It’s not every day that you find a novel that screams bold and naughty. Apurv Nagpal’s debut seems to have made a big splash in the literary world. With steamy writing and adult humour for company, Eighteen Plus is full of twists and taboo plots enough to make you squirm in your chair (Sometimes that’s a good thing!)
Memorable reads An amalgamation of short stories, the book has an interesting melange of characters that one just cannot forget. While some are memorable, others are downright outrageous. Tauji, a politician kidnaps a sexologist couple from their house on the Delhi-Haryana border. But Tauji wants more than just ransom. The Sexologist Reveals is a light-hearted story that stands out in the book, though pales in comparison when you read the other stories.
Meenu Verma addresses the Ladies’ Kitty Party Group, North Zone, and shares a PowerPoint presentation of how she went down to rise to the very top. The story can make you cringe a little, but hey, you have to admire the author’s spunk.
The stories penned in the novel offer a seductive appraisal of sorts of what shifts passion below our calm, diplomatic demeanour. Apurv’s first attempt at creating a ‘coming of age’ novel is laudable. The book makes for a perfect getaway read. For those who love to be sneaky and adventurous, Eighteen Plus is perfect for late night reads, lonely bus rides and empty office hours. Apurv’s writing style is crisp, explicit, detailed, intricate and preferably not advised for Eighteen Below (*wink wink!*) His courage to unearth topics that are generally not found in Indian fiction so explicitly make for a reason to try giving this a read.
Verdict: Go ahead and take a peek! There’s a sure chance your voyeuristic-self will get a kick out of reading this.
Title: Eighteen Plus: Bedtime Stories For Grown-Ups
Author: Apurv Nagpal
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs. 195
