Amongst Monkeys: A Frank Story from IIM-A by Narendran is a coming of age tale of an engineer from Chennai caught in the midst of a dilemma – whether to leave a comfortable, well paying job in a renowned public sector job or take a leap of faith and join a premier institute, IIM-Ahmedabad.
While our young protagonist Randy, as he comes to be known, finally decides to brave new frontiers, he is still plagued with feelings of self-doubt and regret. He is soon faced with a barrage of quizzes, group decisions and professors with a penchant for making life miserable on campus. Mounting pressure of gaining good grades and fulfilling the aspirations of his family start weighing him down.
Will Randy overcome the tremendous pressure? Will IIM-A instill in him the essence of fine leadership? Will his two-year stay in Ahmedabad lead to any steamy romances? These are questions the protagonist ponders over on a daily bases.
While there are many novels that chronicle the experiences of studying in a top B-school, most squander their potential by regressing into an improbable misadventure of trying to woo the deans’ daughter. This is where Amongst Monkeys really stands out; it has a more academic inclination rendered with dollops of humour. Of course, it has its fair share of post-pubescent youth chasing long slender legs in padded skirts, but is fairly tame and is mostly used as a narrative to move the story forward.
As the title suggests, the book raises the question of who the real monkeys are on the campus – are they gentle creatures that gracefully swing on branches outside Randy’s dormitory room, the students who would gladly sacrifice any bonds of friendship to further their own careers or the narcissistic teachers who happen to have an opinion on everything? The answer is left to the readers’ discretion.
Written in a first person narrative, the book is well paced and is rendered in simple, easy to understand English. It provides insight into the inner working of IIM-A and is highly recommended for anybody trying to crack CAT.
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