Ghachar Ghochar written by Vivek Shanbang is an amazing book discussing the impact of money on relationships. It gives us materialistic happiness but takes us away from our people. It is written in Kannada by Vivek Shanbang and translated into English by Srinath Perur.
#A Title- Ghachar Ghochar
If you’re wondering what the title means- Imagine this: You have a couple of charging chords, wired earphones, charging cable for your Bluetooth earphones.. and they’re all tangled in one complicated bunch. It takes you every ounce of energy to even want to untangle them. Now just apply this metaphor in real life… BAM.. that’s what the title of the book means. #entangled, #messy
#Story
The unnamed narrator is living an ideal life. He lives in a nice big house with his family which includes – his father, mother, uncle, elder sister, and wife. His life evolves around them and the time he spends in Coffee House, discussing his life with Vincent, the waiter.
Everything in his house revolves around his uncle. His uncle, the CEO of Sona Masala, a company launched by him. Everyone in the family agrees with whatever he says. Whether it is right or wrong.
The narrator also reminisces his younger days when he was a kid, living in a smaller house. Although money was less, they were happy. They had time to talk to each other and discuss the things of the day. Things were just simple and perfect. They were happy with the little that they had.
Things started changing once Sona Masala, gained momentum. With money came a big house, jewelry, and a change in their personal equations. The narrator’s wife started getting annoyed with him with regard to his attitude towards his family.
Today, the narrator is all alone with his thoughts at the coffee house, pondering where he went wrong….
Where do you think is he wrong? Want to know, read the book ????
#Thoughts:
115 pages long and translated from Kannada, makes this novella an easy read and one which can be completed in one sitting. It will keep you engrossed from the very start itself and the end will leave you confused for hours, maybe days to come; it has an open ending and you’re left guessing the outcome based on a metaphor and the mental condition of the narrator at the start of the book.
It’s the writing style that keeps someone captivated till the end. Because till the end part, this book has nothing suspicious or thrilling. And I liked the way the author gradually drifts the story towards an enigma.
And,
The novel is more like a slice of life where you’re introduced to the various members of the family, each with their own distinct personality, and then you get to see their problems and dynamics with one another. Also, the way some things were portrayed to make it appear as if “we are protecting our family bond” and “a person from outside will never understand” didn’t make sense. It makes me think the book was good with some parts yet I feel is overhyped and could be better.
If you are a beginner-level reader or someone who loves short reads or someone who loves suspense books with open endings then go for it. And if you’re going through a reading slump then pick this one.
#Quote:
A line that really resonated with me was “It’s true what they say, it’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there is only a little, it behaves meekly; when it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us.
And Finally, Thank you Pravin, for gifting this wonderful book on my birthday. If you are looking for any kind of books, then contact Antim Panna. They will deliver the book(s) to your doorstep.