Dear Dear Readers,
It has been one month since 3 came out. Life has settled back to normal somewhat. I go to the office, come back home, play with the kids and go to sleep. I need this for the moment, for I don’t think human beings are designed to handle thousands of opinions and judgements about themselves everyday. Blogs, comments, emails, articles, reviews, interviews, events, sales figures and now even in public places, I get told how good or not good my books are, innumerable times a day. It is a lot to take in, and I am not even sure how much is really going in. But I thought I will tell you the overall consensus that is building about 3 and my books in general. After that, I will give you my personal take on it all. Let me divide it into various categories:
Sales
First of all, the sales figures. The first month sales figures for my three books are as follows:
1. Five Point Someone - 5,000 copies (new author, this was a good number)
2. One Night @ the Call Center - 50,000 copies (since FPS was already popular).
And now for 3, I just received the figure this morning for the sales last month:
3. The 3 Mistakes of my life - 5,00,000 copies.
Wow! Well, first of all, thank you! You made it happen.
I don’t know how 3 achieved 10x increase over the previous book. Maybe the first two books had become quite popular, maybe there was a long gap, maybe we had good media coverage, maybe it was the whole hype about the “#1 selling author in history” or maybe the theme this time had wider reach than the narrow setting of the previous two books. Whatever it is, it is leaving all of us gobsmacked. The book will be the highest selling book of the three pretty soon, (yes, more than FPS too) and that too by a wide margin.
Reviews - Core Readers (hardcore fans who will read all CB books)
The reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Many have insisted it is the best of the three books. I know some people have been disappointed (say 5%). Please accept my apologies, will hope to do better next time. I do want to share this. The readers who enjoy my books most are those who read my book for that particular story and go with the flow. If you have unrealistic expectations or read the story by dissecting and comparing with past works, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Try not to do that.
I do hear the term “Bollywoodish” associated with some of my stories. As long as that is an observation, it is fine. (Good) Bollywood is about drama, plot, message, fun, emotions, action and happy, hopeful endings. I like that about Bollywood. I think most Indians do too. As one comment said, who wants stories that move painfully slow and end in despair? I don’t, and if you do - there are plenty of books in the store you will find like that.
Reviews - Fringe Readers
My fringe readers are those who do not like my books, but read them anyway. They are “I’ve read all 3 books , all are crap” variety. Why did you read the second book if you didn’t like the first? Why did you pick up the third? There are a lot of good books in the bookstore that need reader attention. If I am not to your taste, switch! Let’s have a happy parting. There is no need to behave like an obsessive ex-lover who will hate and care at the same time. Stop visiting this site, look away when you see my books in a shop and the rest will be just fine.
As expected, the fringe readers continue to have this love-hate relationship with me. My third book didn’t work for them, though they read it in the first week of release, and they couldn’t put it down while reading it.
Reviews - Critics
Strangely, the reviews were not as bad as I expected. Maybe they liked the book, or maybe they had a change of taste or maybe they realized that a few million, English speaking, educated Indians can’t be wrong. The lack of insight amongst critics (not everyone, but most) continues to baffle me. The most common observation “he is not literary” is something I said on my own site four years ago. I became bored of that observation so I said “my language is not that good” in a HT Brunch interview. Now most critics carry that observation. (Incidentally, a senior journalist from Guardian UK told me he really liked my language in the books.) I am not looking for praise, but if you call yourself a critic or an expert, you must offer some original, analytical insight about the work - good or bad, to justify your job. Summarizing the plot and repeating past interviews is not that. Anyway, less slamming for me this time, so I am happy. Thank you guys.
Speaking of critics, I do value them. But I want them to be fair, honest and open minded. I am no one to advise them, but I do want to mention a memorable speech from the movie Ratatouille.
“ In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more. “
My personal take
I feel calm these days. People tell me I haven’t changed after I became a celebrity, and that feels nice. It is extremely important for me to stay grounded, remain down to earth and be a good human being. I am happy about 3, as I wanted to do a story about Gujarat with all the uncomfortable topics included and I wasn’t sure if it would be accepted. I know I used the three friends combo again in 3 like FPS, and there was a reason. Religion is an extremely tough subject to handle, and I wanted to be able to do that well and so chose a character combination I had done earlier. I wanted the story to travel wide, so I put in a lot of entertainment value (which I enjoy doing anyway). What is the point of writing a story on tolerance that is read only by intellectuals who already know that? So, a Bollywood treatment is just fine to get that reach according to me. If Chetan gets slammed a bit more for it and is not called a ‘great’ author, how does it matter? But if next time a reader of 3 can see through the nonsense of politicians, then the greater purpose has been achieved.
Finally…
To be able to write on the topic of my choice is the freedom I ask of you. That is a lot more important for me than a) Beating FPS (why? why should I write to beat FPS when maybe another story needs to be written about) or b) Making sure big movies happen (if movie adaptation was my main focus, I’d never do a story on Godhra), or c) Break records everytime, or d) silence my critics. All these reasons means writing for my ego, and I want to write for my passion. There is a big difference.
Having said that, my fourth book will not be so dark. I am done with dark for now and want to do something fun. And the book will not be about three friends for sure. What exactly will it be? I don’t know.
Love lots,
Chetan
PS: I can’t reply to every comment, but I do read them all. Also, other visitors to this site enjoy reading them too. If you’d rather send feedback in private, go to the Guestbook. Comments in the blog are public, and so please don’t write personal stuff or give spoilers. And be nice.
hey i luv ur books luv reading them
Comment by minnie — June 6, 2008 @ 9:59 pm
Dear Chetan,
Kudos to u for this wonderfully crafted book. I am really happy to see that you are actually living upto your fan’s expectations! You can have a look at a small post that i have written about 3 - http://deepaksalunke.blogspot.com/2008/05/3-mistakes-of-my-life.html
I wish this blog thing of urs is not temporary. We(all CB fans) would like to read about your thoughts , not only about your books but on various topics in general. As many celebrities have taken blogging seriously in order to connect with their fans worldwide; I guess you will not disappoint us. I wish you all the best for ur future. God bless u n keep blessing us wid ur wonderful writing!
Cheers,
Deepak Salunke
Comment by Deepak — June 6, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
hi chetan,
i hav read fps nd ur latest “3 mistakes..” . i liked ur first book very much. but as for the third i think u left some points uncleared like why omi gave his life for ali whom he hated first and if ish wanted to save ali just bcoz he was gifted cricketer, and not bcoz he was a child. i would like 2 know what u think about this. do reply soon.
wishing good luck for nxt book,
pranav mathur
Comment by pranav — June 6, 2008 @ 11:13 pm
hey chetan,
u hv done it again man………..u hv struck a chord wid me again ( i dont say dat it is a compliment though……..hehe)……read “3″ last nite………nd incidentally i bought it from AMDAVAD (a “small town”)…..read it through my 6 hr long train journey to a place u mite not hv even heard of valsad(an even smaller town)………..i really loved “3″………..just like hari and shyam even govind i cud relate too………… “nd can u answer a query of mine …………..do all elder brothers beat their sister’s love interest………”
Comment by lamiv — June 6, 2008 @ 11:48 pm
Hey Chetan,
I have read your books - FPS, One Night and 3. The first atleast 3 times. Being an engineer (though not from as prestigious college as an IIT) I could very much relate to it. Albeit not all the gimmicks that you have mentioned. I think I would belong to the first category of readers u have mentioned in your blog- hardcore fans.
The second one was good, but somehow the ending was a bit too fictious. :).
But 3 is a gem of a book. I don’t think anyone writes as close to reality as you do after reading this book. I guess like the first time I am going to end up reading this one too over and over again.
Amongst other things your books gives people from the younger generation like me, a hope and will to etch ourselves into good beings throughout our lives. I am in no way criticizing your writing (for I love it too much to do that and neither am I qualified to!).
Wish you all the very best in your forthcoming books and in your family life. Would definitely be honored to meet you some day. Thanks once again for a lovely book. Cheers mate!
