Warning: Might contain spoilers.
I’ve stand in the queues for Harry Potter books at 3 AM right from the fourth book. I almost had the same kind of enthusiasm for Chetan Bhagat’s third novel: The three mistakes of my Life. Went to the store only to return that it had not yet released.
The book was a complete let down. Even by Chetan’s standards, this one is nowhere near his other two fictions. By the way, I liked One night @ call center more than Five point someone.
Some thoughts on the book
The book started off well. Somewhere in between, got stuck and became monotonous henceforth. Chetan might’ve considered Bollywood with the kind of novel he writes and this one got foreign locales (Australia). Towards the end, I lost interest and hoping when the book would get over.
India historic test series win Australia, 9/11, Bhuj earthquake, Godra communal riots get mentioned. Of course the novel is spread over a period of years, yet all this incidences in novel seems artificial.
Should Chetan mind his language? “Mother pimping businessman”, “sister fucking people”, “never heard a bloke too busy to root”, “known to each other since you were sperm” and the liberal dose of the f-word makes it irritating. Swearing is not a bad thing but too much of it looses it’s sting and irritates you.
Cricket, Business and Religion
Those are the subject that are dealt with but his three mistakes are with respect to money, love and a freak incident. Don’t get carried away by cricket, business or religion lure. The story just revolves around cricket and all but it never gets deep as you might have thought. It’s love and friendship that take center stage. The cricket part is just another account of a ODI and a test match victory.
The business part is somewhat well dealt with. We get to see a business taking root from the scratch to a respectable level. Maybe he should’ve stuck with this only.
Religion part was a big mess. There’s no religion than bloody communal clashes, hindutva and getting to know the meaning of Agnostic. The climax part sucked and was thinking when the book would get over.
The usual suspects
We’ve friendship, love, dramatic climax and a photo frame finish. The characters, narration, resemblance to real life and plot we call can relate to. You can’t help thinking about the elements which worked wonders in his first two books rehashed in here as well.
India’s wet dreams is back: romance and a pretty girl! I like the way Chetan describes a girl. The attention to detail is high! “noticed her thin arm. ..so fair that you can see veins. Applied silver-white nailpoilish on the outer edge of nails”, “her eye lashed were wet”, ” had to reopen and faster her hair clip”, “she kept her dupatta away from the table”, “every girl have wonderful smell after bath. They should bottle it and sell it”.
Did you notice that his books have numbers (5, 1 & 3) in their names?
There are some elements that I liked. His take on Life’s lessons (chase your dreams not money, do what you like, passion drives business, etc…) has effect on youngsters (Many won’t like books like The Monk who Sold his Ferrari). There a lot better books in these subject, Chetan’s books are good for making movies.
While his first two books were fresh and new; the repetition again is boring and that went against this book. I don’t think I would’ve liked this book even if it was my first Chetan Bhatan book.
I still like the way Chetan writes. I’ll buy his fourth book too and hope that one is a smashing one than this one.
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12 comments ↓
[...] The book is a below average one. Even by Chetan’s standards, this one is nowhere near his other two fictions.Read my review in my other blog: The 3 Mistakes of my Life : Review [...]
The Monk who sold His Ferrari :D, the description of Vidya :P, bang on target review
I have liked Chetan’s both books so far so might go for this one too. Any other book recommendations for me similar to “Monk who sold his ferrari “
For motivation, nothing like Autobiographies. Akio Morita (Made in Japan), Richard Branson (Losing my Virginity), Lance Armstrong (Every Second counts) are some good books I’ve read.
Other than that: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Built to Last and Good to Great are also very good.
P.S: Who moved my cheese is a popular one, but I didn’t like it.
Chetan Bhagat is very popular among the student fraternity and I consider it very unfortunate, because many students are starting into book reading from his ‘5 point someone’ or ‘one night @ call center’.
I always admire people who read books, I started mine with ‘The monk who sold his ferrari’. It was the title that drew my attention, after I read a few chapters , I thought that the guy asks us to renounce everything if ever one wanted to be happy in life. I completely disagree with his thought and I abandoned that book.
My second attempt at book reading was with Chetan Bhaghat’s ‘5 point someone’. I thought I was reading American Pie. I gave up on Book reading
As Ashwin and some of my other friends say ‘ There are many other good books out there’, I can’t better that line.
We already have mindless south indian movies with senseless plots ruining the mind of youth, I could only hope Chetan’s books aren’t the ones they start book reading with…
@Azeem, Chetan Bhagat is a mis-understood author & Monk is a really boring book, I could not go beyond the first 50 pages. On second thought I wonder what the hell was I thinking reading the first 50 pages.
Try Vikas Swarup’s Q&A. I guarantee you will love it.
I bot this on last sunday.. havent started reading it.. i hope it doesnt disappoint me much.. hmmm
[...] finished reading the “3 mistakes of my life” by Chetan Bhegat. I had read reviews of Ashwin and many others, and had not much hopes on it. But now I dont feel it as worse as his second book. [...]
I read the first few chapters a month ago and since then the book is lying next to my bed. Everytime i get in bed i think if i should read, i move my hand forward to grab the book and then this voice in my head says ” Naah!” and i fall asleep!
Hehe.. Chetan clearly wrote this book for Bollywood and not his readers. I don’t think many would look forward for this 4th book.
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