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The 3 Mistakes of my Life by Chetan Bhagat: Book Review

Posted by Prashanth | Filed under Headshot, Readable Enough, School Life

This one was long anticipated. The best-selling Indian novelist brings together another installment in showcasing the everyday life of some of the most common, unassuming and inconspicuous people of India. Titled 3 Mistakes of my Life, but disappointingly, has nothing to do with Mr. Bhagat’s life in itself. Anyway, its something fictional, but an entertainer in all. Before I consume your patience with vague descriptions like these, let me get started with the review…

The plot is pretty simple, 3 average students, Govind, Ish and Omi having a hard time living think of entrepreneurship. In middle come an entire big hoard of people, problems and pressures. Its about how they react, solve and live with those problems. Just like his older books, he chose a batch of people who truly represent a good proportion of urban India. This book is picturised in the older and slightly lesser developed part of Ahmedabad, Gujarat and features loads of Gujjus(Read: Hindi slang to refer to Gujaratis). Although no vernaculars could be observed in the book to make it funny in the slapstick sense, the very style of writing makes it really funny and entertaining. Many things that might feel Gujju there might be references to several places or locations in Ahmedabad, Gujju food, and of course, names that truly sound Gujju. But then, I really missed the name Jigness Kumar and a whole bunch of *readable* Gujju vernaculars there!

After reading the book, I kind of felt that it had just one major objective. Making the Indian youth vigilant and aware of some of the biggest problems that plague its society. The list of problems could be very long, but well, Wordpress’s tinyMCE editor does have a bullet/numbering functionality for some reason, right? Feel free to scroll down and continue reading the rest o the review. I just wanted to point out that Chetan covered the following problems in his book…

Expensive Education
Lack of development in smaller towns
Conservative mentality
Extremism in politics
Sick politicians
Religious extremism
Bias towards agnostics and atheists
Poverty amongst the brighter lower-middle class youth
Extreme competition in entrance exams for college admissions
Success is hard to get
Offbeat ideas receive suppression
Lack of sports education/infra-structure in schools, etc
Completely study oriented schools
Small-scale businesses are extremely risky
Advanced coaching for exams is expensive so only the upper-middle class receive that
Drift between religions, castes, etc
Conservative mentality of parents
Hypocrisy among public, politicians, and everyone alike
Lack of awareness, foresight and ideas due to lack of quality education
Smaller schools lack funds and money in everything, just bigger school students get everything
Bad quality contraceptive devices that don’t allow Indians to get bold early
Heavy mugger-friendly curriculum
Monotonous books, pathetic teachers, result oriented study
Lack of scientific temper
Students prejudiced about certain subjects and losing interest
People just want to earn, and passion for anything is dead
Prodigies and talented folks are mostly unrecognized and all that dies away as unharnessed potential
Expensive international air tickets, nice food and even good reference material
Stereotyped mentality of 99% of parents …. I had enough of it and I guess you did too. Just know that it had many more of it…

Oh well, I could go along all my life just covering the problems Mr. Bhagat put on those measly souls. But then, he makes a point clear. Indians live with many of these, even most of the readers do. The story was just a nicer way of illustrating the most extreme faces of these problems. In some places, the book does seem a little cliched with a few situations seeming too obvious in the setting. Like there is this bloke named Ish, who is a talented cricketer who didn’t go anywhere thanks to his involvement with cricket. So well, it was too obvious that his parents, especially his stereotypically grumpy Indian Dad always taunting against his failures, sometimes, simply for the heck of it! And simply for the heck of covering many of these problems, Bhagat creates or sets up certain scenarios a tad too forcefully… He even chose the best possible time-span to set the story in. Between 1999-2002, India faced the worst of all. Worst of riots, the worst of earthquakes and there were a hoard of problems especially in the part of India he spotlighted on. So well, the book in the end seems a little more than a detailed study of these problems… The book did go pretty much on the over-board side, especially in the ending. Seriously speaking, it did feel like a wonderful plot to a hindi movie with Chetan Bhagat trying to keep the book as riveting as possible.

