Book: Janardhan Talbot, Vol I
Author: Mohan Timmaraju
Published by: Independently Published
Publication Year: 2019
Format: Amazon Kindle, Paperback
Genre: Literary fiction, first independence war of India
Reviewed by: Gautam
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is one of those books that become very interesting if you fully understand the underlying layer of the message by the novelist. Mohan Timmaraju, the authors of this novel, Janardhan Talbot, comes from a family of freedom fighters and patriots who fought for the independence of the country. He also has vast experience of working in different countries with different organisations. However, his heart did never find satisfaction with all these and he constantly desired to write something about the first freedom struggle of India – the 1857 sepoy mutiny that raised India conscious for a while. This novel is a result of constant zeal, prolonged hours of stories about his freedom fighter members of the family and an urge to narrate the story in his own terms.

Janardhan Talbot is a novel that tells the story of a boy from South India, Janardhan Rao, who begins his journey from a village of south India and reaches the shores of England as the novel ends. In between, however, many things happen that will keep the readers extremely interested in the novel. After entering into a feud with the British police officers because of his father’s insult, Janardhan has to leave his homeland and he comes into the city. He becomes friends with Jonathan Talbot and comes close to his family too. He is a good learner and learns the attitude, accent and manners of the British. He and his friend Jonathan look the same and it becomes, at times, difficult for others to differentiate among those two. This is the twist-shaper in the plot and the author has used this tool very effectively.

The novel is also about the internal conflicts in the heart of Janardhan. His love interest, a lady in the village and also many others who come and go from his life with time. Also, the bigger question is whether he will choose his ambition to make wealth and live a luxurious life or his country and countrymen who are suffering at the hands of the British.

I will also add that Janardhan Talbot by Mohan Timmaraju is not only an interesting novel but also an intriguing one. He has used the elements of surprise and emotional caveats very well in his very debut attempt. This work will interest the readers of every age group except readers below 16 because it doesn’t have too many action sequences. Much of the plot moves in emotions and the novel moves rather slower. Still, it has the grip to keep a reader indulged and excited. You can get a copy from Amazon Kindle and read the novel to know more.

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review by Gautam for Intellectual Reader