Comment by Pranam — June 7, 2008 @ 1:33 am
Here are three mistakes of my life:
1. I bought ‘3′
2. I read it
3. I am typing this here
I will lie in the ‘fringe reader’ considering my blog has the tagline from FPS and I almost remember every line from FPS and still I am trashing this book. But I have a reason.
Dude, I understand you folks draft the book more than ten times but why don’t you check the plausibility-quotient of the incidents every time? Surely that would have wiped out a lot of incidents from this book. I say this because in your writing principles you said you don’t intend your books to be the platforms for hindi movies.
Anyways, it’s your style : mixing fact with fiction and being ‘filmy’. Just keep it plausible.
Comment by Shekhar — June 7, 2008 @ 7:26 am
Hi Chetan..
I don’t know how many times I should thank you. You’re books are one of the best a person can get to read.. When reading, I don’t mean ONLY READING..a reader can relate to the characters in your book. I don’t mind if it’s filmy..cuz movies are also fictional anyway.. No matter what your “fringe readers” say about you or your books, you continue doing what you’ve done since 2004 and do even better.. God bless you and wish yo u all the success.. Do come out with your 4th book soon…..
Take care…Love..
Comment by Divya — June 7, 2008 @ 12:20 pm
Tashi Delek! (Thats how we, Tibetans greet)
Its your passion to write and it has become my passion to read your! I just finished your 3 and as always you are not a disappointment. I enjoyed the book very much just like FPS and ONCC. Some of the things that i like about your books are that, its affordable, your writing not only pulls but also manages to retain our enthusiasm. Moreover i just love your english for when i go through your books, i don’t feel i am reading something instead it feels like you are personally telling me these stories.
You could make a good looking tibetan monk, if you ever become one!!!
It seems you are blessed with an understanding, loving and caring wife.
Keep moving, we’re waiting!!!
Free Tibet!
Comment by Yangchen — June 7, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
Hey Chetan!
I have read both your previous books and was fascinated by your work. I bought a copy of 3 the very first day and would like to commend you for your work. It was really a nice book, I read it at a go… The 3 characters might look like a similarity to FPS.. the story might have received reviews that say its Bollywoodish but as a matter of fact I loved it and there wasnt a single moment I could take put down the book. It didn’t bore me any bit and loved every moment I spent reading your third work. I loved FPS(may be coz every iitian or every student in fact falls in luv wid FPS).. but this new buk of yours doesnt disappoint a single bit. Kudos to u.. Rock on.. Looking forward for your fourth book eagerly!
Comment by Rohit V — June 8, 2008 @ 12:58 am
u knw chetan!!
it was first time i got hold of ur book…d call centre walla..ehehe….
pata hai…..i finished readin in one day…gosh i was sittin in the bank reaing it…in the car reading it,,,shopping mall readin it,,n when i came back home i was reading it ..n my bro was like..heheh teasing me …yeh kya itne dhyan sey padh rahi hai….
hehhehe
intially i felt…yeh kya bakwas..hai …people can maken money outta writting shit…
i can write better than this…yeah bollywood heheh sure.khas kar woh seen..climax walla..when shyam…follows ..priya..oh im sorry priyanka..ehehhe she doesnt like it u see ..shyam told me
n then when i finished it..i felt..refreshed…encouraging book…especially i love the way u describe girls..ehehhehe…i felt..eheheh kash..mai hoti radhika..eheh phir anuj k dekhti n……..
then i was..like..if i was..priyanka…..awwww..i still feel she is confused gal after meeting god..too ;-p
n vroom was so much like guys we face everyday..flirtu types..hehehe
trust me radhika z in law n priyanka s mom ..heehhe.they r so much visible..characters in todays life..all these unties..hehe gossip queens..resemble..them with there melodrama….
by the way i was just ..here to tell u i liked ur story…….
n i wud love to be a character of ur next story sir……hehehee
gosh i was here to give u review chetan…….
seems i can write a book to…….
yeah..hehehe
i didnt know boys observe girls so much……
n yep thanku for readin my post
adios
Comment by suchita — June 8, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
Hi Chetan,
I dont read books that often, but yes I make it a point to read ur books. Belive me or not I never used to finish my school days text book in a year..(Hey I am/was a good student)..but I finish your books in 12 Hours!!! U have changed the way I read books..
I work in an International call center, Gurgaon… and One night @call center was good. But to be vry honest something was missing…Just hope these things will be taken care in the Movie..
Waiting for your 4th book
Regards,
Subhajit
Comment by subhajit — June 8, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
hii chetan…me a 18 year old boy who just completed hi class 12th…unfortunately i never got much time to read books besides my hectic course book..though i often read them between the classes during boring classes and sm times if iwere free…but still never manged to read ur books..The first i did after completing my 12th was read ur books..i finished ur 2 books in 1 day and soon shall buy next 1 frm my pocket money…yes i m ur new fan and really liked what content u have served..unlike others ppl of my age group i dont dram to be an iitian..shocking but true.i think i am not meant for iit..not tht i am afraid of working or any thing else just tht iit thing wont work for me..but wud surely like experince wht hari did…
Comment by ankit agarwal — June 8, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
Hi. Chetan,
My verdict: 3 no match for 5 and 1.
Unable to visualize ur characters in 3.
They seem unrealistic, crossbreeds of ‘Yo!’ and ‘Namaste’.
Story not gripping enough.
Hoping better book next time, how about an ‘investment banker’?;-)
Regards,
Kalp
Comment by Kalpesh — June 8, 2008 @ 11:46 pm
hi chetan,
great work i must say and you’ve just got another person added to your hardcore
fan list..!!! but i was quite curious about one thing… please tell us what percentage
of the story is actually taken from real life incidents…and what percentage you’ve
cooked up on your own…!!!
Comment by shikhin — June 9, 2008 @ 1:47 am
Hey I love the way you write
Comment by Priyanka — June 9, 2008 @ 2:10 am
hallo sir, I have not read your this 3 book but the 1st 2 i read.5.someone on 11feb and 1night@calll center on 8th may this year.I tell u iam not a guy who love to spend 95 bucks just for owing a book. that is why i got both of your books by my friends and read it. but i tell you when i read the 5.som… its just took me.that forced me to buy one night… but my exams started and then one of my friends bought it.but then i heared ur 3rd book.I am really trying to restrict myself and let me see who wins the fight.the day i will buy ur book, i will loose otherwise any of my friend buys it, i will read by him.but you really is something. earlier i used to think that these iit guys are just about there buisness and so i used to consider myself better than them.but you changed my vision towards them, though it is not going to affect them anyway as iwas nothing in front of them.i even hated u too just because u had been an iitian.but ur book changed it all. so when a book changes a vision, i think everybody will agree that it must have something.and i want to tell you that, probabaly because of this change in my vision i swoted for iit after 11feb this year and i am now an iitian.
well, other than this thought i want to share some matter which deals with a more personal thing so i wanted u to reply me or at least to tell me wherer to ask someting to you.
Hope a reply will get soon!!!!!!! - Manas Mishra, Allahabad.(idharath2006@yahoo.co.in)
Comment by manas mishra — June 9, 2008 @ 7:29 am
Hi Chetan,
Well first things first!! Many congratulations to you for not just 3..but for all the 3 books that you have given us to read and enjoy. I don’t think that there is any problem with your work.. An author puts his imagination to use and crafts something and a reader reads it. You did what you are good at and people are doing what they are good at. I think 3 is an amazing combination of all the 3 major epitomes of India as a country and a home to millions - CRICKET, RELIGION AND BUSINESS.
Keep up the good work!! Waiting for your next!!
Comment by pooja — June 9, 2008 @ 11:51 am
hey, ONE casual question…
y do u alwayz name ur books with numbers ?
FIVE . someone
ONE night at the call center
and now
the THREE mistatkes
seriously, did some astrologer tell you that ur books will do well if you theirs names contain NUMBERS :P. Reminds me a certain ‘K’ ..those TV serials. Pardon me on that pathetic comparison.
