A college student, Siddharth Nair’s life turns upside down when an unprecedented event lands him in jail on a murder charge. Bereft of hope, he makes the acquaintance of a man, whose mystical powers fill Siddharth with a renewed purpose in life.
This was a short read with plot developments that occurred at a rapid pace. The book begins by diving into Siddharth’s personality and gives the reader an idea about his character arc.
My main concern with the book was that I did not like what I saw of the protagonist. And that prevented me from caring about what transpired in his life.
For instance, there’s a passage in the beginning wherein it is very casually mentioned that Siddharth commits sexual assault on his girlfriend. I found it to be extremely distasteful
The manner of storytelling depicts how well-versed the author is with the art of writing. The usage of words and the progression of the plot are executed well.
The depiction of the lives of prisoners was a new perspective I’d never encountered before in books. And the author brings out power equations to demonstrate how wealth and connections drastically alter the experiences of inmates.
While the novel dabbles in time travel and attempts to elucidate the protagonist’s journey of self-discovery by transporting him to a historical time period, I found myself distracted because of how much I’d grown to dislike the MC.
If some of the characters had been imbued with more substance, it would have certainly enhanced my reading experience.
I see that quite a few people have enjoyed the story, but I guess it just wasn’t for me.
The Life Stories 