BOOK TITLE: The
Recession Groom
ISBN: 9384226580
AUTHOR: Vani
GENRE: Fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 295
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: I
thank the Readers Cosmos for this Review copy!
SUMMARY:
Parshuraman Joshi, 27, handsome,
Hindu-Brahmin, IT Professional, settled in Canada, earns a high-figure salary.
These are credentials that would
make any young man hot on the Indian wedding market, so it's no wonder that
Parshuraman's family is inundated with matrimonial proposals. While so far all
attempts to 'settle' him have gone kaput, he has bigger issues vexing him -
such as Jennifer, his 'fireball' of a colleague, and their efforts to save
Project Infinite. To top it all, as the credit crisis grips the global economy,
the little world he's created for himself begins to fall apart. Will he be able
to pull himself together to face the challenges posed by a tough economy? More
importantly, will this Recession Groom be able to find his 'perfect partner'?
REVIEW:
Parashuraman Joshi – an Indian
Brahmin who works in Canada at the start of the story, and as the story
progresses, changes base to everywhere between a bar and a IT solutions company
in India. The Recession Groom is a book about his search for a bride and how he
ends up surprising everyone when his marriage is concerned.
The story’s main character is Joshi,
but it has one of the best set of supporting characters I have ever read about
in books of late. The lead offers only a little bit of variety and spice
compared to the other characters (namely his Aunt Parvati, His Nani and
cousins). These characters offer equal parts of fun, seriousness and are
relatable in their dialogues and expressions. That Parashuraman is a loving man
who cares about his family cannot be denied – but his decisions and words
sometimes frustrate the reader to no end.
What is endearing about the story is –
it is relatable. Not all leads have to be perfect, not every decision taken in
life is correct, and sometimes, when you finally make a decision, it is almost
too late. The plot is actually not very elaborate, but the story builds up
scene by scene and though slow paced in the middle, it picks up after the first
half is over.
The language is clean, the characters
are well etched, the dialogues are written well (not too much of vernacular mix
– just the right amount of nativity combined with fairly good English). The
summary is just a hint of what is actually the book. You never know what the
original holds. The climax is a googly and the beginning is one of the most
riotously funny parts of the book.
My personal favourites where the
characters of Tia and Ana, and the police chase scene, since it strongly
reminds me of people I know. The parts that I feel could have been written
better are the scenes after Parashuraman’s resignation from his company. They weren’t
lagging or wrong, but were lacking in some way that I could not point my finger
at.
SPECIAL MENTION:
The characters of Bill and Carol are
the best, even if they make an appearance in very few pages. They stood out
amidst all other characters and play a vital role in the plot.
When you start reading the book, you
will never know it is by a first time author. The language is so smooth and the
story elements fall into place with such a synchronisation that they seem to be
coming from someone who knows her writing well and has a beautiful command over
the language.
WHAT I LIKED:
The characters (yes, even the
character of Tara), the story itself and
the language.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
The story lacks pace in the middle –
to the point where it seems there is confusion as to where it should go. This
could have been avoided.
VERDICT:
Go for it! You will love the story
if you love reading about tales that have this Indian feel about them and an
endearingly frustrating protagonist.
RATING: 4/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I was born in Garian, Libya, in a
traditional Hindu Punjabi family. My parents prized good education above all
else, and when I was still small, they decided to move base to Chandigarh,a
modern city in the North of India, famed for its educational institutions. As a
child, I loved reading, but writing stories of my own never occurred to me,
much like everything else. Becoming a doctor wasn’t an option, for the very
sight of blood made me retch. Mathematics and Excel sheets bored me no end,
leaving Humanities as a last resort. I could easily compete for the civil
services, my parents reasoned, although, sitting for an exam with a million
potential candidates vying for one job didn’t make much sense to me.
Fortunately, life took a better turn and it was a Masters degree in Economics alongside
a programme in Mass Communications that set my foundation for a career in
business journalism. Luckily, I got to work in some of the best organizations
in India, like ‘The Times of India’ and ‘The Financial Express’.
In 2004, I was hit with the desire
to write a novel. However, a few drafts and several ideas later, I gave it all
up to pursue an MBA degree from Kingston University in London. Of course, I
dreamt about MNC firms coveting me, the Deloittes and the McKinseys of the
world chasing me with multiple job offers, the likes of Accenture begging me to
work for them. The reality was quite different. The completion of my course
coincided with the start of global recession and my dreams could never be
realized. My situation, nevertheless, prompted me to write my first fiction
novel, The Recession Groom.
I currently spend my time reading
books. I love good stories, regardless of their genre. My dream is to have a
big library of my own, something of the sort old Bilbo Baggins had in his
hobbit hole. First editions of 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'The Lord of The
Rings' are on my wish list, as are selfies with all my favourite authors. I am
a student of Bharatnatyam and enjoy performing on the stage. I am working on my
second novel, a sequel to my first book, and also blogging for The Huffington
Post. My blogs are available to read on HuffPost website, on Goodreads and also
on my website. To know more about me log on to vaniauthor.com. To connect with
me, write to me at vaniauthor@gmail.com
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback.
PRICE: Rs.
299 for Paperback
BOOK LINKS:
Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally.
Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona.