Regards
Anjali
Comment by Anjali — June 9, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
Dear chetan, I had written to you once before as how i had never read a book in my life before and having got hold off to 3 I just couldn’t help but read all 3 books of yours in a matter of 3 days. Having really enjoyed going through your books I felt may be I do enjoying reading but never realised it which prompted me to get another book from a different writer, don’t remember the name but another IITian and I just couldn’t get myself to get through the first couple of chapters, let alone the whole book. I let you know all of these so that I can hopefully get some feedback on the kind of books or particular writers’books you have enjoyed and more importantly when can we expect you to be ready with your fourth book.
Comment by Ali — June 9, 2008 @ 2:21 pm
Hey dude,
Wassup? well it will be funny thing to disclose but i read ur 3 mistakes of my life book first and now i am reading 5 point someone.
Well i guess i fell for the hype for 3 and read it.It was good or should i say if it was not that god i would not have started reading 5 point.
Anyways next time i want you to write about my story.wat say?
Regards
-Rohit D’souza
Comment by rohit dsouza — June 9, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
Hey Chetan.. I had Picked up One Night first n then went on to FPS.. I just loved the two books n was eagerly waiting for 3.. N Boy.. Was it worth the wait.. Excellent Book.. Enjoyed reading it once n have started reading it for the second time now.. I really like the way you capture even the most minute detail about your characters and the settings..
N about ur critics n fringe readers, Who cares!!! Its us majority who enjoy ur books.. Let them say what they want to.. Am already waitin for news on ur next book.. I am an avid reader but the casual tone that you manage to provide to ur books is really rare.. Somehow m able to connect better with ur works..
Keep up de good work.. Congratulations on 3 n all de best for future
Cheers
Trupti
Comment by Trupti — June 9, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
Hi Chetan,
Congrats on the success of 3.I have picked it from the store and am waiting to pounce on it.Will get back 2 u once i m done wid it
“writing is to express, not to impress” and you really ‘write’ upto this ideology of yours.
i loved FPS and One Night .i liked One Night more than FPS tho.
Keep up the ’sincere’ work dat u do not so ’seriously’!!
God Bless
Sohini
Comment by Sohini Roy — June 9, 2008 @ 8:07 pm
I have read all your three books but i say, 3 mistakes is the best of the lot. Though initially i didn’t think so as it is little slow but the second half is full of expression and action. Couldn’t keep it down until I finished. Still wondering whether it is fiction or real.Whatever,it’s a simple story but expressed it extremely well.
Comment by Sujata Rajpal — June 9, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
Hey Chetan..
Just started reading “3″, sounds interesting as usual…
One Night and Five Point both are excellent and cant tell you which i liked most.They are special in their own ways..
Please keep going on…we love meeting you through your books, specially the prologue where we meet the real Chetan….
Take Care,
Poulami
Comment by Sohini Roy — June 9, 2008 @ 9:19 pm
dear mr bhagat
incidentally,having read fps,one nite & 3, i accrue the core reader squad of ur writing expositions.
immaculate cohesions of scintillas & seamless desegregation of multifarious hues of spiced up ideas suffused in a dewy-eyed english makes your short stories a consummate repose.
i hope you come out with the fouth stuff soon
for critics, the less you care, the better stuff you come out with,no great writer ever listened to them with PURPOSE coz critics have the look of the people who do not masturbate but who think about it almost all the time…
Comment by ashish — June 10, 2008 @ 12:41 am
I could be categorised as your fringe reader though minus some charcteristics. I guess i do agree your books are fun to read. Though i would say just one, thing reading FPS as soon as you enter an IIT is the worst mistake you can commit asnd taking it to heart would be an even bigger mistake.
Though i simply loved One nite, it was a really well crafted story and made a lot of sense and at the same time was fun to read and fast paced. Infact i felt a lot motivated after that.
In “3″ u have not only copied the three friends but also the forbidden love interest. Infact for the first half it seemed as if all four had been juxtaposed into a new situation thts all. Infact i felt it was “FPS part 2″. In the second half the story was rivetting and end was brilliant. But i m sorry to say the drastic transition i felt u had made from fps to one nite has been lost in 3.
However critical i maybe of your latest effort but waiting eagerly for your fouth one.
Comment by Amey Mandhan — June 10, 2008 @ 7:23 am
Dear Chetan,
finished your Third Book yesterday night.
Superb.
Srujal
Comment by Srujal Shah — June 10, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
Hi Chetan,
I have read the teaser for your 3rd book, and believe me, I want to buy the book now. Not just because I want to know about the fate of the boy, but to read how,you, as a contemporary author would treat the storyline. I do have plans to quit job and take up writing seriously.
I have posted your blog on my blog roll, along with Amitab’s blog so that my friends can get to know more about you. All the best!!
Comment by Neelima — June 10, 2008 @ 1:13 pm
damn good book….but i jus felt this time the character introduction was a little bit boring…i mean also i felt sorry for them…they were not like me…pretty poor so had a bit of a trouble identifying with them…but once it got going…it was pacy….damn exiting with an excellent climax….do u endorse love at 18…i dont think so …thts way too young…may be u could restrain from throwin in premarital sex stuffs..atleast u could say they are wrong in the end…i mean..i definitely dont want my girl to lose her virginity.. jus a thought buddy… i love u’r works..i feel u are the real author who connects to most of us…and in a broader sense u’ve achieved what u set out to achieve in this book…BRAVO.. u’ve addressed a lot of brave issues..and this is a serious story…
and u’r language is COOL….forget what the oldies say….you write for us youngsters dont u…
I admire and adore u… am waitin for a fun filled one next time..and please bring in a mature love story between someone aged around 23 or 24 next time… luv ya…cheers
kamal
Comment by kamal kannan — June 10, 2008 @ 1:14 pm
Just read my latest blog…its about you latest book….i apologise that I haven’t read other books of yours but just because I never like to read it….but You made me to read one …it was superb…awesome…dont have any words to describe…
Comment by vinay — June 10, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
i’ve read your first 2 masterpieces………and with ‘3′ , u have increasd the no. to 3.
it its simply great….i jst culdnt keep it dowin until i had finshed reading it.
according to me it’s your best book till date(though i’m not any critic or something)……..i also love the fact that all your 3 books have a mentioning of a song in it, and all the the songs are my fovourite(dey were also wen i had not read your brilliant works)…
just one complaint………..u dont write books quit often….i mean the 2nd and 3rd bookswere released with a large time gap
Comment by Akshit — June 10, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
Hi Chetan
Just a quick comment. I noticed that there are two factual errors in the book regarding the Kolkata test match between India and Australia.
1) Harbhajan got the hat-trick on the first day of the match and not on the last day as mentioned in your book. Of course a second innings hat-trick would have been more dramatic.
2) Laxman did not open in the second innings, but he came in after the fall of the first wicket (Ramesh, who scored 30).
Guess these can be corrected if we have a second edition.
Thanks,
Souvik.
Comment by Souvik — June 11, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
hey chetan………
hi a damn good book yaar…….i hv read all three but i found this one is better. hey i hv one story for u i wan’t to share it with u. i m not saying u to wirte on it but jus try to listen it once. plz…. wn’t ur reply.
Comment by sanya mishra — June 11, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
Hi Chetan,
Hi, thanks for another superb book…..
I ve never read any novel’s till u started writing….
Thanks to u i hav finish 3…
Comment by arun — June 11, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
Chetan sir ,
I am greatly touched by two of your books n now also startin three of my mistakes from today(as i recieved it today)
I am 16 years old and am very much impressed and indebted by your books it wouldnt be exaggeration that your books have a great impact on my character building.I wish to meet you and/or chat with you online.I have passed my 10th and am aiming for engineering and thus am more influenced by your first book i.e., Five point some one your books r such that we dont like to leave it uncompleted..
my sincere thanks,
your sincere fan,
Krupal Bhatt
Bhavnagar(gujarat)
Comment by Krupal Bhatt — June 11, 2008 @ 6:03 pm
Hi chethan,
I loved reading your book “one night in a call center”….and so I have bought the other two books and right now reading FPS half way through….
All I want to say is I enjoy your style of writing and plz do keep writing many more..books.
