You Know Who by Janani Srikanth: A Review

 

These ‘characters’ walk into your head and introduce you to every English synonym for ‘laughing’.

 

Chuckling. Chortling. Giggling. Guffawing. Snickering. Roaring.

 

One book that brings them all out.

 

Satire and observational humour have always been carefully protected art forms that seldom translate well into words. Only a select few are blessed to have their very nature imbibe and reflect the sense of humour that balances kindness and empathy with the wry, impartial observation necessary to pull this off.

 

You Know Who manages to hook its readers from the title and continues to brilliantly sketch, colour, and develop fully formed character archetypes as readers flip the pages.

 

The entire narrative experience is immersive and feels less like non-fiction satire and more like watching a motion-capture animation of familiar and amusingly beloved characteristics being created and named.

 

In the author’s words, philosophy and fluid poetry lock horns, competing for the reader’s attention while the underlying humour silently watches it all unfold. The book feels timeless – the characters (archetypes!) are relevant and relatable now, as they were 5 decades ago, and as they would be a century later.

 

There is a very nostalgic ‘vintage classic’ feel, like watching modernised, sophisticated versions of R K Laxman’s famous Common Man come alive in words.

 

There’s the wittiness, the quintessential wry nature, the almost deadpan delivery of the most impactful lines. But what makes this book stand apart is the kindness that interlaces all these.

 

Beneath all the amusement and the absolute laugh riot You Know Who takes us on, there is this gossamer thread of empathy that leaves readers feeling wholesome instead of wondering if their laughter came at the cost of someone else’s discomfort.
 

The archetypes cease to be individual characters (though they are really well-developed) and start seeming like a blend of characteristics we have seen (and been, too) in our lives.

 

That is the best part of this book – it does not separate the observer from the targets. There is no separate pedestal. The characters and their characteristics are achingly familiar, often at the expense of self, before they bring someone else to mind.

 

It takes an open mind to impartially observe oneself and find one’s own idiosyncrasies. And a large heart to laugh at oneself. You Know Who makes that seem effortless.

 

The mild exaggeration builds archetypes of what could have merely been a kaleidoscope of characters. It does not seem out of place or rude. It does not box people into categories or classify them in particular ways. It reverses the effect of these larger-than-life descriptions, making them seem life-like and somehow more humanly endearing.

 

When the last page is turned, You Know Who leaves you content, happy, and at a better place mentally – it has removed the traces of judgment from observation, taught the mind to see the reasons driving certain quirks, and see the world with a kinder lens. Reflective insights arrive better when coated in humour, and they make us approach life from the lighter side.

 

I think the best way to summarise this book would be to use Janani’s own words from it:

Observation, when paired with humour, has a unique power. It lowers the guard. It bypasses the need to argue or explain. It allows insight to arrive sideways, without instruction.

 

You Know Who is here to make your everyday observations kinder and richer. It infuses life with amusement and etches the laugh lines in your mind instead of just the face.

 

Special Mention:

 

The COVER. Surpasses all the covers I have ever seen. Quirky, colourful, and classy. By leaving the archetypes half-formed and keeping the fonts comic, it grabs the eye easily and increases the intrigue.

 

The author’s ability to bring timelessness to seemingly specific and situational archetypes. She blends antiquity in the feelings with futuristic minimalism in words.

The book is available worldwide on Amazon!

Check out Janani's Website to know more about this book and her other releases.