Almost Single Almost Single Almost Single (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Almost Single was an easy read filled with humor, tradition, and the need to break away for the sake of love while maintaining Indian heritage and namesake. I think to fully "get" this book, the reader has to be an Indian woman, or someone who knows all about the prying Aunties, taboo relations, and misguided intentions of arranged marriages and honorable names.It's been a while since I've been with close Indian friends, and I never grew up in the large cities in India, so this book was an insightful look into the real life of an Indian woman. She struggles to educate herself, work, develop close friends, take care to keep honor in the family, and has fallen prey to Bollywood's-in-your-face ideology about sweeping romance. She isn't, however, a mindless drone who will do everything her parents tell her to do, no matter how difficult it is. It's not just in the western world where old-world tradition and modern evolution clash.I hope to see something else from Kala, perhaps in past tense and a more complex story line, but with the same clever humor. However, Kala did go on to create Kahanni, an Indian cinematic experience. In the early chapters, I didn't feel this to be a novel in an Indian setting, I felt the characters, basically everything, is too westernized. I felt no Indian vibes other than the names, places and the nosy relations. But about half a way, it gave exactly what I was expecting and more and I'm so glad I didn't put it away.The protagonist, Aisha Bhatia is 29, single (that's a capital crime over here in South Asia) belongs to a new breed of women who are trying to draw balance between their 5-star independent world of cosmopolitan life style and their orthodox society. I loved the narration, very hilarious but very true. I'd absolutely check out more Chick-lit like this! 4 stars.
What do You think about Almost Single Almost Single Almost Single (2009)?
I can read it again and again. Very well written. Very funny, You wouldnt want to put it down :)
—allymac63
Fun book, good for a light read. Not a critic's or a man's choice though.
—NatashaCraig
'Sex and the City' based in New Delhi. Need I say more?
—hello_dolly_levi
