Summary
If your head tells you one thing and your head tells you another, before you do anything, decide whether you have a better head or a better heart.
Albert Einstein
‘Guy on a sidewalk’ is a novel that takes you through a dilemma of deciding where to stay. Be it America or India, both have their own positives and negatives, but how does one feel when one decides to part ways with the country one was born in? This is a compelling read, for it highlights the emotional turmoil that Jay goes through. It is a story about his consistent struggle with the head and the heart; it is the story of his life and the continuous process of chop and change.
My opinion
‘Guy on a sidewalk’ is more like a narrative or rather a monologue. We have a protagonist, Jay, who takes charge to help turn the wheels of the story forward. This is a story about his life; a life which forced him to choose between going to America and staying in India. But was this that easy? No.
The cover of the book is subtle yet catchy. It has a perfect blend of both worlds. The title is also apt and matches with what the book has in store for the readers. The font (style and size) is fine. Typesetting and organization of text has been taken care of.
Coming to the plot, I felt there was inclusion of unnecessary details every now and then. The part, where the protagonist decides to leave America and return to India, has been stretched a lot (>= 4 chapters). The narration is lucid and language is simple. It can be understood by not-so-avid readers too. But the lengthy monologues can be a turn off for some. There is minimal dialogue but more of narration. Personally, I did not find this interesting.
There are some grammatical errors, specifically- missing commas and incorrect vocabulary. Secondly, in the last few pages, the flaw in the editing and proofreading is evident. For an instance, the word towards has been used time and again- every time with a missing‘s’.
The author has been successful to a large extent in preparing a savoring potpourri. The emotional turmoil can be felt. The words used to describe the same, are exemplary. Some of the positives that I would like to highlight are- the beautiful portrayal of the relationship shared by Jay and Siri, the description of the friendship and the depiction of the continuous agony of not being ‘at home’.
Overall, a book suited for readers who like monologues over dialogues!
About the Author
Active blogger and writer, Enakshi Johri, is a regular author for Indus woman Writing. She is a postgraduate in Biotechnology. She has written several articles, stories and poems and most of her content has been published in the ejournal of IWW (Indus Woman Writing). She is working as a curator for ‘fiction magazine’ (an online magazine). She has contributed in six Anthologies so far. She is also a freelance book reviewer. She is a creative thinker and a passionate writer and loves to pour down her heart in form of words. She shares her experience and her perception through her website (http://aliveshadow.blogspot.in/).
