Ila Garg: 21 Things About Romance

21 Things about Romance

By Shomprakash Sinha Roy

Review By Ila Garg

21 Things about Romance, is a self - help book written for everyone out there who was, is or will fall in love. Penned down by Shomprakash Sinha Roy, earlier known for books titled, ‘The Pink Smoke’ and ‘Life Served Hot’ this book is published by Grapevine India too. I am a little disappointed with the paper quality which is thinner than a newspaper. The printing is okay-ish! However, I found the cover beautiful and vibrant. The matt finish looks nice and the colours are appealing. The cover designed by Saurav Das is attractive and hooks the readers. It will instantly make you want to grab the book and read on.

Shomprakash Sinha Roy was born in New Delhi, spent all of his childhood in Chhattisgarh, and presently works as a Content Developer for Dell Inc., in Bangalore, Karnataka. He has an MBA in Marketing & Media Management from the Indian Institute of Business Management, New Delhi. His nativity is a tougher nut to crack – his family tree traces its roots in Rajasthan, and for the last few generations, they’ve been good-natured Bengali people.

The blurb reads as, “For more than a decade, we’ve had exposure to love stories in the form of novels, movies and more. We have fallen in and out of love, and we have been riddled with questions about the origins of love, our emerging sexuality, authenticity of people that we love, and so on. Our parents & society don’t always sync with our ideas of being romantically involved with people of our choices. Indian culture discriminates without discrimination, which in itself a very sad predicament for the new, evolving generation. Plus, there hasn’t been a single platform where all our troubles have been heard and voiced out at the same time. Not until 21 Things About Romance came into existence. This book, written by acclaimed young author Shomprakash Sinha Roy, clubs the viewpoint of an entire generation with his own ideas about romance in the twenty first century, through poignant essays, conversations and articles about love as we know it today. Be part of the romantic revolution with this radical book which is set to answer all your questions about love & change the way you look at romance, forever!”

Needless to say it is not a romance fiction but an interactive book that will help you in the course of your past, present and future relationships. A set of facts that the author shares with the readers through his experience and interactions with the winners of the Lovesteps Contest organized by Grapevine which will help you to tread on a path of self-discovery. These 21 chapters on romance will change you as a person if you are willing to take the helping hand that the author is offering. It will make you realize where your relationship is going and how you can improve it. And that’s not all, it also helps you to unveil your own short comings, and alters your perspective of judging the person from other sex on the basis of height and weight or even looks for that matter! In short, it is one of the best guides to a healthy and successful relationship and also tells you know when you should take a break and/or move on.

He gives ample examples in the book to help you understand the various stages of your relationship and provides instances from his love life too. In the journey of the book, he interviews the contest winners and shares excerpts from their stories. It is a different book, almost like a blog compilation.

The way Shomprakash Sinha Roy has penned down this particular book is really appreciable, he hasn’t only taken one side but has given insights from female point of view too. His advices are valid for both genders. The author has described every emotion that we normally go through in a relationship very beautifully. There are episodes in the book that make you feel so connected and read carefully. Every reader can connect with at least one point in the book and that will act as a life changer.

The 216 page book takes you along with it and makes you realise that you can modify your love story at any point. Some of the things are very meaningful and actually make you want to share this book immediately with your lover or parents too. Yes, you read correctly, parents should also read this one to understand why love marriages are not all that bad after all. The language is easy to comprehend and readers won’t find it boring. Contrary to that, this book 21 Things About Romance is quite engaging.

You should read this book if you have ever been in love or would be in love, to know what she wants or what he is looking at, to discover who can be your Mr. Right or who can you live happily ever after with, to see beyond his bulging tummy and her flaws, to see when it’s not working and it’s time to move on, to understand how you can continue your friendship if the relationship fails; you will have to read the book, 21 Things About Romance.

Still could not find a reason to read it? Well, the secret fairy tells me that you should pick it because it has two great tips to naturally reduce your tummy. Intrigued? Go ahead and pick this one. Highly recommended!

Ratings: 3.5/5

See this compilation of caricatures from the book to get tempted all the more!