Somdatta Goswami

Towards the end of it, you just cannot stop till the last line finally settles down in your system!

I wouldn't say this is a literary classic. It plays out from start to finish like a Bollywood movie, with class struggle, adultery and politics coming in where they should to keep the average reader hooked. I found it engaging on long flights, and sometimes at sudden turns I was kept interested in the plot. But nothing stays with me after I finish the last page - it passes, like average entertainment does. However, I must note that the English is pretty well-knit, some phrases can catch you off-guard, and the conversations amongst the characters flow quite seamlessly - just like a movie! 😊 And I cannot deny that strength in the book comes from the depiction of the "Sikand House" as the fulcrum of the novel, it begins and ends with it - ironically displaying the turn of tables. Nevertheless, I shall still stick to my original assessment, this would work better on the screen 😊

A warm and cosy read, with sudden highs that can keep readers hooked, and some pretty brilliant witty analysis of human mind and action. It probably lacked a fuller ending, but then again life is only such - never having a formal announced epilogue.