Karna's Alter Ego Paperback – March 10, 2016

A sense of gaining something awe-inspiring and liberating.The joy of winning!Vasu, a well deserving boy has an illegitimate birth history, poor as poor can be and completely out of luck in everything he does.His fate never shone on him whether it was school, college, love, career - even if he was the most talented person in the arena, he was destined to be a runner-up.Never making it to the top - A winner in the eyes of everyone - he couldn't become.He made all efforts to get the glory he deserved, to change the misfortune that occurred to him since his birth. He worked hard, real hard but nobody was to give him prestige his skills merited.Failed to join the parade in Delhi in Republic Day, failed to become the school captain, misfortune at the ''Game of Luck", failed to get the love of his life, his resignation and many more.Despite trying his best, Failure in every field he got - but any of it was not making him to go in despair!One thing life didn't teach him - To let the setbacks hold him down.Learning from his mistakes was what he knew.That was the best thing about Vasu!Although he accepted that his life is fabricated around the thread of misfortunes - he didn't seem to get affected by any of them.He did what he was supposed to do - he Kept Trying. RelentlesslyAlthough having a constant grief and sympathy with the protagonist during the whole course of the reading, the spectator doesn't seem to lose faith in him, his efforts and supports him throughout the book.Unconditionally!THIS was the best thing about Karna's Ater Ego.The cover is fantastically crafted - A man's troubled face showing his plight on his forehead and eyes but sheer determination on the rest of his face - demonstrates that this book is going to make you lament about Vasu's fate but in the end you will get strength and determination as Vasu had.The selection of names from the Indian Mythology Mahabharat was delightful. Just as you get to know the names of the character, you become certain that here comes his rival, his misfortune. This anticipation adds more grief in you towards your hero in this.Karna's Alter Ego not only urges to have sheer passion and determination but also teaches to have faith in your deeds and hard work.Narration may take time to get you involved with Vasu's life's tragedy but once you are in, there's no turning back.The story is fresh and relieving.In showing light even in the darkest of the time, Surendra Nath has done an applauding job.His methods of blending mythology and modern realities into one epic story is delightful to read watch.Verdict : If you think you've ever lost, Try to Find this one.I won't settle until I read the next part.

The plot is about a poor but intelligent and hard working person Vasu and his journey of life. Fate is not always with Vasu and he faces many problems in each phase of his life. He gets inspired by Karna, a mythological character in the Hindu epic Mahabharatha and relates himself to Karna as they both struggled to withstand against fate. Be it an illusion or through meditation, whatever may be the reason, Karna appears before him to listen to his problems and guides him in a right direction.Interesting right?I too loved this plot by reading the blurb and wanted to see how the author can give advice for current generation through the mythological character Karna. The narration is very simple to follow and I enjoyed the book till half. But, after that, it seemed like dragging by providing more lectures on morals through Karna. It became boring, repetitive and very preachy. The climax is good, though.I loved the bonus information provided at the end of the book about Karna's life incidents. It is refreshing to read Mahabharatha in the perspective of Karna. The questions raised by Vasu to Karna and Karna's replies are justifiable. This book teaches positive spirit.The moral at the end is loud and clear - Always raise up high when stuck with problems and never lose hope. The best always waits for you which you deserve the most.My Rating: 3.5/5

Vasu has had the worst luck right from his birth. He feels that no matter how hard he works or how deserving he is, things never go his way. From being an illegitimate child to struggles through his school life – things only make him want to take charge of his own life. But whether it is his personal life or his professional life, things always slip out of his reach. His luck never seems to look up and smile at him. Vasu feels that his life mirrors the life of Karna – the ‘ill-fated hero of Mahabharata’. He feels so connected to Karna that Karna ‘appears’ to counsel him. The twist in the story comes in late – too late for Vasu? Or just in time after all?The blurb of this book felt interesting because I loved the idea of a mythological character being re-invented in the modern era. Also, the mention of Karna appearing to assuage the protagonist reminded me of the Munnabhai MBBS movie as well. So, I had to take a chance with it.Vasu is an interesting character. His life and his attitude towards life catch the attention of the reader right away. He makes the reader to want to get to know him and understand him. I felt it was the biggest asset of the book – the characterization of Vasu. He is someone who not only intrigues the readers but also manages to hold their attention throughout. There are quite a few other side characters that play important roles in the story. They were introduced and developed well enough to keep pace with Vasu. However, I wished that the author had chosen different names for them and wished for slightly different placements. The author’s choices in these two matters actually made the book very much predictable at so many important points. The story flow lagged at a few places where the narration felt a bit pushy and preachy. But for most parts, I felt that the author has done a good enough job with the narrative which was quite simple and restrained. The best part about the book is the way the author has laid out a simple plot that can be looked at many ways. It is up to the reader to decide how much they want to absorb from it.If you decide to pick up this book, I would recommend that you give it time – it may take a few pages to really get into the story and to ‘get’ the flow. But once you do, you will only put it down after finishing it. A good debut.