Regards,
Rajeev
Comment by Rajeev Nair — June 11, 2008 @ 7:02 pm
hey chetan !
really loved it ! d most amazing thing ’bout your books is dat somewhere deep inside each one of us resemble your one character or d other. dere is such a connection…….. really man u write d true feelings of ‘TRUE’ India. nd d cutest thing ’bout ur novel is d way u describe girls. yes ! we r like dat only.
keep it up (as u always do)!
lov ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Isha Sharma — June 11, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
Chetan,
Maybe you find ambiguity in my thoughts, but i liked as well as disliked your third book. It is dark, interesting, but if one reads all 3 books one after other, he can easily find out that the same author has written them. Similar flow of language is one point i find very common. But maybe i am wrong….What else can you expect from a 16 yr old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Raj Dave — June 11, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
Dear sir,,
I felt lyk cryin or a feeling that i can’t identify after FPS….and hats off for the effort sir,’t ws superb….
Three mistakes dealt with a very serious subject but said in a lighter way, i loved it, especially the way you handled sensitive topics, and feely sorry 4 Bitoo Mama also[:)] watever ….I luv OMI>>
regards Alok
NB:I skipped Call center…ok… bought one right nw…and started readin…
Comment by Alok — June 11, 2008 @ 10:53 pm
ooopppsss one more thing sir,
many of ma buk-allergy affected pals are nw recovering with your FPS medicine…sir,,soon i’l give them the second and third dose[:d]!!!!!!!!
Comment by Alok — June 11, 2008 @ 10:55 pm
hi chetan
read ur third buk..read it in few hrs…i think i liked it more thn d previous 2 buks…though lovd those too as well:-))….m glad u write abt d issues which all of us think abt n gets frustatd wid…like politics n all…nyways gr8 work man…u rock:-))
cheers
kanchan
Comment by kanchan — June 12, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
Dear Sir,
First of all thanks so much for giving us urtime n the urge of giving out the msg to your country.
U know this day would be the day of the honesty coz 2day is the honest dayof my life.I had nvr read ur earlier books, but now i am proud reader n owner of 3. I was returning frm my examination center n i saw ur book was secptical to buy or not coz i had nvr read ur books, bt like ne other person i had heard alot abt u, so i bought one copy. In the night after dinner whn i was suppose to study i startd reading 3 n rite frm first page i started seeing the whole picture..I felt as if i am seeing wats goin on…It was strnge as i had read books of various national n international authors bt dnt know y i felt i am part of it… Though tkng insipiration frm Govind abt being passionate i returnd to my studies, bt the visiuals were at thew back of my mind… The curosity n craze to read the book was so high that on the last day of my exam i carried the book vth me to read it on return way thru metro.. The moment i stepped in the metro i took the book n statrd reading…It was sso gr* to read n feeling wat was it all abt…
Lyf twisted road already n we put in more bumpers n turns by our deeds n doings…Sumtimes i used to feel is it important to have bumpersn turns n was doing my self-consesses n ur book came in as the sealing moment… By reading 3 i have realised alot..If i’ll start mentioning its going to b loong… So as to seal the moment rite now, all i want to thank u abt is to help me n many others as an individual in taking various decisions in many walks of there lives…Thanks for sharing your passions vth us, Thanks for letting us know that IF U BELIVE IT, THAN U CAN HAVE IT….bt vth rite steps…
Thanks a lot,
Love n regards n Best wishesto u n ur family,
Malvika
Comment by malvika — June 12, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
hey one more thing…well i wantd to ask u one thing…i do believe tht whn a writr writes a buk evn though d buk is labeled as “fiction”..thr hs 2 b a part of d buk which is nt fictitious…so cn i plzz knw which part of d buk is real…apart frm d things like d riot n earthquake…i mean do u realy knw sum ppl who were i ny way like govind,ish, omi n ali….
kanchan
Comment by kanchan — June 12, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
Hey .. !!
i dint read any novel till my age f 20 !!
heard abt ur novels abt friendship,love,family melodrama !!
i read one night at call center,it aroused interest of reading nd nw m reading novels of different authors now and then..!!
it’s not being a long time i have started reading novels,it would be around 3 months nd i read all of ur novels..!!
thnks for granting me interest in reading..!
one more thing..u are really very nice at writing nd creating the lively enviroment!!
keep up the good work buddy !!
ciao,take care
Comment by Dhruv Panchal — June 12, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
Hi,
Mr. Bhagat,
I haven’t read your earlier books. But this time I read your “3 mistakes of life”. What you have mentioned that you write to reach every kinds of reader apart from those intellectuals , I am very much convinced with your opinion. As I also believe to reach people in wider perspective rather then confine to a small group of people( intellectual). Because in our country people has not aware of everything, and its difficult to say something from a level above those common masses, and if you come down to their level and say something , it easier for them to react. Which is the reason why “pather panchali” by Sathyajit ray was a big hit in those time. I as a reader looking forward to one more awesome creation by you. Wish you all the very best.
Regards
Bijita Sharma
Baroda
Comment by Bijita Sharma — June 12, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
Speechless!
Comment by Amisha — June 12, 2008 @ 8:11 pm
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Comment by Amisha — June 12, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
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Comment by Amisha — June 12, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
hiiiiiiiii chetan………. i loved ur both novels truelyy and now d 3 mistakes of my life……. is just awesome…………………. i just go crraazzyy.its feel dat u r between all d chracters vidya,govind,ish and omi….. oops!!not between vidya and govi i guess ……. u r d truely deserving….who made me to feel dat luv is jus so natural……. thnks… so keep writng.ookk and say hii to anusha to take care…….
Comment by ankita raheja — June 12, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
Bhai Chetan… mast stories likhta hai tu yaar!!!! Havn’t read 3 yet… but mujhe pata hai mast hogi!!!! will leave a comment once done reading it !!! Best of luck for the 4th one…. may be write something abt “Office culture”…. :0) Best of luck Dost!!!!
Comment by Kuber — June 12, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
Hey Chetan!
Your books are just awesome! I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve read and re-read FPS and One Night. They’re both just amazing
Coming to 3, though it’s a gripping story, I did find the ending a bit too rushed. But that’s just my take on it!
I’m looking forward to your next book! Good luck!
Comment by Ankita — June 12, 2008 @ 11:45 pm
Dear Mr. B,
I haven’t read your third installment yet. Well, going by the statistics of the sales in it’s first month, I’m sure you don’t give a rat’s posterior whether I read it or not. And thoroughly, I’m not going to ask you to read the stuff I wrote just because you’re the most celebrated author India ever had. But as you’ve mentioned, other people like to read comments on your blog too. That line sure was inspiring. So basically, I’m just lookin’ for someone who’d make me stop doing this (advertising my blog at every li’l chance I get).
P.S.: Five Point Someone is no less than a masterpiece.
P.P.S.: Although I might sound astoundingly brilliant, I’m NOT an IIT or an IIM graduate.
Comment by The Retardo Man — June 13, 2008 @ 12:44 am
Well grt one Chetan …like as u had said the love story in “3 mistakes” is the best u have written of the three novels ..TRUE . Even i felt the same . But i just wanna know one thing , after Ish read the SMS frm Vidya did he every talk wit Vidya regarding her & Govinds relationship..? Did Govind every call Vidya again after that…? and if Vidya didnt get any response from Govind after the incident wat did she think ..?
Well i asked these questions coz its inside the story itself , the novel ends whn everyone meet Govind but it doesnt mentioned abt Govind & Vidya’s relationship in between that gap of that SMS and Govind taking Pills. Hpe to get a response frm ur end regarding this
Anyways loved reading 3 mistakes n waiting for ur next one from you.
Comment by Abhishek — June 13, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
Hi Chetan,
First of all congrats to write such a nice book.
All 3 issues that u have chosen in the book are most common in INDIA.
So, naturally this book is going to be a big hit and i personally feel that this book is the best among all 3.
I am eagerly waiting for “Hello”.
And wish u that this will also be a big hit like ur books.
Did u get any idea for ur 4th book, Please share with us also.
cant wait for the movie
Comment by vishal vasudeva — June 13, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
Dear Mr.Bhagat,
Good work.
