I think I have an eye for spotting talent - especially writers... not in a scout kind of way, but being someone who can sense the next big thing.
I remember writers who I read before they became "hot".
I read 5.someone long before Chetan Bhagat became India's GenXYZ writer and I thought this guy is amazing - he should write more.. in fact a lot of credit goes to Bhagat for spurring me to give Indian authors a chance. Before him, I was pretty much limted to Archer, Forsyth, Cook, Brown etc...Though I still think he has potential, consistency is not his forte. 5 point was followed by 2 books which if possible should have all copies worldwide picked off shelves and burnt for fuel.. maybe we can distribute these copies to the poor villagers of Bihar and UP in lieu of firewood, that way they would at least serve some purpose. But then he came up with 2 states which though completely stereotypical was a great read... I am definitely dreading his next release. History says that it would be something that could potentially serve as alternate fuel for the next couple of years.
I read White Tiger by Adiga - in fact bought in in hard cover for 500 bucks long before it won the Man Booker and the price shot up ridiculously...I though here is a writer who doesn't gloss over the things that we as Indians think every moment and if given a chance (and a loophole to get away with murder) would actually do. Indian psyche was brutally uncovered and exposed for what it really is in the book. The good thing about Adiga is unlike Bhagat - he doesn't proclaim to be writing for masses and then write crap books which can easily be turned into Bollywood screenplays. He has consistently remained true to his core strength - his ability to understand and lay bare the innermost insecurities and psychologies of an Indian. His latest - Last Man in Tower is a classic example of his consistency.
I picked up a copy of "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett and when I finished it, I actually imagined making a movie with Whoppie Goldberg & Queen Latifah somewhere in it. Surprise surprise, there is not only a movie made (though they didn't take my casting suggestions), it actually gets an Oscar and become a box office success. When I read the book, there was so much latent talent that was palpable, that you knew instantly that she would be the next best thing. The book is not perfect.. the characters could have a lot more depth, the story could have more flow - if you had to nitpick you would have ample opportunities, but there was no denying the powerhouse that this writer could be.
Then there are writers like Mukul Deva and Amish who come with a spectacular first book - almost flawless and I know that they are doomed. When you start at the top there is no where else to go but down. The Immortals of Meluha was superb - there are a thousand superlative adjectives that I can use to describe that book (if I had that wide a vocabulary). The secret of Nagas was good and I'm frankly not looking forward to the 3rd book for the fear that it may be just average. When I read "Lashkar" I knew that this is no literary genius - but definitely an Indian Fredrick Forsyth, sans the English literature skills. So I also knew that the writer obviously can't write other that what he know - he was in the Indian army for 15 years and unless he writes a patriotic book about the Kargil war (which might still find a few takers), his career as a writer is pretty much over.
Surprise packages are folks like Parul Sharma whose delightfully funny book on Vasu or Judy Balan whose reverse take on 2 states etc offer a quick and soothing read. They may not have the potential to write stuff which top the NY bestsellers list, but they definitely have enough to keep the Indian readers engaged and interested.
Then there are books like E, E2, Then we Came to an end - which are completely whacko... they are so eccentric and idiosyncratic that it would be difficult for the writer to sustain that style of writing for long, but doesn't mean that they won't write again. But when they do, they would have to change their style and that's where the test lies to see if they can sail through as effortlessly as they did within their comfort zones.
Current favorite is a guy called Sidin Vadakut who pens a lot of stuff in blogs and such. I went through those writings but didn't find them half as impressive as his novels - the Dork Series. Am waiting for the 3rd in the series (if he plans one) with bated breath. He has meanwhile signed non-fiction book deals with Rupa.... how do I know that - he updated his FB status and he is on my friends list - not looking forward to those either.
I remember writers who I read before they became "hot".
I read 5.someone long before Chetan Bhagat became India's GenXYZ writer and I thought this guy is amazing - he should write more.. in fact a lot of credit goes to Bhagat for spurring me to give Indian authors a chance. Before him, I was pretty much limted to Archer, Forsyth, Cook, Brown etc...Though I still think he has potential, consistency is not his forte. 5 point was followed by 2 books which if possible should have all copies worldwide picked off shelves and burnt for fuel.. maybe we can distribute these copies to the poor villagers of Bihar and UP in lieu of firewood, that way they would at least serve some purpose. But then he came up with 2 states which though completely stereotypical was a great read... I am definitely dreading his next release. History says that it would be something that could potentially serve as alternate fuel for the next couple of years.
I read White Tiger by Adiga - in fact bought in in hard cover for 500 bucks long before it won the Man Booker and the price shot up ridiculously...I though here is a writer who doesn't gloss over the things that we as Indians think every moment and if given a chance (and a loophole to get away with murder) would actually do. Indian psyche was brutally uncovered and exposed for what it really is in the book. The good thing about Adiga is unlike Bhagat - he doesn't proclaim to be writing for masses and then write crap books which can easily be turned into Bollywood screenplays. He has consistently remained true to his core strength - his ability to understand and lay bare the innermost insecurities and psychologies of an Indian. His latest - Last Man in Tower is a classic example of his consistency.
I picked up a copy of "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett and when I finished it, I actually imagined making a movie with Whoppie Goldberg & Queen Latifah somewhere in it. Surprise surprise, there is not only a movie made (though they didn't take my casting suggestions), it actually gets an Oscar and become a box office success. When I read the book, there was so much latent talent that was palpable, that you knew instantly that she would be the next best thing. The book is not perfect.. the characters could have a lot more depth, the story could have more flow - if you had to nitpick you would have ample opportunities, but there was no denying the powerhouse that this writer could be.
Then there are writers like Mukul Deva and Amish who come with a spectacular first book - almost flawless and I know that they are doomed. When you start at the top there is no where else to go but down. The Immortals of Meluha was superb - there are a thousand superlative adjectives that I can use to describe that book (if I had that wide a vocabulary). The secret of Nagas was good and I'm frankly not looking forward to the 3rd book for the fear that it may be just average. When I read "Lashkar" I knew that this is no literary genius - but definitely an Indian Fredrick Forsyth, sans the English literature skills. So I also knew that the writer obviously can't write other that what he know - he was in the Indian army for 15 years and unless he writes a patriotic book about the Kargil war (which might still find a few takers), his career as a writer is pretty much over.
Surprise packages are folks like Parul Sharma whose delightfully funny book on Vasu or Judy Balan whose reverse take on 2 states etc offer a quick and soothing read. They may not have the potential to write stuff which top the NY bestsellers list, but they definitely have enough to keep the Indian readers engaged and interested.
Then there are books like E, E2, Then we Came to an end - which are completely whacko... they are so eccentric and idiosyncratic that it would be difficult for the writer to sustain that style of writing for long, but doesn't mean that they won't write again. But when they do, they would have to change their style and that's where the test lies to see if they can sail through as effortlessly as they did within their comfort zones.
Current favorite is a guy called Sidin Vadakut who pens a lot of stuff in blogs and such. I went through those writings but didn't find them half as impressive as his novels - the Dork Series. Am waiting for the 3rd in the series (if he plans one) with bated breath. He has meanwhile signed non-fiction book deals with Rupa.... how do I know that - he updated his FB status and he is on my friends list - not looking forward to those either.
