I was asked to read this book by a friend, after i told her i didnt think much of indian authors. Partly because of this and partly because of its title i expected a brilliant book that would change my views when i picked up a copy of 'One amazing thing' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
The kind of books that i love is the kind that leaves me in complete awe of the author, that makes me marvel at the apparent ease with which he/she conjured something engaging beyond my expectation. A rather tall order it might seem. But i say this not as some hotshot critic, but as a reader.
'One amazing thing' tells a story of a few people trapped in a building, by an earthquake. Cut off from the world, filled with anguish and fear, these people in the process of waiting for rescuers and rescuing themselves from imminent danger tell each other stories about one amazing thing in their lives. This process is itself one that shall add another amazing tale to their bag of anecdotes, if they survive. And this tale will be one of love , passion , humanity, unanimity - a story about how nine strangers overcame their inhibitions and triumphed over their worst urges to face danger (even death) together.
It is a book infused with optimism that humbles the reader. The nine people of different origins, with different stories to tell are unified not just in their attempt to survive but also through their different stories itself. Each story tells of a certain time in their lives when they felt intensely, lived intensely. Each story has its share of sorrows, but each story is a recollection of a time in their lives, when they truly 'lived'. It is a reminder that no matter who we are, our life has something amazing worth living and fighting for.
What lets me down are the stereotypical characters- the Indian woman wanting to rope in a man for marriage, the america based Indian mom hoping her daughter would ditch her fair-skinned partner, the little boy loving his mother despite her drunkenness, the power hungry rags to riches story of a man born in a poor family, the angry Muslim, the neglected good child gone bad to attract her parent's attention. None of the stories except the last one to an extent,really seem 'amazing'. perhaps that's the idea behind it- to write about stories that seem like one has heard of them already and add a tinge of life, purpose and vitality to it.
I kept waiting for these stereotypical people to break through these stereotypes and say a really amazing story that touched me in more ways than one. I wanted these ordinary people to be lifted to extra-ordinariness by their stories. But it didn't quite do anything of the sort. In fact the only story i found touching enough was the story they were living- the story of how in the face of danger nine strangers not just survived but healed each other. (lily's effect on the angry and frustrated tariq)
In all fairness, it is a good book and most definitely worth a read.But it falls short of the 'amazing' quotient expected.
The kind of books that i love is the kind that leaves me in complete awe of the author, that makes me marvel at the apparent ease with which he/she conjured something engaging beyond my expectation. A rather tall order it might seem. But i say this not as some hotshot critic, but as a reader.
'One amazing thing' tells a story of a few people trapped in a building, by an earthquake. Cut off from the world, filled with anguish and fear, these people in the process of waiting for rescuers and rescuing themselves from imminent danger tell each other stories about one amazing thing in their lives. This process is itself one that shall add another amazing tale to their bag of anecdotes, if they survive. And this tale will be one of love , passion , humanity, unanimity - a story about how nine strangers overcame their inhibitions and triumphed over their worst urges to face danger (even death) together.
It is a book infused with optimism that humbles the reader. The nine people of different origins, with different stories to tell are unified not just in their attempt to survive but also through their different stories itself. Each story tells of a certain time in their lives when they felt intensely, lived intensely. Each story has its share of sorrows, but each story is a recollection of a time in their lives, when they truly 'lived'. It is a reminder that no matter who we are, our life has something amazing worth living and fighting for.
What lets me down are the stereotypical characters- the Indian woman wanting to rope in a man for marriage, the america based Indian mom hoping her daughter would ditch her fair-skinned partner, the little boy loving his mother despite her drunkenness, the power hungry rags to riches story of a man born in a poor family, the angry Muslim, the neglected good child gone bad to attract her parent's attention. None of the stories except the last one to an extent,really seem 'amazing'. perhaps that's the idea behind it- to write about stories that seem like one has heard of them already and add a tinge of life, purpose and vitality to it.
I kept waiting for these stereotypical people to break through these stereotypes and say a really amazing story that touched me in more ways than one. I wanted these ordinary people to be lifted to extra-ordinariness by their stories. But it didn't quite do anything of the sort. In fact the only story i found touching enough was the story they were living- the story of how in the face of danger nine strangers not just survived but healed each other. (lily's effect on the angry and frustrated tariq)
In all fairness, it is a good book and most definitely worth a read.But it falls short of the 'amazing' quotient expected.
