About Deepak Kaul
An accidental accountant.
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Deepak Kaul
The title put me off but I still gave it a shot. Then the title of the Prologue put me off totally. There is just too much of this kind of pointless content floating around in the market. Thats why it is very likely this manuscript will be a bestseller.
Deepak Kaul
Interesting concept. Execution is good as well. It really picks up after a somewhat confusing, sluggish start in the first few pages.
Jitendra Prasad
Thank you for the review.
Deepak Kaul
Yet another manuscript plagued with spelling and grammatical errors. It's unforgivable for aspiring authors.
Yagnavalkya
Thank you
Deepak Kaul
I could not get through the first page of the Prologue. One of the very basic rules of writing is to have a grip on spelling and grammar.
Deepak Kaul
The author has a knack for mythological fiction. The situations, dialogues between protagonists, their feelings, are captured very well, making this an interesting read.
Geetha Krishnan
thank u so much!!
Deepak Kaul
Yet another desultory romance genre book. The writing however is good. Nice cover as well. But content is always king (or queen).
Deepak Kaul
The Prologue had too much information. It totally put me off. One thing I have always struggled with is naming my characters, which is why I usually resort to satire because the characters come ready made. This author has clearly no such issues.
Deepak Kaul
The grammar is good but reading this was like stirring a drum of tar. The story is lost in the heavy writing and the several long paras. My review might be biased by the long wait for New Arrivals on the website. If you have waited for almost two months, you expectations are high, and you are expecting something spanking.
Snigdha Rai
Thank you so very much.
Krishna Teja
Thank you! I'll definitely work on it..
Deepak Kaul
The author has kindly asserted himself upfront in several places in the manuscript that it is going to be difficult to read. How prescient.
Krishnayya Shenoy
Dear Sir, thanks for the review. Is it wrong to point out possible difficulty?
Deepak Kaul
Nice cover, the writing style is good, but the story seems stilted and draggy. There are better ways to describe a sky than 'well lit'. Rooms are well lit. That's in the first sentence of the book. Then there was a para at the start of Chap 1 which was as long as a page.
Tushant Juneja
Thank you for the constructive criticism. I hope it will help me write better in the future :)
Y.S. Scott
Thank you for the kind words, sir
Deepak Kaul
I was interested in this manuscript right away, for obvious reasons, and basically could not stop reading, and want to read more. Thoughts and execution are as crisp as the writing and the chapters. All the best to the author.
Geetha Krishnan
Thank you. :)
Deepak Kaul
The author might want to re-think the title. Starts well enough, writing is decent and flows easily, but soon descends into the unbelievable, including darts and ancient combat techniques. I noticed something else. The author has already self published with a publishing house that was recently mentioned in an article in TOI. Clearly they are publishing almost anything. That does not bode well for Indian publishing. The publisher is giving false hope to aspiring authors that their work is worthy of publishing and sales. I guess there is a reason it is so difficult to get a publishing deal with established publishers because of their stringent editorial processes. In the eagerness to see themselves in print, aspiring authors do not realise that the publisher had made a lot of money of their efforts. Their website says there are over 15,000 titles in print. Assuming each author chose the cheapest self publishing package, the publisher had made almost 38 crores. If you take an average of the packages available, that figure is 75 crores. I wonder how much of that they paid out in royalties?
Deepak Kaul
A self help book should not read like a sermon from the mount. It has to be inclusive to be effective. Besides, we have the Gita.
Krishnayya Shenoy
Thank you so much. It is a good input.
Deepak Kaul
Lovely cover, crisp synopsis, good story line, well structured, and very easy to read. All the best to the author.
Sundari Venkatraman
The ebook is already published on Amazon. Also available on #KindleUnlimited. If you are a fan of paperbacks, you can buy that version here: https://notionpress.com/read/an-autograph-for-anjali
Sundari Venkatraman
Thank you so much for those encouraging words :)
Deepak Kaul
Simple story, simple execution, easy to read. Sometimes that's all it takes. I might have given it one more star had it no been for some of the misplaced metaphors.
Jagdish Jagtap
If possible could you please point out the misplaced metaphors so that i can correct them.
Jagdish Jagtap
Thanks a lot for the constructive review!
Sandeep Dahiya
Even dictionaries have a role to play..they carry so many beautiful prospects of expressing emotions in their womb. And dictionaries r not for booker nomination...they r for enriching the language..for preserving the long lost words..mine is a dictionary in fiction..u r right in assesment..bt only in that...bcause even i have the knowledge that a dictionary in the form of a tale cannot win booker..and i m aware of that..so at least i wasnot bothered abt booker nomination while writing the book..