I just have one question to ask.
IS THIS STORY REAL?? or entirely fiction. Does Govind, Vidya, Ali and Ishaan exist? I tried searching online but found no answer.
cheers
Comment by Dyuthi — June 13, 2008 @ 6:33 pm
Hello Chetan,
It is a common notion for any avid reader to try to get into the skin of the character of the books he/she reads. Well, I am no different. Blindly believing that this story is a true one, I shudder to think what Govind, Ishaan & Omi (R.I.P.) must have experienced during that night with the mob. Kudos to you for displaying such a sensitive issue, so beautifully. I believe that the “What-happens-to-the-characters-after-the-book-ends” part is to be left to the reader’s imagination (A way to generate more writers I guess…). So, I won’t ask you about that. However, I am very eager to know how you went about putting the Godhra incident to words. Any writer faces challenges when writing about sensitive topics. I would really love to know how you overcame those.
Also, I have read reviews about FPS (I loved it!) given by some ex-IITians. They seem to have slammed the book as representing a wrong picture of the IITs. Request you to comment on this.
Hoping to hear from you and even more to read your countless books…
Do give my best regards to Anusha, and love to Ishaan and Shyaam…
Regards,
Ajay Padmanabhan (An eager fan hoping to meet you sometime…)
P.S.: Hope you have joined Orkut
Comment by Ajay Padmanabhan — June 13, 2008 @ 7:08 pm
hi chetan how do you manage to think that much???
simply hats off to you…..!!
Comment by ankit mehrotra — June 13, 2008 @ 7:13 pm
Hi Chetan,
Firstly, do you reply to mails sent to the email ID given in your books, cos I have not received a reply….yet. I know you can’t reply to the thousands of letters….. but if you don’t reply to even some of them, then what is the point of the email ID in the book? You already have the blog and guestbook.
I agree with Kalpesh’s views above, he really hit the nail on the head.
In my opinion, FPS is your best book so far. I am sure many fans would agree. One really can’t find any flaws in it. While the other two are good they could have been better. Talking of flaws, there are a couple of factual errors that I would like to add to Souvik’s list above:
1. In the month of July, it is winter in Sydney, Australia, with temperatures between 16.9 and 6.7 deg Celsius, so how come we have the beach scenes?
2. Australian customs is VERY strict about getting any kind of food items into the country. Absolutely NOTHING is allowed, believe me. So, how come Govind managed to ’smuggle’ in the khakras in?
Btw, I consider myself a core reader. I hope you will not relegate me to a different category after this.
I am surprized at how many people have taken to reading novels, late in life, with your books…this is most certainly your best contribution to Indian literacy
KUTGW
Anitha
Comment by Anitha — June 13, 2008 @ 7:45 pm
Hi Chetan Bhai,
how r u??
I have jus read ur 3rd book n it was fabulous. u r really a person whom IIT must be very much proud of. well i jus want ask u a question hopin’ that must be knowin’ the answer…….when u hav a dream which ur family n relatives oppose n they want to see u at a position which they want(in my case an IIT eng.), wat shhould u do. u can’t oppose ur family n also can’t leave the dream………what would u do…???
I hope u can give a bettr answer as u r a author n also my idol in some respect.
Sorry for poor english as i m nt too good at that….
please do reply me as i really need a good advice.
waitin’ for ur answer……
S!D
Comment by siddharth(S!D) — June 13, 2008 @ 10:34 pm
Hi chetan
Congrats on the success of the book. Have read all your books and I like your style of writing. Your books relate more closely to people in India and are thus more captive. Anyway like you said writing about some serious issues with a touch of entertainment really works and you are really good at it. And most importantly you love what you are writing and that’s what does the magic.:-)
I love to read. Read all kinds, that interests me and do pen in my thoughts when ever I get time. Well in fact nowadays writing has replaced by blogging , which is better I guess considering my bad hand writing.:-)
If you get free anytime and like to read some crap written by a 21 year old gal, please do visit my blog and leave your valuable comments.. http://justdeeps.blogspot.com/
Anyways do keep blogging
Take care
Deepthi
Comment by Deepthi — June 14, 2008 @ 1:22 am
Hi Chetan,
congradulationnnnnsssss … 3 is again a huge success …
you are a G8 writer .. thumbs up .. BRILLIANT — call centre book was just amazing & looking forward for the movie of course !!
FPS = A fantastic book .. when i started reading it - i was completely blown away .. i was reading it all the time .. even during the class, sitting in the last bench hiding behind a guy–avoiding my teacher’s constant stare .. you know how the teachers react to the last bench guys .. They just freak out if you are not paying attention … but i finally FINISHED it .. I HAVE A HUGE CRUSH ON THE CHARACTER NEHA and i completely loved the introduction of **NEHA** .. i can’t count how many times i have re-read that introduction.. **bare feet on accelerator is just AWESOME **.. I HAD A HUGE SMILE on my face when i was reading “THE OPERATION PENDULUM” — it really is a fascinating incident which i dream of doing it one day but the only problem is i don’t have ALOK and RYAN with me rite now .. i’ll definitely form a team soon ..
3 MISTAKES — i have the book rite next to me .. G8 stuff .. superb .. Loved reading it .. i don’t want to compare as many people are constantly doing it ..i just take one book at a time and forget about the previous version .. i had fun reading this one too !!
I’m addicted to your books so keep writing and I promise that i’ll keep reading — and i hope the next book comes out soon !!
cheers,
PRASHANTH
Comment by PRASHANTH — June 14, 2008 @ 4:58 am
I just noticed all of your books starts with a number.. 5, 1 and now 3. What would be the 4th book starting with? With my logic it should be 2.
Readers.. any guess?
Comment by Ameya — June 14, 2008 @ 11:30 am
hi!!!!!!!!!!!
chetan…m doin hotel management frm IHM-Ahmedabad!
i jus love ur books yaar…..i hve read ur `5 point some one` 25 tyms
and i still feel lyk reading
actually i hve learnt all d book……….u can ask me any page of d book!
uR cRaZy fAn!
Comment by aniruddha pophali — June 14, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
Hi CHETAN Sir …! not only ur buks but ur blogs are also must read…!
Comment by vishal — June 14, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
hi Mr. chetan,
I have read all three of your books. liked fps very much…it was fun reading it. one night was too fictious i think. just finished reading 3 mistakes. enjoyed reading every bit of it. kept reading it even while travelling in bus…. it was too good. business, religion , cricket n politics… best plot for an indian reader. specially the last few chapters were very good..
looking forward to your next story…
thanks for coming up with good books . keep up the good work.
Comment by mridula — June 14, 2008 @ 5:56 pm
hey chetan……
3 mistakes of my life was fabulous!!!!it totally is fun packed n adventurous n u cant put it down till uve finished it out……one sort of get connected with ur novels in a very strange way…..it leaves u speechless 1 moment n next moment u wana blab evrythng out…..great work ya…just fab….keep on being so productive man
cheers n take care
luv………..molly
Comment by molly — June 14, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
hyeee sir………..
first n foremost hats off 2 ya………….
u r d only writer whos work i have ev read n thnk will continue readin thruout my lyfe……
im jst 16 so cant alwayz connnect 2 ur stories bt deres lots 2 learn stilll……..
lifes already sort of different after eradin ur 3 novels………..
i hve started believing in myself more dan i used 2 bfore………..
all ur books were gr8 sir……………
waitin for ur 4th,5th…………n nth book sir…………..
keep writing sir ur stories r gr8………….
u rock………..
Comment by akshay — June 15, 2008 @ 3:53 am
It was great to see that still someone is writting for passion.
I think you are among those who write coz, they want to..not only
for monetary gains.
Keep it up.
Best wishes
Comment by Jyoti Yadav — June 15, 2008 @ 4:29 pm
Hi Chetan,
Today I completed reading 3 mistakes of my life. It is a very good book . At the end it somewhat look like a bollywood movie. I like the 3 characters very much especially Ish.I want to know all the characters are real and all the incidents are real? I like your way of writing, funny. I am a great fan of yours.Please reply me for my queries.
