AUTHOR

1. Chetan Bhagat was born in a working family, his father was in job. Birthday of Chetan Bhagat is 22 April 1974. Just at 37 years of age he is ruling the heart of young generations. Chetan Bhagat schooling was from Army Public school, Delhi from 1978 to 1991. After passing class 12th from Army Public school in 1991 he got admission in IIT, Delhi and there Chetan Bhagat did Mechanical engineering in 1995. After that he got admission in
India,s most prestigious B school IIM Ahmedabad.

2. After doing MBA from IIM Ahmedabad Chetan Bhagat joined a job in Hong Kong as Investment Banker with Deutsche bank. He worked there for about 11 years and later quit the job and came back and settled in Mumbai in 2008. At present apart from writing novel he is a columnist in Hindi daily DainikBhasker. 3. Chetan Bhagat is one of the most popular novelists in India, whose books have been adapted into movies. Chetan Bhagat rose to fame with his first novel Five Point Someone (2004) about what it feels like to be below average students at IIT. He won the Society Young Achievers Award (2004) and Publishers Recognition Award (2005). The book has taken the form of a movie 3 Idiots which will be released in 2009. His second book One Night @ a Call Center was yet another success. He wrote the script for the movie Hello (2008) based on this book. The movie had a special appearance by Salman Khan and was an average success. His third novel was Three Mistakes of My Life (2008) which has a lot of cricket in it. It remains to be seen if what the chances are of this book being made into a movie.

THEME

Plausibility Of Premise Chetan Bhagat tries to emphasis the importance of friendship and takes a dig at the current educational scenario while writing one of the most engaging stories set in an Indian technical college. This story is set in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in India. He addresses a number of serious issues, the exaggerated importance of academic excellence, a childs relationship with his parents, how a relationship is differently viewed at by the different genders and most importantly, the highs and lows of true friendship. Genre The book is written with Hari as the first person and a unique aspect is how his interpretation of different characters changes with time. His observations are witty, be they his frustrations at the fact that Ryan and Alok are constantly squabbling, or his complaints about how deciphering the female psyche is even more difficult than the course at IIT. While on the female psyche, Neha remains a special character in the book due to the fact, that although she is not one of the three friends, it is she, who indirectly causes all the major events in the story. Even her gradual realization of how close she is to Hari is subtlety portrayed through her letters to her dead brother. In the case of the dead brother, lies another track, which effortlessly merges into the main story. Apart from lending a push to the story, her brother Samir represents a stark fact - the drastic steps which many students take due to parental pressures. The kind of aura Ryan generates around himself rubs onto the others and especially Hari, who admires him to the core. Unabashedly, he admits that what he wants most is to be Ryan - a very symbolic statement, as we often admire the seemingly better attitudes of some our peers. Often, one feels that Ryan is too heartless to be true, as he pretends to not care for his parents. The transformation of the high-handed, self-centred Ryan into somebody who becomes more sensitive to his friends and more aware of his responsibilities is brilliantly portrayed by the author.

Apart from the exterior facade of not giving in to emotions easily, Ryan symbolizes the maverick as he continues to lament against the cruel system prevalent in IIT and most other colleges wherein an individual is identified by the number of marks he obtains in a particular test. Alok represents the many who enter the sciences purely to get a job which pays well, not because they lust for money, but because they struggle for survival. With a paralysed father and an unmarried sister, his shoulders carry the weight of not only his future, but also his familys, and with friends whose priorities are starkly different, Aloks character is tested. In a peculiar way, Alok represents the true friendship shared by the three. A clash in egos and goals forces him to part ways with Ryan and Hari. Apart from the trio and the damsel, the two teachers with contrasting personalities are a highlight of the book. While Cherian is every students nightmare, the way his character culminates is that of a resigned father, who realises that his obsession with his institution ruined his sons life. On the other hand, Prof. Veera is every students delight, a teacher who encourages new ideas, who does not believe in the stereotype, and one who believes in befriending his students.

TREATMENT OF SUBJECT

Apch

The most important aspect of this book is the ability of the author to make a reader relate to the characters. We can see a part of Hari in each of us, one who does not believe in himself even to take a simple decision. Ryan is the one each of us would like to be, the super smart, gutsy, humorous character. We always mock at people like Alok, the fat, a little selfish, ungainly looking guy.

Language And Style The author has used very simple language in the book which is easy to comprehend. He addresses a number of serious issues, the exaggerated importance of academic excellence, a childs relationship with his parents, how a relationship is differently viewed at by the different genders and most importantly, the highs and lows of true friendship.

PRODUCTION VALUE

1. The book was published in 2004. It has been published by Rupa And Co, Delhi and costs Rs 95/-.

PRINTING, PAPER AND BINDING

The book has been printed using very good quality paper. The font used and the quality of printing are very good. The overall quality of the book is very good. The book is appealing and easy to read.

VERDICT

This is not a book to teach you how to get into IIT or even how to live in college. In fact, it describes how screwed up things can get if you don't think straight.

CONCLUSION

The autobiographical account lends itself to fine character development. The book is fast paced and has very funny conversational style plus lingo typical to those who come from the institution. A little eccentric (little may be the understatement of the year), IITians may be, but they are considered to be one of the most elite groups in the world. Wouldnt say that about the three guys in Five Point Someone who manage to scrape through IIT, not without a few hair-raising incidents here and there. I would definitely give this book more than a five point something on a ten-point scale.