Nothing can be more exciting to be given a autographed copy of a well known author. And in my case when it happened to be none other than Ravi Subramnian I couldn’t hold myself any longer.I love reading thrillers and have been deeply impressed by many foreign writers. But when I read “Bankerupt” I got much more than what I had anticipated.The novel kept me hooked throughout and it was so involving that I finished it off in 2 sittings.I was so involved in the plot of events that a break which I had to take since I had to go to office after my first sitting, didn’t let me focus in my work .My mind was preoccupied by the events that had unfolded so far in the book.
The plot of this novel has been set up in the backdrop of a multinational bank in India and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston.The story revolves around an investment banker who believes in succeeding hook or by crook, his wife who is ambitious but is honest to the core, rivalry between 2 bigshots of MIT who have reputations at stake, simmering topic of gun control in USA owing to various heart wrenching shooting incidents and other characters from academia,business etc. The involvement of each takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of greed,desire,thriller and murder.
The book runs in three interwoven tracks. One is about Cirisha Narayanan, a research associate in Social Psychology at MIT who is extremely ambitious about her career and girl with impeccable honesty and integrity.
Second track is about Aditya Raisinghania, an investment banker at Greater Boston Global Bank (GB2) in Mumbai. He is too ambitious and wants to win and achieve by any means.
And third track is about story which transpires in MIT, involving various characters which are influenced by gun lobby of USA.
USP of the novel: Clever mix of 3 tracks which involves ample thrill , suspense and drama. It will keep you hooked and you will be excited to know what happens next. The pace of the book is good which never lets you feel dull and lost.It is very difficult to predict what may happen next. You may get so involved with characters that you may identify yourself with them.
Quotations worth mentioning:
“There are three cardinal sins in academia : stealing from research grants,sleeping with a student and plagiarizing or fudging research results”
” When paranoia hits academia . it’s time to hang up your boots”
“The cup of coffee touched her lips for one last gulp”
“My research at worst be called original, and not playing to the gallery of old, obese professors on the verge of retirement.Unfortunately, you value collegiality over originality.
About the author:
Described as the ‘John Grisham of banking’, by the Wall Street Journal, Ravi Subramanian, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, is the author of four bestselling commercial novels—If God was a Banker, Devil in Pinstripes, The Incredible Banker and The Bankster—based on financial crime. Having been a banker himself, he has a unique insight into the industry he writes about and a flair for spinning intricate plots that keep readers on the edge of their seats
His debut novel, If God was a Banker, won the 2008 Golden Quill Readers’ Choice Award and, more recently, The Incredible Banker won the 2011 Economist-Crossword Book Award in the ‘Popular’ category.
Rating: 4/5
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