Five Point Someone

I am not an avid reader and it was not a surprise that I had not read even one book so far by an Indian author. First time when my cousin named the book to me I heard it as “Five point summon”. He told me about the book but I did not realize that it had a story backdrop through which the author wanted to talk about “Life at IIT”. I got to read the book after some time and I was only too disappointed only to have missed out on having read it much earlier.

The main part of the book is not just the narration but the very concept. Others who have read this always feel that people from the IIT may be able to relate more to this but I have a slightly different thought. Scores of those in our country who have tried to be part of this institution, people who had been mature enough to take up other option of study and still managed to excel in their fields would be able to relate more to it is what I feel about the book.

I had been a workaholic( tamizhla sollanumna oru padippu pazham) until my 12th std. I worked hard (sollikalam) for my IIT entrance dreams and attended classes with a lot of expectations about life in that institute. I have no doubts whatsoever that I would have probably ended up as a 7 pointer (in the context of the book) at the most had I been in this institute, I wouldn’t have had the guts in me to be a five pointer and try things that these get to do. I somehow feel (with due respect to all IITians who feel and have proved to be different) that life at IIT instills an entirely higher level of workaholism in its students making them forget about so many other beautiful and important things in life like relationships, family etc.

Reading this made me feel as though I revisited those memories of my preparation classes, I was sitting in one corner and endlessly smiling away to myself that mom came up a couple of times out of curiosity just to make sure I was not reading some love letter from some gal. "En payanukku ennamo aiduttu" was what she told patti time and again that day.

Moreover the book has certain things every college hostelite would be able to relate to. Pity those ppl who have never experienced hostel life. Things like hesitation to convince oneself whether what he/she feels is right or wrong, whether to accept another person’s views, finding out stupid reasons to convince the stubborn one in the group, knowingly manipulating one die hard academic (read 7.5 to 8.5 pointers in the context of the buk, cause guys who are above 8.5 are unconvincable, so we dont try) and then winking at ur best frnd for having convinced the dumbo of the group..... all was just heaven.

If you want to read a book that brings out the exact mental state of a guy just out of school, who has no idea if things are going his way, in fact what is it that he can call “His way”, how he hyperventilates the first time some soft spoken girl approaches him, how he feels insecure when he feels a little different from his group, how he matures to understand that its one own life after all and its only once own courage an confidence that matters etc and that too in the most possible hilarious way such that it lingers on in your mind as an enjoyable read then do try out this book. Itz too gud………..