‘The Alice Project’ scours millennial life like most books of the genre. And that isn’t a bad thing

A month after reading The Alice Project, I wondered why more people weren’t writing about it. It can’t be that everyone was procrastinating writing a review for a book that they couldn’t help
quickly thumbing. Or maybe the publicists didn’t send the copies on time, and now it’s too late. But then I reread the book, just as quickly as the first time I read it, and I realised why: There’s nothing new to say about it. You can read a review about Sally Rooney instead – it would’ve been the same. That’s because Gade doesn’t say anything new. But oh, I’ve to warn you. Contrary to what this paragraph might suggest: This is a positive review.

Relatable predictability

If you want to know what happens in the book, just read the blurb. Although the blurb shouldn’t give you the plot, the back cover of The Alice Project does exactly that. No, it’s not Gade’s editor or marketing team’s fault; it reflects the narrative’s capacity. It says, This book is predictable, and that’s why you should read it, promising nothing more. Or less.

Alice’s greatest pleasure in life is hanging out with his friends Nitin, Iyengar and Bakchod, mostly at the chai shop outside their old college. He has a job...

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