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Bitter Sweets
With this spellbinding first novel about the destructive lies three immigrant generations of a Pakistani/Bangladeshi family tell each other, Roopa Farooki adds a fresh new voice to the company of Zadie Smith, Jhumpa Lahiri and Arudhati Roy.Henna Rub is a precocious teenager whose wheeler-dealer father never misses a business opportunity and whose sumptuous Calcutta marriage to wealthy romantic Ricky-Rashid Karim is achieved by an audacious network of lies. Ricky will learn the truth about his seductive bride, but the way is already paved for a future of double lives and deception--family traits that will filter naturally through the generations, forming an instinctive and unspoken tradition. Even as a child, their daughter Shona, herself conceived on a lie and born in a liar's house, finds telling fibs as easy as ABC. But years later, living above a sweatshop in South London's Tooting Bec, it is Shona who is forced to discover unspeakable truths about her loved ones and come to terms with what superficially holds her family together--and also keeps them apart--across geographical, emotional and cultural distance. Roopa Farooki has crafted an intelligent, engrossing and emotionally powerful Indian family saga that will stay with you long after you've read the last page.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2007
About the author
Roopa Farooki
18 books73 followersRoopa was brought up in London and graduated from New College in Oxford in 1995. She worked in advertising and it 2004 quit to write full time. She now lives in south east London and south west France with her husband and two sons. Bitter Sweets is her first novel and in 2007 it was nominated for the Orange Award for New Writer.
Her second novel, Corner Shop was released in October 2008 and her third novel is due in 2009.
Her second novel, Corner Shop was released in October 2008 and her third novel is due in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
April 18, 2012
After reading through some of the more negative reviews on here, I feel like I am one of the only people who really loved this book so much that I found it almost impossible to put down. I've even added it to my favourites list.
I can see how some people may not get into Farooki's style of writing; it is a sort of montage style, which means that it almost flicks quickly between the lives of several people, and then links them all together somehow. However, I really like this style. It's something refreshing and different that I haven't seen in a book before, and I really liked reading it.
The story follows three generations of a family and their journey through life, linking together, and how their relationships change over time, for better or for worse. It is primarily about how people from different backgrounds - some from Bangladesh, Pakistan, London, Ireland and more - link together in some way or another, and what happens to a family that are built heavily on lies. This may not be some people's cup of tea, and I wasn't sure at first either, but as I continued reading I realised that it was becoming one of my favourite books that I have read in a while, and I couldn't put it down. I was wide awake until 2am last night finishing this book because it was so exciting towards the middle and the end of the book that I really wanted to continue reading to see what would happen to these families next! There are some sad moments, some happy moments, and some shocking turns and twists that were really unexpected. The clash of the personalities of the characters were really effective in creating dramatic and exciting storylines, and I loved it.
So, I recommend this to anyone over the age of about 16 - it's not really suitable for anyone younger than that as there are a lot of sex references as well as references to alcohol and drugs towards the end, but for anyone above the age of about 16, I'd recommend you give it a try!
I can see how some people may not get into Farooki's style of writing; it is a sort of montage style, which means that it almost flicks quickly between the lives of several people, and then links them all together somehow. However, I really like this style. It's something refreshing and different that I haven't seen in a book before, and I really liked reading it.
The story follows three generations of a family and their journey through life, linking together, and how their relationships change over time, for better or for worse. It is primarily about how people from different backgrounds - some from Bangladesh, Pakistan, London, Ireland and more - link together in some way or another, and what happens to a family that are built heavily on lies. This may not be some people's cup of tea, and I wasn't sure at first either, but as I continued reading I realised that it was becoming one of my favourite books that I have read in a while, and I couldn't put it down. I was wide awake until 2am last night finishing this book because it was so exciting towards the middle and the end of the book that I really wanted to continue reading to see what would happen to these families next! There are some sad moments, some happy moments, and some shocking turns and twists that were really unexpected. The clash of the personalities of the characters were really effective in creating dramatic and exciting storylines, and I loved it.
So, I recommend this to anyone over the age of about 16 - it's not really suitable for anyone younger than that as there are a lot of sex references as well as references to alcohol and drugs towards the end, but for anyone above the age of about 16, I'd recommend you give it a try!
January 27, 2022
De ce este inselaciunea atat de delicioasa? Oare de ce?... Deoarece calea dreapta este mereu neatragatoare, plictisitoare, prea putin stralucitoare si provocatoare. "Dark side" este mereu mai incitanta si seducatoare, asadar delicioasa.
"Bitter Sweets" a aparut in 2017 si ne transpune in Bangladeshul anilor 1950. Nadim Rub, un viclean proprietar de magazin pune la cale un plan iscusit si anume de a-si marita fata cu un baiat bogat dintr-o familie buna. Ricky Karim este un tip finut si educat care cauta o pereche pe masura lui, o femeie citita, cuminte si cu mult bun gust si bun simt. Adica tot ce nu este fata lui Nadim, Henna. Aceasta este lenesa, banala, analfabeta, insa cu mari aptitudini spre minciuna si inselaciune. Ea reuseste astfel sa-l pacaleasca si cei doi se casatoresc.
