Somewhere @ Nowhere

Somewhere@Nowhere is a literary triumph of staggering proportions. Few first novels blaze with the kind of audacious power that this one generates, scorching page after page with its protagonist's fiery resolve to seem like a totally different human being every alternate paragraph. It rises above the limitations of plot and character progressions, steers clear of maintaining a consistent tone throughout and in doing so, this novel give us a truly transcendent experience -a wilfull and wanton disregard for classical literary styles and methods. It is like a war cry from this leading light of today's generation - that logic and common sense will not termper its indefatigable spirit to produce works that resonate in emptiness like a tuning fork in a vaccum. It is man's ultimate triumph over art - a step in the right direction to settle once and for all, that no matter how high art may rise above the ordinary, there will always be men willing to put their pens on the line to restore the balance of power. Mark my words - a thousand years from now, Somewhere@Nowhere will have traveled safely through time as much as Shakespeare will have.

In an age where brevity is prized and where an attention span of just 140 characters is the norm, it is only fair that this reviewer uses just a single 7-character word to describe this page-turner. That word is - 'Layered'.
Being an engineer by training, the author packs his novel with subtle scientific references that require multiple readings to unravel. The very first chapter contains references to the degrees of freedom a robotic arm would have on different axes, viz. pitch, yaw and roll, explained subtly through the literary device of Aditya Khanna "feeling the movement of the airplane on X, Y and Z axis".
This novel is a nod to multiple personages : Asimov for his scientific temper ,Feynman for his audacity, Ernesto Guevara for his spirit, Kanti Shah for his bold storylines, and Columbus for looking beyond the known.
As a closing statement, I would like to exhort the reader to not judge this novel by its modest sub-200 page length, but to judge it by how long true comprehension of its contents would take. And trust me, when you truly understand this book, you will find yourself a wiser, and a much, much older man.

Though cliched, the phrase "An emotional roller coaster" is probably the most apt and the most accurate descriptor of Somewhere@Nowhere.

What singularly distinguishes Nikesh Rathi's oeuvre from that of contemporaries like Namita Devidayal and Kailash Srinivasan is the fact that the "Emotional Roller Coaster", as it were, is totally unconnected from the contents of the book.

What begins as mild curiosity on page 1 quickly changes to uncertainty at around the 20th page. After a brief wrestle with incredulity and disbelief in the vicinity of page 40, there is a seemingly interminable phase of bewilderment. Occasionally the reader may feel the stirrings of an emotion resembling hope, but the author is quick to suppress these aberrations. After crossing the gaping chasm of despondency close to the halfway mark, a curious perversion takes over that prods the user to read on and investigate where the book is heading. This builds up to a raging crescendo at the finale, culminating in waves of relief washing over the reader, and quite oddly, a deep sense of loss for the hours sacrificed.

I would venture so far as to say there is no other work of literature on the planet capable of eliciting such a wide variety of emotional responses as this book. This book is a pocket sized reminder of what makes us different from the creatures we evolved from, and richly deserves its nomination for the Crossword Book Awards, and a place among the luminaries of Fiction writing.

Short and Sweet, quite a breezy read, though a bit unpredictable - you never know where the roller coaster ride shall take you next.

And it surely makes you think, at times making you uncomfortable but inciting you to question your own beleifs and understanding of the world. Wittily written, it never really gets too heavy or preachy but leaves it to the readers to make their own interpretations.

Would recommend to people who are looking for something different from all those run of the mill stuff.

just finished reading this book after i read the nikesh's interview on techgoss magazine ... a very good book i must say ... travel experiences have been well narrated and at every aspect he forces us to think ... in my opinions the portions narrated int he second half of the book were the best .. .especially the conversations with that girl and the doctor, though other parts were also quite engaging and thought provoking.

writing style is very good and quite mature ... doesn't look like his first book actually ... on the flip side, some parts could have been explained in more detail instead of a series of observations as many readers might actually miss up the finer aspects .. overall, a very good book and strongly recommended for someone who likes thought provoking stuff