Ashutosh Kumar. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Sept. 20: Few think of writing a novel at the age of 19. Ashutosh Kumar is among those select few.

His debut novel, The Great Return of Doctor Faustus, is based on Christopher Marlowe’s 16th-century play Dr Faustus.

Ashutosh said: “Many people did not like Dr Faustus ending, so I thought of giving it a happy end. I started from where Marlowe ended the play.”

Born in Tarauni village of Mithila (internationally reputed author Nagarjuna also belongs to the same place), Ashutosh received his early education from St Xavier’s School, Sahibganj, (Jharkhand). Today, at the age of 21, Ashutosh has all the potential to become a writer of international repute.

He said: “I will continue to write all through my life. I also want to become an IAS officer and serve my nation.”

Having a firm belief in “winners do nothing special but do everything in a special way”, Ashutosh said that his father Dr B. Choudhary, a professor and a renowned litterateur, has been his inspiration.

Ashutosh was university topper in B.A. (Part-I) from Patna College. He is now a student of M.A. final year, department of English, Patna University.

Ashutosh also believes in Mahatma Gandhi’s quote “every good movement passes through five stages: indifference, ridicule, abuse, repression and respect”. Kumar’s novel The Great Return of Doctor Faustus had been released before eminent academics including S.I. Ahson, Pro vice-Chancellor, Patna University, Sahitya Akademi award winner Arun Kamal and Padmashree Rabindra Rajhans.

Library of Maharani Lakshmishwar College, Darbhanga, has already placed an order for the novel.

Praising Ashutosh, state HRD minister Hari Narain Singh said that he had established the fact that Bihar is still a place of different talents in different fields. Dr Shaileshwar Sati Prasad said that the novel is a great experiment, which could only be written by a person exposed to linguistic and cultural pluralism.

According to him, Ashutosh has reinforced the very individual narrative technique in which the author, narrator, characters and readers co-exist and know each other as living entities.

Ashutosh is now giving his final touches to other books. One among them is based on human relations, and the writer is focusing on how one can change one’s own destiny.

Ashutosh said he is highly inspired by Man Booker Award winner Aravind Adiga. Ashutosh also writes poems. He said he has been composing poems and writing stories since childhood.