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Distraught
Contemplative, down-to-earth, and abiding, Manoj moves away from his village when he is still a child. But then comes the trouble and the dilemma. He falters, he rises, he admires, he smiles, he fails, and witnesses events that scar him for a lifetime. He is tossed between different people and different ideologies. His conscience fails him as he moves between cities, struggles to earn his daily bread, and makes choices that push him to the extreme and define him forever.
This extremely relevant coming-of-age novel is a representation of the emotional state of so many young people in their teens and their twenties. It has a lucid narrative, and yet contains embedded bits of a complex layered commentary on human psychology. Distraught brings forth a story from the times when a lot of Indians had started moving out from their homes to study in different cities, and how they struggled to keep their identity intact. Many made through it, and many succumbed to the ever growing emotional and social burden, and a consequential conflict with their own values.
Read this wonderfully promising debut novel and delve deeper into the mind of the narrator. Flip its pages, accompany Manoj on his journey and ask yourself: What would you do were you in his place?
This extremely relevant coming-of-age novel is a representation of the emotional state of so many young people in their teens and their twenties. It has a lucid narrative, and yet contains embedded bits of a complex layered commentary on human psychology. Distraught brings forth a story from the times when a lot of Indians had started moving out from their homes to study in different cities, and how they struggled to keep their identity intact. Many made through it, and many succumbed to the ever growing emotional and social burden, and a consequential conflict with their own values.
Read this wonderfully promising debut novel and delve deeper into the mind of the narrator. Flip its pages, accompany Manoj on his journey and ask yourself: What would you do were you in his place?
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2021
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 2, 2021
Distraught by Amal Gupta 📚
Check out the review on my blog- https://inscribedinklings.wordpress.c...
"Pain is a fallacy."
"Fire is a purification agent, and not without reason. It burns, it melts, it moulds. I burned, my skin melted, and my perspective moulded into an unfamiliar shape."
Viewpoint narrative was used with single POV written in first person. I had hoped to read bits of the story from different perspective but that wasn't possible. The language was rich and complex at times. Experienced readers will have no trouble with reading the book. The characters were deep and well written. They weren't relatable to me. But each of them had a strong background working for them.
"People live and people die, but most never leave a mark. Some of them do; those who are important."
I loved how the book was divided into different chunks according to the phase of the MC's life such as Village, Society and so on. The book was not fast read. It is not something that you can read fast and finish. You need time to absorb the pages of the book. The story was about Manoj, a simple village boy who went to the city to study. But he gets bullied there due to his background and looks. He falls in with the wrong crowd and everything goes downhill from there.
"An entire lifetime of struggle, hard work, efforts to live a simple life. And all it took was a minute. Just a minute."
Can we justify the wrong we do because of the bad things that had happened to us? This is the conflict that Manoj faces and he chooses to do bad things. I personally wished the book didn't take that direction. I always want to root for MC. Manoj also likes poetry and there a few nice lines interspersed throughout the book. Even after crossing so many hurdles in life, Manoj gets the chance to live his life in peace with his wife, son and father. What does Manoj do then? Does he choose revenge or peace? Read to find out.
"I sometimes think that you are brittle, that you will shatter like glass under the slightest pressure. People close to you will have to collect all the bits and pieces and reassemble you into a man."
-Afreen
Check out the review on my blog- https://inscribedinklings.wordpress.c...
"Pain is a fallacy."
"Fire is a purification agent, and not without reason. It burns, it melts, it moulds. I burned, my skin melted, and my perspective moulded into an unfamiliar shape."
Viewpoint narrative was used with single POV written in first person. I had hoped to read bits of the story from different perspective but that wasn't possible. The language was rich and complex at times. Experienced readers will have no trouble with reading the book. The characters were deep and well written. They weren't relatable to me. But each of them had a strong background working for them.
"People live and people die, but most never leave a mark. Some of them do; those who are important."
I loved how the book was divided into different chunks according to the phase of the MC's life such as Village, Society and so on. The book was not fast read. It is not something that you can read fast and finish. You need time to absorb the pages of the book. The story was about Manoj, a simple village boy who went to the city to study. But he gets bullied there due to his background and looks. He falls in with the wrong crowd and everything goes downhill from there.
