The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings5
Average rating3.8
Alexander McCall Smith meets Jane Austen in this delightfully charming Indian novel about finding love.What does an Indian man with a wealth of common sense do when his retirement becomes too monotonous for him to stand? Open a marriage bureau of course!With a steady stream of clients to keep him busy, Mr. Ali sees his new business flourish as the indomitable Mrs. Ali and his careful assistant, Aruna, look on with vigilant eyes. There’s the man who wants a tall son-in-law because his daughter is short; the divorced woman who ends up back with her ex-husband; a salesman who can’t seem to sell himself; and a wealthy, young doctor for whom no match is ever perfect. But although his clients go away happy, little does Mr. Ali know that his esteemed Aruna hides a tragedy in her past—a misfortune that the bureau, as luck would have it, serendipitously undoes.Bursting with the color and allure of India, and with a cast of endearing characters, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People has shades of Jane Austen and Alexander McCall Smith but with a resonance and originality entirely its own. Farahad’s effortless style reveals a country still grappling with the politics of caste, religion, and civil unrest, all the while delivering a shamefully delightful read.
Featured Series
2 primary booksThe Marriage Bureau for Rich People is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2008 with contributions by Farahad Zama.
Reviews with the most likes.
3.5 stars, but we round up in this family.
The writing was stiff, and often committed the writing sin of telling instead of showing. However the story is so charming, and the characters so likable, that I couldn't put the book down. Yes, charming and sweet and likable are the words that come to mind first with this book.
I'd like to see a complete review of this book. Snippets of a review? That doesn't cut it. There's no doubt in my mind that I have positive things to say about it. I loved the way the author put me inside life in India today. Little conversations between people in India. Little trips to weddings. Little visits with people seeking a husband or a wife. I loved that.
But there are, also, for me, the negative things I must say about it. Most of the negative things can be summed up in one sentence: I think this book needed an editor. Here's the last paragraph of the first chapter, for example: “The business took off slowly, as expected. A few people became members and Mr. Ali advertised on their behalf. He forwarded the replies to his members but also kept their details, and as the weeks passed, his files steadily grew.”
Do we need any of this? Whatever happened to show, not tell? Did Zama get an involved editor? Or were the publishers satisfied to throw together a pretty cover, a few comparisons to No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on the back, and the rough text?
I liked this book. Parts of it were exceptional. I just wish it had been edited into a much stronger book.
Here's a bit from parts I liked:
‘“I don't need a full fruit. How much for half?” asked Mr. Ali.
The man replied, “Eight rupees. Fresh, sir.”
Mr. Ali said, “Five rupees.”
“You are joking, sir. Just cut today on the slopes of Simhachalam. Came straight from the sacred town,” said the vendor....
The temple town of Simhachalam is home to a famous Hindu temple and Mr. Ali wondered if the man would have tried quite the same sales pitch if he had known that his customer was a Muslim.'
What a delightful little gem of a book! It reminded me a lot of the “No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” books. Well written and charming, I can't wait to get my hands on number two of the series!
