A discursive read about Mr Ali a retired guy who opens a marriage bureau in an unnamed Indian city, with minor plotlines about his semi estranged son A discursive read about Mr Ali a retired guy who opens a marriage bureau in an unnamed Indian city, with minor plotlines about his semi estranged son and his assistant.
One one level it's a highly readable and pleasant story that focuses on the importance of love and family and mutual tolerance. Mr Ali is a Muslim running the bureau mostly for Hindus and there's no inter religious issues. There's a lot about reuniting divided families, as well as on solidarity, the pernicious effects of corruption, the importance of standing up for the poor and for women. It lacks a main driving plotline but the meandering sequence of events draws a vivid picture of the setting and characters. The writing is a bit naive, but in an enjoyably brightly coloured way.
On another level, I couldn't work out if Mr Ali is meant to be the world's hypocrite. He is full of wise marital advice but repeatedly bargains down desperately poor people for a couple of rupees, has a touching metaphor about how his lovely white cat had mongrel kittens because she didn't care for the 'perfect' mate and then casually says he dumped those kittens in a market. He tuts about the condemnation of divorced women and the effects of caste and demands for dowry, but nods happily along with colourism. The book presents all this without comment and I can't work out if it's the author's blind spots, Mr Ali's blind spots, or simply a magnificent exercise in letting the reader make up their own mind. ...more
A coming of age story flipping between Partition and the 1980s, dealing with religions, families, school, and misogynist abuses of all kinds. It's infA coming of age story flipping between Partition and the 1980s, dealing with religions, families, school, and misogynist abuses of all kinds. It's infused with a lot of whimsy in the 'talking vulture' part of the plot, which for me rather undermined the emotional heft. Good depiction of the 'walking on eggshells' style of emotional abuse created by living with an angry father, but in the end felt a tad glib. ...more
What a delightful read. A Mumbai-set f/f romance with trans woman dance teacher Billu instructing desi Esha on the dances for her upcoming arranged maWhat a delightful read. A Mumbai-set f/f romance with trans woman dance teacher Billu instructing desi Esha on the dances for her upcoming arranged marriage oops.
Tremendous atmosphere and sense of place, including the dislocation of divided cultures, countries and households. Wonderfully vivid writing. Absolutely lush pining, longing, and extended falling in love, which is delightful.
And then after the lengthy slow burn, the entire book shifts gears into a full on Bollywood sequence of the most bonkers sort, and it's even better, ahaha. (It's one of those points where you might kind of go WTF because the tonal shift from a very real feeling story to crazed melodrama action is a bit sudden, but just let go and have fun, honestly.)
A crackingly enjoyable f/f read, highly recommended. ...more
Starts fantastically with Ajay, a poor Indian boy traumatised, sold, surviving, finally becoming lackey to rich gangster's son Sunny Wadia. This sectiStarts fantastically with Ajay, a poor Indian boy traumatised, sold, surviving, finally becoming lackey to rich gangster's son Sunny Wadia. This section cracks on to compelling effect with much violence, drama, and soap. Regrettably, the next section focuses on Sunny's uninteresting girlfriend, and the third section on tedious whining druggy Sunny, after which the plot falls apart completely, and the writing with it (into a lot of single-sentence or single-fragment paragraphs to baffling and unreadable effect; I'm not sure what the editor was doing).
So much potential for a high octane crime epic here, if we'd stuck with Ajay (preferably, him bringing the entire Wadia empire down from the inside, which I assumed would be happening, so I was probably grumpy at the disappointment). Would be a completely different reading experience if you care about Neda or Sunny, but I did not. ...more
A hugely absorbing romance between two 40yo Indian women, one a head teacher in Bangalore (bi, widowed, teenage son, dealing with demanding parents) aA hugely absorbing romance between two 40yo Indian women, one a head teacher in Bangalore (bi, widowed, teenage son, dealing with demanding parents) and one a peripatetic IT person. Very much one of those romances that's a picture of a life: Leela deals with a lot of stuff that's not related to Nandini in any way and the conflict in the romance is basically the women, especially Leela, finding a way to fit their lives together.
Mature characters, great sex, well drawn setting, and enough incident and conflict to keep you thoroughly absorbed in both the romance and life parts. This is the second f/f romance I've read from this author and I will hope for more. ...more
Super-sour satirical romp that turns the Slumdog Millionaire trope upside down. It's pretty brutal about all its targets and everything is a target (ISuper-sour satirical romp that turns the Slumdog Millionaire trope upside down. It's pretty brutal about all its targets and everything is a target (Indian society at all levels, white tourists and saviours, the TV industry, geopolitics, accountants, snacks...) but there is actually quite a sweet heart buried very deep underneath. It is also extremely funny, with great vivid description and some absolutely epic one liners ("He was totally disarmed, like Pakistan after a war" oh my *god*). I didn't quite feel the ending was as tight as the rest of the book but overall a really strong, funny read, though not for the easily offended. ...more
A good historical mystery. The style is a little obtrusive - choppy style, lots of broken sentences and an excess of comic metaphors - to the point whA good historical mystery. The style is a little obtrusive - choppy style, lots of broken sentences and an excess of comic metaphors - to the point where it began to get in my way a little bit. I love stroppy, sweaty, relentlessly aggressive Persis; I would like more on the romance with Archie (please not a love triangle with the cousin though, I hate love triangles.)
