Foto dell'autore

Cauvery Madhavan

Autore di Paddy Indian

5 opere 38 membri 1 recensione

Sull'Autore

Opere di Cauvery Madhavan

Paddy Indian (2001) 13 copie
The Uncoupling (2003) 11 copie
The Tainted (2020) 11 copie
Een volmaakt huwelijk (2003) 2 copie

Etichette

Informazioni generali

Sesso
female
Nazionalità
Ireland
India
Luogo di nascita
India

Utenti

Recensioni

He was curious to know the history and culture of all countries they were visiting. What he was not prepared for was Cultural Shock. The idea that a red light district (in Dam Square) could be toured was bizarre for Balu. He was shocked and mesmerised….   Balu and his wife Janaki are a traditional South Indian Couple married for good thirty years. They are on a visit to London to meet their son. Due to lack of time the couple has been booked on a 16-Day coach tour to Europe. Balu has been the dominating partner in the thirty year marriage. He feels that he knows his wife very well. He has immense faith in her mother’s prayers. The faith was resurrected when he finds a match in Janaki. Janaki has been brought up in a society where marriage was the be all and end all for a female. She was graduating so that she could get married on time, paving way for her younger sisters. The couple is of the time when speaking openly was not the trend. They express through silence, sulking, touching pins in their bun and some or other gesture. Both are proud that they can understand other’s expression and feeling without speaking. They even remember that they had last seen this expression on each others face some 20 years back.   Life has been comfortable for them financially and socially. So when they take this holiday both are sure that it would be a normal break and when they go back they can proudly tell their Indian counterparts about the visit abroad. What Balu had not imagined that the Punjabi couple, 4 nuns, few divorcees and the trip to the Red Light district would change his life. Having led a protected life, Janaki, on meeting some empowered ladies starts introspecting her life and actions. She starts regretting not completing her degree, she starts thinking that has she always very easily given in to her husband?   Balu has a suddenly developed an appetite for newly discovered sexual possibilities. The book is centered on these two issues….   Will Janaki get empowered; will she be able to come out of the shadow of her husband? Will Balu be able to take the impact of his sudden inclinations, will he be able to adjust to new Janaki?  Or will their marriage unravel under the pressure? The book is largely narrated from the point of view of Balu and sometimes I felt that what is Janaki thinking? I thought several times that her perspective; her thoughts should also be narrated. And the author doesn’t let us down. She ends the novel with Janaki’s perspective and it’s a fitting end. It leaves you satisfied and ties all the loose ends.   The incidents where the couple disagrees with each other for the sake of disagreeing are so very close to reality. Places where Janaki most unexpectedly replies back to Balu are again masterpieces. His shock and his reaction on having lost the opportunity to have the last word would bring in a smile to your face. As far as story is concerned there is nothing much there as the book is full of incidents, of present and past.   All and all it’s a sweet book. Laced with subtle humour, old incidents which not only emphasizes on dominance in marriage but also very sweetly depicts that differences apart, how well tuned the couple is. The book is all about emotions and relationships. It’s about the institution called Marriage. How a couple married for thirty years adjusts to the new generation and new possibilities.   The book shows that life can start at any age, dreams can be dreamt at any age and they can be fulfilled at any age. What is needed is a will power to do it and may be a guiding factor in your life. And within marriage there is a life beyond marriage. You can be a couple but being uncoupled in thoughts and beliefs is not a sin.    Do read the book between some heavy books, don’t expect too much humour, it can be slow at times…but the book is a revelation.… (altro)
1 vota
Segnalato
bookslifenmore | Jun 13, 2009 |

Statistiche

Opere
5
Utenti
38
Popolarità
#383,442
Voto
2.9
Recensioni
1
ISBN
8
Lingue
1