Book name: Marathon Baba
Writer: Girish Kohli. It’s his first book which has been published. He has written 2 unpublished novels earlier to Marathon Baba.
Publishing House: Finger Print (Fingerprintpublishing.com)
Price: INR 150
Tone: Direct, witty- on your face since the preface.
Famous Quote: “My marathon starts from the finish line.”
My favourite phrase: “It’s not about the pace, it’s about the peace”
Cover: A character with sunglasses and a blood tear.
It may be Girish Kohli’s first book but definitely a strong competition to the worthy of writers. The style of writing, the choice of analogies and the mythological reference is just so beautiful , infact beautiful is a wrong word, it’s just so attractive. The book moves back and forth in time and space and adjusts itself as the story proceeds. The grip is from the page one.
The story- I will not reveal the story because it’s for you to go and read. I will definitely reveal about the theme of the story. The story is about Karna and his thirty three deadly disciples. It’s about the main protagonist and his running in life, for life, with life, away from life… he does it all in the book and still manages to run and give the readers a run for their thirst to read more and more. I have just finished the book and I would have preferred if it had more pages. The story is about the life of the seven year old Karna, 21year old Karna and the Karna with mid age greying hair who runs away from home and starts a cult which others follow. One can see Girish Kohli’s reflection in the character and can empathize as well as sympathize at the same time. The character is so edgy and so one of us with shades of not just black and white but an entire palette. I saw my reflection in him and I m sure at some point you’ll see your reflection in him aswell.
Girish Kohli’s personal life has shades in the story, his characters and their feelings. All characters are distinct and strong in their personalities and are at the end of the day good or bad. They provide complete support to the story and the main character. They come and go as the writer decides and do their job properly.
I won’t say that the theme of the book is a satire on Religion but yes Religion and God is pivot to the story. It is evident from the title- Marathon Baba. Girish Kohli has depicted our country’s fascination with Religion and God and the overdose of the same. It has depicted how a love relationship is broken because the boy and the girl has different Gods and thus a character called Karna in the real sense of the name Karna is born and his journey of finding peace begins.
This isn’t a romantic Mills and Boon and don’t read it if you have a perfect life for you will never understand the character. Read it for his pain, read it for his search for life , read it for his search for peace for the man will finally sleep after a long time, after a really long time.
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