Author: Aayush Gupta
Publisher: HarperCollins India
I was provided a media copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
What if Devdas, Paro, and Chandramukhi lived in contemporary times?
A slick and contemporary reimagining of an enduring classic, My Name Is
Not Devdas brings together the participants of a skewed love triangle. But Devdas
is not the tragic, misunderstood lover of yore; Paro is not the spurned woman
who’d shut herself in; and Chandramukhi is not your next-door hooker with a
heart of gold. As each narrates their own version of events, a tale of
half-truths emerges that swiftly boils to a crescendo with bruised egos, deadly
obsessions, and electrifying revelations. Turning a page is all the time you
will get to catch your breath.
Reimagining classics and setting them in current times is a wonderful way
to go for any book. The essence of the original story with the present setting
usually makes for an interesting read. My Name is not Devdas attempts to
do just this. The concept of the book is good, and Aayush manages to bring the
idea of the original into the book, however the context he sets the story in
does not completely work for me. The story starts on an interesting note, and
the form of storytelling he uses to give each character their own voice is
quite gripping. Aayush has presented societal issues through his characters and
subtly comments on them. The thing that did not work for me was the fact that his
message couldn’t get across completely. Another aspect that could have been
improved was the detailing in the story because I felt that the author moved
too quickly and did not do complete justice to the story.
The characters have been inspired from the original, and Aayush has
retained the basic nature of Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi, but given them a
modern twist. From a girl with modest background to a student of Delhi
University, both the female characters are interestingly crafted and they are
painted as powerful women in their own rights. Devdas as a character is crafted
nicely, however I felt that as the titular character he could have had a better
role in the narrative.
Overall, a good book, but could have been better. The book scores a
3.75/5 for me.
Get a copy of the book at your nearest bookstore or Amazon India.
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