Book Review: Coming Back Home by Anuradha Prasad

Book: Coming Back Home
Author: Anuradha Prasad
Genre: Fiction
No. of Pages: ~300

Coming Back Home, is a typical story of the struggles of Actors trying to making it big in the movie industry. And then it is much more than just that!

Anuradha Prasad's 2nd book (I have not read her first) is primarily around the lives of two very contrasting characters - one who will not compromise on her self-esteem and another who is willing to go to any lengths to make it big. In their own way, both of them are strong, independent characters that are important to the narrative. The story revolves around how their lives change when they intersect and then when they go their own ways.

The blurb of the book itself is quite descriptive of what you can expect from the book. And you get exactly what you expect - some fun, some nasty, some exciting, and some embarrassing truths of the world of movies.

This being the USP, a little bit more research into the dirty inner workings of the industry could have made the book really stand out. I understand that the author's intention was to concentrate on the struggles of the protagonist alone, and she has quite successfully captured those emotions. But, a little extra masala, at the right places, would have made the book more interesting than trying to be just another Madhur Bhandarkar movie. Also, the title of the book is a giveaway and the cover art could have been better.

Anuradha's writing is simple and will appeal to most people looking for some light reading. For me, personally, it is a huge turn-off when authors try to squeeze in a lot of flowery (and very unnecessary) words into the story just to make themselves look smarter. Full points to Anuradha for focusing on what really matters - telling the story.

The effort that has been put into developing the important characters in the story is commendable, although a few incidents that are not too crucial for the story could have been entirely avoided, thus bringing down the number of pages and keeping it short and crisp.

Overall, Coming Back Home is a fun read with enough depth to keep you engaged throughout. Do give it a try and keep an eye out for her next book - Rain drops and Caterpillars - coming soon!


Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the Author.