Book: One Indian Girl
Author: Chetan Bhagat
Genre: Fiction.
One Indian Girl is a story of a girl called Radhika Mehta who is a hot-shot banker working in the prestigious Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs.
Radhika, who once was as nerdy as one can be, is now arranged to get married to Brijesh Gulati and has just arrived for her destination wedding in Goa.
But what Radhika does not know is the fact that marrying Brijesh will not be as easy as she had thought. Things happen and everything goes haywire,but will Radhika be able to manoeuvre her way out of this mess?
One Indian Girl, to me, felt like a chick-lit though it can also be placed in the general fiction category by many.
The best part of the book is the fact that Radhika’s journey is as funny and entertaining as a wedding can be. Chetan has done a commendable job of writing in a girl’s voice.
The story is told from Radhika’s point and it is really hard to believe that a man could have written so realistically about a woman and her feelings.
One Indian Girl’s only motif, apart from putting up a spectacle loved by readers, is an inquiry into the mind of an Indian woman -- not a girl, but a woman. It delves into the wonderfully weird narrator, Radhika, whose internal monologue is as comical as it is relatable. Through conversations with herself, she tells the story of being born in a family that always wanted a boy but settled for an overachieving, nerdy career woman who can’t find a groom for herself because she isn’t a “girl anymore”
Through the narrator, One Indian Girl explains why patriarchy thrives in India; not just because it is imposed by the men, but because these societal rules and restrictions are internalised by women. It is when Radhika seeks validation from her insecure boyfriend, who earns less than her, that the ugly scars of gender discrimination are visible. The realisation strikes again when the Goldman Sachs vice-president is told by her lover/married boss he did not see her as a “maternal” figure. Eventually, her past asks her to make a choice a lot of women would be familiar with: Pursuing a glittering career or living a fulfilling, homely life. Neither of her lovers recognize that a woman could want, and have, both.
Like the indication that the society needs to change, Radhika too evolves from an under-confident geek to a decisive character living on her own terms. Her metamorphosis throws in another emerging pattern
Though the book is said to be on feminism, in the end, it adheres to the norms of general chick lit.
So, for me, it didn’t come out as a strongly feminist book. There are a few feminist things here and there, but mostly in the form of rants.
The plot is really interesting. Though there are many elements, they all connect beautifully in the end. The characters are also fun. I am sure every girl would love to read about Radhika and her misadventures in the Loveland.
I also liked the characters of Debu and Neel but the character of Brijesh though failed to impress. The narration switches rapidly from the present to the past to the present and that adds to the pace of the book.
The book in its entirety of 272 pages did not appear dull even at a single point. The best part of the book, though, was its climax – it was completely unpredictable and managed to completely surprise me.
My rating for the book is four and a half out of five stars and that says it all.
Author: Chetan Bhagat
Genre: Fiction.
One Indian Girl is a story of a girl called Radhika Mehta who is a hot-shot banker working in the prestigious Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs.
Radhika, who once was as nerdy as one can be, is now arranged to get married to Brijesh Gulati and has just arrived for her destination wedding in Goa.
But what Radhika does not know is the fact that marrying Brijesh will not be as easy as she had thought. Things happen and everything goes haywire,but will Radhika be able to manoeuvre her way out of this mess?
One Indian Girl, to me, felt like a chick-lit though it can also be placed in the general fiction category by many.
The best part of the book is the fact that Radhika’s journey is as funny and entertaining as a wedding can be. Chetan has done a commendable job of writing in a girl’s voice.
The story is told from Radhika’s point and it is really hard to believe that a man could have written so realistically about a woman and her feelings.
One Indian Girl’s only motif, apart from putting up a spectacle loved by readers, is an inquiry into the mind of an Indian woman -- not a girl, but a woman. It delves into the wonderfully weird narrator, Radhika, whose internal monologue is as comical as it is relatable. Through conversations with herself, she tells the story of being born in a family that always wanted a boy but settled for an overachieving, nerdy career woman who can’t find a groom for herself because she isn’t a “girl anymore”
Through the narrator, One Indian Girl explains why patriarchy thrives in India; not just because it is imposed by the men, but because these societal rules and restrictions are internalised by women. It is when Radhika seeks validation from her insecure boyfriend, who earns less than her, that the ugly scars of gender discrimination are visible. The realisation strikes again when the Goldman Sachs vice-president is told by her lover/married boss he did not see her as a “maternal” figure. Eventually, her past asks her to make a choice a lot of women would be familiar with: Pursuing a glittering career or living a fulfilling, homely life. Neither of her lovers recognize that a woman could want, and have, both.
Like the indication that the society needs to change, Radhika too evolves from an under-confident geek to a decisive character living on her own terms. Her metamorphosis throws in another emerging pattern
Though the book is said to be on feminism, in the end, it adheres to the norms of general chick lit.
So, for me, it didn’t come out as a strongly feminist book. There are a few feminist things here and there, but mostly in the form of rants.
The plot is really interesting. Though there are many elements, they all connect beautifully in the end. The characters are also fun. I am sure every girl would love to read about Radhika and her misadventures in the Loveland.
I also liked the characters of Debu and Neel but the character of Brijesh though failed to impress. The narration switches rapidly from the present to the past to the present and that adds to the pace of the book.
The book in its entirety of 272 pages did not appear dull even at a single point. The best part of the book, though, was its climax – it was completely unpredictable and managed to completely surprise me.
My rating for the book is four and a half out of five stars and that says it all.
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ReplyDelete# independent girl . Impressive . Btw i am from your area if u know me ?? I 🤔