A fresh air- Review of Paradise Lost & Regained

Finished reading the novel- ‘Paradise Lost & Regained’ by Mr. Ratnadip Acharya a while ago. Before we come to the main part of the story, let us first look into the life of the author- and what made him write the book.

About the author:

Ratnadip is a well-trained street magician and has demonstrated his skill to many across the country. A NIT Jamshedpur Graduate, Ratnadip lives in Mumbai where he works as an Electrical Engineer. He contributed many inspirational write-ups in different collections of Chicken Soup for the Soul. In December 2012 his first novel, ‘Life is always aimless ….Unless you Love it’ was published and was received well by the readers across the country.

Being deeply interested in life, Nature and its mysteries, this time Ratnadip has come up with a storyline the like of which has hitherto not been told. It is about a little deer growing up in a far-flung deep forest, teeming with its fellow deer, other animals, trees and rocks. Yet we can all find ourselves in this strange and surreal world that Ratnadip has created in this inspirational novel Paradise Lost & Regained.

The book:

If we go through the title of the book, the first thing that comes to our mind is the books belonging to similar titles that were written ages back by John Milton. Well, in this book, Paradise has nothing to do with the garden of Eden or God’s own land. Rather, here it is told about the part of the world that is a paradise in itself for somebody. In the story, we see how the protagonist is taken away from her own paradise, and later, with gifts of trust, hope and determination, is able to get back there again. Surprisingly, here the protagonist is a doe- a female deer. So, going by the tale, I feel the title is the most suitable one for the book.

Now let us come to the cover page. The front cover shows a deer standing on a rock in a starlit night. The back cover shows the deer jumping over a huge boulder in the same starlit night, while a butterfly is fluttering its wings somewhere on the top. The back cover, like any other book, also has the synopsis of the book. But the surprise is that here, the summary is in the form of rhymes, where the objects of nature are asking the deer to narrate her story, which the deer is doing as a flashback in this book. At the end, when she is asked to give a name to her story, she names it with what we find the title of the book to be.  In the story, we see the deer face many challenges and solving mysteries in her own way. And most of her expeditions take place at sunset. The nature- with its biotic and abiotic components- has always proved her companion. Going by every aspect, I feel the cover page is entirely fit for the book.

Now it is time for the main plot.

For the last few months, I have been reading stories of just one type. Though I liked them, still, deep inside, I was looking for a change- a fresh air. And then, I got my share of this book.

The story is in the form of an autobiography of a female deer, where she narrates the events right from the time she lands on the green earth of the jungle from her mother’s womb. Then, as I travel along with her in her journey, I experience a number of things along with her. Not only does she show the pathetic lives of deer- with threats like presence of predators and hunters, but also teaches how determination and trust in nature can help you reach your noble goal.

Here, the deer is shown to be a unique one. Unlike the other deer of her herd- who are satisfied with the comfortable yet boring life under captivity, she loves being free. She has a power to look into the mysteries of the world around her, which she tries to solve in her own way. She goes deep into things. She feels everything surrounding her- the trees, birds, insects, rocks- are her friends and ironically it is shown how those elements actually guide her to her goals every time- right from her escaping from the zoo back to her forest (which touches me the most), to her protecting herself from the eyes of a hungry predator. The story ultimately ends with her adopting a baby deer who is exactly like her in nature- whom she is to pass the things she has learned from life.

The language used by Mr. Acharya is very simple and lucid, and every little thing is explained in details. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the book thoroughly- from beginning to end, and would call it a must-read for simply any reader. And lastly- a message to the writers who only go for inane chic-lits: Do read this. You will know how good a ‘story’ can be in an entirely different genre.

I would rate the book 4.8 on 5.

And at last, I would like to give my best wishes to the author for his future. I am waiting eagerly for your next book, Dada!