‘The Extraordinary Life of Max Bulandi’: A charming novel about a forgotten rockstar

I never really thought that in a book about a man named Nirvana, he would only be the fifth-most interesting character, and even that is a stretch. In The Extraordinary Life of Max Bulandi, Sidharth Singh weaves a tale so fantastical and adventurous, that every chapter introduces a character more fascinating than the previous one. And this continues until we circle back to our titular hero.

Off on a quest

Nirvana, a fairly aimless, albeit knowledgeable, almost-middle-aged drifter has been going through life with no drive and a lot of alcohol. His long-term girlfriend has left him for a cushy job in the Middle East, his landlady wants to evict him so she can move in with her son outside the country, his job as a music journalist is a dead rut where he feels underused. The story begins in a way you almost believe this is a book about Nirvana himself because his life seems just too in the dumps to be ignored. But as is wont to happen to a man whose life is spirally away to nothingness, he comes across a piece from an old lifestyle magazine that shines a spotlight on him and pulls him to it, an article about a talented...

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