BOOK REVIEW - The Portrait of a Secret by Tarun Mehrishi

This book had been hiding on my shelf for far too long now. I had bought the copy directly from the author when he gave a lecture at my college a year back. It resurfaced in a desperate book-hunting session back home, and I brought it here along with some other books.

I haven't read many investigative novels by Indian writers, and this one proved to be a good start. The story revolves around the theft of two valuable paintings and the national and geopolitical implications it has.

The story is narrated from the points of view of multiple characters, spread across time and space. Making connections between all these events and remembering the characters was a task at the beginning. But gradually things made sense, and the narrative style became one of it's best aspects, creating anticipation and excitement as the pieces fell into place.

Another aspect I loved about the book is how the author has blended real-life incidents from different periods and places to weave a beautiful plot. Most importantly, I appreciate how he has specifically pointed out, towards the end of the book, what is factual and fictional in the story. It is the mark of a responsible writer who exercises creative freedom while acknowledging the tweaks he made to facts for entertainment purposes.

So far as my limited understanding of the workings of the Indian government go, I feel that the novel gives a balanced or humane picture of bureaucratic processes and civil servants. It does not portray characters as being entirely good or bad. They are the product of their personalities and situations. It places the characters close to reality, as most people aren't either black or white but grey in different shades.

The length of the chapters is neither too long nor too short, making it a comfortable read. Like a journal entry, every chapter bears the date, place, and time of the events, making it easy for the readers to follow the narration.

So overall, this book is an enjoyable read for anyone. The language is simple, concise, and clear without unnecessary jargon or complicated sentences. It's a pretty good debut novel, and I look forward to more such works from the author.