When I got the book The Bestseller She Wrote fore review,
the subtitle ‘adapted into an Amazon Prime Web Series named Bestseller is what
caught my attention. I had watched the series and had shared a review that the
story was good but the execution especially the acting of Shruti Hassan didn’t
fit the bill for me. Keeping this prejudice in mind I grabbed the copy just to
see if the ‘book is always better than the visual media adaption’, the belief
that I have always kept is proven again.
The plot takes off in a slow pace when the protagonist
Aditya, a celebrity author, was attending a fan meet wherein he meets a random
girl, whom questions his ideology that a book is a product. Further we see how
their equation changes the shades and how Aditya’s life changes irreversibly –
both professionally personally.
The different attempt
I have read Ravi Subramaniam’s previous books and have felt
that there is an Indian version of John Grisham in his books. But on the
contrary, the Bestseller She Wrote is crafted more like a romantic stint with
some thrilling element. I liked how the author has deftly added layers to the
characters and established a preset notion about everyone which connected with
the audience instantly. The effortless narration hooks the readers both out of
curiosity and interest.
However, the antagonist has been in a template that we have
read before. Hence the pattern was predictable, unlike the author’s previous
books. The climax which lacked substance dampened the plot significantly but
how the author finally brought the shades of all characters on one layer is an
interesting observation for someone who wants to analyse how human mind works.
Infidelity, ethics and logic in relationships
The author has shared several observations about how a
relationship works and also how infidelity slowly creeps into a relationship. I
have highlighted several lines as they resonate with many real stories that I
have come across. The book left me wondering how the author has a deep
understanding about the human minds. The parts where he is narrating the layers
of an extramarital relation as well as how if affects the both parties are
relatable at several levels.
The web series and the book
Though the book is adapted into a web series, I could not find
much parallels between the plots. There were several references of the
discrepancies in the stories written by the antagonist, which was probably
extrapolated in the web series. Hence comparing both was not easy as both are
being placed at different levels. However, the character portrayal of the
antagonist is much more engaging in the book than was executed by the actress. The
character could have been explored more in the book because it is a layered
character with lot of possibilities of having engaging subplots.
Overall the book is an engaging, quality read. You will love
it if you like Indian style contemporary fiction with a tinge of suspense
Reading a book and watching the same will definitely have some discrepancies. But again the story sounds quite interesting. Will read a book and skip the series for now.
I have read this one and many other books of Ravi Subramanian. Each of his novels combines elements of finance, suspense, and human drama. I enjoyed The Bestseller She Wrote too and it was good to know about the writing and publishing industry too.
Thank you for sharing your honest and balanced review of the book. I haven't watched the series which has been an adaptation of this book. I guess after reading this review I will skip watching it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping fellow readers make informed decisions.
As you have rightfully pointed out, Rakhi, I wonder how the writer gets the perspective of both the persons in an extra-marital affair. He mustb have talked to a wide range of people to get to this level of understanding human psyche vis-à-vis tumultuous relationships.
Hi there! Your book review of "The Bestseller She Wrote" is spot on! I appreciate your honest take on the different yet clichéd trope. It's great to see your insights into the book's uniqueness. Keep sharing your valuable reviews! 📚👍
I had seen shruti hasan's previous movies but did not like her acting much. I did not watch the web series either. would love to watch it soon as your review has made me curious. agree, visual media and book requires different skills and sometimes, same concept works in one medium but not for other.
It is interesting that Ravi Subramanian's book – The Bestseller she wrote has been converted into a web series. Having read the book, I feel this was suited to a web series, it has enough sex and intrigue to keep one glued.