Comment by Vidhya — June 15, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
Absolutely loved your book. To be honest this is the first book of yours I picked up from the book store last week and read it completely. Loved the way you have portrait the sensitive issues like Gujarat , religion … Amazing !!!!
I am going to pick up the last two books of yours this week and read it.
Great Job !
Comment by Bhavana — June 16, 2008 @ 11:21 am
Hi Chetan, i finished reading 3 last night. I was through a few chapters when i met you at the oceans film fest. Damnit i had one night in my bag and i took ur autograph on that paas! I felt like killing myself later. I would like to tell you that you are the first person in my 22 years of life that i have taken an autograph from, considering I have met a lot of stars till date because of my profession and because i live in bombay. I usually keep away cause i feel that you guys have to deal with so many fans and comments anyways. I must respect privacy. But after meeting Shahrukh i realized that if you dont do that to stars then they they wont feel like stars, right? Don’t they do everything that they do for these moments of glory? So, i thought i will inform you of my little personal feat of you being my first ‘autograph’. Might make you feel good. Anyway, the first thing i did on reaching home was pick 3 up again. It is strange to read a book after meeting the author. Its like you can imagine the author writing each word. Fun came. The book is very good. I really enjoyed reading it and the end is gripping to the core. I love your books because they are entertaining and not a dose of heavy intellectual stuff. Keep up the good work. You are some inspiration.
Comment by Uma — June 16, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
hi..chetan…congrats for d success of 3..i’ve just purchased it today and before i get myself engaged in reading dat i thot of writing 2u.. jus wanted to say dat i expect a lot frm u even dis tym.. ur 1st book FPS inspired me to get thru IIT however failed in dat aspect..ok!i shall go 2 read another bestseller now and will comment on dat after i finish.
lots of luv…
Comment by Vishal — June 16, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
Hi Chetan,
The three mistakes of my life simply rocks.
When can we expect your fourth book?
Thanks,
Sandhya
Comment by Sandhya — June 16, 2008 @ 10:12 pm
Dear Chetan,
I had heard about your book but never got a chance to think about it as I was busy in compiling my own Hindi Poetry book “Khawabon Ki Zameen” – taking baby steps at a time
But yes, after reading about your from Rachana Bajaj ji…I am going to buy this book for sure…!
Congratulations and all the best for your future releases
Cheers
Dawn
Comment by Dawn — June 17, 2008 @ 12:06 am
Dear Chetan,
I had read your one night @ Call centre ….and when saw ur interview in MTV 2day i thought of going thru ur website and i read the excerpt and i am sure 2 go and buy the book 2morrow the 1st work 2morrow…
byee
Thanks
Arvind
Comment by Arvind Bhansali — June 17, 2008 @ 1:19 am
hey Chetan really nice work but i like 2 correct u…In the india -Australia cricket match harbhajan had taken a hat trick on the 1st day n not on the 5th day as mentioned in the book by u..Plz do correct dis minor error
yours Debruo
Comment by Debrup — June 17, 2008 @ 1:57 am
Hi chetan,
first of all let me congratulate you for your first two books, were fantastic and worth reading at a streach… belive me i have started reading books by indian author only after i have read ur books(english) it was too good . i must have told 100 persons to read ur books………….. but the the third book(3 mistakes)dissappoints me in a lot of ways……… first and the second half is good but i think the usual humor is miising out..(fps &onics)and i didnt like the inclussion of religion and the politics (espessially in ur books) since u belongs to the gen X of the authors and we really dont believe in all those things…. ending would have been much more happier if u had extended it with some more words phrases pyaras and pages ……….everybody likes happy ending if it is more fanasised.
from the best of ur fan club
anand k
Comment by anand kattimani — June 17, 2008 @ 2:19 am
Hi chetan,
first of all let me congratulate you for your first two books, were fantastic and worth reading at a streach… belive me i have started reading books by indian author only after i have read ur books(english) it was too good . i must have told 100 persons to read ur books………….. but the the third book(3 mistakes)dissappoints me in a lot of ways……… first and the second half is good but i think the usual humor is miising out..(fps &onics)and i didnt like the inclussion of religion and the politics (espessially in ur books) since u belongs to the gen X of the authors and we really dont believe in all those things…. ending would have been much more happier if u had extended it with some more words phrases pyaras and pages ……….everybody likes happy ending if it is more fantasised.
from the best of ur fan club
anand k
Comment by anand kattimani — June 17, 2008 @ 2:20 am
i was seeing an interview of mr.amitava ghosh today and he really appreciated your first book.this just shows how good you are.thank u for all your good work!!
Comment by Deb — June 17, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
hey chetan…
newyz.. u on orkut or not yet /?? 
great work.. luv ur books .. never was really interested in readin books.. but wen i started readin ur book.. went on for the 2nd.. n now thhe 3rd..!!! awsome!! luv thmm.. hope to read millions more..
tc.. n all the best..!!!
ahamed.
Comment by Ahamed — June 18, 2008 @ 10:07 am
dear mr chetan bhagat
hi, i m megha ( i know i have already written my name, but this is the way i like starting a conversation ), well currently i am a engg student ( not from iit though ) from bhopal, actually this is not a comment to praise your work or to lambast it, its just that i wish to write a book one day and my style is quite similar to yours ( dont dare think tat i copied it ) reading your books is like reading somethin i write myself, seriously, i was hoping if you could tell me how to go about it, i mean how exactly do i have o proceed, write a synopsis first n go to publishers or b ready wit the book first, also how do you manage to get so much hype about your books, i mean yes they r good, but so r many which never get their chance with the publicity.
i dont know if you reply or even read the comments, but i really wanted to take this chance, it wd b soooooooo cool if u do reply n give me some cool tips
( fcourse if u wish to read younger and newer authors books too )
hopin to read a mail frm u
Comment by megha — June 18, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
You hit it again man! A hatrick six ..landed right on the hearts of Gen X,Y, watever! I started wondering if the whole story is real! I am still puzzled! Is it a true story?
Comment by Praveen Ratna Deepak — June 18, 2008 @ 11:48 pm
hi chetan its nihar from siliguri(hope u dont heard the name of the city)……i could start the comment with the common lines like u r great .. u r awesome or u hit it again …….but i wanna say tat god bless yuo with his greatness nd u may write more good stories …..but after finishing ur latest book one question arrived in my mind tat
i want to know just one thing…is it a real story(the 3 mistakes of my life)
Comment by nihar — June 19, 2008 @ 3:11 am
hi sir;
i m a big fan of ur’s.i have both of ur books in my shelf.i m waiting for ur 3rd one.
i can’t find it in local shops here.i told my elder brother(who lives in Delhi) to send me a copy of that book. i know this book will break all the records of the history of book selling.
i read the comments of sum of ur fans like me. many of them disappointed by this book, but still i believe that ur book will help a lot to those people who match their conditon according the characters u define in the book.
my best wishes to Anushaji, Ishan and Shyam.
with regards
vaibhav
Comment by vaibhav — June 19, 2008 @ 9:25 am
hey chetan,
never before this i read any books.i started 2 read 4m ur book i wanna tell u that it was an awesome start .thus i became a good fan of urs …i read 5 point someone &three mistakes of my life.ur both these books r too good keep writing such type of books .
with regards
ruchika
Comment by ruchika — June 19, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
congrats dude for “3″
it was really awesome……I’ve read all 3 of ur books and all were flawless…but in 3 I found something wrong that is very rare in our Indian community….What I thnk is that love and sex are still 2 different thngs….u can’t mix them with each other….In 3 Divya was more intended to have sex with govind….she was not at all seems to be in love with him….she just wants to fullfill her sexual needs and thats it…..but u’ve given her sexual anxiety a name as love.
but by the way apart frm that part the book was awesome…I bought it yesterday’s evening and completed it just 2 hrs before…..so all the best for ur next books.
with regards
deepak
Comment by deepak — June 20, 2008 @ 2:06 pm
Hi Chetan,
I just wana tell u that how much I love you, I love ur book “3 mistakes of my life” more than it. I become mad behind reading it. I finished it within 2 nights. Now I have another problem that I m just thinking about all the characters of the book after finishing it. Is the story real …..Can I talk with them, plz let me know. What the magic u done with me sitting miles away………..HOW man how u…could? It was ur first book my bro bought it, now I wana have ur other to book too. Well congrats for wining heart of million Indians.