In noaptea nuntii Ricky descopera cruntul adevar atunci cand miresa lui tine cartea de poezii pe care i-o daruise cu susul in jos incercand sa citeasca asa din ea. Nu mai este insa nimic de facut decat sa se resemneze cu aceasta casatorie.
Peste un timp se naste si fiica lor Shona care mosteneste la randul ei talentul mamei ei de a minti si insela. Tot asa se va casatori si ea, fugind cu iubitul ei Parvez la Londra, iar din acel moment romanul urmareste soarta ei in capitala Angliei anilor 1980.
Aflam apoi si despre cea de-a doua casnicie a lui Ricky Rashid, despre gemenii Shonei, Omar si Khalid, vietile acestora, destramarea casniciei Shonei, noul ei iubit si despre toate minciunile, imbarligaturile si secretele.
Mi-a ramas in minte o frumoasa cerere in casatorie la pagina 39 care suna asa: "Shundor Shonali Shona, frumoasa mea Golden Goldie, stii ca un om se poate cufunda in ochii tai secole la rand, dar chiar si asa, la final, tot isi poate vedea viitorul in ei? Bineinteles ca vorbesc serios! Marita-te cu mine dupa examene."
Fiind o mare amatoare de dulciuri si prajituri am retinut si cateva deserturi din India: rasgulla, suc de rodie, dulciuri cu aroma de lemn dulce, burfi, samosa.
In incheiere va recomand romanul, se citeste usor, este placut fiind ideal de parcurs intr-o dupa-masa rece de ianuarie, cu o cana de ceai Masala fierbinte si aromat alaturi.
"Bitter Sweets" a aparut in 2017 si ne transpune in Bangladeshul anilor 1950. Nadim Rub, un viclean proprietar de magazin pune la cale un plan iscusit si anume de a-si marita fata cu un baiat bogat dintr-o familie buna. Ricky Karim este un tip finut si educat care cauta o pereche pe masura lui, o femeie citita, cuminte si cu mult bun gust si bun simt. Adica tot ce nu este fata lui Nadim, Henna. Aceasta este lenesa, banala, analfabeta, insa cu mari aptitudini spre minciuna si inselaciune. Ea reuseste astfel sa-l pacaleasca si cei doi se casatoresc.
In noaptea nuntii Ricky descopera cruntul adevar atunci cand miresa lui tine cartea de poezii pe care i-o daruise cu susul in jos incercand sa citeasca asa din ea. Nu mai este insa nimic de facut decat sa se resemneze cu aceasta casatorie.
Peste un timp se naste si fiica lor Shona care mosteneste la randul ei talentul mamei ei de a minti si insela. Tot asa se va casatori si ea, fugind cu iubitul ei Parvez la Londra, iar din acel moment romanul urmareste soarta ei in capitala Angliei anilor 1980.
Aflam apoi si despre cea de-a doua casnicie a lui Ricky Rashid, despre gemenii Shonei, Omar si Khalid, vietile acestora, destramarea casniciei Shonei, noul ei iubit si despre toate minciunile, imbarligaturile si secretele.
Mi-a ramas in minte o frumoasa cerere in casatorie la pagina 39 care suna asa: "Shundor Shonali Shona, frumoasa mea Golden Goldie, stii ca un om se poate cufunda in ochii tai secole la rand, dar chiar si asa, la final, tot isi poate vedea viitorul in ei? Bineinteles ca vorbesc serios! Marita-te cu mine dupa examene."
Fiind o mare amatoare de dulciuri si prajituri am retinut si cateva deserturi din India: rasgulla, suc de rodie, dulciuri cu aroma de lemn dulce, burfi, samosa.
In incheiere va recomand romanul, se citeste usor, este placut fiind ideal de parcurs intr-o dupa-masa rece de ianuarie, cu o cana de ceai Masala fierbinte si aromat alaturi.
September 11, 2011
Roopa Farooki’s delightful confection of a book tells the story of three generations of a family of deceivers. Despite their many peccadilloes – sloth, dishonesty, infidelity and bigamy chief among them – Farooki has created a colourful and loveable bunch of characters that are a complete joy to get to know.
The novel starts with the marriage, under false pretenses, of Henna Rub, an underaged Bengladeshi shopkeeper’s daughter, into the established landowning family of Ricky-Rashid and ends (some fifty years later) with an extended family gathering in a London park for a performance by her grandson’s rock band. In between these two events we follow the family of Henna and her erstwhile husband to London where their only daughter, Shona, elopes in a "love marriage" to Parvez, a penniless Pakistani. Shona and Parvez give birth to twin sons – timid, bookish Omar and rakish, womanizing Sharif. These six characters spend the entire novel deceiving one another and, just as often, themselves, in their quest for fulfillment.
While the book has no shortage of light moments, it’s essentially a drama and, as such, I was surprised at how deceptively light and easy it is to read. It has a touch of Moliere about it, with its myriad misshaps, misunderstandings and just misses. As they say, Oh what a tangled web we weave...
