As promised earlier, here’s a book review!
Title: The Other End of the Corridor
Author: Sujata Rajpal
ISBN: 9789350881019
Number of Pages: 240
Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers
Genre: Fiction
Author: Sujata Rajpal
ISBN: 9789350881019
Number of Pages: 240
Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers
Genre: Fiction
The Blurb
When your dreams are tainted with lies and deceit, you have no other choice but to walk to the other end of the corridor.
Leela has nothing extraordinary about her except the dream to become famous. Her desires take wings when she gets married to a handsome boy from a respectable family in Delhi. But her dreams are shattered even before they have a chance to take flight.
She happens to meet two friends from a long forgotten past, which infuses hope and opens new avenues to realize her dormant aspirations.
Leela delves into previously unexplored paths of deception and forbidden passions that only make her stronger. In an attempt to rediscover herself, she falls in love with life and with herself but her life takes a sudden turn again…
No matter what, Leela will continue to chase her dreams.
Review:
Leela, the protagonist is a simple girl from a middle class family who wants to make it big someday. She dreams of becoming an RJ even when things are not in her favour. She is born a ‘manglik’ and dark which needless to say is considered as a bad omen even by her family. Her family finds a perfect suitor for her at the young age of nineteen, a well-educated handsome young man from an upper middle class family and her desires take wings. However, what life had in store for her was not anywhere beautiful. The castles she built in the air comes down crashing at her feet no sooner. She is faced by a pompous, ‘educated’ mother-in-law who is an absolute control freak. Her husband never misses to whack her. She is a victim of domestic violence and molestation. She meets two long lost friends which brings a ray of hope in her life. As she tries to hide behind her fake identity and marvel in its prospect, she also realizes the repercussion.
Will she rediscover herself again? Will she be able to chase her dreams again?
The author has portrayed strongly the struggles of a typical middle class family in India. The thoughts and actions of most of the characters are justified. There are several aspects discussed in the story making it a lil’ too melodramatic. May be the sequence? Or the significance of a certain character? I somehow felt that the characters were transformed or tweaked to give the story a certain end which wasn’t necessary. Having said that, it is commendable to have discussed such mental agony and trauma of the protagonist which for sure dwells within the lives of many women in India.
Do I recommend?
A bit too theatrical for my liking.
Rating:
3 on 5
Thanks TBC and Sujatha for the opportunity.
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Excerpt
“The corridor, I was walking down didn’t have a trace of illumination. I couldn’t see the other end. But I kept moving and now, I realize that more than the light, you need the determination to keep moving, keep struggling for your dreams, for your existence, for your survival.”
I had lived in a dream world all my life, always blaming the circumstances for my own weaknesses. I could never gather courage to stand up to circumstances. For how long would I keep blaming others for my own shortcomings. And for how long would I keep dreaming- my dreams never aligned with the real world; my dreams and real life never converged at any point. ‘I definitely had experience but only in building castles in the air.’
About the Author
Author’s profile :Sujata Rajpal is a Corporate Communication & PR professional turned a full-time author. She holds an MPhil degree in Economics and has studied Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She also writes articles and short stories for publications and journals. Sujata is a yoga enthusiast and enjoys being a Toastmaster. She currently lives in Mysore. The Other End of the Corridor is her first novel.
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vishalbheeroo says
An interesting review, Shalini. I enjoyed reading the book, though:)
Vinay Leo R. says
I don’t know if it’s something I’d love reading either. the blurb does seem interesting though. Let’s see. A lot of books on my to-read at the moment. 🙂