Sumit

Thrice I've read this now, discounting the dozens of other times I've gone back to it, opened a random page and breathed a sigh of relief.

This is as much a philosophical text as it is about writing. I know that I will go back to it again and again.

Novel idea. Could've been a blog post.

Each chapter has something that can be highlighted. The worlds built here are thought provoking, yes, but entertaining to the point that they can be separate books of their own.

A concise but gripping retelling of India's political history told with a first-hand perspective and anecdotes. I'm woefully ignorant of our post-independence history and this serves as a fantastic primer for anyone wanting to both, wet their feet in the waters and get a brief understanding of what forms our governance. Of why we are where we are now and get a sense of where we would go from here. It's fascinating to see our leaders, past and present, as just humans. Flawed, emotional humans and how their whims affect us massively. After reading this, I'm probably ready to tackle the subject in depth. I hope Vir Sanghvi updates this with the Modi years included.

This was a solid 4 stars, was enjoying the world and these characters and the prose a lot until the last chapter and then it suddenly was bumped up to 5. I can't explain how closely it mirrored what I'm going through at the moment. It didn't give me an answer, nor did I expect it to, but seeing what was inside me being resonated on the page gave me a certain sense of solace.