READER: "Guy on the Sidewalk" A Novel by Bharath Krishna

The questions "Who am I, where do I belong and what am I meant for in this short life in this big world?" by Bharath Krishna has troubled ancient vedic saints for centuries and to find these questions on the back of the book, "Guy on the Sidewalk" got me thinking about the reasons a successful professional working in USA came back to India. So I read the book to understand...

Available at Amazon etc.

I enjoyed the simplistic look at the life of an IT person in turmoil and self doubt in the aftermath of 2008 financial crash, where Obama gave the slogan of dream and this book looks like a one too. A dream come true for Bharath Krishna instead of nightmare it could have been for the IT professionals in USA at the time. The characters that played a part in Jay’s life - the protagonist of the "Guy on the sidewalk" arrive on stage like actors, playing their part in simple way, as the author originally intended to keep the autobiographical feature of the book intact. But in my opinion, there was probably too much of assumption to make this novel, way too simple for people to read and relate to. I kept wondering when they would eventually interact with each other? They did not, at least the major players and that gave me a thought, may be the author himself was not ready for that kind of confrontation. That takes me to ask another question, was there a need to write his autobiographical fiction? Could he have waited for few more years, when the characters and the story would have developed into more mature levels? But having said that, I enjoyed reading the book, which on like a breeze with simple flowing writing and discussing his various dilemmas in an unabashed fashion.

"Amy's assumption (about Indian culture) were a little closer to reality, but to Megan, India is a sacred country, a and of spirituality and idealism. Her assumptions were not just different but completely opposite to what actually India is. That's what happens when people assume they know things by reading books." - Pg 152

As the author said above, knowing a country by reading books is not the best way, but I guess this book will take you one step closer to knowing USA - the Indian way.

There was much of IT talk and wanted it to be less, as it did not add to the narrative or to the character like of Siri, (Why that kind of name for a real life character?) but I liked these lines anyway...

"(Updating single status of FB)... Such socially accepted arrangements filled the gap between unfulfilled human desires and getting married" - Pg 212.

If you want to follow your own dream to go ‘American’, pick up the book as it might save your from the disillusion. Good to read.

Leaving you all with a trailer of the book...

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Shashi 

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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