Deepak Kaul
Might be the best self help book I have read on BGB so far. The author has kept his thoughts coherent and well structured, and has conveyed them as such. That might be because he has had some writing experience. A writer can slip up at any of the two stages, the worse being not having your ideas in order in your head in the first place. There is no way then you can get them down on paper in any semblance of readability. However, even if you do have your ideas sorted out, it still requires skill to convey them properly.
Deepak Kaul
Interesting concept. The author had demonstrated originality and not tried to follow a populist trend. What I liked about the writing is that there was a lot of dialogue and less prose. It keeps things moving along and you want to keep reading on. It takes quite an imagination to come up with and then execute on paper some of the scenes, scenarios and characters depicted. All the best to the author.
Deepak Kaul
I loved the cover. One star just for that. Based on the other reviews, I thought I better strap on my seat belt because I am too old to fall off my chair laughing. I would have given this an additional star if the standard for humour had not been set fairly high by The Great Indian Righter.
Nikhil Kulkarni
Glad, to know your review :)
Deepak Kaul
Good narrative, good writing. The author has put in effort on construction of sentences and para to keep the flow steady and in sync with the storyline. If this type of writing comes naturally to the author, then there is enormous potential. I enjoyed the free flow prose and wanted to read on. All the best.
Mishal
Many thanks for your encouraging words : )
Deepak Kaul
Much better effort than the author's previous work. There is much more coherence to the story and the flow is good.
Deepak Kaul
Well written, interesting story. The flow was steady and captivating. You definitely want to read on. All the best to the author.
Deepak Kaul
Lovely cover and obviously a lot of work and research has gone into writing this manuscript. However, I am sceptical about there being any doubt about where we came from, though there might be some doubts about where we go. But ashes to ashes, dust to dust is fairly given. I am also highly sceptical about The Da Vinci Code having a 'life-changing' impact. At that rate, all of us aught to be running around trying to be wizards. Chapters are TOO long.
Deepak Kaul
The cover had potential if not for the thick black band at the bottom. And that's about it. The first para of the preface had like a million grammatical errors. That was a sufficient put off. Thankfully BGB does not have the option of rating a manuscript at zero stars or else I would have given this one the boiled egg. If this is the kind of manuscripts BGB deems fit to upload, I shudder to think in what state the rejects are submitted.
Deepak Kaul
Krish's unbelievably perfect life seems to unravel rather quickly and predictably. Before we know it, everything has blown up and he is in the wilderness contemplating suicide. I wish it had been a slower, more difficult burn to keep the reader invested, and there had been more angst and emotion around the unravelling from him and his near and dear ones. The writing however is good and flows at a decent pace.
Rashmi Rathi
Thanks for the comments!! It's done intentionally, because once he reaches Pachmarhi the pace slows down. That is where the actual content as per the Title begins to pan out.
Deepak Kaul
The story is very clearly carefully researched, and the writing is very detailed. It is easy to visualise the places and the characters written about. However, somewhere in the details, the constant skipping between locales and time lines, and the profusion of characters, the main plot is lost. There are some grammatical errors as well.
Deepak Kaul
A lot of effort has gone into the manuscript. It is very detailed and written well. In some places however, reactions and emotions seem displaced. There has to be a consonance with the situation and the story.
Varchaswi
Thanks deepak ji. Your review means a lot to me. To see that the emotions in their true sense, you have to get to the end of the story......anyway thanks a bunch......please spread the word....each and every review counts.....thanks a lot.
Deepak Kaul
The second story was somewhat captivating, but the other two ... well. If these are meant to be stories about emotions, they failed to invoke any.
Deepak Kaul
Definitely a better effort than the author's previous work. The content and execution is more interesting and structured. However, the writing and grammer at times is stilted and basic.
Deepak Kaul
A fairly stressless read for an apocalypse scenario. There should have been more tension. There is intrigue enough around what the story is about and where it is headed.
Deepak Kaul
For starters, the cover had a spelling error. The writing is very basic and littered with grammatical errors. At times, the paras are long and do not advance the story, which has the promise to be interesting, but lacks execution.
Deepak Kaul
This is how you write a suspense thriller. Great plot, great opening, great writing. Even the synopsis was well thought out and written. The story kept me engaged for all three chapters and I wanted to read more, for sure. All the best to the author.
Deepak Kaul
As promised by the author, a light, easy read. The flow and style of writing is good. And, you don't have to leave your brains behind, as suggested by the author. I have deducted one star for the cover; a bit more effort should have gone into it, especially removing the black and red bands. If done properly, the cover could have been a cracker. I have deducted another star for over-generising and tagging.
Deepak Kaul
I did not want to read beyond the first 2 pages. Maybe it is the genre. There are just too many thwarted love, eventually realised (or not) type manuscripts floating around.
