Antiutopia. Review on English August - Upmanyu Chaterjee

The Great Indian Middle Class is a very dynamic phenomenon which has created a way of life which could be termed as quite monotonous, but at the same time one which provides security-financial and social. Adhering to its rules is a norm in India and it eliminates all form of risk, adventure, excitement and any sort of Out-of-the-Box thinking. Most adolescent Indians are asked to choose from a limited set of career fields, the most popular ones being Engineering, Medicine, CA, MBA and IAS.

--We need to question this.

--We need to know what we abhor or hate doing.

--We need to think what we like and want.

--We need to know where our true calling lies.

--And most importantly, we need to have the guts to do what we want to, taking into account the risk of setbacks and failures and diving in the sea of uncertainty with a mean streak of adventure.That?s living Life.

English August will raise these questions in your mind.Its a story about a whacky dude from Delhi who is happy doing his weed, listening to Floyd and spending quality time with his friends on intellectual issues. But the pressure from his dad forces him to study for IAS which he eventually qualifies and starts off as IAS-Trainee. He is then sent to a remote village called ''Madna'' which is in the heart of well...nowhere.

His soul-searching insightful journey then begins in quest of himself. He comes across a variety of people who are so unlike him and in a way quite unproductive and wasted as IAS cadets and officers. But he just finds it all so funny, silly and stupid that he can't help laughing on most occasions. He is cocky and witty and the book is full of his weird imaginations about the different people and situations he comes across, not sparing the frog staring at him from the corner of his room.

The narration should be noted for its originality as its an account of real-time incidents and experiences of the author who his himself an IAS officer and now works with the Indian Embassy in France. Although the ending is different from real life (The character quits the IAS and goes back home to do nothing or to think what he wants to do ahead in life...), it should be applauded for its spirit and for the character?s stoic approach towards material life.

Its amazing how some things which may mean the world to someone are of no consequence to some others, which just reinforces the fact that we can't weigh priorities in terms of money earned or profit made and in fact its quite sinful and self destructive to do so.

I personally feel its more important for people to do what they like and feel passionate about.The bigger car is not necessarily the better car.This book just echoes my thoughts in a way which is why I am here to recommend it to you. Please do read it--it evokes conflict of thought which is very stimulating while making life's important choices .