It’s one of those rare books that I couldn’t wait to get back to each night, to see what twists the story would take.
The author lets the reader see into the thoughts of all the main characters, jumping from person to person, often within one scene. The technique is effective in creating tension, since the reader always knows when two characters are at cross purposes. This comes particularly useful in a story about a group of liars. But it also creates empathy. Even the least likeable characters are allowed to tell their side of the story and Farooki trusts her readers to formulate their own judgments about them. Even the lazy, narcissistic Henna.
My only complaint is that the resolution happens too suddenly and all seems a bit too pat. Almost as if Farooki ran out of steam. I found the story so enjoyable, the writing style so effortless and breezy and the characters so appealing, which probably explains my disappointment that the whole thing ended a tad too abruptly.
The novel starts with the marriage, under false pretenses, of Henna Rub, an underaged Bengladeshi shopkeeper’s daughter, into the established landowning family of Ricky-Rashid and ends (some fifty years later) with an extended family gathering in a London park for a performance by her grandson’s rock band. In between these two events we follow the family of Henna and her erstwhile husband to London where their only daughter, Shona, elopes in a "love marriage" to Parvez, a penniless Pakistani. Shona and Parvez give birth to twin sons – timid, bookish Omar and rakish, womanizing Sharif. These six characters spend the entire novel deceiving one another and, just as often, themselves, in their quest for fulfillment.
While the book has no shortage of light moments, it’s essentially a drama and, as such, I was surprised at how deceptively light and easy it is to read. It has a touch of Moliere about it, with its myriad misshaps, misunderstandings and just misses. As they say, Oh what a tangled web we weave...
It’s one of those rare books that I couldn’t wait to get back to each night, to see what twists the story would take.
The author lets the reader see into the thoughts of all the main characters, jumping from person to person, often within one scene. The technique is effective in creating tension, since the reader always knows when two characters are at cross purposes. This comes particularly useful in a story about a group of liars. But it also creates empathy. Even the least likeable characters are allowed to tell their side of the story and Farooki trusts her readers to formulate their own judgments about them. Even the lazy, narcissistic Henna.
My only complaint is that the resolution happens too suddenly and all seems a bit too pat. Almost as if Farooki ran out of steam. I found the story so enjoyable, the writing style so effortless and breezy and the characters so appealing, which probably explains my disappointment that the whole thing ended a tad too abruptly.
Read
November 28, 2017“Peste ani, Shona avea să se uite la una dintre acele poze, la sariul ei strălucind în soare, la cum părea confuză, dar în acelaşi timp fericită, aşa cum îl privea ea drăgăstoasă pe soţul ei. Şi la Parvez, care parcă stăpânea întreaga lume: chipeş, încrezător, râzând la cameră, cu un braţ protector în jurul ei, ca şi cum avea suficientă putere pentru amândoi şi va putea să aibă grijă de ei toată viaţa. Poate că ea şi Parvez aveau într-adevăr talentul de a fi îndrăgostiţi unul de celălalt – într-un fel, în afară de simţul umorului, era singurul lucru pe care-l aveau în comun. Însă ceva era clar: ei formau Perechea de Îndrăgostiţi, iar această nuntă pe ascuns nu făcea decât să pună şi mai mult în evidenţă faptul că erau amândoi amatori de senzaţii tari. Douăzeci de ani mai târziu, Shona avea să se întrebe care fusese momentul în care relaţia lor începuse să se deterioreze.”
December 8, 2019
Am fost sceptică atunci când m-am apucat sa citesc această carte, pentru ca nota era relativ mică si recenziile destul de negative, însă acum, ma bucur ca i-am acordat o șansă. Povestea este interesantă și plină de subintelesuri. In cartea asta toti, dar absolut toti mint. Minciunile devin parte din familia lor si ii afecteaza foarte grav... nici nu realizeaza ca încercând să păstreze aparențele, ii rănesc pe cei care conteaza cu adevarat. Relația copil părinte este trasată fin, dar fără să lase loc de interpretări. Ce mi-a plăcut la autoare a fost cum a subliniat faptul că orientarea sexuală a unui om nu este o alegere... ci un fapt... pe care vrem sau nu sa-l acceptăm, trebuie macar sa incercam sa-l intelegem. Cartea tratează în special relațiile de familie: parinte-copil, sot-sotie, bunici-nepoți, dar și relația de bigamie, adulter, homosexualitate si incest. Nu este o carte care sa te tina cu sufletul la gură, pe care sa nu o poti lasa din mana, dar după primele pagini începi să faci parte din poveste si iti doresti sa vezi până unde pot ajunge cu minciuna. Cel puțin eu asta am simtit. Mi-a plăcut. Cred totusi ca nota de peG este cam mica pt cum este scrisa si ce subiecte tratează. Este o carte pe care eu asa recomanda-o unui prieten fără să stau prea mult pe gânduri. 5*
March 27, 2009
I was disappointed in this book. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I not read better South Asian immigrant culture books. The book jacket claims that the lies a 13 year old illiterate tells to marry up shakes the foundations of the family in the next generations. In actuality, that could have been left out of the book altogether. It felt like the author was trying to throw all kinds of drama into the lives of this family, though you didn't really care about any of them even though they took turns narrating. The members didn't even really seemed to interact with each other until the very end which was presented all tied up in a big frilly bow.