I will note that Persis gets knocked out by a blow to the head on at least four occasions within a fortnight or so, which is surely approaching permanent brain damage territory. ...more
This series really has hit its stride now. Tightly plotted, well characterised, with excellent description of the physical, political and cultural setThis series really has hit its stride now. Tightly plotted, well characterised, with excellent description of the physical, political and cultural setting. Persis is a self-sabotaging PITA (you know, like many male series detectives are, but as ever women are expected to be better) and I am enjoying how horribly she treats her love interest. I didn't see the murderer coming at all. Highly enjoyable historical teccing. ...more
Women's fiction/chick lit quite reminiscent of Queenie, which I suspect will work like magic for a lot of readers but with which I'm just not clickingWomen's fiction/chick lit quite reminiscent of Queenie, which I suspect will work like magic for a lot of readers but with which I'm just not clicking at all: I find books about women desperate for men and worrying about their weight and jobs and body hair etc chokingly frustrating and uncomfortable. This may be because I'm 50 and joyously done with that shit, but tbh I hated Bridget Jones's Diary at the time, so maybe it's just me.
If you did like Queenie/Bridget Jones, you will love this, as it's well written and well observed. Just not for me. ...more
Pleasant contemporary romance using an arranged marriage as the spur for a fake-engagement set-up, which makes considerably more sense than most fake-Pleasant contemporary romance using an arranged marriage as the spur for a fake-engagement set-up, which makes considerably more sense than most fake-engagement set-ups. The characters are likeable and good for one another. It didn't really catch fire for me at any point, possibly because both of the characters have most of their conflict and their debates internally rather than with one another: there's a lot of misunderstanding to keep the conflict going rather than direct clashing. Still, a solid debut. ...more
Litfic with a Gothic house built by an Indian in South Africa, on a dual time scheme, where a lonely girl discovers secrets of the past. Indian/South Litfic with a Gothic house built by an Indian in South Africa, on a dual time scheme, where a lonely girl discovers secrets of the past. Indian/South African Gothic sounded irresistible and I am a sucker for djinn.
Regrettably, it's hard to see why there is a djinn in this, it's weirdly irrelevant to the plot or even themes. TBH the interspersed timelines don't really disguise that this is two separate stories: one a highly compelling 1930s family Gothic melodrama which I thoroughly enjoyed, the other a sequence of events depicting the people now living in the house, of which I just couldn't see the point--none of them were terribly interesting, none of their stories had much resolution. The 1930s story is terrific, and I wished it had been the full novel. ...more
Lengthy look at a dysfunctional mother-son relationship as the NRI son returns to Bombay in the hope of adopting a child. It's well written and treatsLengthy look at a dysfunctional mother-son relationship as the NRI son returns to Bombay in the hope of adopting a child. It's well written and treats a lot of emotional things and family difficulties, and there's a good sense of place and identity but...I dunno. It seems a bit unfair to say I felt lukewarm--I finished it, and I am very happy to DNF for lack of interest--but I guess I was waiting for it to get going and it never really did.
I think possibly the problem is that everyone in this book was basically all right. Everyone who behaves badly ends up doing better, and has a reason for it really, and the cumulative effect was a kind of 'everyone's nice deep down really' feeling that will be wildly up a lot of people's street, but for some reason didn't land with me on this occasion. Hey ho. ...more
I enjoyed this enormously. Geeta is an isolated woman because her abusive husband walked out five years ago and she hasn't spoken to her once-best friI enjoyed this enormously. Geeta is an isolated woman because her abusive husband walked out five years ago and she hasn't spoken to her once-best friend properly in years. Really, it's a classic women's fiction story of a woman realising that women's solidarity and friendship is crucial, finding her own self-respect, and even finding a decent reliable guy. It's just, the path we take to get here is multiple murder.
There's a lot here that's pretty bleak--horrendous misogyny and everyday abuse of women and girls, caste, colourism, poverty. It's kept from being incredibly depressing by the female solidarity (which is shonky beyond belief in a realistic way) and by the super-dark humour that pervades the book (the ongoing gag about motherhood being so rewarding is hysterical). And also by the regular injections of horrible men getting theirs. Plus, a wonderfully exuberant ending. I think if you enjoyed Jane Doe or Killers of a Certain Age or Now You See Us, this will float your boat: it's pure revenge fantasy at points.
