Simply put, Shoba Narayan’s Monsoon Diary reads like a blog. Especially for all us bloggers who love to hop skip and peek into each other’s lives laughing at follies and empathizing with our faux-pas’ , enjoying the memories stretching from food, to dressing, to parents, to colleges and then beyond as adults.
Her writings are peppered with some basic recipes. Comfort-food recipes, strongly rooted in South Indian menus and just reading through the simple menus makes your tongue water. Makes you want to keep the book aside, rush to the kitchen, start the stove making it and relishing the food as you then continue on with her tale. She makes us part of her tale. Almost like a grand mom handing morsels into cupped hands as they tell us a story. Not that she sounds like one, not at all. There is an underlying humor and wit in the words and her style. There are times when you can’t help but giggle and laugh out loud when you see yourself in her shoes. I suspect it’s very hard for any woman/girl of Indian origin to not find at least a part of her life cross Shoba’s.
You’d enjoy the book:
1. If you are a Tam Bram, or one or the either. Knowing one or the either more than qualifies it as well.
2. If you’ve been raised in the south [of India, that is].
3. If you are a woman, mid-30’s and have grown up during the time when India and the conservatives were still struggling to let girls fly coop. The frustrations of being shackled and the parents dilemma in wanting to satisfy the daughter, yet the fear of the unknown holding them back is more more than palpable without any drama or histrionics.
4. If you love food and look at its preparation and the art and the science of it as a chemistry, and as a fulfilling experience.
5. Growing up, if you rather preferred the company of boys, played cricket and climbed trees than indulged in girly games.
6. If you’ve had dreams of making it out to the US and striking it on your own.
7. If you did manage to come out here as a student and struggled through some questions, simple and complicated and adjusted ultimately to the lifestyle that America’s offered you.
8. If you sat through an arranged marriage scene and wished the guy’s folks could say ‘yes’ so you could say ‘no’ just to hold onto a semblance of pride.
9. If the terms Elliots beach, WCC, Mambalam ring a bell.
10. If you like reading personal blogs. :–)
There’s more, but letting the reader discover the nuances is what a book like Monsoon Diary is all about. It’s personal.
I believe I qualifed almost all the pre-reqs, bar one, or rather half of one.
Hi Rads,
first time here.Great blog and great review.. I think I fit almost all of the points mentioned above( except may the arranged marriage it).Will read it..
Can I link you up? hope you dont mind..
Hm I half qualify. Should I venture? May be when I get some time. Sounds quite interesting! :–)
SK: You should, when you can pry yourself away from work that is ;-p
Daisy: Thank you, appreciate it, and no I don’t mind at all! 🙂
The book’s really quite a nice, light absorbing read. Hope you like it.
I read this book, completely agree….Its like a blog 🙂
The first time I saw Shoba Narayan's name was in 2000, when I was at the checkout lane of a grocery store, on the cover of Gourmet magazine. Here's a link to her article: "The God of Small Feasts".
Why don’t you have a “Girl’s ONLY, Boys GET OUT” tag?
I swear I don’t know why the apostrophe…:)
DS: Subliminal messages and such, no worries 😉
I actually do have such a tag – it’s called “girlstuff” – but this doesn’t really come under that. If you can read my blog, you can read Shoba’s book. I swear to you, she has more fun stuff than me 🙂
Loga: hehe, it does na? 🙂
Sounds interesting.. I guess growing up in Pakistan is quite similar..? I’d sure love to get my hands on this one..
The first time I saw Shoba Narayan’s name was in 2000, when I was at the checkout lane of a grocery store, on the cover of Gourmet magazine. Here’s a link to her article: “The God of Small Feasts”.
Whats this? Is it a cooker book?
I dnt thnk I qualify in the main category of.. If ur a woman..he he… anayways most other things suits me like raised n south India, Elliots beach etc..SO I will gv a try for sure.
Usha: LOL, no no, read it, you will love it 🙂
CM-chap: That was a faux-pas on my part, though I did say "folks who would enjoy…" at the beginning. It's a good read, the listing is mainly for nostalgia driven time as you run through the pages. 🙂
OK: lol, no. It's actually filled with bachelor-proof recipes. Stuff that mom makes on a daily basis. Try reading, you will know what I mean 🙂
Nice seeing you back here again btw. Goody! 🙂
BPSK: That's a fantastic find! That passage is a mix of a few pages in the book. She's a writer for the Gourmet if I am not mistaken…
MayG: Yes, am sure you'd find some similarities, though it does give you a fair peek in to how simple middle-class folks live down in South India. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
mmmmm. I think I qualify on 50% count – should I wait till it’ on discount! 🙂
Usha: LOL, no no, read it, you will love it 🙂
CM-chap: That was a faux-pas on my part, though I did say “folks who would enjoy…” at the beginning. It’s a good read, the listing is mainly for nostalgia driven time as you run through the pages. 🙂
OK: lol, no. It’s actually filled with bachelor-proof recipes. Stuff that mom makes on a daily basis. Try reading, you will know what I mean 🙂
Nice seeing you back here again btw. Goody! 🙂
BPSK: That’s a fantastic find! That passage is a mix of a few pages in the book. She’s a writer for the Gourmet if I am not mistaken…
MayG: Yes, am sure you’d find some similarities, though it does give you a fair peek in to how simple middle-class folks live down in South India. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
i’m excited about this book. Try reading “eat pray love” Elizabeth Gilbert, i think it’s so well written, it takes the grief out of sadness.
u amaze me with ur reading speed, thats something I need to learn.
Praveen: I spend less than an hour in the night before I sleep. Surely you have more time on your hands than a tired frustrated mom? :–)
Shreya: Oh yes, It’s in the queue. Liked the way you described it.. :–)
I more than qualify.
Landmark, here I come.
I fulfilled all of them.
its like u were my neighbour, going to the same school and such 🙂
I fulfilled all of them.
its like u were my neighbour, going to the same school and such 🙂
Deepa: Neighbors eh? Nice! :–)
Lashmi: lol, It’s uncanny, but you will know as you read on :–)
Did you get the book? Let me know.