But then, I did find the book an entertainer, but not for the same reasons why I found his previous books, Five Point Someone and One Night@the Call Center. Story and setting did slack off at places, but the writing style simply caught my mind. Several one-liners, witty metaphoric comparisons and unique usage of words with examples plucked from lives of all of us living in the sub-continent did have me bowing down at the same time munching at the food for thought he provided. A few things that he wrote in the book were such that, we might always have it in our mind, but then never have we ever managed to phrase that situation out into a clever statement… At times, he feels just so right. But then at times, it feels that parts of this book were just Chetan speaking out to the public and having his opinion read. And the pricing of the book makes it affordable for even those people documented in the book and even piracy-proof!

There are lofty many things that make Chetan Bhagat a wonderful writer targeting Indian youth. His writing isn’t the same as H2G2, where enjoying the humor means inclination to something, isn’t the same as fantasy writers, who spend a large portion of their publications just explaining the jargon and commodities that they imagined, and neither is it like those philosophical but anecdotal ones like say Sudha Murthy… It just feels almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Me, and many others who are a part of the growing India. The way he managed to put the un-phrased thoughts sitting in the minds of many of us is something that brings me to no surprise to have his third book soaring for success. I would be waiting to read more from him… I wish he updated his so-called blog more often!

Price: Rs. 95/- although ask for discounts in leading book stores.

PS - The book doesn’t have as much of cricket or the fanatic kind of cricket you might assume after looking at the cover, which does look pretty neat.

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Permalink | May 18th, 2008

35 Responses to “The 3 Mistakes of my Life by Chetan Bhagat: Book Review”

3 Mistakes of My Life | Screensumer Says:
May 18th, 2008 at 6:59 am
[...] 3 Mistakes of My Life (I mean Chetan Bhagat’s). Hmm… Not even Chetan Bhagat’s I guess. The Luminar reviews: The plot is pretty simple, 3 average students, Govind, Ish and Omi having a hard time living think of entrepreneurship. In middle come an an entire big host of people, problems and pressures. Its about how they react, solve and live with those problems. Just like his older books, he chose a batch of people who truly represent a good proportion of urban India. [...]
Uma Says:
May 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Very well written review.Its good you didn’t put any spoilers in there.
And I can’t wait to get my hands on that book.I am now thoroughly pissed that you brought that book into my house,showed it to me,took it away and later told me it was supposed to be my b’day present >:-( Very smooth , Prashanth…
Uma Says:
May 18th, 2008 at 11:10 am
And google “3 mistakes of my life review”….check out the link on the third position.Its of a very familiar blog ;-p
History seems to be repeating itself Well done.
shailendra Says:
May 19th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
i have read chetan sir’s last books…..5 point some one and one night at call center, i love to read his novels and now i m going to buy ‘3 mistakes’

and i know this one also would b the best seller book.

best of luck to sir

shailendra jain
Rishoo Singh Says:
May 20th, 2008 at 5:02 am
‘The best book I’ve ever read’………Well that is how I feel every time I finish a good book. So Chetan Bhagat is back with a bang, at least that’s what I felt after reading all the comments in this community.

The book looks more like the script of a Bollywood movie and Bhagat is right writing it that way…after all he has to make the job of the script writers simple now that all his previous books are being made as bollywood movies with some of the biggest names like Aamir Khan involved. This IIM guy has a great business sense.

Bhagat knows that Indian viewers like the movie to have a lot of twists, romance, some comedy here and there, lots of emotions after the interval and a happy ending with a sadness mixed in it. To make it more successful he has mixed all this with the other two passions of the Indians……. CRICKET and RELIGION/POLITICS.

I won’t say that I did not like the book; that’ll be untrue. Being an Indian I love cricket, I love watching Bollywood movies and even though I’m not a hardcore Hindu, I’d still stick to a news channel more if it comes up with a news about a natural calamity, riots or a terrorist act. So I can very much relate with this book but on the second day after reading this book I believe that the first two books were a bit better. This one was just an attempt by Bhagat to lure the readers emotionally by what has happened in India in the recent past and lacked originality. The first two were more original.

