The Four Patriots: Book Review by Asha Seth

Well, the blurb for this book read – If you have ever fallen victim to the system, been humiliated, felt helpless… this book is for you. For a common man, it is hard to deny that fact. Everyone, at some point, has accounted the governing parties of the nation for shortcomings or downfalls, and incompetence or negligence towards services promised, expectations laid.

The recent Elphinstone road railway stampede incident in Mumbai was another highlight of the government’s ineptitude in managing railway affairs that impact thousands of commuters and the in the aftermath of this stampede, the price paid was too high. Cause: A 106-year old narrow bridge that led to the death of 25 commuters and a lot many injured. It was later brought to light that that the bridge ought to be repaired was put forth to the government many times, daily commuters had been tweeting about a possible mishap and alerting the officials, but all efforts conveniently ignored.

It is instances like these and several others that makes one curious to have someone, anyone voice out thoughts against the mismanagement and negligence. We shout, we rant, but what do we really do? Forget it by the next dawn. That the author, Sumit Agarwal, had taken a step in that direction definitely felt like a good start.

The Plot:

The quartet – Varun (software engineer), Aditya (chemical businessman), Salman (CEO of a coffee shop) and Raghav (a politician) are from different walks of life, living, earning, comfortably. That is until they become victims of corruption and decide to change the situation for good. They take it in their hands to curb the prevailing situation of the faltering system and bring the wrong to justice, by being a part of the system itself. They have their partners and family by their side to support their move and voila! The Four Patriots are born who want nothing less than purging the country of all possible social and political evil.

The Review:

The plot is centred around the four protagonists. They are way too perfect and their efforts totally flawless. Their strides into the political arena once they join Naya Bharat, a political party is not just confident and intelligent, but a total no-nonsense stint.

The story is incredibly fast-paced, and the way they go slaying the many-headed monster called corruption is too good to feel true. They eradicate corrupt officials from the different teams and departments with such wit, grit and unity that it almost feels that purging the country of termites is after all not so tough. They have solutions, and mind you, not just solutions, but quick, well-planned comebacks for every situation; unheard and unseen. That’s just how progressive they are. Now, it might sound too much of a boast of their characters, but truly, they seem as perfect as Sherlock Holmes; in short, nothing can go wrong as long as they are around.

1. The book is a job well done for a debut attempt. The author is perhaps, a true patriot at heart, someone burning to see the country change and that is all too visibly dripping from his work.
2. The tedious research and the mind game it took to get the plot tying ends is commendable.
3. The language of the novel is simple, the dialogues are average but that is to impart each character a different appeal since they are locals from different places. So, it feels seamless.
4. The drama, their chemistry and coordination, the quick turnarounds, all make for a readable story.

I won’t be surprised if it gets adapted into a movie. Why? Well, it is all shades of a perfect Bollywood entertainer.

It is the first debut novel that got rated a four. If you plan to read this book, I can’t assure you’ll love it. But for the immensely patriotic juices it oozes, it’ll surely make you question – what can you do for the nation?

If you happen to read ‘The Four Patriots’ or have already read it, do share your thoughts below.

Read more about the author, Sumit Agarwal.

P.S: I received a review copy from the author but the review remains unbiased. You can buy your copy here.

©The Musing Quill