August 19, 2018
Bitter Sweets is all about the lies we tell for the sake of peace and happiness. I really enjoyed it all the way through but I feel like everything was resolved too easily at the end. Or that it was left somewhat unresolved so that the author didn't have to deal with the fallout. Not quite sure which.
August 13, 2022
3,5* Uma leitura fluida e apesar das voltas e reviravoltas com os personagens, cativa o interesse por estar muito bem escrito.
Traz-nos também uma lição: a verdade por muito dolorosa que seja é sempre preferível à mentira que pode causar consequências desastrosas
Traz-nos também uma lição: a verdade por muito dolorosa que seja é sempre preferível à mentira que pode causar consequências desastrosas
October 28, 2015
De uma foram muito engraçada vamos assistir a uma saga familiar onde impera a mentira. Durante três gerações esta família vai vivendo mentiras sucessivas que vão condicionar as gerações futuras. E só a verdade vai conseguir estabelecer a harmonia familiar desenrolando esta teia que foi sendo tecida durante mais de 50 anos.
July 12, 2020
After the extremely clunky start to this novel and getting used to its jarringly fast pacing and character switches, I genuinely started looking forward to picking it up and finding out what happens next. I didn't know what to expect from this story and it kept taking me by surprise again, and again, and again. I've generally had a good time reading it, so I'm glad I had it on my to-read list (and that it was available in my local library) when it's not the most well-known.
The plot goes so many different ways that your brain kinda hurts (especially when it comes to Sharif's plotline, whose entire character is that he's 1. in a band and 2. unrepentantly chaotic), and I don't think the writer was equipped to deal with all the real-world issues that come up fairly. In this Bangladeshi-Pakistani family drama, the main theme is this: lies. Everybody lies. Some lies are absolutely sky-high nuts (there are so many affairs, it's almost tedious), and some are just sort of regular . And basically, no matter how well-intentioned, you hurt the people closest to you when you lie...including when you lie to yourself. Moreover, evasion of difficult conversations can be passed down generations in increasingly toxic ways. Obviously, I can totally get behind that message and it's a unique one for a novel. The South Asian cultural background makes concerns over public appearances of family affairs all the more understandable, at least to me.
It's a little dramatic to really be a slice-of-life story though. Actually, it could probably be a soap opera. The ending is not bad overall, though. Not everything is neatly resolved, but all of these characters are slowly bettering themselves and working at being more honest as they seek fulfillment.
I liked it. It was good. It was just a little too messy to be great.
The plot goes so many different ways that your brain kinda hurts (especially when it comes to Sharif's plotline, whose entire character is that he's 1. in a band and 2. unrepentantly chaotic), and I don't think the writer was equipped to deal with all the real-world issues that come up fairly. In this Bangladeshi-Pakistani family drama, the main theme is this: lies. Everybody lies. Some lies are absolutely sky-high nuts (there are so many affairs, it's almost tedious), and some are just sort of regular . And basically, no matter how well-intentioned, you hurt the people closest to you when you lie...including when you lie to yourself. Moreover, evasion of difficult conversations can be passed down generations in increasingly toxic ways. Obviously, I can totally get behind that message and it's a unique one for a novel. The South Asian cultural background makes concerns over public appearances of family affairs all the more understandable, at least to me.
It's a little dramatic to really be a slice-of-life story though. Actually, it could probably be a soap opera. The ending is not bad overall, though. Not everything is neatly resolved, but all of these characters are slowly bettering themselves and working at being more honest as they seek fulfillment.
I liked it. It was good. It was just a little too messy to be great.
January 3, 2018
review to come
December 30, 2017
Când minciunile se rostogolesc de la o generație la alta, de ai putea crede că sunt ereditare, adevărul nu pare a fi soluția salvatoare, căci ar zdrucina prea multe vieți. Ce începe ca o minciună de conveniență, menită să ofere un viitor mai bun se transformă într-un bulgăre ce se mărește și depășește zidurile unei singure familii. Cu toate acestea, Dulciuri amare nu este despre minciună… nu doar despre minciună.
Recenzia mea completa este aici https://cititornecunoscut.ro/2017/12/...
Recenzia mea completa este aici https://cititornecunoscut.ro/2017/12/...
June 21, 2024
STOPPP. I ACTUALLLYYY CANTTTTT. This book made me FURIOUS. SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOS TERRIBLE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. The misogyny 😭😭😭😭😭.
September 9, 2017
This is one of the most delightful books that I have read in a long time.
There is no way to tell you what it is about--it is just unique. One reviewer said this, "An enjoyably breezy book...Despite its emphasis on deception, dislocation, and the loss of love, Farooki's book retains a cherry consistency: It has managed to be sunnily devious from the start."
This is her first novel. I look forward to other work by Roopa Farrooki.
