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" I loved this powerful book written in a very engaging manner about the life story of a mazdoor (day laborer) in Delhi. It is a brilliant narration and an eye-opener. "

" It's just that good. "

" Read this book. Reflect on what you've read. "

" Armed with a Sarai CSDS Fellowship, Sethi ventured into the labour market of Sadr Bazaar and befriends Ashraf. What follows is a series of conversations and journeys of discovery which expose the underbelly of Delhi, or any metro for that matter. But all said and done, I somehow didn't find the book riveting or engaging. The only lasting memory is probably going to be the various deals that happen in Sadr Bazaar day in and day out. Now on, a painter or a mason will no longer be just a painter or a mason for me, thanks to this book. "

" Indian non-fiction is, in fact, in a much healthier state than Indian fiction. A Free Man is one of the most compelling arguments for this hypothesis. It lays bare the world of the Delhi itinerant labourer, but never gets lost in idle rhapsodising or armchair politics. What it does instead is to lose itself into the rhythms of its subject- this is about Md. Ashraf the mazdoor, not Aman Sethi the writer. Special mention must be made of the excpetional use of language in the book- while it's obvious that Sethi can write the breathtaking sentences when he wants to, he lets Ashraf and his fellow mazdoors take centrestage, lets their language, with its indulgences, its colloquilisms and its non-sequiturs take over. A memorable read indeed. "

" A sensitive and respectful treatment of the life of a poor laborer in Delhi. The author delves patiently until bits of the story emerge. "

" I appreciated Sethi's coverage of the folks you hardly read about - day laborers, painters, "lawaris." The diversions were distracting and hard to get through; Ashraf is the heart of the novel and the book would've held my interest if Sethi stuck to Ashraf's story. "

" I obtained this book from a first-reads give-away. I really enjoyed the prose. Sethi did an outstanding job of using the words to really put the reader in the context of the book. The story was woven extremely well. Overall, I would recommend it! "

" A Free Man: A True Story of Life "

" Brilliant, entirely. "

" Life, It moves even without us doing anything. Funny if we could look it that way but for me it's seriously true. I like to keep the funny side. It keeps me inspired. "

" Like A Fine Balance, but a non-fiction version. I liked how the author (who is also a journalist) really got involved with his subjects, drinking with them, gaining their trust, establishing friendships; so his book reveals the real lives of laborers in Delhi and India. Very interesting read. "

" A well-written, compassionate view of migrant laborers in Delhi and their lives (what do they do, how do they live their lives, where are they from, how did they end up there) "

" A very good book -- especially the first parts. Very funny and informative there. "