The best thing about the book it that it costs just Rs. 95. You can feel as good as watching a movie in a multiplex for such a low cost and then you can share the same book with your friends. Read it sitting on the sleeping couch while watching the IPL matches or the news about Jaipur bomb blasts. Do you think CB can get another story idea out of this? Will definitely wait for his next one though. CB is a wonderful writer and we love him.

3.5/5
kamal kannan Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
A wonderful review citing both the best and the worst parts of the book. And the best part was you did not reveal any spoilers…kudos dude and u also mentioned the price 95/-…thats damn good news…good work ciao!!!
Prashanth Says:
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:46 am
@Kamal: Hey, thanks for the nice words about the review. Rupa Publishers have made it pretty cheap. And then, keep reading the blog!
@Shailendra: Well, it would be a success for sure, as everything that even vaguely interests Indians such as cricket, politics, education bashing, infrastructure bashing, etc are all there. Its a wonderful mantra to sell a book here in India though… And keep reading the blog…
Cheers!
Guru Says:
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:34 am
I just finished the book.It was certainly not as good as its predecessors and predictable in most places. I felt bhagat wrote this book keeping in mind a bollywood script and not a good book. However it takes the reader into the different hardships faced by the youth particularly from the rural areas. It also gives a nice insight into the gujarathi way of life and ethos…overall it is a good read but has fallen short of my expectations …i cud not feel the lasting impression after i finished da book which one will usually have at the end of a CB book…
Amruta Says:
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:43 am
I have read both the previous books… and they especially FPS has left a different benchmark…
But this one is quiet disappointing…
First half is good… but in second half suddenly the story turns out to be a typical bollywood masala movie that has action,romance…
Not up to the mark….. :(((
Manish Says:
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I have read all the three books of Chetan Bhagat.As I have read many writers I realised that this book need little more effort,a little extra punch.But the best thing is that he writes for us, its total Indian nuvel.But truly I will give it 2 out of five stars.If you want you can read but not an go for type of novel.
Ruth Chandran Says:
June 5th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
M a hard core fan of Chetan Bhagat n have read his book five point som… 7 times and one night at call …. 4 times n still not satisfied i just got to know about his new book n thatz wat i going to go and buy first love ur writing lots Mr. Chetan…..
Hope you have maintained the spirit in this book..
Ashish Says:
June 13th, 2008 at 6:28 am
One good thing that i noticed about this blog is that the reviewers haven’t used “sms” language(which I’ve noticed in many other blogs) so thats impressive and ofcourse as someone earlier mentioned there are no spoilers to get you pissed at the reviewer,Oh and yes cant wait to read 3 mistakes.
tech sammy Says:
June 19th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
while chetan’s FPS could have been digested, followed by the One night it was where indigestion began and now at the end you can almost puke on 3 mistakes. The contemporary Indian society may be glittering in the metros where wearing a dress may the point of discrimination but still INDIA stands apart becuase of the way it is. Well frankly speaking if the book is taken for the young blood yes no doubt it is a hot selling cake.And why shouldnt it be, for there is cricket, there is a girl, money , booze and then the water falls from the cliff to religion, business, dreams and a comma, suicide. Chetan should realize that if he starts writing books that takes matters of religion, politics in country, where they hold a special value it should be used in such a manner so that it may not hurt any segment of the society on any dimension. The open comments about the religions, the use of slangs, the way idea about a particular fraction of society is brought about may really spark the minds of many.
Book is a powerful medium of expressing a thought, a thought which may propell a country or could even be used for personal satisfaction. But when you know that your book is going to be read by million pair of eyes and that each tongue can speak fire, a little bit of precaution rather caution should be incorporated.
Second point of disappintment was the way the picture of natural relationship going for a joy ride. As mentioned earlier India may be westernizing but still I feel a major of the society would be still prefering in safeguarding the identity of existenece. On that aspect if one says that the lock is so easy to open and that one could easily walk in and walk out 9 times, I feel someone’s sentiments would been hurt. But there may a fraction, like the size of thumb that would be enjoying the limelight shone upon them. But do they really make any sense ?
Third, the bollywood is known for its stunts where a bullet gets split by a knife and kills two. But I feel there is more than that in this book. 30-40 odd people and three “brave” hearts, I guess even if every Indian possed monentarily courage(as potrayed in the book), today we could have been the most powerful nation in the world. Anyways for a collection of words, the situation may be appropriate.