"An entire lifetime of struggle, hard work, efforts to live a simple life. And all it took was a minute. Just a minute."
Can we justify the wrong we do because of the bad things that had happened to us? This is the conflict that Manoj faces and he chooses to do bad things. I personally wished the book didn't take that direction. I always want to root for MC. Manoj also likes poetry and there a few nice lines interspersed throughout the book. Even after crossing so many hurdles in life, Manoj gets the chance to live his life in peace with his wife, son and father. What does Manoj do then? Does he choose revenge or peace? Read to find out.
"I sometimes think that you are brittle, that you will shatter like glass under the slightest pressure. People close to you will have to collect all the bits and pieces and reassemble you into a man."
-Afreen
February 14, 2021
🌸It's a psychological book in which we can see the man emotions, physical & mental struggles. 🌸
🌸The author has portrayed every aspect with detail through Manoj's story. Who leaves his home at a very young age and moves from village to city for a better living but here he faced new challenges. I think the story is relatable for everyone as everyone has gone through a similar phase.🌸
🌸Ups and downs in our vicarious life show that every person has to work very hard to be successful or for a good education. If you have the courage to overcome this difficult time, then only you get things according to your wish in life.🌸
🌸Overall it's a very good book, relatable, engaging & inspiring. The language used is easy to understand, narration and character development are also good.🌸
🌸I recommend this book to everyone reading this post, you can learn some life lessons from this book.🌸
Happy Reading 😊
🌸The author has portrayed every aspect with detail through Manoj's story. Who leaves his home at a very young age and moves from village to city for a better living but here he faced new challenges. I think the story is relatable for everyone as everyone has gone through a similar phase.🌸
🌸Ups and downs in our vicarious life show that every person has to work very hard to be successful or for a good education. If you have the courage to overcome this difficult time, then only you get things according to your wish in life.🌸
🌸Overall it's a very good book, relatable, engaging & inspiring. The language used is easy to understand, narration and character development are also good.🌸
🌸I recommend this book to everyone reading this post, you can learn some life lessons from this book.🌸
Happy Reading 😊
February 11, 2021
Distraught is the debut novel of author Anmol Gupta. The story revolves around the protagonist Manoj who moves from the village to city at a very young age. As a teenager this book is 100% relatable to me and everyone who has gone through similar struggles that Manoj faces.
The book has shown ups and downs, struggles and success, obstacles and rewards, easy and extreme .. everything in a very apt manner.
Many of us have to leave our hometown and move to different cities for studying for earning livelihoods and along with that maintaining our identity but only some have the strength to overcome social and emotional burden which phase is a conflict with his own values.
In a nutshell it is a very relatable and engaging book. Writing style is lucid narrative and at times it is complex but understandable.
Go grab a copy of this book to find out more.
Rating 4.5/5
The book has shown ups and downs, struggles and success, obstacles and rewards, easy and extreme .. everything in a very apt manner.
Many of us have to leave our hometown and move to different cities for studying for earning livelihoods and along with that maintaining our identity but only some have the strength to overcome social and emotional burden which phase is a conflict with his own values.
In a nutshell it is a very relatable and engaging book. Writing style is lucid narrative and at times it is complex but understandable.
Go grab a copy of this book to find out more.
Rating 4.5/5
February 13, 2021
Brain storming!!
There comes a time when you go back to the memories of life and the incidents what you learnt and what you could do etc.
Manoj left his home and tasted the reality, diversity and hardship of the world. Manoj met different people and with different people comes different ideologies.
This is a psychology based book in which the author has described the struggle but not only the physical struggle but emotional and mental struggle.
The author focussed on the changes our brain lead to when we face the challenges, failures, rewards and the maturity it gains.
The book has a very interesting narration. The author has kind of rhyming narration and I personally loved it.
There comes a time when you go back to the memories of life and the incidents what you learnt and what you could do etc.
Manoj left his home and tasted the reality, diversity and hardship of the world. Manoj met different people and with different people comes different ideologies.
This is a psychology based book in which the author has described the struggle but not only the physical struggle but emotional and mental struggle.