There is no way to tell you what it is about--it is just unique. One reviewer said this, "An enjoyably breezy book...Despite its emphasis on deception, dislocation, and the loss of love, Farooki's book retains a cherry consistency: It has managed to be sunnily devious from the start."
This is her first novel. I look forward to other work by Roopa Farrooki.
November 5, 2019
Levezinho mas surpreendente.
Não é nenhuma obra-prima, mas é daqueles livros óptimos para ler entre leituras poderosas. Foi maravilhoso lê-lo depois de ter lido um dos melhores thrillers do ano ("1793", de Niklas Natt och Dag) e antes de mergulhar na leitura do que acho que vai ser mesmo o melhor thriller do ano ("A Noite em Que o Verão Acabou", de João Tordo).
A história está bem contada, a trama é isso mesmo: uma trama bem enleada de verdades e mentiras que, à medida que se desenleia, nos surpreende e nos dá vontade de atrasar a leitura para que dure mais, ao mesmo tempo que nos dá vontade de acelerar para descobrirmos tudo rapidamente.
Gostei mesmo muito.
Não é nenhuma obra-prima, mas é daqueles livros óptimos para ler entre leituras poderosas. Foi maravilhoso lê-lo depois de ter lido um dos melhores thrillers do ano ("1793", de Niklas Natt och Dag) e antes de mergulhar na leitura do que acho que vai ser mesmo o melhor thriller do ano ("A Noite em Que o Verão Acabou", de João Tordo).
A história está bem contada, a trama é isso mesmo: uma trama bem enleada de verdades e mentiras que, à medida que se desenleia, nos surpreende e nos dá vontade de atrasar a leitura para que dure mais, ao mesmo tempo que nos dá vontade de acelerar para descobrirmos tudo rapidamente.
Gostei mesmo muito.
November 30, 2019
Read for the “bitter, sweet or salty in the title” prompt for 2019 Popsugar challenge. This was a fun read.
September 19, 2024
It was a nice one time read but I wasnt impressed by the dialogues ans how magically everything got resolved.
Read
March 21, 2017Story involving trials & tribulations & life of 3 generations of a family with roots in India and England. Simple writing with all the loose ends conveniently resolved much too neatly for my liking. I had high hopes as this author is well recognized with multiple awards and has several books to her credit but I will pass on anything further by her.
April 23, 2021
I completely enjoyed this densely plotted novel. The characters are Bangladeshi/Pakistani but the issues facing them are universal. I would not classify this work as being part of the immigrant genre.
In fact there are aspects of bedroom farce in the work.
The work reminds me of Jane Austen because there are misreadings and misunderstandings that drive the plot and even the bad guys in this work are colorful and have a certain sweetness to them. This could be a fun movie because the characters are so interesting and offbeat. A good entertaining, light read.
In fact there are aspects of bedroom farce in the work.
The work reminds me of Jane Austen because there are misreadings and misunderstandings that drive the plot and even the bad guys in this work are colorful and have a certain sweetness to them. This could be a fun movie because the characters are so interesting and offbeat. A good entertaining, light read.
October 31, 2016
A family saga, Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki is somewhat related to the inheritance that we receive from our parents. Some of us inherit their good looks and intelligence, and some property and fame. But our protagonist Shona Khan only inherited skills to lead a deceitful and double life. A concoction of culture and family humor, Bitter Sweets turned out to be a treat to devour this festive season.
Bitter Sweets starts with the year 1950, when uneducated and thirteen years old Henna Khan is deceitfully married to Ricky-Rashid Khan. A match made on lies by Henna's father to ward off his daughter, Ricky-Rashid Khan accepts her as his better half. But then, he sacrificed Ricky to be only Rashid. His dream of having an English speaking polished wife and a life in England is shattered forever, and he starts building a life in Bangladesh. Life moves on and Shona Khan is born, who inherits wealth but along with that, lies and deceit that may chart out her life forever.
After twenty years, history repeats itself. Shona Khan falls in love as soon as she sets her eyes on Parvez from Lahore, when she is barely 10 years old. Just like her father- who was tricked into marriage by a hopelessly deceitful mother, she is also a hopeless romantic. She understands that Parvez's upbringing and background won't be approved in her house, so she elopes with him to a South London sweet shop, creating a new bitter sweet life.
As time passes, her children are born. Rashid also moves to London, to become Ricky again by falling in love with Verity Trueman. Shona also gets busy with her children, eventually losing Parvez to his music. But then, a time comes when the destiny of father and daughter both collide, making Shona wonder that till how long can she keep secrets of her family? And can love ever be strong enough to right the wrongs of the past? A bitter sweet family saga, a roller coaster of emotions.
Bitter Sweets starts off as an interesting family saga and pumps up energy into the reader's mind who is trying to understand what will happen next. The characters are flawless, each one depicting their best. Henna and Ricky-Rashid depicting the marriages of 1950's, when fathers sometimes used desperate measures to marry off their daughters to boys either studying or living abroad. Many of them even had deceitful marriages, as girls were not that polished at that time. Ricky-Rashid, despite being tricked into marrying Henna, accepts her as his better half.
