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Thursday, March 19, 2015

The Recession Groom by Vani Kaushal : A Review



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:
This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and BlogTours.  To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com.

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