"A magical tale of real gods, corrupt men and virtual worlds" is how the co-authors decided to describe the book. And they are dead right about it. In the acknowledgement section, the reader is introduced to two co-authors Rashma N. Kalsie and George Nixon who have never met. This makes the book all the more intriguing. Also, the cover page shows Gods with latest gizmos and you know you are in for a different ride! So, we have Gods, humans, technology, creativity and a little spirituality all mixed together in one book.
Target Audience:
1. Readers who admire creative novels
2. Indians, since the plot revolves mainly around India
Plot: The book starts with the life of Chris (new name of Christ). He lives in England near the sea shore. He is managing a new heaven which is full of chips and fish. There's Nick, the devil too. Feeling lonely, he finds a new man-made marvel - Facebook. Fascinated by it, he creates a profile and starts searching for fellow Gods. He meets Buddy Roy (new name of Buddha) and him, he finds Krishna. Krishna is working in a pantry inside a hospital. Krishna and Chris starts chatting about the new phase of life they are in and the troubles faced by humanity which wasn't predicted when God made humans. Gods marvel at the technological advancements man has made but pity the same humans for the kind of life they are living. In between, there are storied of a Tsunami in Japan and a creative way of who caused it and how gods came to salvage the situation.
Writing: The book starts a little slowly since the co-author's have to lay the foundation of the plot. It takes a while for the reader to realize what's happening in the plot, why are God's on Earth, why they have taken different forms, what's the difference between heaven and hell, how devil works etc. Mind you, all this is a work of fiction. God's are shown in their typical way. They have their strength's, their own beliefs an different ways to support their followers. Unlike what's happening in today's world, God's are shown to respect other God's followers too! A different way to perceive spirituality indeed.
All in all, I feel this book is a very bold attempt at inducing creativity by having Gods working with the gizmo's and technological advancements like Facebook. It will be creative for some. For others, it will be taking the concept of "art" too far. Remember, we are in India and most of us don't expect others to doubt our religious beliefs. Be that as it may, I am sure the book will sell because of its creativity (in plot and cover page) and the anxiety factor.
My Rating: 3 / 5 (considering the broader audience)
Sounds interesting and fun but you know Binu, it's only after you read it yourself, you can pass a judgement. I would love read it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth a read Saru :)
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