Shona and Parvez, on the other hand, depict a more modern couple, who even when they are married, have their own personal issues to deal with. A once blissful marriage turns sour because love simply withers away. The spark and passion evaporate at one time, both Shona and Parvez don't make an effort to reignite the same.
When I speak of the plot, I really liked it. The payback moves from one generation to the next, and characters beautifully portray lovelorn deceit. There is a cheerful consistency in the story throughout and delivers a positive message altogether. But, the only issue I faced was that the climax could've been better. The build up was a dramatic one, keeping me hooked till the end. But as soon as the climax comes, the dramatic build starts melting down bit by bit.
All in all, Bitter Sweets is a concoction of laughter and tears, a lighthearted family drama that any reader would like to devour.
Bitter Sweets starts with the year 1950, when uneducated and thirteen years old Henna Khan is deceitfully married to Ricky-Rashid Khan. A match made on lies by Henna's father to ward off his daughter, Ricky-Rashid Khan accepts her as his better half. But then, he sacrificed Ricky to be only Rashid. His dream of having an English speaking polished wife and a life in England is shattered forever, and he starts building a life in Bangladesh. Life moves on and Shona Khan is born, who inherits wealth but along with that, lies and deceit that may chart out her life forever.
After twenty years, history repeats itself. Shona Khan falls in love as soon as she sets her eyes on Parvez from Lahore, when she is barely 10 years old. Just like her father- who was tricked into marriage by a hopelessly deceitful mother, she is also a hopeless romantic. She understands that Parvez's upbringing and background won't be approved in her house, so she elopes with him to a South London sweet shop, creating a new bitter sweet life.
As time passes, her children are born. Rashid also moves to London, to become Ricky again by falling in love with Verity Trueman. Shona also gets busy with her children, eventually losing Parvez to his music. But then, a time comes when the destiny of father and daughter both collide, making Shona wonder that till how long can she keep secrets of her family? And can love ever be strong enough to right the wrongs of the past? A bitter sweet family saga, a roller coaster of emotions.
Bitter Sweets starts off as an interesting family saga and pumps up energy into the reader's mind who is trying to understand what will happen next. The characters are flawless, each one depicting their best. Henna and Ricky-Rashid depicting the marriages of 1950's, when fathers sometimes used desperate measures to marry off their daughters to boys either studying or living abroad. Many of them even had deceitful marriages, as girls were not that polished at that time. Ricky-Rashid, despite being tricked into marrying Henna, accepts her as his better half.
Shona and Parvez, on the other hand, depict a more modern couple, who even when they are married, have their own personal issues to deal with. A once blissful marriage turns sour because love simply withers away. The spark and passion evaporate at one time, both Shona and Parvez don't make an effort to reignite the same.
When I speak of the plot, I really liked it. The payback moves from one generation to the next, and characters beautifully portray lovelorn deceit. There is a cheerful consistency in the story throughout and delivers a positive message altogether. But, the only issue I faced was that the climax could've been better. The build up was a dramatic one, keeping me hooked till the end. But as soon as the climax comes, the dramatic build starts melting down bit by bit.
All in all, Bitter Sweets is a concoction of laughter and tears, a lighthearted family drama that any reader would like to devour.
July 25, 2019
Comedy or tragedy?
Well, let's see. Henna Rub is from the wrong side of the Aryan divide, but has a clever and resourceful father who sees in his pretty 13-year-old daughter (Juliette's age, by the way--Shakespeare, like sunlight through the leaves, sparkles the prose throughout this novel) a means to social and economic advancement, and so conspires to marry her into a family of social standing and real property. Problem is, Henna is illiterate and, although presented as 17-years-old, really is 13. She goes along with the scheme because she hopes such a marriage will help her to realize her dream of becoming a movie star.
Her husband, Ricky-Rashid, learns that she can't read or speak more than a few phrases of English, and that she is 13-years-old on their nuptial night. Although hopelessly attracted to her elfin beauty, he hasn't a clue about how to handle her; and besides, he feels guilty about tasting liquorice kisses; and so, the marriage not consummated, he goes away to school in England to allow his virgin bride to grow up, which she fretfully does while completely charming her husband's household.
At this point one wonders whether this is to be a comedy or a tragedy or something in-between. Farooki's prose is pixy light and reads like water flowing downstream, so it can't be a tragedy. She has an admirable narrative command and knows well the fantasies that dwell within the heart of the bodice. So this is chick lit for sure. But her Oxford education shows through in spots in a most beguiling way. Here she is telling us how Ricky-Rashid is experiencing his bride on their wedding night: "Deciding that faint heart never won fair maiden, and deciding further that the only way out of this sea of troubles was to take arms against it and confidently stride in, he aggressively pulled Henna to him..." (p. 6) (How Shakespeare might have admired the further mixing of his metaphor were he here to experience it!)
But Henna's story is only the beginning of this exotic and epic tale of love and deception. It is her daughter, Golden Shone, who soon takes center stage with a will of her own. To be honest, I am not sure about the exact nature of the trials and tribulations, the loves and the heartaches, the joys and the sorrows that she will inevitably experience by page 354, but I can confidently say, considering the fanfare, the publicity and the many Yankee dollars that have already gone into this production, that her life will be a treat to read about, and that a Hollywood cum Bollywood film version is sure to follow. Bon appetit!
