The Girl in Room 105

Details of the Book

No. of Pages   : 312 pages

ISBN                : 1542040469, 9781542040464

Language        : English

From the book blurb

Hi, I'm Keshav, and my life is screwed. I hate my job and my girlfriend left me. Ah, the beautiful Zara. Zara is from Kashmir. She is a Muslim. And did I tell you my family is a bit, well, traditional? Anyway, leave that.

Zara and I broke up four years ago. She moved on in life. I didn't. I drank every night to forget her. I called, messaged, and stalked her on social media. She just ignored me.

However, that night, on the eve of her birthday, Zara messaged me. She called me over, like old times, to her hostel room 105. I shouldn't have gone, but I did... and my life changed forever.

This is not a love story. It is an unlove story. 

Author

Chetan Bhagat is the author of eight blockbuster books. These include six novels—Five Point Someone (2004), One Night @ the Call Center (2005), The 3 Mistakes of My Life (2008), 2 States (2009), Revolution 2020 (2011), Half Girlfriend (2014), One Indian Girl (2016)—and the non-fiction titles, What Young India Wants (2012) and Making India Awesome (2015). Chetan’s books have remained bestsellers since their release. Several of his novels have been adapted into successful Bollywood films.

What I think

To begin with, the cover page looks appealing as much as the title itself. They carry a mysterious aura! And the author’s obsession with numbers continuesJ  

The book blurb sounds more like a typical story – it could have been written in a different way. The sheer familiarity of the summary might make the readers reconsider buying it.

Keshav is an obsessive lover who find extremely difficult to “just move on” although he has broken up with his girlfriend Zara three years ago. Chetan Bhagat’s The Girl in Room 105 is all about how Keshav unloves her! Well, what makes the book different is the mystery angle. In fact, this book is not just a love story; it reaches multiple others levels – how Indian parents look at love marriage, the difficulties of inter-faith marriages, religious prejudices, male and female psychology and friendship.

The writing picks up pace after a few pages and runs in a compulsive momentum. The non-linear format makes it more intriguing. The story focuses on the “unlove” part and enough reason for Keshav’s obsessive “love” for Zara is not justified. Therefore, as readers, we don’t really feel as empathetic as we should! The narrative is in such a way that it could be readily translated on the big screen. Maybe that’s why it lacks a few descriptive elements. The editor seems to have missed out some glaring typo and grammar mistakes. Take more care folks!

In short, The Girl in Room 105 is different from all other Chetan Bhagat’s books. It is a perfect mix of love and mystery. It is also an easy read, a perfect excuse to sit back and relax on a holiday. So go for it.

Rating

3.5/5

PS: Dear Chetan Bhagat hater, it’s okay if you hate him. I also agree that his language is bad. But at least he tries!  J And, thanks to him, several Indians started reading!!!