Truly, Madly, Deeply

by Faraaz Kazi

What happens when the most popular guy in school falls in love with his beautiful female equivalent?

A pompous Rahul is head over heels in love with Seema, a shy lady from the same school. After a whirlwind of innocent encounters, their teenage romance blossoms but the two never confess their love for each other. Friends and even a few teachers approve of their relationship which is no secret to anyone thanks to Rahul's flaunting nature.

Seema, on the other hand, finds it difficult to handle the unnecessary attention she gets due to Rahul's ostentatiousness. What follows is a series of misunderstandings and ego clashes causing them to drift apart.

Rahul loses his popularity, his numero uno status, his sanity and ultimately his love. By the time he realizes what he has lost, it's too late. He takes desperate measures to woo her back and win back her love. But will Rahul ever get back Seema? And will Seema ever realize how much Rahul loved her and all the misunderstandings that transpired between them? Is there really any room for misunderstandings in love? In today's world, can a person's first love ever be his last?

This teenage love story seeks answers to all these and more as it alternates between the past and the present events in the life of Rahul and makes you wonder; do all love stories have a happy ending? Or do all love stories end, ever?

TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY promises to be a heart-warming and emotion filled tale that will captivate the reader's heart and fascinate his mind and leave him pondering—DOES LOVE TRULY CONQUER ALL ODDS?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Love, Chick Lit, India

303 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2010

About the author

"My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water"- Mark Twain.

The winner of the 2013 National Debut Youth Fiction Award and also the recipient of the YCOF National Excellence award in Creative Writing apart from being the first Indian author to win the coveted ‘Best Debut (Romance)’ title at the international Goodreads choice awards, Faraaz Kazi has been tagged as the 'Nicholas Sparks of India’ by many and is rated amongst the top male romance writers in the country.

Kazi is known for his exploits in the digital marketing world and currently heads an agency in Mumbai. Felicitated by numerous institutes, bodies and organizations alike, Kazi is a well-known name in the social media and literary fraternity. He is fondly referred to as 'The Young Marketer' and operates a revolutionary blog with the same name.

Kazi is a fellow member of the esteemed 'Film Writers Association of India.' Truly Madly Deeply, his debut mainstream romance novel is the only Indian book to have seven category nominations in the Goodreads annual readers' choice awards and is also the only Indian book in the 'Top 100 YA Global Fiction' list. Kazi is a voracious reader and counts singing as his second love.

You can connect with him here- http://www.facebook.com/FaruKazi

You can interact with him here- http://www.twitter.com/FaruKazi

Or here- http://www.instagram.com/farukazi

Reviews

[Kashish Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Truly, Madly, Deeply… memoirs of a broken heart’s first love’ is one of the most wonderful romance novels I have read till date. This is not your usual college-kind of a fairy tale romance but a very unique and subtle love story with intense emotions right from the word ‘go’. I picked up this book from a bookshelf in a store, just to sample it with my eyes after seeing the striking blue cover. And for the next six hours straight, I was at the store on a bean bag, reading this delightful tale. I finished this book in the store itself yet I bought the copy as it will always remind me of a feeling called love in this world. Every page of this book is a delight to the reader. It took me back to my school days, making me recollect my first love. You laugh, cry and even dance with the protagonist. Some moments are really heart touching, though it moves slowly at the start, it gathers pace in the middle.



The story is about the protagonist, Rahul and his love for a girl named Seema from his previous school. The story is put on paper through a vivid narrative and the author using multiple POV's brilliantly to sketch the minute details of some of the most wonderful characters a reader might come across. From essaying beautiful moments in a person's love life which they usually take for granted to portraying raw human emotions through effective dialogue and scenery, catches the attention of the reader. The subtle use of metaphors and the added poetic effect are alluring and pleasant though some do seem like they have been 'stuffed in unnecessarily'.
Rahul is made to recollect his days of yore back home in India from his current location in Philadelphia. In those days, Rahul was an extravagant, over-confident youngster riding high on his academic success but in the present, he’s shown to be a shadow of his past recovering from a heart-break but is he really recovering? That’s the main element of the story. In a viral promo that was released some months back, the author talked about the protagonist landing up there when the only thing he desired in this world was the comfort of Seema’s lap. Thus, the journey of Rahul from the apple of everyone’s eyes to being a nothing is really well sketched and holds the reader’s attention. The way Rahul talks in first person as a normal, hormone-driven teenager and when the author uses the third person to display his growing maturity is really the highlight of the book other than the surge of the confused emotions. Though if the poetic lines just before the protagonist goes into flashback, should have been italicised or underlined to give the reader a hint that the flashback is about to begin. It does get confusing in the earlier chapters before the reader starts expecting the same effect in the subsequent chapters.
Seema is as the writer says ‘Rahul’s female equivalent’ but only more beautiful. Exactly how an on-track love story falls to the wolves makes the reader sit up and take notice. The author makes use of delicate misunderstandings which teenagers often have the habit of blowing them out of proportions, ego clashes cause the lead characters to drift apart only to realise that the enormity of their feelings was much more than they had thought of. The good times the characters share makes one recollect their school days and the innocent encounters of first love and then once the turbulent times begin, the story takes a while to sink in. Heavy emotions mark the downfall of Rahul’s love life. Other than the main characters, some other characters like Sahil and Grazil are noteworthy even though they aren’t a part of the main story. Their loveable nature instantly strikes a chord with you. Farha, Naziya and Jay have a distinct evil shade to their characteristics and manage to evoke the exact opposite emotions once the reader realizes the extent of their doings in an adolescent world. The cricket scene and quiz are so wonderfully done by the author that it seems like a live scene is playing in front of your eyes. And emotions not just mean the dark, depressing Devdas types but also include well-constructed humour and drama.



Try as you may, you can't get the lonely boy on the bench scene out of your mind. It is one of the most tragically haunting scenes I have read in a romance book. Very well written! However, some dialogues sound really filmy and the author only reinforces the belief that teenagers are hard-core movie buffs who aspire to be in the shoes of their favourite actors. It can actually be made into an interesting movie with a bit of editing in the script as some scenes are your typical Bollywood masala types. Fighting sequences and the deliciously rhyming song that Rahul sings for Seema on the annual day are other highlights of this loveable adolescent tale. The good part however is that though the story talks of first love and conjures up teenage protagonists, it does not limit itself to the same target audience due to the fact that the author has used multiple POVs quite efficiently. The teenage drama coupled with a very interesting climax that comes out brilliantly because of the way the author has built up the story, make this book a true love saga. Coming from a first-time writer, it is apparent that there was a lot of self-influence going into the story yet this book is a gem though there was room for improvement in editing and hopefully, they will be corrected in the next edition. The book should strike a chord with people who cherish their first love and have ever passed through the funny stage of life called adolescence. Slow to pick up but a fiery tale, intense with emotions and filled with enjoyment, this book is a must-read for die-hard romantics and all other readers in general. Uread and Flipkart are offering author-signed copies of this book, if you cherish a well-written, emotionally charged love-story then go for it!

[Ronak Gajjar · Rating 2 out of 5]

FIRST OF ALL!
Throwing excellent vocabulary to re-phrase sentences doesn’t deepen emotions, it just further complicates the subjective matter.
Plus Points:
A bit different from regular Ekta Kapoor drama script!
2.0/5.o for the plot. (Other plus ones I am still thinking!)
Drawbacks:
I am accurately feeling like a football kicked back and forth between a love-struck loony’s memories overruling his present.
(I am sounding too harsh & heartless but existing conversations in this one are to be blamed.)
Hadn’t he failed to cement the bricks of his love with trust & color them with security.
I am reviving my material technology class. And when at exact moments I muster up myself for trying even hard to comprehend it BOLLYWOOD strikes in.
“Rahul naam toh sunaa hi hogaa.”

Nahi, bhai nahi sunn nah. I can’t figure out what with kids nowadays?
(I am dumb-struck when my thirteen-year-old cousin is whining that he isn’t able to give time to his LOVE!)
More exploding my frustration levels our male protagonist is interested in knowing where female protagonist bought her dress,
“Where did you buy it from?” I stupidly asked and even more stupidly, answered it on my own.“Nakhuda mohalla or Bhendi bazaar?”

Too many unnecessary details are overloaded with long subtle descriptions which make you feel it’s obstinate.
Dragging myself word by word I am literally thankful that it ended.

[Faraaz Kazi]

“Faraaz Kazi sends you on a nostalgic trip — back to those days of first love.”
- The Hindu.
"It is warmly recommended to readers of all ages who have a strongly romantic bent of mind. Young rush of passion!"
- Sakaal Times.
“Amazed with the author’s narrative and literary prowess, this being his first book. Truly Madly Deeply is a touching read that will surely make you fetch the tissues and recollect your first love.”
-Verse and Verbs Literary.
“The alternation of feelings and actions, sometimes within a page itself, has a forceful impact on the reader, a positive one. This is a youthful story penned by a mature mind. No doubt, it will be enjoyed by readers across all age groups.”
-Indian Book Reviews.
“Truly Madly Deeply is a teenage love story that seeks to find answers to the never ending questions about ‘true’ love.”
- The New Indian Express.
“Truly Madly Deeply is 300 odd pages of obsession with love. It’s all about the sweet bitterness of love that starts in school and refuses to fizzle out.”
- Mumbai Mirror.

“I am not much of a romance buff but Faraaz's lucid and simple narration of a touching and sensitive tale made me read 'Truly Madly Deeply' through to the very end."
-Ashwin Sanghi, best-selling author of ‘Chanakya’s Chant’.

"A fascinating, roller-coaster tale of teenage love, Kazi’s book depicts the emotion in its raw, confusing form- just the way you’d have experienced it the first time you fell in love with someone. Kazi’s penchant for detail is impressive and makes the book an alluring journey for all die-hard romantics."
-Tuhin Sinha, best-selling author of ‘Of Love and Politics.'

"The first book of an author always has a piece of the author's soul in it. Faraaz has his soul in this one."
-Abhijit Bhaduri, best-selling author of ‘Mediocre but Arrogant.'

“Faraaz Kazi exercises his literary muscle by accurately painting the colours of heartache. With a natural knack for the written word, Kazi's potential is clearly visible in black and white and will certainly be one to watch.”
-Chandru Bhojwani, author of 'The Journey of Om.'

“Faraaz shows subtle facility with the pen as he flits conveniently between classical and contemporary styles of writing. With a story set to cater to the yuppie generation, he is conscious of his choice of words. And the making of a fine writer shows in his flourish of words.”
-Nishant Kaushik, author of ‘A Romance with Chaos.’

"Faraaz has an easy narrative. This style will go down well across a wide spectrum of readers."
-Rashmi Kumar, author of ‘Stilettos in the newsroom.'

"Here is a beautiful tale of two lovers that reaffirms the 'power of love' as it takes you on a poignant journey of two innocent hearts which rouses your curiosity, fascinates you with its beauty and tugs at your heart till you give up being a critical reader and deeply wish for a 'Happy Ending' for the lovers!"
-Sujata Parashar, author of ‘In pursuit of infidelity.'

"Crisp detailing, wry wit, melodious and prosaic, refreshingly original... Faraaz has woven magic on paper - one that swiftly transports my soul into an era brimming with teenage dreams and pulsating hope. This one promises to be a cracker of a sentimental read."
-N. Sampath Kumar, author of ‘Campus Cola.'

“The young writer’s boundless enthusiasm, almost infectious, comes alive on every page of his debut novel. When romances, though read voraciously, are frowned upon as girlie, it is very sweet of Kazi to boldly come up with one.”
-Sarat Kasyap, author of ‘At 5, San Thome.'

“If love is what you’ve experienced at some point of time, or if you want to re-live those good old days, then ‘Truly, madly, deeply’ is the right pick for you!”
-Ankita Chadha, author of ‘Anything Else but Love.'
Faraaz Kazi

[Peaches · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a waste of my time. Voting this book in all the lists under different user names won't make it an international hit, I'm sorry. This author has no idea how Americans talk and I was having second hand embarrassment for him while reading some of the dialogues. Seriously, how many people in Philadelphia use the word 'bloke'?(unless they are doing some harry potter role playing of course.)

[Faraaz Kazi]

Love is a mysterious feeling; have you not felt it play hide
and seek with you too? It hides beneath anger at times, even
fear or hatred, its less extreme cousins. At other times, it openly
flaunts itself through that extra glint in the eyes, the acceleration
of heartbeats and so many other such minuscule things which
assume humungous proportions when it comes to this four-letter
word. In its nascent stage, love is shy, cowardly and dormant. But
when it awakes, it has the power to rewrite destiny, to destroy all
in its path and to overcome obstacles against all odds. Rarely does
love transcend certain boundaries created by the human mind and
society in general. Such love becomes an obsession, a double-edged
sword that could doom the lover; or a tight noose that binds breaths
of lovers with it. It is when this godly feeling takes a demonic form
that there is no escape; it extinguishes all rationality and logic and
drowns the surroundings in a melancholic blue. Things supportive
earlier, now suddenly seem hostile and the world seems to start and
end at your lover’s feet.
‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ is one such story of a love that grew beyond
proportions, transcended boundaries and resided in an enigmatic
heart which had no words to describe what it felt to be throttled
with love. As all other feelings, love is subjective too. Whatever your
instinct for this story be, I am sure that you will remember this
story for a lifetime. For it could have been your story. It could have
been mine.
And what makes me so sure? What could I possibly promise you
in this book? Three hundred odd pages full of unadulterated love?
A journey into the most extreme emotions of a heart? A flashback
down memory lane? A ride over the nuances of complex teenage
behaviour? Or a hope of falling in love again?
Honestly, I don’t know. Every expression of art is read differently
by the one who reads and appreciates it. But yes, the book has
something in it for everyone. All those who have ever passed through
the turbulent teens or ever cherished their first love—which all of us
have at some stage or the other—will connect with the story. They
can form opinions—praise, criticise or ridicule—and then forget it;
but for the author, the creator of it all, the first book is a memorable
tool of self-discovery.
Most people talk of an author’s book as his child, composed of
his blood and sweat, a product of the semen of endless dedication
and resolute determination. In that sense, the child does have his
parents’ DNA. So yes, the book has a part of the author somewhere,
either hidden or easily visible to people who know the author. And
this all the more applies to the first book.
‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ is a mix of fact and fiction where dominant
traits of certain characters have been drawn from people I knew in
the past and my own memories of my school days.
I just changed the surroundings a bit and did all the things that
fiction writers do, to make it more pleasant and ‘readable’. And
that is the adjective I would like to leave you with as it is the reader
who decides everything, from the success of the story to that of
the author. And I am indeed blessed to have you as my reader!

[Vinaya]

I'm up to Page 28 now. Every once in a while, when I'm feeling lazy about rewrites, I whip out this book to reassure myself that India needs me. This book should NOT be a popular representative of Indian English genre fiction.

Seriously, I had a friend in law school who used to write like this. He had no idea of the rules governing grammar, let alone those required to write fiction. His idea of a good paper was to string together a bunch of multi-syllabic words with no cohesion and no integrity of text.

Some (unsolicited) advice to Indian authors: If your language skills aren't strong, and you've never met any American people, it might be a good idea not to set your book in the US. Seeing an American spouting Indian English dialogue is just ludicrous. And just what kind of race is Anglo-American, anyway? I've never heard of it before!

[Ismail Sheikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will surely challenge the fact that men don't cry. Taking the fact that the protagonist is a young male of about seventeen and combining it with another fact that I shamelessly shed tears as I read this one, I can safely bet on my first statement.
Where romance is often thought of as girlish and combined with chick-lit, the author has delivered a rare diamond in this area. Very few books have the ability to play with time, not just in the sense that you lose track of all time when you read them but also the fact that they transport you to your past and give hope for a better future. 'Truly, Madly, Deeply... memoirs of a broken heart's first love!' is one such gem. It is an unforgettable story of the protagonist, Rahul who is 'recovering' from a broken heart in Philadelphia, the cause of which is back home in India. But the question to be asked is, is he really recovering or all this a farce? The book explores teenage romance which transcends across borders and horizons and love that grows beyond itself to culminate into something more (an obsession?).
Childish events like quiz competitions, cricket matches, ego clashes, rebel fights, etc. may sound boring but credit to the author, for handling them so beautifully and aptly so as the novel is targeted at young adults. Crisp prose combined with wonderful poetry in parts and pieces has an alluring effect on the reader's senses and manages to draw you in the scheme of things.
The author, Faraaz Kazi does justice to the story and we can easily imagine he has a personal connect with the book. Great cover, awesome imagery and appropriate characterization set this book apart from the rest. The topic has been delicately but expertly handled by the author, who gives us no room for complaints. Yes, there are some pagination errors but I don't think one can blame the author for that. All in all, a touching read that will surely make you fetch the tissues and recollect your first love!

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

After coming off the back of epic love stories such as Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Jennifer Donnelly's superb 'The Tea Rose' and her breathtaking follow-up 'The Winter Rose', and my all time favourite 'The Bronze Horseman' by Paullina Simons, the fact that this book is absolutely annihilating everything in its wake in the polling section of Goodreads, I just had to purchase this as soon as my Kindle arrived...

For those who are as curious as I was - save your money. Clearly there has been a very aggressive campaign for it to be rated so highly, and from what I can see, there's some bully-boy tactics going on towards those who don't rate it highly. Sorry - I don't stand for that, and to those responsible: don't bother soliciting my review either because I won't respond and I won't be changing it!

If you want to read an outstanding Eastern Love Story, read Khaled Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' instead.

[Sakhi]

Truly, Madly, Deeply is a book about first loves and obsessions.

In his debut novel, Faraaz Kazi tells a beautiful story about two teenage lovers: Rahul, and Seema, and their touching and tragic love story. From the onset, I thought this was one of your typical love stories where a girl and guy fall in love in school and end up together forever in the island of dreams because everyone is too perfect (which was reinforced by the fact that both main characters were described as very beautiful and intelligent and with beauty that just refuses to fade away no matter how beaten-down they get) but I was happy to be proved wrong. Yes, this is your teenage romance novel. But no, this is definitely not your cliched 'love is a cure-all' novel that looks oddly like a bollywood film story. The story is quite refreshing in its story-line and particularly in its conclusion, which I really enjoyed.

The story it tells is in a sense very easy to identify with, especially as a high school student, and though both the cases of the main characters might seem slightly over-the-top, I personally find it a very likely and plausible story. The characters are eventually quite well-written, especially Rahul, who tells this story and is as a consequence much more human and likeable compared to Seema, whom we mostly see from the point-of-view of someone who adores her and thus comes across as slightly insufferable. I like how the house struggles and personal rivalries come in the middle of their relationship, with two such strong personalities as the author shows. I also loved the minor characters, from Jai to Sahil, most of whom were nicely shown and portrayed, and thus added depth to the story.

The writing style was crisp and direct, I liked the use of non-linear structure and different point-of-views to tell the story, it added some spice to a book that might otherwise have been slightly bland. The use of poetry abundantly in the narrative was probably uncharacteristic but really helped break the monotony of having one character mostly narrate his story. I like how the story gives you a sense of wanting to know more, which is exactly how most teenage relationships end. Its particularly well-written in the sense that it can be understood and yet has depth, which is probably really ideal for its target audience.

Final thoughts: A beautiful, layered story of a teenage love turning into an obsession. Worth a read if you like the concept.

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book Truly, Madly, Deeply was a great read. I loved it for it's innocence and pure emotions. It is a must- read for every Indian who loves to read. A little reference here and there to Bollywood films and music makes it all the more fun. Rahul and Seema make a lovely couple. The book took me back to my school days. It makes you realize not only the power of love, but also that of memories... something that will remain with us forever, even when the world backs out. The lines from poems and shayaris add a beautiful, romantic touch. The brilliant quotes by Rochefoucauld are worth jotting down in your personal diary! I would most definitely recommend this book to one and all. The experience for me was like watching a movie, but of course, a book speaks much louder and much clearer than a movie! One can easily relate to all the incidents that take place in the book, be it the ones with friends, love or even our families and especially our rather interesting Indian households!
Hats off to Faraaz Kazi for writing this book. It is a job well done and I am looking forward to reading the many books that I hope and wish he will write.

[Fiction Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple narration forms the crux of this story. Initially, it was a little slow and made me justify myself for picking it up from the neighborhood bookstore. But the turn of events and the exquisite detailing of the characters and the setting kept me hooked. It shows us human emotions in their raw, unbalanced forms and draws from love in a puerile excited manner. But yes it should come with a statutory warning that readers may shed tears after 'watching' the emotions unravel themselves. A promising read by an equally promising author. Suggest it to all those who are looking for a journey down memory lane.

[Pooja Kad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comparing this story with any other is the brink of idiocy as there is simply no comparison! This is not a story written in pages but sweat and blood of the author that seeps in your heart drop by drop with the turn of each page. This could have been your tale or mine but as fate would have it, it chose Rahul, an able-minded, brilliant boy from his school. His transition from a silly teenager to a mature boy, almost a man forms the crux of this brilliant tale. You will laugh at times and sniff with your handkerchief in hand as the author wills. A soft emotional book that deserves to be praised and remembered. Ten on ten!

