Book Reviews of THE LONG ROAD

The best simplest story read so far............and loved evry moment of it...........beinf from a non-medical background i didn't find it complicated at all............simple story on how to maintain relation with ur career and other priorities :). Thanx Ben (Vivek)

Indeed a fluent and smooth book, ‘The long road’ sticks up to its theme of medical twists and romance, and takes the reader on a voyage to delve into the lives of the doctors involved in it. I liked the style in which the book has been written – neither complex, nor purely simple, just exact and precise! Each character has a different verve and a different story which makes the reader want to know more about them. You’ll feel the pain, the love, and the emotions that the characters experience.
Readers need refreshment when it comes to reading, and ‘The long road’ promises that. Certainly a pleasant read!

great read.. a must read for all the aspiring doctors...excellent portraying of the hecticity related problems of doctors in their life and love

The first time I picked up the book I was a bit skeptical. The reason being that despite not belonging to the medical profession I have seen the life of medical professionals from very close quarters. I was uncomfortable with the idea of reading a book about medical professionals and finding it to be just another love story like Sanjivani and Dill Mill Gayye (two famous serials which were supposedly about doctors aired on Indian TV channels) turned out to be.

Thankfully the book is not only a love story. It has a love story, no doubt, but it also gives you an insight into the life of doctors and the much revered profession of medicine. The love story runs side by side but the book also talks about the joy of conducting the first surgery. There is also the conflict between the ambitious Sarika and happy-go-lucky Rahul. The conflicts in the mind of attic living Hina who wishes to break free of the shackles and get a better life and the born rich Ranjiv whose sole ambition is to be on the wrong side of his dad.

The story is predictable at times but it is so because the author has taken real life incidents and put them into words. The titles of the chapters are something that could have been done away with as they give away the suspense even before the person starts reading the chapter.

The character of Sagarika could have been used a bit more in the starting to keep her in the readers mind. I had almost forgot that she was also a part of this book until she suddenly popped up towards the end of the book.

This book could have been set in any scenario. It could have been about people working in the IT industry or as teachers or as bank employees. The characters of this book face the same dilemmas that many of us face in our own lives.

The book would make a nice weekend read. Not too long or overstretched and just conveying what it needed to. A nice read in all. :)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading' The Long Road'. A beautifully written story about doctors, the conflict between their professional and family commitment. The author has dealt with the human emotions in a very sensitive way. While taking a journey through The Long Road I couldn’t help getting involved with the characters. As the story unfolded, I went through various emotions, ranging from misery to happiness and worries to elation. And that goes to prove the worth of this fiction. Well done Dr. Vivek. Wish to read more of your work.

Picked the book up at random on my visit to Landmark. And I am glad that I did! What a book!!! Vivid descriptions, real life characters who lead charmed lives ( even with a few hiccoughs thrown in), and high emotion quotient. The book is unputdownable and I just could not let go once I started reading it. I got involved in the life and times of Sarika, Hina, Sagarika, Rahul and Ranjiv, the lead characters. Another thing that comes across is that the women are strong willed and smart and come across a truly liberated. It left me feeling warm and happy,and it is the ultimate feel good book. I would recommended the book to all who like good reading.

What a book! Superb characterisation, life life situations and nice pace, the writing is vivid enough to give the reader a feeling that the story is unfolding right in front of his/her eyes. The author takes us on an emotional roller coaster along-with the protagonists successfully.
Very very good book. I wish for, rather, demand a sequel.

On my usual visit to a book store, I happened to come across Dr. Vivek Banerjee's novel 'The Long Road'. Being a huge fan of books and a newfound craze for books by Indian authors, I decided to pick a copy of this book too :)

Books written by authors like Erich Segal and Michael Crichton about the world of medicine have always fascinated and impressed me and this book lived up to my expectations as well. An interesting and a compelling read, this is one book that helps you connect to its characters. Dr.Banerjee is able to hold the reader's attention till the very end and plays with their emotions. Simple language, fast moving plot and a wonderful love story...I loved your book!

This is definitely one book that is worth spending your time (and money)! Good job Dr. Banerjee. Here's to this book and for many more to come :)

'The Long Road' (journey is the destination...) is the story depicting the inside picture of medical college - the studies and the training routine, through the lives of five young aspiring doctors who have taken admission in the post-graduate degree courses.

Each of these five individuals hail from different backgrounds, have different aspirations and expectations from life, personally as well as professionally. Rahul and Sarika are old classmates and lovers since their graduate days but Sarika being a very driven and dedicated student disapproves of the casual attitude of Rahul towards the future and hence opts out of the relationship but it takes a fatal accident to make her confess her true feelings for Rahul and revisit her decision about their relationship once again. Ranjiv comes from a very affluent but lonely background, who does not acquiesce with the choices his doctor father made in his life, so wants to escape from his shadow. Hina, daughter of a Maulvi realized very early on in her life that the way out of the small attic in the mosque of Bhiwandi is through books and working hard. In the new open environs and with the support of a loving person, she blooms to be a confident and strong person.

The book gives a glimpse of the pressures of being in a medical college and the grueling studying and working schedule the aspiring doctors need to follow in order to be an expert in their respective fields. The author being one belonging to the medical fraternity, very authentically brings out the nuances of this profession - the ups and downs, the lows and highs, the efforts and outputs, the confusions and hard decisions and rewards and disappointments. Amidst this academic drama, a couple of love stories are weaved in beautifully and through these relationships, the precarious balance every individual in such high demanding job needs to maintain has been brought to light.

Overall its a light-read, feel good story, very engaging and a page turner. There are no tough or complex situations brought into the narrative. The characters are very well etched, the editing is tight and no situation or incidence gives the impression of being redundant or not supporting the story. The language is simple, could be made typos free though. The medical terminology has been used where required but does not overwhelm the readers at any point of time.

However, it comes across as a little too simple and straight forward book where everything is divulged in words, not relying on the subtlety and the intelligence of the readers. Sometimes even the titles of the chapters give away the whole plot of the chapter, which robs off the charm and suspense of the following pages. In my opinion, there is a great scope of addition of some more content to the story.

This book brought back the memories of 'Doctors' that I read more than 20 years back, which has the similar backdrop - the medical profession. But the similarity ends at this point only. Doctors by Eric Segal was a much more meatier book and offered a lot of substance to retain forever.

But for a first time author, 'The Long Road' is a wonderful attempt and I sure will look forward to his next writings. I will recommend this book for its simplicity and the feel good factor.

Well! Another lifestyle novel weds chick-lit. But I am not complaining. The Long road is different from the run of the mill books which seem to be arriving at the rate of a new one every day. The fact that it has been written by a doctor confers it some gravitas. The descriptions of medical procedures which intersperse the narrative impart a certain flavour to the book. And the fact that they do not impede the flow but rather help take the story forward makes the book even more interesting. Lifelike and well etched, the characters of the book take hold of you and you wish to befriend them.
The author displays a lot of skill in moving the story forward; at no place does the narrative flag. And the end leaves you with an afterglow of satisfaction. Essentially a feel good novel, it could have done with a better editing job. However, it is well worth spending your time and money on.