The author focussed on the changes our brain lead to when we face the challenges, failures, rewards and the maturity it gains.
The book has a very interesting narration. The author has kind of rhyming narration and I personally loved it.
February 13, 2021
Distraught is an outstanding book written by Amal Gupta.
The story is all about Manoj who moves from a village to city at pretty young age. Manoj met different people who had different thoughts and ideologies. I was very glad to know that this is the debut book of the author as the whole book is very intriguing and is very lucid. Manoj's conscience fails him as he moves between cities, struggles to earn his daily bread, and makes choices that push him to the extreme and define him forever.
The author deserves appreciation for awesome narration of the story. This book was quite relatable and honestly, I liked it so much. The author has also emphasized on some important topucs which include emotional and mental struggle. Overall, its a nice one time read and it won't disappoint you!
The story is all about Manoj who moves from a village to city at pretty young age. Manoj met different people who had different thoughts and ideologies. I was very glad to know that this is the debut book of the author as the whole book is very intriguing and is very lucid. Manoj's conscience fails him as he moves between cities, struggles to earn his daily bread, and makes choices that push him to the extreme and define him forever.
The author deserves appreciation for awesome narration of the story. This book was quite relatable and honestly, I liked it so much. The author has also emphasized on some important topucs which include emotional and mental struggle. Overall, its a nice one time read and it won't disappoint you!
February 15, 2021
This is a psychological book which is about the one who left his home at a very early age. It talks about the struggle he/she has gone through because he/she has left the comfort of our own home.
This book is very relatable for me. When you stick to your house, to be honest, your ideology is limited. But when you leave your house you will meet different people of different kinds. You will learn many new things and expand your limitations. You will also get to know how to deal with different situations, be it physical or psychological. That is how you gain experience and succeed in your life.
Since I left my home very early in my childhood, I found most of the things relatable. This is the reason I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend you to give it a try.
This book is very relatable for me. When you stick to your house, to be honest, your ideology is limited. But when you leave your house you will meet different people of different kinds. You will learn many new things and expand your limitations. You will also get to know how to deal with different situations, be it physical or psychological. That is how you gain experience and succeed in your life.
Since I left my home very early in my childhood, I found most of the things relatable. This is the reason I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend you to give it a try.
February 12, 2021
Book: Distraught
Author:Amal Gupta
Pages: 216
Distraught by Amal Gupta is the story of a boy named Manoj, who faces different struggles during different facets of his life from teen to twenties. It's the debut novel of the author and it doesn't look like one, the writing style of the author is very convincing and relatable. It's a very engrossing book to read and the narration of the author is eloquent. It's lengthy but keeps you hooked till the end. The story is raw and fresh. The illustration on the cover is simple and appealing.
On the whole it was a very amazing book. Grab your copies now to know more about it.
Author:Amal Gupta
Pages: 216
Distraught by Amal Gupta is the story of a boy named Manoj, who faces different struggles during different facets of his life from teen to twenties. It's the debut novel of the author and it doesn't look like one, the writing style of the author is very convincing and relatable. It's a very engrossing book to read and the narration of the author is eloquent. It's lengthy but keeps you hooked till the end. The story is raw and fresh. The illustration on the cover is simple and appealing.
On the whole it was a very amazing book. Grab your copies now to know more about it.
February 12, 2021
Distraught, by author Amal Gupta is an outstanding book. While picking up this book I did not expect it to be so well written because the cover of this book is a little dull. Other than that there are abstract codes that are used throughout this book with a deeper meaning which catches your attention. The story is about a child growing up in a small town and learning about his surroundings and life beyond. Easy to read, thought-provoking book. I felt the most well-written part of this book were snippets about death and his thought about marijuana affecting his thoughts.
February 13, 2021
There is no place like home. You can living a wealthy life but the peace you're looking can never be found anywhere. If you're living away from your place and people. Trying to get hold on everything that is slipping away from your hand then you can relate with the story .The story is about Manoj who leaves his home at a early age. The book describes his struggle and different people he meet in this journey of making his living. The language used is simple and easy to understand. Do read the story to find out how Manoj tackles with the situation coming on his way. Will he be able to make it.
