Book Review: The Assasinations A Novel of 1984 by Vikram Kapur

Title- The Assasinations : A Novel of 1984

Author- Vikram Kapur

Publisher- Speaking Tiger Publishing Pvt.Ltd

Genre-Fiction

Format- Paperback

Length- 216 pages

Year- 2017

Rating- 4.2/5 stars

"Nowhere else in the world did the year 1984 fulfil its apocalyptic portents as it did in india...There were days in 1984 when it took courage to open the New Delhi papers on the morning."

---Amitav Ghosh(The Ghosts of Mrs.Gandhi)

"The Assasinations : A Novel of 1984" by Vikram Kapur is a brilliantly woven work of fiction based on the backdrop of the Operation Bluestar conducted by the Indian Armed Forces at The Golden Temple of Amritsar, the assasination of Mrs.Gandhi and the sectarian violence that followed it. The author has realistically captured the mayhemic condition of 1984 through the lives of Deepa, a hindu girl and Prem Kohli, a Sikh Refugee, who are all set to tie the nuptial knot, but the events takes a dramaric turn when the news of the desecration of the Golden Temple reached him. A young hot-blooded male like him, who was already angry with the separatist mentality of the people around him, the news breaks all the walls of his patience and a hidden anger and zeal for revenge took birth in the dark alleys of his heart.But days later When the news of the assasination of Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh Bodyguards came, Prem finds himself in utter jeopardy.

Divided in four parts, "Delhi, 31st Oct,1984", "Before", "After" and "Delhi 2004", the author not only presented a realistic picture during the genocide but also the time when the seed of voilence first entered into the minds of the people to the aftermath of the genocide, when they finally realized what injustice have they done with the humanity.

All the characters are perfectly woven with much care and attention and each character have their equal contribution to the plot. The mastery of the author in narration can be easily understood from the fact that nowhere the plot seems boring or unnecessary and each and every word has been used meticulously and purposefully.Through the beauty of his excellent writing style the author has elevated the story from merely a fictional work to an almost real life experience which is truly commendable. The title as well as the cover design is apt as it perfectly represents the theme of the novel.

Finally I can say this book is one of those rear gems which makes you ponder over the incidents of 1984, when you finished reading it.

A book worth reading...Highly Recommend it to every Indian, particularly in today's india of CAA and NRC when it is much important for us to preserve the fabric of our religious harmony and national unity, otherwise another 1984 will happen.

Rating-4.2/5 stars