It's not without issues (Geeta's initial fatphobia is part of her resentment of Saloni but there's a fair amount of it throughout) but the anger at injustice is bracing, the portrait of heftily flawed women relatable and clearsighted, and the ultimate effect cathartic. Vivid writing and a well paced plot makes it whip along. ...more
Oh my. Stunningly lyrical prose here as we see the growing-up of a boy whose family show him his roots and deny them, making him understand and forgetOh my. Stunningly lyrical prose here as we see the growing-up of a boy whose family show him his roots and deny them, making him understand and forget over and over. It's weird and haunting and absolutely immersive and the *writing*, good god. A dance of shifting identity and queerness and loneliness and connection, and how we consume people we love, and of course dragons. What a truly magical jewel of a novella. Haunting....more
The Penguin UK cover for this book is a sodding outrage, what is wrong with them? This is a desperately bleak book about poverty and class in India whThe Penguin UK cover for this book is a sodding outrage, what is wrong with them? This is a desperately bleak book about poverty and class in India while includes a really brutal lengthy account of a woman being abused, beaten, repeatedly violently raped and finally murdered in a truly evil way by a non-stop stream of misogynist men and a society in which she doesn't matter at all. Who the fuck thought, "I know, let's give it a cute font and happy lady on a fuchsia pink background"? Did anyone who had read it actually brief the cover designer? What made them think "we need to make this look like chick lit", except that it's by a woman and has the word 'sari' in the title oh right there's my answer. Penguin: continuing to disappoint since I don't know when.
JFC.
Cover aside, this is about wealth and poverty in India and how it affects the various characters. It's well drawn but a bit picaresque in that there's no driving plot--the main character, Ramchand, has less of a character arc than a circle, very much ending up where he began, and very few of the events that happen have knock-on effects except the ones that see a woman horrifically destroyed.
IDK. It's powerful and well written and it felt like it was going somewhere, but ultimately for me it didn't (unless where we're going is bleak hopelessness). And I didn't love Kamla's story being presented quite so much as A Thing That Affects Ramchand. Feels fridgy. ...more
Friends to lovers/opposites attract story with burdened-by-past hero and manic pixie heroine (childhood cancer survivor who lives for the day in a somFriends to lovers/opposites attract story with burdened-by-past hero and manic pixie heroine (childhood cancer survivor who lives for the day in a somewhat excessive fashion). Lovely food description, entertaining supporting cast, and assured writing....more
High-drama glitzy type romance, with a fashion designer and the black sheep scion of the wealthy hotel magnates. This is third in the series and I reaHigh-drama glitzy type romance, with a fashion designer and the black sheep scion of the wealthy hotel magnates. This is third in the series and I really like that we've seen some actual change wrought by the actions of the first two couples in making the oppressive parents be less oppressive and thus not an issue. Instead, the problem we have is...well, basically, the hero. Afraid of commitment, family fuck up, was driving in the car accident that smashed the heroine up, ghosted her after taking her virginity, is nine months out of rehab: it's fair to say the author gave herself a mountain to climb with this one.
It does work: we see him striving to do better, and to think harder, and I'm here for a hero who fears commitment because he's aware how badly he's done by loved ones in the past and really doesn't want to mess up again. He still feels a touch immature, but a) I'm old and b) we can believe in his growth and his sincerity, so that will do nicely. ...more
I enjoyed this one immensely. Great second-chance-romance set up with the hero discovering his mother hasn't actually let his family know he's divorceI enjoyed this one immensely. Great second-chance-romance set up with the hero discovering his mother hasn't actually let his family know he's divorced, but has bribed his ex wife to turn up at the big family wedding pretending they're still married. this is obviously a ridiculous way to go on, and is played out with full enjoyment of the ridiculousness, but it's also the decorative flourish on a very solid story of a couple who married too young, with too many needs they were (unreasonably and unspokenly) expecting the other to fulfil. Nikhil and Anita both had some growing up to do, and the spun-sugar confection of story is very solidly grounded in real feelings, real problems (excessive work, family pressure, going unacknowledged in one's family, sibling rivalry). Bit of a case of Evil Ex, never my favourite thing, but a hugely enjoyable read and I bought the next two. ...more
Absolutely lovely Cinderella romance with a wonderful setting: he's the crown prince of an independent island nation off India with amazing Ellora-likAbsolutely lovely Cinderella romance with a wonderful setting: he's the crown prince of an independent island nation off India with amazing Ellora-like caves, she's an art conservator. He's supposed to marry to the advantage of his people, she has abandonment issues and feels unworthy, you know the score. It's tropetastic but a good trope well deployed is a wonderful thing and this is beautifully done. Assured writing, charming characters, involving tale, exceedingly low conflict/angst, and generally an excellent book if you just need to exhale. ...more
Second in this series about a sort of 1950s Bombay Slough House for awkward police, including India's only female DI. I found this much more assured tSecond in this series about a sort of 1950s Bombay Slough House for awkward police, including India's only female DI. I found this much more assured than the first in the series, like the author has settled into the characters more. Fascinating setting, cosmopolitan, full of flashpoints (racism, misogyny, colonialism, religious clashes, class issues, going in all directions). The plot is kind of bananas but who's complaining. Highly readable....more
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