With lots of Love,
Jaya
Comment by Jaya — June 20, 2008 @ 4:10 pm
Hello!
I spent the last few days reading your first two novels and liked them very much.
Your novels are light and fun reads.
I googled your name and came across this site and see that you have a new book.
I don’t live in India, I searched for it on amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de and amazon.fr, but couldn’t find it. Any chance for it to be sold on one of these websites? I got your first two novels through amazon as well.
Would be nice to read this one, too.
Best wishes,
Isabel
Comment by Isabel — June 21, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Hi!!!
I have only 3 words to describe ur books….I LOVE THEM!!They are 2 gud especially the 3 mistakes of my life..I completed the book in just 6-7 hours,It was so interesting!!By the way I wanted to ask u something.The girl-in the call centre book whom u met in the train and Govind in three mistakes of my life…Are they real???
Anyways keep writing such awesome books and keep on entertaining the world!!!
Best wishes 4 ur future
Comment by Lavanya — June 21, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
hi chetan
i have read all three buks.All i wud like 2 say is keep up the gud work!
Comment by sahil — June 22, 2008 @ 2:33 am
just wanna sayy its the “THIRD AWESUM MISTAKE” by u….
Comment by Prateek — June 22, 2008 @ 6:48 am
hi!!!!!!!!sir,
I just wanna say that till now i had not purchased ur third book,but i had read all the two books,
it was really very nice..that has touched my heart.
i tell u i had read all that two books in 4 days n night only.
i will try to finsh this third one also in 2days n night.
thats all i want to..
Comment by Rajeev From HAL bangalore — June 22, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
hiii,sir
i m vijay solanki
i would like to invite u to see my blog….plz see that
http://www.thoughtmaker.blogspot.com
something very special for u there….check it out plz..
Comment by vijay solanki — June 22, 2008 @ 3:06 pm
Hi Chetan,
I finally read your book “The 3 mistakes of my Life”. I am in US currently and I had asked one of my friends in India to get this book for me. After it came to US, I had a real tough time in getting hold of ur book … my friend had by mistake given the wrong zip code and it became untraceable. After struggling for 2 weeks with USPS, I finally got it last friday
You rock as alwayz ! As you said, it wont be fair on us (as readers) to have some predetermined expectations on how your book would be. We love all your writings and especially what I call it as “Chetan touch” 
We r happy to be ur fans … no matter what … we will stand by you ! Keep rocking Chetan , We r with u 
Thanks,
Krishna
Comment by Krishna — June 23, 2008 @ 3:53 am
Hello Chetan,
It’s 1 AM and I just finished reading your book , it’s pretty nice and good topic to touch upon. Am happy that you have sold highest number of copies this time … and hopefully awareness increases on this.
Anyways .. abt the book.. I do not think it’s aptly named…
I do not want to disclose the mistakes for the benefit of those who have not read the book…
But I DO NOT belive those were mistakes … and shouldn’t be called so.
Even the third one…. whatif one sees tragedy happening in front of you and thinks twice abt oneself.. is it a mistake ?
But honestly great book and I absolutely love the language .. doesn’t feel like am in an english class .. does feel like happening around me…
All the best for your next one ….
Comment by T S — June 23, 2008 @ 4:18 am
dear chetan,
dear chean once again you are with a mindblowing performance. u know the biggest and uniqkeness in ur stories is that in every story all the characters are to realistic that u can find the characters in ur routine life and that is why ur stories are not only read out but also the reader travels with your stories.Keep moving like this.
Comment by jagat — June 23, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
Hi chetan sir…
just finished “3″…..it was awesome….especially the last 4 chapters..it had me on the edge of my seat as if i was watchin a movie…..excellent job!must congratulate u on this!
well yes.. i did find a similar pattern of characterization..like 3 friend..one who is the strongest of all n has dreams…d other who is practical n like all of us bit confused(who generally tells the story)..and the third d total dud types…
I would just like to request u to give us smthing new..would like to c the more creative side of you..wid characters
though story line…humor strokes…the start and d end…everything was awesome!
thank you so much for entertaining us with ur buks.
good wishes & hugs
shivani
Comment by Shivani — June 24, 2008 @ 1:18 am
An awesome book! as the two.
Comment by Naveen — June 24, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
dude…
nice piece again…
but i dunno y u r obssessed with bringing in sex in all ur stories..
cant ter be a passionate love without lust?
my only grudge against u is on the above point only..
i simply adore ur writing style n am waiting to meet u once u come to chennai n m hoping it wld be soon..
cheers
deepak
Comment by Deepak G — June 24, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
Hey Chetan,
I am already excited and look forward to your next book. Wonderful job done!
P.S. Congrats on hitting century comments.
Cheers!
Amit
Comment by Amit Aggarwal — June 24, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
iused 2 nevr read buks bt den yt 1 of ma frnd handed over ur buk 1 nite @ call centre at1st i jus glanced over d pages nd den jus thought i wud read sum pages …bt den i read d whole buk at a stretch widout feelin tired or restless i luved ur buk
den i tuk sum info..abt u nd ur buks i read ur FPS DAT WAS AMAZINGLY GR8 very soon il b readin ur 3mistakes …..
keep up d gd work nd continue ritein such gr8 inspirin nd hatke buks.
Comment by deena — June 25, 2008 @ 11:59 am
Hey Chetan,
I just finished reading your 3rd book.. n I must say.. i think d 1st book ws more interesting.. no offence though….i liked d 3rd book also…bt nt as much as d 1st one..
anyway..
i’ll be lookin fwd to ur 4th book..
congrats fr ur success, man!!
keep writin fr ur nation..
luv ya
-Priyal
Comment by Priyal — June 25, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
congratulations chetan….u ve done a fantastic job wid ‘3mistakes’….i so loved it…it was gr8…i simply loved readin it…n d love btw govind n vidya was ur best..
i ve read ol 3 books f urs n thanks so much for nt disappointin ur readers wid ur 3rd book….
pls hurry up wid ur fourthbook….
desperately waitin…
-dipesh…
Comment by Dipesh Panicker — June 25, 2008 @ 5:01 pm
hi,
how ru? This mail is not for ur praiose dat u rocks in ur buks……as u r well aware of dat..
i just wanna say(not one nd the same thing dat i m ur gr8 fan)dat sumwhere i felt dat i find ur image, personality just like me. wat u want 2 say through ur buks i feel i also want 2 say the same thing.
u may think dat i m a foll or sumthing like dat but its true.neways do read it…
regards,
nandish
Comment by Nandish Agarwal — June 25, 2008 @ 9:41 pm
Hi Chetan,
Congratulations…just finished the book 3. it’s just beside me right now.
And I would also love to tell 3 best things I liked in this candy..yup, as sweet as a candy
1. The way you presented the war between Hindu and Muslim religions was great..eye-opener
)
(i too learned to write hyphenated phrases from your novels
2. Passion: say it on business or sports or religions or say whatever. One should have the passion to succeed and should focus on what he’s good at instead of accepting whatever courses our parents insist us to do without really knowing our core capabilities and personal skill set.
3. Last but not the least and the very best: the unaccepted love affair between Vidya and Govind might have stolen many tender in fact young hearts !!
fantabulous job Chetan..
thanks for this..
smiles
sapthagiri
Comment by Sapthagiri — June 26, 2008 @ 5:49 pm
Dear Chetan
I have just finished reading 3 mistakes of my life and had a great time reading it.I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed reading FPS and 1 night…..My wife and me both enjoy your books and have all three of them on our book shelf.
We were privileged to watch a dramatic adaptaion of FPS and trust me it was amazing.
Pls dont bother about critics or what they say , the true testament of your success is the joy that you bring into the lives of millions of fans like me.
