Review: Colours in the Spectrum by Jayant Swamy

Aristocratic parents, academic brilliance, smouldering romance with the prettiest girl on campus, a God-given gift that enables him to perceive people with an aura of colour -- growing up in the garden city of Bangalore in the sedate seventies, teenager Karan has everything going for him. At thirty-five, swept away by the unforgiving culture of Los Angeles, Karan s life is in shambles. The women he loved have deceived him; Dolly, the child he parented is taken away; his God-given gift is gone. Karan is penitent he once humiliated Danny, a friend who wanted to be much more. Seeking atonement, Karan returns to Bangalore, the burgeoning silicon megalopolis of the post-liberalization nineties. Living in the ancestral house, haunted by memories of the debacled death of his parents, he faces a new fear-- of being afflicted by promiscuous Lila s unfulfilled wanderlust. Karan reconnects with Arjun, Aarti, and Indu, rekindling the flames of friendship and love, trust and betrayal, and hope and despair. When tracing the whereabouts of Danny leads to a startling discovery, Karan must confront the truth through a complex interplay of agony, forgiveness and grief. Can Karan redeem himself? Does the love he always chased find him?

Paperback, First Edition, 325 pages

Published July 16th 2013 by Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd

Terri's Thoughts:

I received a copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I am not sure how to describe my feelings about this book.  It was hauntingly depressing in an interesting and good sort of way.  Following the lives of five teenagers in India in to adulthood as they pursue their dreams and never fully being able to reach them.

I must admit that I hold a fascination with India and Indian culture.  Having had the opportunity to spend some extended time there I find the culture fascinating and this is also what I enjoyed about his story.  Reading about the traditions and the conflict of the characters as they try to forge their own path outside of the constraint of this tradition.

I felt most drawn to the character of Karan.  Someone who was so charismatic in his youth who loses his way in adulthood.  I could not believe the woman in his life and how he was drawn to them, truly horrible people.  His need for love outweighed all common sense and in a sense changed who he could have been.

This was a story of growing up, dealing with the hand that is dealt to you and trying to overcome it.  It was not a cheery read however I truly enjoyed it.  I am glad that I had the opportunity to be introduced to this work.

About the Author

Born and bred in idyllic Bangalore, Jayant lives in scenic Seattle ever since. Jayant holds an MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore and has donned several professional hats over the last twenty years – Corporate Trainer, Management Consultant, Technology Manager and Faculty at B-schools.

Colours in the Spectrum is his first published novel. In 2002-03, he completed the Certificate Program in Literary Fiction at the University of Washington. He has two non-fiction publications to his credit and has written the script for a full-length feature film


Website:  http://www.jayantswamy.com/