Hello friends Recently I released my novella and here Iam sharing you a reveiw of the novella...
Apart from the novel, being from very remote place of Arunachal Pradesh and a published novel in his credit at such a tender age of 19 is really a matter of pride for every Arunachalee.
”Memoirs of a Boy” by Banta Natung is his debut novel. The novel may not be as good as Chetan Bhagat’s popular novels but it has some freshness, its story or its treatment.
The novel may not leave lasting impression in the minds of the readers for long. However, the readers will thoroughly be amused and entertained in an 80-page journey taking them back to the memory lane of their school days. ”Memoirs of a Boy” is sincerely an interesting reading. Natung’s language is simple and lucid. The story and theme of the novel also are very simple without having any layered meanings.
”Memoirs of a Boy” is a love story of student, a village boy Tamo, who revisits his past memory lane while studying in city who had come to Capital Complex for his higher studies hoping that he would be getting an opportunity to meet his girlfriend who had left him.
“Memoirs of a Boy” will be popular among the teenagers and schools going students. Along with the story, every reader will be transported into their respective school and hostel days.
Many activities teenagers do during their school days are described in a pleasant and sometime in hilarious way in “Memoirs of a Boy”. Chapter ‘The war’ will surely make readers laugh and recall mischievous activities of their school days.
Chapter ‘The Last Letter’ accurately depicts the present day situation of the students. Here is an example, “We were gang of science psychics who would take money from our parents for tuitions and coaching, but spent the money enjoying ourselves. We were a gang who spent our night out and bet in giving shots. I started drinking.”
The last class mentioned in the chapter ‘The Downfall of the School’ seems to be purely influenced by a short story called ‘The Last Lesson’ by Alphonse Daudet prescribed for class XII CBSE board. “Children today is my last class for and the in this state of Arunachal Pradesh, what do you want me do, teach you or leave you.”
Atypical ending of the story is the plus point of the novel. The story ends but readers can expect its sequel as the writer has left it there where a new story can be knitted. A new beginning can be started from the ending of the story.
Few grammatical mistakes are only an error the novel has that can be easily overlooked. Published in 2012 by Leadstart a Mumbai based publication house, the book costs 95 rupees in India and one can get it at the cost of four dollars elsewhere. Finally, if readers buy and read the novel, at the end of the novel they will have the feeling of a complete paisa vasool.
(Gopal Rai is a former journalist and currently working as transmission executive in AIR Itanagar)