Desperately waiting for your next novel
Regards
Srikant
Comment by Srikant — June 26, 2008 @ 6:12 pm
Hey Chetan,
Just finished “3″ and believe me its a real hat-trick!!! Too good man and just don’t have words to explain how much I liked it…you really write not-put-down-able stuffs man….
lots of luv and blessing….keep writing…
Kaushik
Comment by Kaushik Chauhan — June 26, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
Hii Chetan,
It was a great fun reading “3″.It took me 7 hrs to complete it [ another nite out @ IIT ]…Great work … Keep going.. y dont u giv another try on life @ IITs n stuff.. FPS is still my favourite of the three.. try out a sequel of FPS if possible!!
Comment by Yash — June 26, 2008 @ 9:07 pm
Hi Chetan,
Really enjoyed ‘3′ last night. U write entertaining and witty stuff. You are a great story teller and with this ability we hope for sure that young Indian crowd will be exposed to issues related to them through Indian perspective. These guys are really ignorant about these issues since they are in India and these issues are in ‘Bharat’. (Have you followed Lead India campaign..?) For this I want you to be more and more successful in this carrier.
Characterization is again weak( All speak in the same lingo and intellectual level, even seventeen year girl!!) You really need to work hard to let them evolve as a character. But I’m sure like Archer you will grow. I still remember debate during my college days over his “Not a penny.. “. Like him you have style and wit.And desire to be successful in writing. I’m sure this desire will force you to come out of your comfort zone and learn few more aspects about the ‘writing’ thing.Could raise your bar by few inches next time.
till then, cheers,
Vinay
Comment by Vinay — June 28, 2008 @ 9:29 am
good start…
Comment by AJ — June 28, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
Dear Chetan,
a fortnight back i picked up “3″. and cudnt put it down till i reached the back cover…. AMAZING1!!
yesterday, curious enogh after my first rendezevous with CB, i picked up “Five point Someon” …….and WALLLLAAA…….cudnt put it down till i reached the back cover !!! You are superb man…jus superb….now i will scount for one nite @ call centre….i KNOW dat again the same story wud be repeated…i am kinda getting a hang of CB….CHEERS !!!
Regards,
Arindam Haldar
Comment by Arindam Haldar — June 29, 2008 @ 12:30 am
hey dude chetan,
u rock man seriously
i hav been readin for around 5 years or so
and i couldnt find a decent youth fun filled bookx
i gav up searchin for it
thinkin that “there’s no book which has fun in it”
but then a friend of mine gav me one @ the call centre
man i dont know how do i say it but yueah man ur books r the best
cause it explains what we go through in ur youth
then i read all ur ither books and i swear man ” pls write some more”
Comment by alieminem — June 29, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
hi chetan,
“the biggest-selling english-language novelist in India’s history”(comments by new york times)
thts really gr8 of u man..
i know this not new 4 u 2 know tht ur buks jusss 2 good n amazing..
i hav read all ur 3buks…though i didn lik 1 nite..tht much.. but 5.sum1 n 3mistakes r juss 2 good..
i liked d way u hav presented d passion for cricket amongst indians(though i found it a bit exaggerated),d politics n lastly.. hindu muslim war
as all say u can relate 2 them in real life..n yes i actually did facial expessions as given in d buks..he he thts funny..3mistakes was really 222 good n cudnt put d buk down even for a minute..
thnx for such good buks which r worth reading..waiting for ur next buk…
all d best for ur work n god bless u.
leena.
Comment by leena — June 29, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
U rock Sir…. u 3 was outstanding…i loved all the contents..it neva made me bored….ur last 2 works were also a great….. no complaints from my side i mailed ur personal id..do read it…thank u…..
eagerly waiting for ur 4th work..keep rocking..and let success be all urs..!!:) i’ll pray for ur success
Comment by Sridevi Nayak — June 29, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
heyy….chetan…
your books really superb man…It has a total yothfulness..i mean they are the facebook of young generation thats what i can say…
Heyy do Keep writing..
in wait of ur books
ambarish
Comment by ambarish — June 30, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Take My Words…
” Chetan Bhagat is Second to None ”
For 3 Reasons
Reason No 1 : ” 5 Point Some1 ”
Reason No 2 : ” 1 Nite @ Call Center”
Reason No 3 : ” 3 Mistakes ”
The First one FIVE POINT SOMEONE took 2 days to finish it off with many interrupts in between.
The Second one CALL CENTER took 1 Day.
The Latest took only 5 hours without any break to finish it off.
Its great to read books with a midas touch.
Comment by Vikas Surani — June 30, 2008 @ 8:49 pm
hey chetan,
this is venkatesh…read ur book and liked it…but let me be very frank…i still feel 5pt someone was ur best…probably b’cos i cud relate my MBA at ICFAI Business Scool to the situation in ur book. like ryan i found negatives in management education…argued with prof.vyas when she spoke ethics…i culdnt find the practicality…the lovestory matched my brief encounter….and i always felt the 9 pointers were cramming fools…ur books strike a chord.. do keep up the dark side bcos it is one thing that we never want to reflect upon and never spoke…hehehe….i find the same interest in ur books that i find in Mani Ratnam’s movies….welcome back…by the way 3 has released at a time when 4 of us hav started working on ideas of starting our own venture…a modest restaurant tentatively named “Sandwitches and More…”….one thing MBA does to many of us 5 point someones….
Regards,
Venkates….Statistics Means never being Certain……
Comment by venkatesh — July 1, 2008 @ 1:15 am
Hi,
Just finished 3. and with that all ur books. I like ur style of writing and expressions but what i loved the most is the sense of humor through personification. i read a lot from other authors but none could match ur humor (john grisham i found the closest). waited long for ur third. and now that i read it, i’ld say the theme was the best among all ur others, but the “entertainment value” was more in FPS. i figured 50 years from now if a kid picked up reading with fps he would probably look anorexic if u have a lot of books by then, coz he’ld read them in a row with as few piss breaks as possible.. it is my generation which has to painfully wait for ur next.
Comment by Moied — July 1, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
Hi Chetan.
I am so glad my born in this era where I can enjoy your work. This is my first post but I have read your novels. The “five point someone” was just so amazing. I know one of your classmates from your school days Vibhavasu Sharma. And when I told him about you he got so excited. Well all the best with everything and I hope you keep on writting so that I can enjoy your novels.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK
Comment by Prerna Malik — July 2, 2008 @ 1:36 am
all the 3 books over …! all r the best …but when is the next ?
Comment by vishal — July 2, 2008 @ 8:26 pm
Well I just loved 3….it is easily my favorite of all your 3 books..
Very real, very believable and best of all neatly packaged. Your story telling capabilities have taken the next leap with this book..
Being a girl, probably I would never know what is the big deal with a friend dating his best friend’s sister…but throughout the romance of V and G, i kept wondering why G didn’t tell I about the affair.
Anyhow, thank you for such a wonderful read…i really enjoyed the book.
Comment by Sanyukta — July 2, 2008 @ 8:52 pm
Hi Chetan,
loved “3″.
But the Sex was a bit too much and the ending was a bit too lengthy & Filmy 4 me.
Waiting for the Next one
Bye
Comment by Rahul Sengupta — July 2, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
Hi Chetan,
I just finished reading “the 3 mistakes of my life” , its simply great but my fav is “One night @ the call center” I simply love it , And i’ve heard you wrote a script named “Hello” based on “One night @ the call center” , I hope the movie is as good as book is and I hope Salmaan is not doing the lead coz your book is very fresh, very young and very Hollywood style if i had to make a movie i would make it in Atonement style. Anyways your new book is really good i had good time reading it.
Comment by Harshpal Singh — July 3, 2008 @ 2:10 am
Chetan,
Have read all of your books. 3 is a really good book.
I’m sure your next book is going to be very different. good luck for that.
Have written a small review on my blog. glance through it if you get time.
http://www.manas-explore.blogspot.com/2008/06/3-mistakes-of-my-life-review.html
Comment by Manas — July 3, 2008 @ 2:35 am
hello sir,
i was not actually in this reading thing, but then got to read this 3r