Book Review - Karan Bajaj's - "Keep off the Grass"

Karan Bajaj’s introspective debut novel ‘Keep Off The Grass’ is a witty and intriguing account of an unplanned quest for identity and the frivolous vanity of human hopes. The protagonist, Samrat Ratan, is a Yale valedictorian and a hot-shot Wall Street investment banker, born to immigrant Indian parents, earning half a-million dollars a year. A contented and comfortable life would ensue, right? Well, a slight twist in the tale. Samrat quits his job and ends up at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, instead. What follows is a mad flurry of his wild escapades which include ‘visiting’ Rajasthan, Dharmsala, Benaras and.....jail! Through his sojourn, he wonders at his metamorphoses from a leader to a follower. He is always going through an internal conflict which marks his actions. He tries to escape from one place to another but one thing that keeps following him is the smell of ‘grass’. He ends up getting stoned at the weirdest of places, giving company to banjaras and sitting at the banks of Ganga with a cannibal.

The novel earns brownie points for its sheer spontaneity as also for the no holds-barred honest insights of the writer. His ability to take the reader completely off-guard to deliver the punches coupled with his wicked sense of humour gives more merit to his writing style. Karan Bajaj is certainly a name to watch out for! His use of language is impressive and his story narration is engaging enough for the reader to keep returning back to it. The novel is highly entertaining and mostly engrossing except for a few parts where you wish Bajaj had not tried to round them up so abruptly as it breaks the continuity. However, his clever portrayal of the rapidity of events maintains the equilibrium.

The very fact that in less than a year into its publication Karan Bajaj’s debut novel made its way to the semi-finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award speaks volumes for his literary skills. ‘Keep off The Grass’ is hilarious, has style and is recommended for its originality which enhances the enigma of the novel.