February 13, 2021
A beautiful story which kept me reading this book till the end. Author has done an amazing work in explaining the journey of Manoj. The situations he went through, his struggles, obstacles when he went away from his village.
The language is simple and easy to understand. I didn’t like the cover of this could, could be better. The title is unique and intriguing. Recommended
The language is simple and easy to understand. I didn’t like the cover of this could, could be better. The title is unique and intriguing. Recommended
April 17, 2022
I hope Anurag Kashyap stumble upon this book!, deserves to be made into an art movie.
March 24, 2021
Distraught is the debut novel of Author Amal Gupta. A unique story that revolves around an anti-hero. Revolving around the protagonist Manoj, who is at times relatable, at times pitiable and at times just...repulsive!! The book makes you feel different kinds of emotions at different times, takes you from being 'sad and empathizing' to 'angered and repulsed'.
Its written very well depicting the evolution of Human character based upon circumstances, how every event in one's life can be a turning point. It's a thought provoking book that describes with extreme ease the complexity of human nature. Overall it's an amazing book and highly recommend it. Must Read!!
Its written very well depicting the evolution of Human character based upon circumstances, how every event in one's life can be a turning point. It's a thought provoking book that describes with extreme ease the complexity of human nature. Overall it's an amazing book and highly recommend it. Must Read!!
Read
April 14, 2022A story worthy enough for at least a four hundred and fifty pages covered in two hundred and eighty pages.
The book felt like going at 1.5X speed.
First person account of Manoj, going through different phases of his life in different places is covered quite elegantly here. The protagonist is in a constant state of turmoil. For me it was witnessing a character in a free-fall(not the fun one but the stomach-churning, vomit-inducing one). The concept of free-will seems to be lost on Manoj. As a third person, it becomes so easy to curse Manoj for everything (everything) he does, but for Manoj there was always only one way to go. The story changes time and places, with Manoj moving through a village, a small town, and a city; leaving you with a hope that things would change for the good. The fear, the agony, the hunger, the envy of Manoj is evident in every page.
The incidents in the story were consistent with the personality of the characters. Thus, as the story unfolds, one can only curse oneself for not having seen that coming.
Writing is so impressive that it is hard to fathom that this is the debut novel for the writer. However, there is an evolution of the writer along with the characters- the book gets better with every page.
It is a no-nonsense writing, without getting needlessly verbose, covering only the parts necessary for the story. I mean that both as a compliment as well as a criticism.
The book left me well "traught". I will love to see more of Amal.
The book felt like going at 1.5X speed.
First person account of Manoj, going through different phases of his life in different places is covered quite elegantly here. The protagonist is in a constant state of turmoil. For me it was witnessing a character in a free-fall(not the fun one but the stomach-churning, vomit-inducing one). The concept of free-will seems to be lost on Manoj. As a third person, it becomes so easy to curse Manoj for everything (everything) he does, but for Manoj there was always only one way to go. The story changes time and places, with Manoj moving through a village, a small town, and a city; leaving you with a hope that things would change for the good. The fear, the agony, the hunger, the envy of Manoj is evident in every page.
The incidents in the story were consistent with the personality of the characters. Thus, as the story unfolds, one can only curse oneself for not having seen that coming.
Writing is so impressive that it is hard to fathom that this is the debut novel for the writer. However, there is an evolution of the writer along with the characters- the book gets better with every page.
It is a no-nonsense writing, without getting needlessly verbose, covering only the parts necessary for the story. I mean that both as a compliment as well as a criticism.
The book left me well "traught". I will love to see more of Amal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
The village boy Manoj, leaves his humble parents and hometown to study in a biggee school. Trapped with goons, bullies, murder and above all within himself and his low self esteem, Manoj's story is for every adult to try to know what to avoid in life than what to achieve.
The plot, characters(though too many) and narration suit the needs of the story. Neither very slow and nor very fast, the story feels like Anurag Kashyup thriller. All in all a goodread.
The plot, characters(though too many) and narration suit the needs of the story. Neither very slow and nor very fast, the story feels like Anurag Kashyup thriller. All in all a goodread.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews