Third-class ticket Book

When I first found out about this book, I couldn't wait to read it. There's a pdf of it online which I downloaded almost immediately, but then didn't get to it, one of the reasons for which was that reading this on an iPad somehow didn't feel right.

And then I found a copy at Blossom. There was one more; I should have bought that too, even if just to give it to someone, someone who'll get it.

Because it is a very very special book. The premise itself is so extraordinary that you are hooked, and then the journey sort-of coops you in with these characters, very much like the third class coach the villagers travel on.

Third Class Ticket is at once a celebration, a lament, and a swansong for a country that is in itself surprised at being one. The book is brilliant, in that you get to hear from people you seldom hear from, and their life, their viewpoints, their aspirations all bring forth a portrait that is as rare as it is beautiful. Which is also why it is a surprise that this book isn't better known. It should be. It is a classic.

There are so many things about this book which I need more space to explore, and this review probably isn't that. But there's just so much here to unpack, and I hope I get time to do so. This book deserves that.