Do you know what happens after death? Where do all the souls go? Does all of it end when we breathe our last or is there an afterlife? Things like hell, heaven and afterlife are like questions about Aliens. Some believe in them; some don’t.
The good part of this never-ending debate is that such theories have unleashed the imagination of artists, and hence we can read books covering their version of life after death. More often than not, such texts are filled with interesting folklores, intriguing stories and lots of fun.
When I heard that an Indian author has written a book on the subject, all I could do was say, “I want to read it.”
About the author
This is the first book by the author Himanshu Kumar Sah. He was born in West Bengal and brought up in a small village in Bihar. After studying in NIT, he now lives and works in Bangalore.
About the book
The book is a fiction cum philosophy book. Four people, who happen to be colleagues and work in an IT firm, die and meet Yamraj. They plead with him to give them another chance to be alive again. Yamraj agrees but with a condition.
They all have to play a game – Island Game of Modern Life. Whosoever wins, will get to go to Earth again. What was the game like? Who wins? Is it true that people get a second chance? Dive into this book to find answers to these questions.
Book Review of the Island Game of Modern Life
With an impressive beginning, the book begins unfolding all those elements that create the hype about this book. Soon, you’re at the part where the game is explained. What I expected was a lot “Hunger Games” stuff, but it turned out to be more “Paulo Coelho” stuff; as in the kind of books he writes – combination of fiction and philosophy. I think it would be precise to call this book a spiritual fiction novel as the game itself will make it visible.
It took me quite a long time to understand the game, even when there were just a few pages covering that section. As I moved further, the game began.
I liked how the plot unfolded after that. So many different stories and the fact that they were kept absorbing and real impressed me. It’s tough to like a book which you could not relate to, but what the characters of this book talk about is completely relatable.
Sukesh Govindam, the manager, has a life that makes you have a look at poverty and what it’s like to struggle to reach the top. Shanchita makes you understand how badly one can crave for love and how you can find it in completely unexpected places. She also shows you how to rise after you lose everything. Kapil demonstrates how you can cope up with failures. He is also a good example of how we lose ourselves in our attempt to impress or defeat others. Siddhant is just a curious soul who speaks too much.
All the characters get equal shares in the book except Siddhant. You get to know so much about these people, and you can share a bond with all three. Siddhant, I felt, wasn’t given much attention. His role was just to speak, ask random and sometimes stupid questions and drive the story. But I didn’t mind it as it doesn’t interfere with the story much.
The writing style of the author is quite good considering that he’s a first-time author. It’s smooth and flowing. You would want to keep reading and listen to the complete story. I am sure it’ll improve a lot in his next book and would pleasantly pick up his new book to read.
Final Verdict
The book, being more on the spiritual side, blends philosophy and storytelling. You have a plot mixed with all sort of valuable life lessons you should know of. If you’re looking for a book which you can just slowly read, savor and reflect on, definitely pick up this lovely book – Island Game of Modern Life.
My ratings 4/5 stars
Nice post, I don’t what happens after I stopped breathing. But, some people believes that a person will reborn after a death.