Surendra Mohanty
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Deepak Kaul
I guess it was too much to expect a hat rick of good manuscripts (sigh). After the last two that have been uploaded, I opened this with much excitement, thinking it just might be a near faultless yorker that knocks the middle stump out. However, I discovered to my disappointment that the author has given her wicket away by building so much perceived suspense in the Preface, that one is left searching for it in vain in the following three chapters. Clearly a lot of effort has gone into the manuscript. Just for that I would have given 2 stars, but have deducted one for the needless profusion of exclamation marks.
Deepak Kaul
For starters, I loved the cover. The opening totally had me gripped with the reference and the possible intended pun on Nirvana, given the context of the story, and the fact that I recently watched Cobain: Montage of Heck. The writing is at the right volume of edgy capturing quite well the dislocation of the main protagonist. I wanted to read on to find out whether the voyage of self discovery and the Baba are for real, or it's all a mighty hallucinatory trip, something Kurt Cobain might have indulged in himself. I don't tend to read the synopsis to find out what eventually happens in the book. The opening and the 3 chapters should create enough curiosity to want to know what happens next, which has been adequately achieved. I have deducted one star because I felt the writing could have been tighter in terms of dialogue and scene setting. It would have added to the flow of the story which is already good given the short sentences and paras. This is the second manuscript in a row BGB has uploaded which I have enjoyed reading. All the best to the author.
Runjhun Noopur
Hi Deepak. Thanks a lot for your kind words and for taking out time to review my work with such precision. :)
Deepak Kaul
Very engaging and very well written. Refreshing change to the other manuscripts on this website, including my own! All the best to the author.
Deepak Kaul
I can't wait to read the rest of it, which I know I shortly will when it gets published :-)
Kalyani
Thank you so much for a very encouraging review. This was the first one for the book and I was in seventh heaven after reading it :)
Deepak Kaul
Good writing. The paras are too long in some places. I wish there had been more drama around caste conflict. I got the feeling everything was going too smoothly.
Deepak Kaul
A good writing style. Story is interesting and well presented. A lot of effort into scene setting and character development. Though, in parts paras were too long.
Deepak Kaul
Mangled and confusing. The first sentence itself put me off. The story should come out clearly in the list few chapters, and not in the synopsis, which was BTW was very confusing as well.
Deepak Kaul
Congratulations on making it to both the Leaderboards. Well done!
Deepak Kaul
Please don't be disheartened. I am sure others will like your book.
Sudhansu M Nayak
Feedback noted, Deepak. Thanks for the feedback.
Deepak Kaul
Very generalistic. No new insights. Everyone knows what the author is trying to propagate.
Deepak Kaul
Your writing style is good. If you apply it to original insights, your book will do well.
Deepak Kaul
You writing style is good. If you can apply it to insights that are original, your book will do well.
Panchal CA
Thank you for the review. I appreciate your feedback. I am happy that you have given a honest opinion. Every journey starts with a single step!
Deepak Kaul
Sometimes when I read the book, and then see the ratings below, I wonder whether I am reading the same book. This just seems to be the ramblings of a existential junkie who hates his job.
Deepak Kaul
The only point that stood out was not creating an emotional bond with your job. The rest of it seemed to be a vehicle for the author to trumpet her corporate achievements. The writing style was quite decent, the tone and the flow of the paras and chapters.
Deepak Kaul
Story line keeps jumping, and thanx to the length of chapters one, loses focus, and has no idea what is happening.
Deepak Kaul
Congratulations on making it to the Pop Chart. Well done!
Deepak Kaul
I did not want to read further after the first para. Terrible way to start a story / novel.
Deepak Kaul
Decent writing style but paras are too long, and so are the chapters. Given the subject of the stories, more attempt should have been made to evoke emotions in the reader. Also, characters appear out of nowhere in the middle of a story.
Deepak Kaul
Writing style is engaging but story line is not plausible. No one calls back wrong numbers.
Deepak Kaul
Good writing style but the story is not engaging enough. For example, there could have been more angst or tension between the protagonist and his father.
Deepak Kaul
The author has evidently put in a lot of in constructing the chapters, but I felt the Chapters were too long. You have to grip the readers' attention within 10-15 pages and and create enough of a mystery (in this case, a link between the past and the present), for them to carry on reading. Definitely the synopsis should do that, and there should be a link between the synopsis and the book.
Deepak Kaul
The opening line of the synopsis got drowned out by the next 3 paras, and then there was very little hint in the 1st 3 chapters of the link. Your writing is nice and descriptive, but between the Red Sea parting (assuming it was that!), and Niyaz's story and the coffee shop scene, the link is totally lost. A great proponent of establishing the link between past and present is Dan Brown. Anyway, all the best.
Khalid Mukhtar
Thanks for the candid critique. 1 for calling out the first 15 pages not being gripping enough for you. However, the opening line of the synopsis means to convey the existence of a link (a "progression") between the past and the present. Resolution comes at the conclusion of the subplot. Thanks again, for the strong feedback, and taking the time to read.
