Review of Delhi Bytes by Amulya Priyadarshi

 And this time I continue with another book review of another 'metro' read. Books which are easy on content, smooth flow and language, and can be easily finished on one metro ride or a sunny day on a beach or just a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I came across and read Delhi Bytes by Amulya Priyadarshi

The cover is designed by Book Bakers and they have done a good job to it covering major aspects of Delhi in all its glory. Amulya is a senior executive at Bhilai Steel Plant and he has put his formative years spent in Delhi while he was in College before he joined his first job. A title and a cover like this would always have me intrigued to pick up the book.

Before you even start with the book, reading the blurb, the title and the cover, you are certain of a few things of what you are going into. Firstly, Delhi, the National Capital will play a strong role, almost another character in the book, secondly there is a reason it is called Delhi Bytes. It will be more of a collection of anecdotes, rather than a full fledged tale. I started the book with these in mind and I wasnt disappointed.

The story takes place in 90s when India as a country and Delhi as a metro was going through major political and social changes. Author has done a commendable job in capturing the essence of those times. Its pretty clear the book is semi-autobiographical and the author takes us through the lanes and bylanes of Delhi, so much so you can feel the weather and the smell of air by his description. I dont think Amulya intended it to be a tale of fiction with a beginning, and ending, and a message in between. It was more of capturing a journey with a tinge of fiction and nostalgia.

I liked the depiction of the protagonist. Initially he was being almost developed like an alpha male, something which I strongly discourage, but thankfully Amulya brought out his faults in a very subtle and beautiful way. Amit Mathur can be your average small town boy who has arrived in Delhi to make it big. Being from a small town myself, I can certainly identify with Amit. Despite having charms and intelligence he has his shortcomings which other characters understand very well. Rest of the characters are like milestones in his journey, some are set in stone while others are just on notice boards. But the interaction of Amit with each one of them looks very natural, and not focred.

On the flip side, I always believe whenever an author decides to put his or her experiences in his work, it should be done very carefully. In a zeal to paint as detailed a picture as it actually happened, they go into rather long details of events, something which Amulya often does. A detailed trip to a restaurant just to come back the next paragraph is an example of events that could have been avoided. A lot of times, it adds color and depth to the narrative though, so its not a major complain. Also, Amulya introduces a lot of characters which initially appears could have a huge potential later on in the story but are dropped rather unceremoniously. Another area where he missed was not naming his chapters, which is often a huge marketing tool. 

On the whole, the book is an easy metro read and certainly would not disappoint you. The book has some memorable quotes as well which can be shared with your friends and family and they will be instant hits. I dont have doubts that the book is being well received by the reader fraternity. It deserves all the accolades it has been receiving all along. Always remember, while life is a journey, what you recall is not the entire tale, but these bytes, which make it memorable.

I would go with 4/5 stars for the book.

The book can be purchased on Amazon

https://www.amazon.in/DELHI-BYTES-AMULYA-PRIYADARSHI/dp/8194382033/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=delhi+bytes&qid=1622602164&sr=8-1