Book Review #95 : Then The Door Bell Rang

Book Title: Then The Door Bell Rang 

Author: Capri Jalota 

Number of pages : 395 

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Private Limited 

ISBN-10: 9352019504 

ISBN-13: 978-9352019502 

The book consists of 395 pages which is quite a good number to intimidate someone. But the start had the magic, the author Capri Jalota has made sure the first 100 pages to be so captivating that the reader is anxious to read the rest.

A book, simply based on one’s life itself is something that the reader can treat themselves with as a break from thrillers, romance and everything else.

The intriguing plot with twists and turns at unexpected time helps the readers to hook up with the book till the end. The first person narration helps us to go with the flow of the book. The characters are sketched well. The usage of simple words and lucid language helps to maintain coherence throughout the book.

The title of the book 'Then the door bell rang' is a little long, but indicates the reader that the story could be a mystery. The book cover could have been better and relatable to the plot.

The book revolves around the story of the protagonist Jane who was deprived of love and care from her early days. Though her parents cared for her, they failed to show it to their daughter which brought out serious depression in the lil girl. And later when destiny separates her from her loved one, she was left with no hope to live.

What works for TTDBR is the way the author brings in new characters, keeping the flow of the book alive. From the deceased Uday, Jane’s husband, whose personal diary brings with it, a fair share of worms and heart aches, to his doting parents and her relationship with them which only grows after Uday’s death, to the surprising paramour Rahul, who is but a fleeting presence, a phantom whom Jane chases for the first half of the week to other characters, nurses, best friends, a supportive boss, strangers who become more than family and so on.

And yet what prevails is a sense of death throughout. It almost seems that death itself is the protagonist who is taking the plot forward. Mortality pervades through the novel, as each death takes the protagonist further in her search (for answers, truth, life?) across borders.

Time travel with the protagonist from the beginning till the end is a mixture of emotions, relationships and feelings. Though the content mostly deals with human emotions, the presentation was good with suspense as a main ingredient.

This book is a very good example of fiction where the author has weaved the story of a lady and different phases of her life which she has gone through. Story line is full of ups and down which keeps you excited and concerned till the end. Few scenes are created very dramatic. You flow with the book and started sharing joy and sorrow with the characters, which is the actual beauty of the book.

What I liked in the book:
1. The writing style is very lucid and uncomplicated.
2. Loved the way Uday proposes to Jane, the poetry was very good,
3. There were many beautiful lines and quotes in the narrative. There were some really good quotes that I would keep re reading.

What I didn’t like:
I feel that the story could have been tighter and crisp, needs to be more stringent editing. Too much description and many events that did not help in the progress of the story very much. I couldn’t understand why one chapter was Jane’s diary entry when the whole story was told in Jane’s POV in first person.

Overall Verdict - This book is about love, loss, pain, fears, remorse, and friendship. The book begins with Jane standing in her balcony, contemplating her life. I loved reading Jane’s journey full of more downs than ups. It is filled with so many unfortunate incidents that is too much to bear for any individual. My heart went out for her each time. I would recommend this book to those who would like to read realistic life stories filled with highs and lows.

Rating : 4/5