engaging one better with it - in fact did quite the opposite in both respects.
He would have been better of writing a novella of 50-100 pages than this bloated novel which started as extremely promising, I can imagine giving that version a five-star rating.
May 31, 2018
3.5 Stars
Others have shared this in their review - this is a combination of bibliomystery and a treatise on the antiquarian book trade. Which leaves the author relying heavily on the info dumping to share the information he wants you learn about the biblio world. Dialogue between two characters would be one describing in detail the details of that area of bibliography and the other character asking questions to prompt the provision of more information. I learned a lot and it was interesting, but it pulled me out of the story itself.
Having said that it was informative, the characters were charming, the setting (the East Coast of India mainly) was interesting and overall I'm glad I read it.
Others have shared this in their review - this is a combination of bibliomystery and a treatise on the antiquarian book trade. Which leaves the author relying heavily on the info dumping to share the information he wants you learn about the biblio world. Dialogue between two characters would be one describing in detail the details of that area of bibliography and the other character asking questions to prompt the provision of more information. I learned a lot and it was interesting, but it pulled me out of the story itself.
Having said that it was informative, the characters were charming, the setting (the East Coast of India mainly) was interesting and overall I'm glad I read it.
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