Saturday, June 3, 2017

Book Review: Key to my Soul by Probal Mazumdar

Name of the Book: Key to my Soul
Author: Probal Mazumdar
Star Rating: 5 stars 
Goodreads: Read the Blurb here 

Key to the Soul - the title itself sounds so holistic. Like a small door opening the inner Tartarus of your soul. Mr. Mazumdar has cleverly chosen the title of the book - a revelation. A peek to the protagonist Siddharth's childhood. A childhood speckled with love and fraught with heartbreaks.  Somewhere along the lines of the story, you will become one with Siddharth - his genuine fears will not look heroic to you at all. For he is a normal guy. A guy like you and me who has all the fears of a bullied victim or caught in between the crossfire of Cupid. 
What raises him above from the rest is his ability to see life with a candor and wisdom.

Let's start with the prolog:

A call for help,  a few moans, buzzing flies and still alive. How can that not catch your attention? Will he live? Who is he? What happened to him to land him in this situation and more than that - what the heck is this story about? If all these questions start simmering in your heart, the author has done a wonderful job with the prolog. 

Coming of Age:
After reading quite a few coming of age novels I had one severe problem with all of them. However well written they are and however much articulate the language is, as a reader I keep on asking myself, why am I interested in your life? I mean why - how can your growing up as a child in school, lusting after a girl and showing me no destination of your life inspire me to read on. If simply put, I find other's life boring for I too have a life of my own which is enough to keep me waking up with a smile every morning. But Key to my Soul has crossed that barrier.

By introducing Hazel. The mysterious thread that played a role in making me keep on turning the pages.

Can you imagine how much of a curiosity it generates when after 17 years you get a phone call, " Her condition is serious. The accident was severe."

And then...

"She's in coma."

And then Siddharth takes us back to his childhood - either via memories or letters. Beautifully penned. 

Love, Life, and Dhoka ....

Again happens to everyone, so what makes it so special? The hidden layers. The 'whodunnit' plays a very important role in this story.  Many knives are slashed and many relationships are lost and also the fear that she will be a nun soon gave me some nail biting moments. 

The author has played a mind game with his readers. Layers after layers are revealed in every scene pointing towards the love story of Siddharth and Hazel. A childhood love story that one should outgrow of yet it latches on to every thought process of yours. 

"How can I help not falling in love with you? In that fall  I soar."  

What started as a classroom romance became the cause of two miseries. Siddharth and Hazel grew up together and their coming from different background made life tough for them.

My views...

A very well written, well-edited book. Will keep a reader hooked on to the pages and that thin line of mystery levels up this book from its contemporaries. It will make you raise many questions such as how well do we know our family? How well do we know our friends? Is giving up ever an option or does the past always catch up with us even if we have left it far behind? I just wish the relationship between Hazel and her father was a bit more explored.  The pain, the fear and those skin crawling moments would have added another dimension to this well-written novel.  I will happily give the book a 5 star for it made me shed a few tears and root for the protagonists to reach the finishing line. 

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  1. Thanks Rubina for such a thoughtful review. I appreciate the time you have given on this book. Thank you! Best rgds Probal