Book Review: The Quest of the Sparrows by Kartik Sharma

The Quest of the Sparrows

Author: Kartik Sharma
Publisher: Rupa Publishers
Rating: 3/5

Worldly pleasures are so enticing! Materialistic success is what people depend on these days. And there is little keenness to discover more about oneself. The art of introspection and self-discovery has been around for quite some time; the only problem is that people run away as soon as the philosophical terms decide to enter their lives. Everyone believes that there is no need for them to explore the inner being until there is a clarion call in form of guilt or illness. Who comes to rescue then? Yes, the self-help books.

‘The Quest of the Sparrows’ is a self-help book that illustrates the simple truths of life through a fictitious story. Hard-bitten by their own distressed lives, the three protagonists come together in this beautiful journey of soul-searching and undergo the process of transformation. With storing narratives and seamless plot, the author has put together an impactful story. Nikhil, who resides in London with his family, is living a miserable life owing to the conflicts in the house. He seeks answers that lie only on the path to self-discovery. To atone for the mistakes he has made, he decides to reach out to the ever-famous Guru- Parthiban. In a parallel scene, Sanjeev, a spy who has been given the contract to prove the Guru guilty, finds himself in a dilemma when his heart refuses to believe that Parthiban is blameworthy. When the three characters come face to face with each other, the story picks up the pace and some unplumbed secrets are revealed.

Crafted with intricate care and narrated with immense lucidity, this book is a delightful read. However, the title and the cover of the book fail to quench the intrigue.

“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.”

The story doesn’t fail in its agenda of making the readers realize the importance of self-worth and having a pure soul. The author has done a commendable job of maintaining the balance between the roles of all the characters and portraying their lives precisely. The font size, font style, indentation is perfect. But language disguises thought and thus, poor linguistic skills are the reason why this book can blow up in the face of the readers. The ideas have been conveyed too bluntly; it is difficult to associate with the setting and empathize or sympathize with the characters.

Overall, a good effort by the author!
Best wishes!

Buying Link: Amazon