Book review of Blue Eagle by Sharada Kolluru

Blue Eagle came as a surprise to me. Surprise, as in, I previously had a gut instinct that this book may not be promising enough because of the premise the story is based upon. But now, after reading it till the end, I am very happy to have been proved wrong.

Blue Eagle is the kind of story which explores the world inside us just as much as it explores the one that lies beyond the reaches of ourselves. As the story goes, the protagonists Moe and Neil meet at a police station to lodge their respective complaints. Moe’s concerns revolve around her missing school certificates, while Neil’s is about retrieving his bottle of Blue Eagle wine to offer to Lord Kal Bhairava in Ujjain. While Moe is concerned about her higher studies in college, Neil is desperate to normalise his already embittered relation with his mother. The idea of loss, therefore, becomes the starting point of the book Blue Eagle.

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Another reason why I found this book intriguing was the title itself. Blue Eagle, the title, is not merely a direct reference to Neil’s lost possession, Blue Eagle the wine. The title of the book can be viewed as a representation of all things we lost and we have been looking for ever since. It can be an object, an idea, or even a memory. The metaphysical worth of the title is so immeasurable that I was in awe while reading it. The subtleties with which Blue Eagle addresses important themes of loss and retrieval, despair and hope, sorrow and happiness, are very much significant to our understanding of the world. Moreover, the structure of Blue Eagle is equally remarkable. I loved how the author used the “strangers turn to lovers” trope so inovatively. Like I said, Blue Eagle does not force events in this novel to occur, but rather hinges everything on subtleties to drive the plot forward.

One of the best parts of Blue Eagle occurs when the protagonists decide to visit the city in each other’s company. The author utilises this opportunity to go beyond the monologue of these characters to witness how their ideas and emotions develop by the end of the novel. Therefore, as Moe and Neil roam through various avenues of the city, we readers get to see how both of them evolve within their own selves. As far as characterisation is concerned, I am impressed by how the author has moulded Neil’s character. A figure which could almost be mistaken for a person in flesh and blood, Neil’s character would leave you to wonder, “Why do I not have a friend like him?” The sheer creativity with which the author has crafted his character is indeed brilliant. Moe’s characterisation, on the other hand, was not as impressive as Neil’s. Yet, Moe’s significance remains unabated to the book as she briefly recollects the political history of Myanmar. While Neil’s narrative is more subjective and appeals to the emotions, Moe’s is more down-to-earth and practical; and, she did remind me of the latest release The Mountains Sing. Also, I am happy that the author devoted an ample amount of space for the side characters to thrive naturally. Blue Eagle, therefore, is a literal proof of how the author has ingeniously woven a beautiful story out of thin air. Like we say, it is “creating everything out of nothing”.

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• On Beauty by Zadie Smith
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Atonement by Ian McEwan

Pick the book if

• You love reading Contemporary Fiction
• You love reading light Romance

Skip the book if

• You don’t like reading Contemporary Fiction
• You don’t like reading books on Light Romance

Age Group

16 years and above

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How did you like the book review of Blue Eagle by Sharada Kolluru. Let me know in the comment section…