Review by Izesicle -- Border Post 99 by Kedar Patankar

[Izesicle]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Border Post 99" by Kedar Patankar.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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How do you save a life with a slingshot? Read the hour-long Border Post 99 by Kedar Patankar to find out.

On opposite sides of the Indian-Pakistani border, a new recruit and a veteran soldier man the border posts while peace talks are happening. The border posts are in no man's land and should not be there. However, both sides, suspicious of each other, have stealthily put up the posts and assigned sentries. Lieutenant Sharma, having recently graduated with no practical experience, was assigned to the post on the Indian side. His major assigned him there to give him experience and thought him relatively safe. War-weary Captain Abid Khan, on the Pakistani side, was excited to have some peace and quiet by himself in the forest as he waited for his deployment to end so he could go home. After weeks of quiet routine bordering on boredom, both of them discover each other's presence.

Both of them are stunned and left wondering, "Am I outmanned by other side? Have traps been laid for me as I go to the river on the border? Will the other side launch an attack despite the international negotiations?" In time, they learn that there's only one person on the other side. They cannot attack because they have been given orders to do so as they didn't want to be the cause of a full-on war. They learn to avoid each other while they use the river and the land for their daily needs. Over time, their natural hatred for the enemy turns into a grudging tolerance for a fellow human being. How long will this uneasy situation last?

I easily imagined a movie based on this story. The looming forest, the solitary temporary posts, and flashback episodes will translate well to the big screen. I appreciated the delicious irony of people being in a no man's land. I also liked that the soldiers were a foil for each other in terms of experience but similar deep down in terms of their yearning for home. My favorite part was when the smell of spices reminded them of home.

Reading this book reminded me of Life is Beautiful and The Book Thief. While it is set in the context of a war between countries that has been going on for years, Border Post 99 is a heartwarming little story about ordinary people who struggle to maintain their humanity. If you love these types of stories, you will love this book. I loved reading this book so much, that I read it again while writing this review. There are some insults said between characters that a reader might find offensive, but they fit well with the story and the characters' personalities. This is why I'm giving this well-written book 4 out of 4 stars.

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Border Post 99
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Like Izesicle's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Ren B]

I loved the way it was written! I'm so glad you did too! It really is a fantastic book.

[SOME Jean de Dieu]

Border post 99 can be read hundred times with hundred different reading goals. It took me one night to read it. My focus was on the "humanity" of private, their moral side versus their "robot side" or work ethics. I have worked with soldiers and this book doesn't omit any details of soldiers' reality. Good job

[RegularGuy3]

How about a sample of these insults? I just read God's Middle Finger--a dangerous jaunt down the Sierra Madre--and the insults alone made it worth the read. (The rest was good, too.)

[juliusotinyo]

Nice review. I liked the angle you used on the slings. I'd forgotten about that in my review. This really was a great book.

[Donatelloo]

These two countries always had a rough time since 1997. I should definitely read it.
Thank you for such a nice review ?

[Ayosinmi]

Border post 99 can be read hundred times with hundred different reading goals. It took me one night to read it. My focus was on the "humanity" of private, their moral side versus their "robot side" or work ethics. I have worked with soldiers and this book doesn't omit any details of soldiers' reality. Good job

Beautiful comment. Wow. Well done for dropping that comment. I have read a lot of reviews about this book and maybe someday, I will give it a trial.

-- 12 Aug 2017, 20:33 --

Nice review. I rather enjoy your review,keep it up. Excellent job.
Please check out my reviews of Breaking sandcastles, Escape, Lemoncella cocktail, My trip to Adele, and Searching for Paradise. I look forward to hearing from you.

[ritah]

Great review on this book.

[Izesicle]

I loved the way it was written! I'm so glad you did too! It really is a fantastic book.

Thank you, Ren. It is my favourite book among the ones I have reviewed so far.

-- 14 Aug 2017, 08:25 --

Border post 99 can be read hundred times with hundred different reading goals. It took me one night to read it. My focus was on the "humanity" of private, their moral side versus their "robot side" or work ethics. I have worked with soldiers and this book doesn't omit any details of soldiers' reality. Good job

you're absolutely right. Soldiers are trained to obey orders without complaint. However, their humanity or personal ethic can't help but rear its head sometimes.

-- 15 Aug 2017, 02:52 --

How about a sample of these insults? I just read God's Middle Finger--a dangerous jaunt down the Sierra Madre--and the insults alone made it worth the read. (The rest was good, too.)

Good question, Regularguy3. I know what you mean. The insults in this case were really the ones that get censored on tv, not like funny bickering. What i found funny were the actions they were doing to each other they seemed like pranks.

-- 16 Aug 2017, 02:00 --

Nice review. I liked the angle you used on the slings. I'd forgotten about that in my review. This really was a great book.

Thanks. I thought that bit about the slings was creative.

[ReviewerDiksha]

I don't understand why more books and elaborate ones are not written on the context of India and Pakistan! This book was a nice approch and I look forward to reading it. Nicely done with the review.

[Izesicle]

These two countries always had a rough time since 1997. I should definitely read it.
Thank you for such a nice review ?

yeah, the book informed the conflict as well. Thank you for visiting :D

-- 20 Aug 2017, 06:05 --

Border post 99 can be read hundred times with hundred different reading goals. It took me one night to read it. My focus was on the "humanity" of private, their moral side versus their "robot side" or work ethics. I have worked with soldiers and this book doesn't omit any details of soldiers' reality. Good job

Beautiful comment. Wow. Well done for dropping that comment. I have read a lot of reviews about this book and maybe someday, I will give it a trial.

-- 12 Aug 2017, 20:33 --

Nice review. I rather enjoy your review,keep it up. Excellent job.
Please check out my reviews of Breaking sandcastles, Escape, Lemoncella cocktail, My trip to Adele, and Searching for Paradise. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks. It's a great short read. Well worth your time.

-- 22 Aug 2017, 04:59 --

Great review on this book.

Thank you for stopping by. Pretty profile photo.

-- 22 Aug 2017, 11:05 --

I don't understand why more books and elaborate ones are not written on the context of India and Pakistan! This book was a nice approch and I look forward to reading it. Nicely done with the review.

I agree absolutely. I learned much about the conflict and citizens' feelings on this book.

[Harrygx3]

Its a beautiful little book that truly shows the human side of the soldiers while still managing to make you laugh a bit . I would definetly watch a movie based on it.

[Izesicle]

Thanks, Harrygx3. You are absolutely right. My favourite parts where the "pranks" they played on each other.

[BoyLazy]

Thinking of it now, some parts did remind me of 'Life is Beautiful'. Great review