Deepak Kaul
I did not find anything wow or weird, just a lot of sentences in bold and irrelevant references to celebrities. Grammar and formatting is sorely lacking.
Deepak Kaul
Writing style is elegant, but given the storyline, does not evoke enough pathos for the supposedly catastrophic tragedy.
Deepak Kaul
Congratulations on making it to both Leaderboards. Well done.
Deepak Kaul
Ya very. I am dying to write uninspiring, mundane stories about random women. Just a tip - when choosing names for characters, keep it simple. Tongue twisters distract the attention of the reader from the subject. Which maybe was your intention because there was not much to go by anyway. Girl hurts knee, meets boy. Teacher watches monkeys with kids. I skipped through the third. It is a sad state of affairs that a book like yours has so many reads, whereas The Gentle Man Who Taught Infinity has only 4.
Radhika Sangam
Jealous, much?
Deepak Kaul
I totally did not get where the cruel twist in fate was in the stories. Death, chance encounters and lay offs happen quite often.
Deepak Kaul
Given the way the first story turned out, I was expecting there to be a parrot in the last one.
Deepak Kaul
Excellent. Grips you from the start. Written at a great pace. Glad it is being published. All the best to the author.
Uday Satpathy
Thanks a lot Deepak!
Deepak Kaul
Too much detail. Story gets lost in the details. At one point, I was left wondering what the story was. The reader should be able to get the drift without having to read the synopsis. Size of chapters is mismatched. Chapter 1 and 3 go on forever.
Deepak Kaul
The theme of the book is good. In my humble opinion, if you tone done the intensity, it might read better. But a lot of people have liked your book, so maybe there is nothing to reconsider!
Deepak Kaul
The jump from the dance bar scenario, which instantly captures your attention, to the past is too dramatic. It should have been split into separate chapters. Once he gets into detail of the father and Singh scene, the dance bar impact fades.
Deepak Kaul
The first chapter is 2 pages. Kudrat and Gautam's meeting is stereo type and uninteresting, but maybe thats real life. I could not get past 5 pages. Maybe it was the screen play writing style.
Deepak Kaul
Much too weird and edgy. If I am not mistaken, in the third story, the protagonist might have raped a dog. Thats very disturbing. If this is the kind of writing thats exciting people, thats even more disturbing. Issues of gay rights, rape, godmen can definitely be dealt with in a less dramatic way to have more impact.
Deepak Kaul
It's actually the second story. With a bit of editing, there might have been no confusion (at least in my mind) whether the ATM guard was the one who violated the dog! Anyhow, I read the stories again. I wish the author had put the third story first because it is the best. It narrows in on the issue (I assume delusional mental anguish caused by modern day life) without being sensationalist. The first story was too carnal and along with the hiccups, pushed the real issue in the background. In the second story, I wish the author had left out the dog and focused on the Godman, unless the analogy was that most Godmen are really mongrel rapists. But I don't know of a single Godman who repents his sins like the mongrel did! I doubt if these elements had been taken away, the writing would have come across as shallow. The intended impact might have been equally hard. As an example, I'd invite you to watch (unless you already have) Blue Is The Warmest Colour and Nymphomaniac. Even though the former won the Palm d'Or at Cannes, I felt the overemphasis in the movie on the sex scenes took away from the angst of same sex relationships, whereas in the later the overblown sex scenes did not detract from the depiction of how the protagonist eventually recognises sexual addiction as an ailment, and tries to come to terms with it. The same thing has been shown in the fabulous movie Shame. My point being (as it was in the first review), that sensationalism should not take the spotlight away from the main subject of the story, which I felt the author might have been guilty of in two of the stories. The fact that we are discussing his work, I guess he has succeeded! I would revise my rating to 3 stars, one for each story.
Minakhi Misra
Deepak ji, I just wanted to point out that the third story swings between two POVs: one, through the eyes of the ATM guard and two, through the eyes of the dog that sleeps outside it. And given these POVs, I think he has done justice to the story.
As for your assessment that the stories are too weird and edgy, I do admit that you have a valid point. However, it is exactly this edginess and weirdness that helped the stories stand out and make me think. Had they been less dramatic, I might left them as just another story, written in a shallow manner.
Deepak Kaul
This book is fab. I hope you are proposing to share royalties with your daughters!
Vinati Sukhdev
Thank you for this rating Deepak.
Deepak Kaul
Very well crafted. The key component for fantasy is to hold a reader's interest since the writing is taking the reader out of well tread comfort zones. The author has done this admirably. Content aside, the flow of the writing is very good as well - an editor's delight. Not only would I like to read this manuscript further, but the rest of the books in the series as well. All the best to the author.