THE EMPEROR : LIVE THE DREAM by Ram Joshi
Publisher: Notion Press
Pages: 136
Price: Rs. 215 INR(Paperback), Rs. 99 INR(Kindle Edition)
ISBN: 978–1636069906
Buy here: https://amzn.to/37NAWWZ
My take on the book:
Emperor, known as Em among his friends, is one of the thousands of Penguins living in the Antarctica. Em loses his parents when he was a few years old and then on his life, like everyone else in his tribe revolves around surviving the harsh winters and moving back and forth between the ocean and land as the seasons changed.
On one such visit, Em wonders about the mystery of a nearby mountain and the life that lay beyond it. While his friends and the elders of the tribe discourage and make him realize the risk involved in moving to a new unknown place, a feat never accomplished by another penguin, Em who initially withdraws this idea. However, after a freak incident, Em decides to rekindle his curiosity to explore the island and reach the mountain, all by himself. After a life of security and daily routine, will Em be able to accomplish the unthinkable and how will this journey change his life forms the rest of the story.
As the author mentions Penguins are known to be the most resilient creatures given the sort of environment they inhabit and their unique lifestyle. However, their resilience is confined only to daily survival and the story explores what life experiences one can expect when they go beyond their comfort zone. Though the story has been narrated by Em, it is evident that the author has chosen the protagonist as a Penguin while the whole narrative could as well be of a human.
Em’s dilemmas, insecurities, fears — all reflect what we go through on a daily basis; when we set out to achieve our dreams and goals which seem unrealistic at the outset, mocked by those around us but are achievable only through patience and perseverance. The author smartly wraps a self-help book in a fictional setup; the USP being the story being centered around an animal which is not always considered for a story premise.
The editing could have been better as there are couple of grammatical mistakes. The story starts slow and takes a while to pick pace; the cover is impressive and relevant for the story. The message delivered through Em however makes up for other short comings.
An inspirational story, narrated in simple words, this story is relatable by all ages and is a heart-warming one.
My rating:
4/5.