Indian girl moves to America. Falls in love with an American boy. Worries that her traditional family won’t accept him. Those three sentences pretty much sum up the entirety of this book, which had promise but fails to deliver in terms of creating three-dimensional characters. The first quarter of this novel consists of Priya, the main character, complaining about what a horrible person her mother is. The rest of the story gives her family similar treatment, reducing them to a collection of stereotypes. While these characterizations likely reveal a measure of truth about traditional Indian society, it would have been nice to see other dimensions of their personalities.While I certainly understand where Priya is coming from – who wouldn’t be appalled by her grandfather’s belief that all white people are thieves? – I nevertheless felt that the way she dealt with her family was hypocritical at best. She criticizes her cousin for allowing their family to treat his wife poorly (because she is North Indian, not “their Indian”) yet doesn’t have the guts to tell her mother that she is engaged until after her mother arranges for her to meet a “nice Indian boy” to marry. Indeed, it’s not until after this “nice boy’s” family proposes marriage that Priya finally comes clean. Priya’s angst illuminated the pressures Indian women can face when torn between a traditional culture and Western ideals, yet with 229 pages of storyline one would have expected the author to incorporate more of a plot into the novel. Priya’s emails with her fiance are stilted and, at least to my American ears, it would have been helpful if the author had included a glossary at the end of the book to explain all of the Indian terms she incorporates into the narrative.
Ova knjiga mi se dopala, ali ono što me je zapravo ponukalo da napišem review je bio prevodilac. Knjigu sam čitala na srpskom i to se često ispostavi kao loša ideja, posebno kada su u pitanju manje izdavačke kuće. Puno puta sam naletela na knjige kojima je prevodilac uspeo da doda neki posebni šarm (npr, sve knjige Terija Pračeta koje sam čitala na srpskom), ali na žalost, mnogo češće nailazim na knjige koje je neki priučeni prevodilac sa otužno lošim poznavanjem (najčešće engleskog) jezika iskasapio (osim ove mi napamet pada Running with scissors - UPOZORENJE ZAINTERESOVANIMA: NEMOJTE TU KNJIGU ČITATI NA SRPSKOM, u izdanju kuce Draganić). U ovom konkretnom slučaju, prevodilac (čije ime neću navoditi) ima izuzetnih problema sa komplikovanim konceptom idioma i frazalnih glagola. Frazalne glagole ne razume, pa ih prevodi otprilike (i uglavnom omaši), a idiome prevodi bukvalno, pa zvuči kao da su protagonisti retardirani. Takođe, jedan od glavnih likova je pola knjige muškog pola, a pola knjige ženskog pola, a iz samog konteksta je očigledno da je pomenuti lik muškarac, jer je OTAC glavne protagonistkinje (pretpostavljam da je prevodioca zbunilo što Indijci za oca kažu nana - što je u knjizi objašnjeno, ali zašto bismo, zaboga, obraćali pažnju na takve nijanse?)U suštini, poenta ovoga (što nije review, nego rant) je da malo stvari, kada su knjige u pitanju, može da me iznervira kao loš prevodilac.
What do You think about The Mango Season (2004)?
The entire book takes place within a span of a few days (2-4), but is full of detail. The sights and sounds of India, even the smell and taste of mangoes, are abundantly described. It throws you right back to the Homeland.The story is about a woman who, having grown up in India, has lived in the U.S. for the past 7 seven years (school, then career) and finally goes back for the express purpose of telling her family that she is engaged to and wants to marry an American. O_OAmulya Malladi does a great job of depicting Priya's (the main character) extended conservative family. The archaic views of the older generation contrast sharply with Priya's views - after all, she was heavily influenced by America's 'evil culture and wily ways.'Half the time, I was getting so horribly disgusted at the narrow-minded views expressed by the older adults of the family, and I could completely identify with Priya's feelings - of being treated like a 5-year-old even though she was 27 and had been on her own for such a long time.Not only is the book great, but the (almost) ending packs a punch too. It was delightfully hilarious.[Sidenote: Also includes a few good South Indian recipes... If you're into that whole cooking thing.]
—Preeti
Who hasn't returned home to find the people, places and things you once knew appearing quite different to your eyes? You eventually discovers that it is you that has changed and not home. I enjoyed the familiar feeling which the author gives you a good sense of what its like in India during the summer mango season.. but overall, I felt as if I was looking at the world through the eyes of a twenty-five year old. This is a quick read without too much emotional probing of the characters. I would say - give it a pass!
—Shweta Nigam
The story is about Priya, who comes from a strict Telugu Brahmin family & her struggles to convey to the family regarding her American boyfriend. It’s a fast and easy read. I shall add it’s mouth-watering too with a recipe at the end of each chapter, especially using mangoes which are my favourite fruit. It brings back sweet memories when reading The Mango Season, the fight between Priya & Nate for HAPPINESS reminds me the fight between my sister & I had for the same HAPPINESS, the sticky stone at the centre of the mango. It was flimsy at times but I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Like the mango fruits which are succulent, sweet, sour, & bitter, Amulya Malladi’s The Mango Season is a mix little package of all of it.
—Subashini
