[ultimate_heading main_heading=”Guy on the Sidewalk by Bharath Krishna” main_heading_color=”#1e73be” sub_heading_color=”#8224e3″ spacer=”line_with_icon” spacer_position=”bottom” line_style=”dotted” line_height=”1″ line_color=”#1e73be” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^48|url^http://ashvamegh.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Ashvamegh-ICO.jpg|caption^null|alt^Ashvamegh Journal Icon|title^Ashvamegh ICO|description^null” img_width=”48″ main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:34px;” line_width=”3″ margin_design_tab_text=””]an exploration into the mind of the one who live outside the country…[/ultimate_heading]
Book – Guy on the Sidewalk
Author – Bharath Krishna
Publisher – CinnamonTeal Publishing
Page Numbers – 315
Buy the book: Amazon India Link
Reviewed by – Alok Mishra
“What the **ck do you mean by responsible for your country? Do you think you are some kind of Mahatma Gandhi? Even Gandhi cannot save India. …” p.292
Conversations like this display a kind of ‘valid’ conflict in the minds of the NRIs who are living abroad but constantly thinking about their motherland and their responsibilities towards it. Bharath Krishna, in his Debut work, Guy on the Sidewalk, has depicted a much-debated and much needed-to-be-debated issue of the people who migrate from India to other countries. There is a constant battle that carries on within the hearts of those who are living in developed lands like USA, UK etc. I would congratulate Bharath for his honesty and for being an ‘actual’ realistic in its truest terms. On some instances, you will be a little irritated to hear swear words about India. However, this is a part on those who know nothing (or very less) of the thing called ‘responsibility’. Jay, the protagonist of the novel Guy on the Sidewalk, is a strong personality who overcomes all those who delude him and also all his fears and finally speaks the truth that almost every NRI asks to himself or herself:
“Can we ever integrate completely here?” p.293
This book is a document of Jay’s struggle in America, his love interest – Siri, and his internal conflict about whether to return to India or continue the life as an ‘outsider’ in the USA. Even if the novel is written in first person, this story becomes almost a mouthpiece of all those who are suffering from this diasporic syndrome – let’s go back to our motherland!
This novel offers almost everything to the modern readers – educational strife, first love issues, attraction and then the genuine love, dilemma of earning vs returning. Yes, at some places, you will also get a little word painting of the intimate moments between Jay and Siri as well as Jay and Amy, the American girl.
“We both ignored her boyfriend for our convenience and started kissing again.” p.163
To mark the book as a whole, you will enjoy reading it and it’s as simple as that. Once you get the book and read some chapters, you will be curious enough to finish the book in one single go because it captures your eyes and mind! Both the ways are there to enjoy the book – enjoy it as it is with its apparent scenes of humour, seriousness, daily little realities and all… or feel the inner strife which is far serious, important and delivering a message to all those who are away from their countries – where do you belong? What’s your real motive?
This book is a document of Jay’s struggle in America, his love interest – Siri, and his internal conflict about whether to return to India or continue the life as an ‘outsider’ in the USA. Even if the novel is written in first person, this story becomes almost a mouthpiece of all those who are suffering from this diasporic syndrome – let’s go back to our motherland!