Anyways I’m not a critic to say whether the book is exceptionally good or not but I can say one thing for sure, while reading I could visualize a hot selling block buster and I sitting on a leather plush seat with pop corn and coke.
Chetan I guess being out of IIT / IIM apart from putting business into books try making a story, may be your forth coming book would not make me sit on plush theater seat again !!!
manav sethi Says:
June 27th, 2008 at 2:23 am
Well i got the book soon after its release , as i am (or rather was) a die hard fan of Chetan Bhagat but his third novel has broken all my expectation. Far below the standards that was expected from him!
i m rerally sorry , Bhagat ji!
Abhinav Chittora Says:
July 26th, 2008 at 5:21 am
I have read the whole book and after reading the book found that it is heart touching story and i will suggest all the readers that they should read whole book at least one time. well I want to say that if you have some experience then it should be expressed in front of people so that people can get knowledge about to handle the particular situation.

So i want to share my experience when i have a work to make a website so see

http://abhinavchittora.blogspot.com/
mohit sharma Says:
August 5th, 2008 at 4:31 am
this is good novel and i liked the way u describe the girl vidya in this novel and the name of girl (main character)
in one night @ call centre this is really amazing.
wish you good luck
Aman Walia Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Hi, I don’t like to read novel..I have read chetan’s first novel one day at call center night..I realy like it ..easy to understand as well. feel like its true and give little bit idea of call center people . Then I got his thrid novel 3 mistake of my life..this novel is combination of lots of things…give a message to the nation as love..lillte bit touch of love story..I realy like this novel a lot..I want that he shd keep writting of this kind of novel..which never make u bore …who so ever read his novel , he/she feel like this novel is based on his/her. somewhere it is our story
sunanda Says:
September 26th, 2008 at 3:03 am
i want story , introduction, summary,of 3 mistakes of my life
abeera salhan Says:
September 26th, 2008 at 3:50 am
hey…
i really loved all the three books.somehow i felt it a bit of my story as well.i am struggling to find love and affection.i have been betraying many people in life and sometimes i feel sorry about it.
and i know i must not give up hopes like that.keep on struggling until u achieve……. my best friends are now Chetan Bhagat books……
hey when is your next book out………… me waiting eagerly…

abeera
Arpita Singh Says:
October 12th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Well !!!this book was pretty successful in bringin all da problems of mordern day india…one will think why read and waste time on smone else’ story but this story actually depicts many of the unseen small day to day life problems which later acoounts for many drawbacks of our country.it struck a chord smwhere in my heart.i really appreciate to the writer’s realistic approach in a very simple yet appealing way
swati mathur Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 2:05 am
hi chetan dis is swati mathur from bikaner
the book is a grt success.ur book contain all issues of current society.i hv read all d 3 books but i like dis book n waitng 4 ur next book
jainam Says:
October 21st, 2008 at 2:39 am
sex-y book .hey chetan , write more sex scenes
Debsankar Sil Says:
October 24th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Hello. Mr. Chetan Bhagat. I heard your name from my fiance and she suggested me to read your third novel “3 Mistakes in My Life. Before that,(I am sorry to say) I never heard of your two blockbuster novels, because I was not used to be a reader of books. But when my fiance suggested me to read I started reading it. Throughout the book I liked it very much. It strucked a cord in my heart and your writing is so good Sir, that I became a big fan of yours. You have written it so beautifully that I visualised the whole matter through my eyes while reading it. This book is very inspiring, I mean, I am inspired a lot while reading it. It has got everything what every human being faces in everyday life. I like Govind and Ishan’s character very much for their practical sense and passion for something. This book taught me how to deal with practical life. I like vidya’s overconfident character. I don’t know these kind of girls are good not not at all good for a practical and buisnessminded person like Govind as a life partner. You have created a picture of modern India (used as a provocative speech) with a backdated mind and with all those things about religion, so frankly and beautifully that I can not mention in words. I really apprertiate your courage as a writer, sorry great writer. This book is really good from all aspects and I will definetly read your previous two books and also eagerly awaiting for your fourth novel.