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
Well, let's see. Henna Rub is from the wrong side of the Aryan divide, but has a clever and resourceful father who sees in his pretty 13-year-old daughter (Juliette's age, by the way--Shakespeare, like sunlight through the leaves, sparkles the prose throughout this novel) a means to social and economic advancement, and so conspires to marry her into a family of social standing and real property. Problem is, Henna is illiterate and, although presented as 17-years-old, really is 13. She goes along with the scheme because she hopes such a marriage will help her to realize her dream of becoming a movie star.
Her husband, Ricky-Rashid, learns that she can't read or speak more than a few phrases of English, and that she is 13-years-old on their nuptial night. Although hopelessly attracted to her elfin beauty, he hasn't a clue about how to handle her; and besides, he feels guilty about tasting liquorice kisses; and so, the marriage not consummated, he goes away to school in England to allow his virgin bride to grow up, which she fretfully does while completely charming her husband's household.
At this point one wonders whether this is to be a comedy or a tragedy or something in-between. Farooki's prose is pixy light and reads like water flowing downstream, so it can't be a tragedy. She has an admirable narrative command and knows well the fantasies that dwell within the heart of the bodice. So this is chick lit for sure. But her Oxford education shows through in spots in a most beguiling way. Here she is telling us how Ricky-Rashid is experiencing his bride on their wedding night: "Deciding that faint heart never won fair maiden, and deciding further that the only way out of this sea of troubles was to take arms against it and confidently stride in, he aggressively pulled Henna to him..." (p. 6) (How Shakespeare might have admired the further mixing of his metaphor were he here to experience it!)
But Henna's story is only the beginning of this exotic and epic tale of love and deception. It is her daughter, Golden Shone, who soon takes center stage with a will of her own. To be honest, I am not sure about the exact nature of the trials and tribulations, the loves and the heartaches, the joys and the sorrows that she will inevitably experience by page 354, but I can confidently say, considering the fanfare, the publicity and the many Yankee dollars that have already gone into this production, that her life will be a treat to read about, and that a Hollywood cum Bollywood film version is sure to follow. Bon appetit!
--Dennis Littrell, author of the mystery novel, “Teddy and Teri”
August 13, 2009
I liked the fresh and in-your-face narrative style in the opening to Roopa Farooki's Bitter Sweets. I also appreciated the witty chapter titles, even though they often gave away the plot's direction.
Halfway through, as the narration switched to the character's present, the novel became formulaic, almost a soap opera. Of course that's because the themes of lying & dissembling & hidden truths are vital elements to the enduring suspense of TV family dramas.
There are moments when Farooki attempts to take the story to another level, with references to theater (Racine's Andromaque, Shakespeare) and philosophical/linguistic concepts (the dual mind involved in self-deception, nature versus nurture) but these ideas are simply alluded to -for the benefit of the reader's futher reflection- rather than investigated thematically within the novel itself.
Another half-delivered element is the voice narrated by Sharif. His first-person segments are insightful, and have thematic potential. I hoped that something would come of that, but his pieces didn't evolve further.
I was eventually disappointed with the All's Well that Ends Well non-confrontational conclusion, because it's never just so in real life.
Halfway through, as the narration switched to the character's present, the novel became formulaic, almost a soap opera. Of course that's because the themes of lying & dissembling & hidden truths are vital elements to the enduring suspense of TV family dramas.
There are moments when Farooki attempts to take the story to another level, with references to theater (Racine's Andromaque, Shakespeare) and philosophical/linguistic concepts (the dual mind involved in self-deception, nature versus nurture) but these ideas are simply alluded to -for the benefit of the reader's futher reflection- rather than investigated thematically within the novel itself.
Another half-delivered element is the voice narrated by Sharif. His first-person segments are insightful, and have thematic potential. I hoped that something would come of that, but his pieces didn't evolve further.
I was eventually disappointed with the All's Well that Ends Well non-confrontational conclusion, because it's never just so in real life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2009
Esta é uma história sobre o poder da mentira em nome do Amor.
Começamos logo com uma grande mentira e a partir daí é formada uma teia que passa de geração em geração influenciando assim os trilhos da vida de cada membro da familia. São mais de 50 anos vividos sempre em mentira, o que faz com que a certa altura os próprios personagens nem saibam muito bem qual é a realidade em que vivem, passando eles mesmos a encobrir as mentiras uns dos outros para poderem camuflar as mentiras de cada um.
Caberá a Shona deslindar toda essa teia de enganos e resolver todos os problemas da sua familia, começando por admitir ela mesma os seus erros.
É um livro que se lê muito bem pois a escrita da autora é muito simples e a forma como ela coloca os titulos em cada capitulo faz com que a leitura seja sempre muito interessante.
O final foi... inesperado!!!
Poderá o amor ser suficientemente forte para emendar os erros do passado?
Uma autora que não conhecia mas que vou sem duvida continuar a seguir!
