MY REVIEW OF "MISSION KNOWN" - A BOOK BY SHAISHAV SOLANKI, IIM-INDORE

My review of "Mission Known" - A book by Shaishav Solanki, IIM-Indore



     Before I write about the book, I would take this opportunity to appreciate the author’s courage in following his dreams. Many of us feel about writing a book; publishing our thoughts, making them known to the world, but we rarely do so. The author is my colleague at Indian Institute of Management, Indore and more importantly, a good friend that I have found, hopefully for life. Some may feel that the review of the book would be biased and flattering coz the author’s my friend; but those who know me well will obviously be sure that I don’t feel shy or afraid in criticizing people and accentuating flaws, if there are any.
     I am dividing this review into three parts: Content & Concept, Narration style and lastly, my Personal Review, not as a reviewer but as a reader. Usually, the movie reviews I read inadvertently reveal the entire plot first, and spoil the fun of watching the movie. I would refrain from doing so here.
1)      Content & Concept:
       Most of the books written for youth, especially by Indian authors are love stories. This isn’t the case here, which I found refreshing. Yes, there’s an element of love in the book, but that’s not the central theme. The love story doesn’t seem forced, and blends beautifully with the plot of the book. As the back cover of the book says,” learning things in a different manner”, that’s precisely what the book is all about. This is a new concept, partly seen in the hit movie 3 Idiots, but never explored in the form of a book before.
        As far as the content goes, the author backs his idea of “Mission Known” with real-life examples, which we tend to ignore. The content of Mission Known is loaded with heavy dialogues which are inspiring, especially in BOOK 8: COMYNA. Innovative metaphors are the key to the latter part of the book. I would put one here for illustration which is a dig towards the current education system “All people have different requirements. It’s like some people wanting prayers and some condoms. However, printing prayers on condoms satisfies nobody.”
       When one reads the book, one feels the vicarious thrill of being Schuyler; be it during the interactions with family, his girlfriend or his teachers, and also during his learning phase, which is the beauty of this book. The book is also written in a lucid language which will appeal to everyone. The book truly reflects the author’s words “this book is for anyone who has ever had the urge to learn something.”

2)      Narration style:
         The narration style is unique i.e. the book doesn’t follow in a sequence. This book, just like the movie Memento, puts you in the shoes of the protagonist and gives you a real-time experience while going through the story. The book is like a jigsaw puzzle; and in the initial 30 odd pages, the reader might be left wondering what is happening in the book. But I advise readers to keep reading ahead; just like a jigsaw puzzle, the things do fall in place after a while. Also, in the book, there are a series of “Fast-Forward periods”, which leaves the readers intrigued.  The author has been successful in building curiosity in the minds of the readers by terms like “Mr. X”, “Mission Known”, and even by hiding his girlfriend’s name, for a very long time.
       Now moving on to the grammar part: I noticed that the book falls short of expectations on this front. But I am sure the author would make the necessary changes before the next print-run.


3)      Personal Review:
          The readers of this review may want to ask me three questions: How much would you rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5? Is it worth the money spent in buying the book? Does the book convey the message it wishes to convey?
       Firstly, my rating would be 3.5 on a scale of 1 to 5. The parameters which I have taken into consideration are the concept, the content, flow of the story, the climax and the word choice. The book excels in four of the five parameters and hence it deserves such a high rating. Moreover, such a thought-provoking book written by a debutante is creditable indeed.
        Secondly, yes, the book is worth the money one spends to buy it, for the sheer weight I have given to the concept and the narration style. However, for those who weigh the price of the book on the number of pages, this book will be expensive.
        Does the book convey the message it wishes to convey? Yes, it does. Does it inspire us to change? As the protagonist of the book says, “Those who want to change will change.”

                 To summarize: I would recommend the readers to read this book with an open mind; for it is a book with a unique concept, unique character names and an equally unique, narration style.

Comments

  1. Shaishav SolankiNovember 9, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    Thanks a lot Ninad Bhangle; the good friend you've found is definitely for lifetime.

    Firstly, let me thank you for taking out time, from the busy schedule that we have out here, and writing such a detailed review for my book.

    And thanks a ton for giving an honest review; I'll definitely rectify the errors by the second print-run.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Subodh KomteNovember 9, 2011 at 4:52 PM

    I read few pages yesterday, it sounds interesting.....

    ReplyDelete

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