Good Luck Sirrrrrrrrrrrr
Christopher Says:
November 5th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
And you do not accidentally from Moscow?
dany Says:
November 5th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
well i havent read the book 3 mistakes…….. but i hv read the previous two & i must say they were awesome i really loved one night …. more than 5.sum1 because may be i can relate to it much better not that i’m a call center person but i really liked the plot the first one was almost abt IIT so i couldnt connect myself with it hat’s off to you sir you really inspire the youth of today.hope i could meet u 1 day in person and wish all the best eagerly waiting 4 the 4th novel and now reading the third.
Tomojit Dey Says:
November 10th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Hi Mr. Bhagat,

You have always turned up with something different. It is surprising that such a scholar from an entirely differnt stream has expanded his wings in this direction and come out winning all the battles. With each novel of yours I feel that your writing have flourished. Your first novel “one night @ call center” was a trend setter. I read that book just by chance. Coz I was working in a call center and wanted to see what a scholar who has never been into this industry, can describe the situation. And today I feel proud to say that i work in that industry whose image in somewhat changed coz of your book. The 2nd book was another marvelluos piece of work. All your characters do make me feel as if they are just like someone in my neighbourhood. Your guys are true friends and girls are really funny and very liberal. They know what they want. they might seem to be a bit despo, but that is the way that they are. Can’t really help. And this one,”3 mistakes of my life” has made me a die hard fan of yours. Dude keep on delivering the same kinda thing every time you come up. Take your time and bring a masterpiece.

I love to read George Bernard Shaw and I can add your name in that list.
angelina arora Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 7:34 am
it’s such a beautiful novel i ever read thanks for such a great novel
sushil Says:
November 30th, 2008 at 5:07 am
A very nice book. with a masala climax.. people can relate themselves with it..chetan is SRK of Indian literature.
sahiba dawar Says:
December 14th, 2008 at 10:03 am
dis bk. was actually tyhe real story of life and i think by reading this bk. i thought that i have also done many mistakews in my life nd now i have taen decision that now i not going to repeat datmistake in mylife so, ireally appreciate chetan bhagatnovels
ASHUTOSH VERMA Says:
May 8th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
The story was really a good one .
From the begining to the end . the book take me away from my consious.
I had deeply submerged in the story.
In each step he(Govind ) find his mistake i just got demoralised that those were not the mistakes of his live but just a good and bad experiences.
but at the last section .
I just burst into tears while reading that for saving a muslim boy they just stand against the captors and one of them had loose his life .
it was so much lovely that we have such people among us who do not care about the community and the religions but feelings make them the superhero of their life.
i love that
and if got some day the chance to bet my life for some others , i will never get coward…..
seema Says:
May 13th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
nice book, a must read, so wat r u waiting for, just go and grab a copy
basu Says:
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:21 am
RUPAL BHANUSHALI Says:
May 27th, 2009 at 12:27 am
cool:
Hey…. Chetan
fantastic book. I always like to read yours editions and that romantic scenes- I love it most.
my aunty lives in Ahmadabad.. onces again I felt the pain of earthquake after reading this book.
LOOKING FORWARD TO YOURS NEW EDITION…..
Vishant Chichakhede Says:
May 27th, 2009 at 12:37 am
This book is full of excitement,fun and it has reality too. I appreciate the book from my bottom of heart.
I liked the govinds charcater the most…
Rania Says:
June 15th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I lovd da book specially Ish’s character..i get irritated wid Omi n Govind is oook….awesum buk!!