BookReview - Keeping Up with Kaneda by Gaurav Kumar

"Keeping up with Kaneda" is a book which narrates the soul-searching experience of the debutante author Gaurav Kumar on foreign soil. 

Book Blurb

Canada – the land of beautiful lakes, opportunities and umm... scores of desis (aren't we just everywhere?). What happens when a young man gets a one-way ticket to the hallowed country? When you're saat samundar paar, even a modest course at a community college becomes a gateway for merriment and learning... of a totally different kind. And so it did, with Gaurav. An Australian flatmate, fellow students from Nigeria and Bangladesh and an employer from Kazakhstan lead him on a journey of epic escapades and much self-discovery. And when you're looking to earn some pocket money, odd jobs just have to do. From a curious DJing gig that turns out slightly different than expected to becoming a walking salesman clad in a sandwich board, there's no dearth of drama. Jump right in, for Keeping Up With Kaneda is an adventure in itself.

When you see the cover of the book you will find some random unrelated things like a bear, a girl in short dress with a snake around her neck, a moose, a stud etc. After reading the book, I found that they are one of the many important characters of the story.

Gaurav Kumar has described his real-life experiences during his stay at Canada in very astute manner. Pursuing his MBA in Canada, he has gone through a lot of part-time jobs for earning his living expenses there. He has written his experience which came across during that period and which have changed his life.

In each chapter, the author would find a new job and narrates the experience of the job. You will find stories like a funny gay DJ night to a memorable outing with a friend on a long drive in Dodge Charger, from a rich girl with a big green snake to Nat Geo people filming giant bear. At the end, he has shared his real-life experience about resigning from his job and his startup journey. I personally liked the conversation with a Pakistani driver in one of the story.

So overall all its a good book to read. The flow of storyline and easy language made me finish the book in a single sitting.

Ratings:

1. Cover: 4/5
2. Characters: 4/5
3. Concept: 4/5
4. Overall: 4/5

Book can be found at Amazon & Flipkart

Review from other readers can be found at GoodReads