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Monday, March 5, 2018

Book Review : The Aryabhata Clan





























The confession first. I have this habit of drawing parallels between the works of various authors. And Sudipto's narration does remind me of Dan Brown. He does a great job of weaving history, symbolism and fiction into a tale that gets better and better with every turn of the page.

Honestly speaking, the book opens on a very average note and I was even tempted to give up after the first few pages. But something kept me going and very soon i found myself turning the pages with increasing levels of curiosity.

The tale revolves around some ancient carpets and the knowledge woven by them in the form of cryptic symbols. Two old men who have been entrusted with the task of keeping this art form alive are found to be brutally murdered. The investigation reveals the hand of Islamic state behind those murders and their sinister propaganda aimed at causing unrest in the country.

The political angle is strong. And the narrative even goes to the extent of showing some of the politicians to be hobnobbing with the IS.

The beautifully details parts about the progressive development of the languages, the interlinks between the various races and their common roots plus the architectural bits about the Taj Mahal are commendably well handled. This portion could have weighed down the narration had it been any longer. To give him credit, Sudipto dishes out just enough information to keep it covered without keeping any loose threads.

The climax though was a wee bit dramatic and something I hadn't expected at all. Something like the hero of the typical South Indian movie taking a bullet or two and yet rising like a Phoenix to beat the bad guys to a pulp. Jokes apart, this bit could have been cleaner .

I wont divulge it all as it will be a spoiler for folks reading the book .Yes, I do recommend that you pick up this one if you are into Dan Brown / symbolism.