[Asha Seth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A simple mediocre love-story with the heart-aching twist and turn of events will keep you turning pages till the end.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think that I have ever read a novel that better captures the reality of first love experiences for many teenagers. It was so real that sometimes it was painful to read. So many times I wanted to reach into the novel and literally give Rahul and Seema a thump on the head for being so ridiculous in their interactions with one another. But, that is sort of the point. Young love can be ridiculous at times and overwhelming and all-encompassing as it attacks all aspects of life. When Rahul falls for Seema he falls hard. She takes over all parts of his existence. But even with this overpowering love, he (and she also) is so inexperienced that he has no idea how to work through this love. He is never secure enough in his own love for her, let alone her feelings for him. I loved the times in the novel where he uses popular movies to try and interpret how love should be, or not be. He uses them as reference points sometimes, and that is a very teenage thing to do, I think. The crazy misunderstandings were infuriating to read through, but that again was true to life where two people insecure in their feelings let the world around them dictate the terms of the debate rather than creating their relationship purely based on their own thoughts and feelings. So much pain in this novel, as in life, could have been avoided if the two principle characters would stop and really talk to one another. That finally happens toward the end, but it appears to be too late. Rahul often seriously seems to be in need of some help through counseling. His depression is not terribly fun to read about. And, it seems as if Seema gets to this point also, although her regrets don't really manifest themselves until very late in the novel.

And, the ending. What can I say? I have heard some people say in these reviews that it was brilliant. Others have complained that they hated it. I don't really fall into either one of those camps. I seriously thought about knocking my review down to a three star because I am not a big fan of the ambiguous ending of novels. In fact, they drive me crazy. I need closure! But, hey, this time I am letting this ending percolate a little inside my mind, and I'm not totally hating it. It is growing on me a little. I've just decided to make it be what I hope it is, whether that is true or not. I'm sure that explanation sounds confusing, but it makes sense in my head right now.

The phrasing of the novel sometimes does not flow exactly as I am used to hearing spoken English. It has the feel that some translations of novels have where the sentence structure doesn't flow naturally. But, having said that, although I noticed it at the beginning of the novel, very quickly I became accustomed to the writing, and it doesn't detract from the story.

Overall, I wish that there was a little more happiness in this novel, and a lot less moping. But, I'm not complaining. I have experienced those overwhelming feelings of first love -- going from the total elation of those first feelings of love that are the world, to those overwhelming feelings of despair that occur when that love is no longer there -- feeling as if the world cannot go on spinning if this love does not exist. This novel captures those feelings brilliantly. I don't think that this type of love is ultimately healthy in the long term, but it is definitely novel-worthy for those in the middle of it. Well done!

[Neha Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the book, the only word that comes to my mind is.. ENDEARING.

Frankly I am not too fond of romantic novels, I have never and here I stress never-ever read a Mills & Boons.. the ones that “all girls” grow up with. All the romantic notions, dreamy encounters, and knights in shining armour for us are based on heavy doses of MBs. So you can imagine my uptake on romantic novels is limited to the only one that I have read and that is - ‘Love Story’ a nice but sad story the others that I have read were so-called Romantic Comedies but more on the lines of Romantic spoofs. So is love only sad or funny of course after discounting dreamy versions of MBs...
When I got a request to read this book.. I was kind of curious to read this genre again..Also a new author comes is always a refreshing change with no baggage of other’s opinions.

Truly,

To read more:
http://storywala.blogspot.in/2011/02/...

[Ayesha F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Faraaz Kazi has captured the word and emotion 'Love' in it's absolute raw form.Only a person who longs for someone to call their own can understand the obsession of being in love along with the magnitude of attraction a 'first love' carries.The story comes straight from the heart and touches a nerve that's somehow always open to the slightest touch of remembrance.

"Love is such a well explained emotion; yet we fail to define it when asked to!"-Afs


Lines that i specifically liked in Truly,Madly,Deeply:

" Love never comes with a brochure of rules and regulations,a prospectus with guides of what is acceptable and what is abominable."

" I loved someone more than myself.I loved someone truly,madly,deeply."


Ending it on satisfactory note i would say: " A book will always be seen by everyone in their own way.So don't judge;just enjoy!"

[Amsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional story about a teenage boy, Rahul Kapoor's first love.....
Faraaz Kazi 's first book, Truly madly deeply was lovely with poem quotes that exactly matched the emotions the author tried to say in the book.... 4 stars I really liked it....

[Subhendu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Its a terrible book. The ratings here are rigged and that's not to insult anyone's personal choice.

