Thank you, Rupa Publications for the review copy! 🙂
‘Time and Chance’ is the autobiographical account of the late V. A. Mohta, who was born in Akola in a Maheshwari family. He rose from being a mofussil lawyer to becoming a Chief Justice of the Odisha High Court. V. A. Mohta talks about his life from starting off from a business family to being a family of lawyers and judges. He talks about his relationship with his family, friends, and colleagues – all the people who had a lasting impression on him.
V. A. Mohta’s frank description of events in his life and how life treated him is refreshing to read. A number of cases he worked on, the way he staunchly implemented his morals, values, and ideals in whatever he did, his opinions on certain things like euthanasia – they are intriguing to read and give you a peek into the life of a legal heavyweight. V. A. Mohta is no more, but he leaves behind an impressive legacy.
What I didn’t like, however, about the writing style was that there was too much legal jargon for me. 30-40% of the time, I had no idea what he was talking about and researching close to half the book is a rather exhausting exercise. Some anecdotes he recollects are random, with no connection to what he’s saying before it or after it. Plus, it gets a little repetitive in places.
Otherwise, it’s a great insight into one of the most brilliant legal minds in India of the past century. People studying Indian Law will find this especially helpful!
Rating: 3/5 stars
Picture Courtesy: Goodreads
If you’d like to buy this book after reading my review, please use my Amazon Affiliate link below. The price remains the same but I get a small cut off of every purchase that you make. 🙂
Here’s the link: Time and Chance by V. A. Mohta
The Melodramatic Bookworm 