Começamos logo com uma grande mentira e a partir daí é formada uma teia que passa de geração em geração influenciando assim os trilhos da vida de cada membro da familia. São mais de 50 anos vividos sempre em mentira, o que faz com que a certa altura os próprios personagens nem saibam muito bem qual é a realidade em que vivem, passando eles mesmos a encobrir as mentiras uns dos outros para poderem camuflar as mentiras de cada um.
Caberá a Shona deslindar toda essa teia de enganos e resolver todos os problemas da sua familia, começando por admitir ela mesma os seus erros.
É um livro que se lê muito bem pois a escrita da autora é muito simples e a forma como ela coloca os titulos em cada capitulo faz com que a leitura seja sempre muito interessante.
O final foi... inesperado!!!
Poderá o amor ser suficientemente forte para emendar os erros do passado?
Uma autora que não conhecia mas que vou sem duvida continuar a seguir!
September 29, 2012
(really 3.5 stars)
Interesting (although not gripping) narrative of three generations of a Bangladeshi/Pakistani family whose entire lives are based on lies. The story runs from the initial arranged marriage based on trickery to the suspicious birth of a daughter, to that daughter's own lies and dissembling from girlhood to middle age, to her sons' deceptions and hidden truths, all the while everyone telling themselves that the lies are necessary to keep the family together. Eventually all lies are exposed (some quickly, some take generations) but by the end I felt that the characters' lives were much more interesting with the deceptions than without, and there is only one character who is entirely truthful throughout the entire novel (you can tell which one it is by the character's name, blithely given with all the subtlety of a cartoon mallet on the head). Worth the read, though.
Interesting (although not gripping) narrative of three generations of a Bangladeshi/Pakistani family whose entire lives are based on lies. The story runs from the initial arranged marriage based on trickery to the suspicious birth of a daughter, to that daughter's own lies and dissembling from girlhood to middle age, to her sons' deceptions and hidden truths, all the while everyone telling themselves that the lies are necessary to keep the family together. Eventually all lies are exposed (some quickly, some take generations) but by the end I felt that the characters' lives were much more interesting with the deceptions than without, and there is only one character who is entirely truthful throughout the entire novel (you can tell which one it is by the character's name, blithely given with all the subtlety of a cartoon mallet on the head). Worth the read, though.
October 25, 2008
I really loved the book, I loved most of the characters and the way that they grew, but I despised the idea of one couple's relationship.
SPOILER AHEAD!!
It grossed me out that one of Shona's sons was dating her sister, his aunt, even though her son was not from her own egg. I know that technically she is not his biological mother, but it was still disturbing that he continued his relationship after finding out that the woman he considers his mother isn't biologically his mother. If my mother turned out to not be my biological mother, but had used another woman's egg and birthed me, I would still consider her my mother, the same way I would consider my hypothetical adoptive parents my parents. Which means I wouldn't consider dating my uncle again, even if he was really cute, even if I hadn't known at first that he was my uncle.
SPOILER AHEAD!!
It grossed me out that one of Shona's sons was dating her sister, his aunt, even though her son was not from her own egg. I know that technically she is not his biological mother, but it was still disturbing that he continued his relationship after finding out that the woman he considers his mother isn't biologically his mother. If my mother turned out to not be my biological mother, but had used another woman's egg and birthed me, I would still consider her my mother, the same way I would consider my hypothetical adoptive parents my parents. Which means I wouldn't consider dating my uncle again, even if he was really cute, even if I hadn't known at first that he was my uncle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2009
Although the back cover classifies this as an Indian saga, to me it was more of a London story. I enjoyed the phrases and "accents" that I could place in England or that I had experienced in conversations with my own friends who were immigrants from India and Pakistan. I really liked all of the characters, and I wanted to know what was happening with each one-the book is easy to read and I think it is a wonderful first novel.
September 5, 2009
I loved this book. It was like a smoldering fire that just kept getting hotter with every chapter. It didn't matter to me whether the characters with Bangladeshi Muslim or Irish Catholic - I could relate to the cast within my own extended American family with intimacy and connection. The themes of love, deceit, desire and happiness reach across continents and cultures and this book reminded me of how very similar we all are.
August 24, 2009
I wasn't sure about this book when I started it, but once I'd got through the first two chapters, I was hooked. I love the way the story tells you about so many characters lives, and the way it travels forward through the years, introducing yet more people.
By the end, I was wishing for it to carry on. I'd love to see a sequel, so we could learn more about Shona and Dermot's new baby and what happens to Sharif and Candida...
By the end, I was wishing for it to carry on. I'd love to see a sequel, so we could learn more about Shona and Dermot's new baby and what happens to Sharif and Candida...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2024
Shona Karim knows she is destined to be with Parvez when they meet at a young age. She knows their families won’t approve of their love, so they decide to elope years later and start their new lives living above a sweet shop in South London.
Full review: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2021/...
Full review: https://sincerelyyoursannie.com/2021/...
April 20, 2015
Found this mildly entertaining - nothing at all like other novels I have read about India. The story could have been set in any number of places and only the first part gave insight into the norms which prevail in Indian society.
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