Sample some lines from the book to understand how dreadful it really is:

"Sahil, fair-skinned, blue-eyed - thanks to his half-American father - had looks that would make Marilyn Monroe drool. Hair as dark and thick as the devil's velvet covered his head and high, proud cheekbones chiselled out of a face of sweet beauty; but, lately his growing potbelly had become the butt of all classroom jokes."

"Rahul glared at him fixedly. "Then, what are you? An alien?"
"Human being!" he said in just a pitch higher than usual low tone. Sahil merely nodded and kept quiet for a while before his brain started functioning again. The answer made him happy somewhere. Sahil would get him home-cooked food sometime. His Mom concocted excellent Indian sweets, a result of her Indian culinary training and he would get extra servings in his lunch-box to share it with Rahul. The only thing he disliked about his mother was that she did not know the recipe of the syrup-infested 'rasgollas' they had devoured in India but the rest of the sweets, from [i]jalebis[/i] to [i]gulab jamuns[/i], came out delicious.
He would push them Rahul's way, hoping he had a chance to push it down his throat, but he was much too scared of that unnerving glare, to even attempt that stunt. Rahul specifically liked carrot [i]halwa[/i], Sahil surmised, because when he would bring the same to school, Rahul would not decline it the same number of times he would decline the other sweets, before accepting."

My suggestion is avoid this book. I could not go beyond 30 pages. Or may be you would read first few pages and decide for yourself.

[Namrata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about two lovers Rahul and Seema. Rahul studies a grade higher than Seems in the same school. Both of them are the talk of the town kinda. Rahul being smart, intelligent, over confident , handsome hunk whom every girl in school desires. Seema is an introvert, shy , intelligent and beautiful lad among her school mates.Typically like Bollywood movies the cream of the school fell in love with each other and their sweet romance continues for 10 mnts everyday after school get over. As predictable there are some mis understandings between the two and Seema parts her way away from Rahul. Rahul find it really difficult to shut Seems out of his mind. He is in love with Seema as they say Truly, madly and deeply. The story is kind of predictable but what I really liked is the narration which kept it simple and keeps u glued to the novel.What disappointed me the most is I was expecting a Happy ending for the two but had tears in my eyes till the last page of the book. The loveliest part in the novel is the last converstaion between Rahul and Seems where he confesses his true love for Seema and says he would always want her to be happy and at any time of life when she is totally shattered and distressed , just remember someone somewhere really cares for her and can do anything for the lovely smile on her face that took his breath away. I loved this conversation and can re-read those lines nth time.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the book Truly, Madly, Deeply was a great read. I loved it for it's innocence and pure emotions. It is a must- read for every Indian who loves to read. A little reference here and there to Bollywood films and music makes it all the more fun. Rahul and Seema make a lovely couple. The book took me back to my school days. It makes you realize not only the power of love, but also that of memories... something that will remain with us forever, even when the world backs out. The lines from poems and shayaris add a beautiful, romantic touch. The brilliant quotes by Rochefoucauld are worth jotting down in your personal diary! I would most definitely recommend this book to one and all. The experience for me was like watching a movie, but of course, a book speaks much louder and much clearer than a movie! One can easily relate to all the incidents that take place in the book, be it the ones with friends, love or even our families and especially our rather interesting Indian households!
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Hats off to Faraaz Kazi for writing this book. It is a job well done and I am looking forward to reading the many books that I hope and wish he will write. Cheers!

[Ankita Chadha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotive tale of romance!

You don’t get to read books with this kind of depth anymore! ‘Truly, madly, deeply’ is the story of Rahul and Seema, and their love complications. The characters are admirable and the narrative is touching which keeps the reader involved in the story.
What I indeed adored in the book is the kind of love Rahul has for Seema. Such love is truly hard to find in today’s materialistic world, and the fact that a teenager (Rahul) feels such love is really amazing. The book is different from the kind of romance you get to read these days. It has love, passion, excitement, and thrill to watch out for more.
So, if love is what you’ve experienced at some point of time, or if you want to re-live those good old days, then ‘Truly, madly, deeply’ is the right pick for you!

[Bastab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please read the whole review here: http://unpublisho.wordpress.com/2011/...


'Truly, Madly, Deeply’ by Faraaz Kazi is truly, madly, deeply a story of love. It’s a story every teenager, every early adolescent youth will invariably connect with. Faraaz has been successful in weaving a story rich in emotion and other matters of heart.

‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ has two major protagonists, as the writer has tried to showcase throughout the book. But as a reader, the character of ‘Sahil’ has also been touching in a way that can’t be restrained and obviously not given not-much-importance-to. Along with Rahul and Seema, Sahil also stands out by the virtue of his unconditional friendship and helping attitude towards Rahul during the latter’s difficult times. The story is spreaded over two countries – the significant part in India and the less significant part in the city of Pennsylvania in the USA.

Rahul and Seema’s love in ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ has been perfectly portrayed in the line of reality. Things that actually happen in schools in initial years in college have been described with ease by the author. His writing is effortless, the words seemingly flowing out naturally from within. Faraaz has been successful to show the immaturity that hounds the young lovers. What Rahul felt for Seema was genuinely from his heart, but the wavelength failed to reach Seema the way Rahul would have wanted it to. Seema misunderstood Rahul as a result, all the while situations being out of the two’s favours and often, been doctored with.

Writing: This book being the author’s first work, not everything was seemingly perfect. But then again, the most striking part of this book was the author’s writing style. The starting few pages of the book were tough to go through, because, as a critical reader you may not always expect a book to start in a way so much unconventional and out of the way, covered in deep layers of melancholy and endless lament. Faraaz shuttles expertly between both the classical and contemporary styles of writing, and in style he did that throughout the book. At times, his style suited the environment that has been created in the story, and at few other times, it felt out of the place. The frequent use of quotations from poets and lines from much clichéd popular Bollywood songs was more of a prosaic move from the author, and it hurts the reader’s rhythm and flow at times. Since the author seems to target the new generation (as they say, the yuppie generation) with ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’, his usage of Bollywood clichés and role playing may score well enough. But at the cost of mass-popularity, it is sad to consider that the author may lose the chance of being taken seriously by critical readers.

Overall, ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ is recommended for everyone who has fallen in love at some point of their lives. Emotional aspects in the story have been so well handled by the author that it is bound to make some mark in the reader’s mind.

[P.S. The title of this book reminds me of the very famous song by Savage Garden with the same title. The featured image in this post is a tribute to that masterpiece.]

Overall rating: 6.5/10

[Sheila Friedman · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author states in his prologue that he couldn't believe his book was finally published....and neither can I. It is chapter after chapter about a young man's love for a girl in his school. That's about it. We get a long list of the many idiocies of a young boy in love. Puhlease! There is absolutely nothing here of any substance. I only finished it because I had paid for it on my Kindle and I didn't want to "waste" my money. Word to the wise....don't waste your pennies or rupies on this book....

[Tara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, I found it on a top 10 clean love story must read list. I made it 20% through and got so sick of the main characters catatonic, life is not worth living attitude and on top of that some very vulgar content as well as a hand full of "F" words. Nope, not my type of book. This is a young adult book but is not something I would have my "young adult" family member reading.

[Aziz Dahai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting tale of first love. Well told by a mature voice in a smooth manner.

[Anjalii · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't much words left to say once I finished the story. It got slack in the middle and I so wanted to put it down but as I turned the pages, I realised the slack too had a purpose later on. For fear of spoilers, I can't give that away.
The author could not have evidently put a foot wrong in his debut work except for the rare typos that I spotted but then again for that most people in the industry blame the publisher. To talk about the story, all I can say is that it was truly memorable and does some funny things to you in the end once you are done reading it. Very emotional and very refreshing.

[Vinodh Tharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice teenage love story.

[Gulshaan Zafar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what is meant by love stories are written in heaven (and come on earth to give us hell). Truly Madly Deeply embodies a guy (Rahul Kapoor's) attempts at forgetting his first love (Seema Tandun) but alas, who has control over the clock's chimes (as the author says in the book). None of us can forget our first loves and this book will appeal to all those who still cherish it.
Combined with delicate poetry and intricately woven prose, Faraaz Kazi writes a romance masterpiece, the kind I have never seen any Indian writer do so far. Only thing I found discouraging was some points which would have been better understood just like that are overtly simplified. Rest I leave it to the others for reading and not judging this lovable book.

[Mahek Sule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished it once within a day, now sitting back reading it again while my sister is fighting with me to snatch the copy out of my hands. The first time it drove me to tears, the second time it is giving me goosebumps. Too good to be true.

[Naren Prasad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching. Really touching. Seriously touching. No other words come to my mind. Just finished reading but not done crying. This is how love should be if it should be at all. Too good.