An easy read

'Or Forever Hold Your Peace'. When I read this title of the book, I wanted to know what it meant before I read the book. And I found it was very customary in Christian weddings that it is asked by all that speak now if anyone has a concern with the wedding or keep quiet forever.

This book is an easy read. It is a story about what happens in marriages - specially arranged ones. Since the wedding is about a Kerala Christian wedding, Donna has given details that I definitely did not know about a Christian wedding. The chapters are well-connected. In this story about a girl about to get married, it shows how difficult it can be when an arranged marriage is getting arranged. The unnecessary explanations given, specially by a girl, is painful.

Rating: 3/5.

Book review | Delhi Anything Goes by Anita Kumar

This book is about my Delhi, so I had to pick it up to read!

'Delhi Anything Goes' by Anita Kumar is about three friends - Zoya, Natasha, and Reema. These three friends grew up in Delhi in 1970s and 1980s and two move out of India to the US and the UK, leaving only one back in Delhi. The three friends reunite - in Delhi - as part of 25th wedding celebrations of the friend living in Delhi.

The friends who come to Delhi after a decade of staying away, find a vast change in the city. Not only in the landscape, but in people too. The difference in wealthy and poor is stark, and what's worse, the 'show-off'of wealth is almost sickening. The richer the people become, the display of international brands in terms of cars, purses, clothes is much higher.

What happened to displaying India? It seems a western lifestyle is getting displayed more than anything else.

However, with people getting richer in bank balances, they are equally poor in morals and ethics.

I have never liked any of the parties because I have never had any kind of addiction (neither alcohol, smoke, nor drugs) in my life - so, I never relate to these parties at all. For me, even the office parties meant hitting the dance floor and I could dance forever. I've not been to any 'high-society parties' so I couldn't tell whether what the author writes what happens in these parties is true or not. If it is true, then I am very happy to stay away from those parties.

Reading this, however, gives one-sided view about Delhi. Maybe Anita could have explored few other aspects too, such as the rich heritage that Delhi has over the centuries.

Rating: 2.5/5

Faction: Short Stories by 22 Film Personalities by Khalid Mohamed

Faction: Short Stories by 22 Film Personalities is a collection of stories by people from Indian film industry - be it actors or directors. These are stories from their lives that made an impact on them or stayed with them over time. As per the author, or edited by, as it is written, there were some stories that were excluded due to whatever reasons.

I personally liked 'A Calcutta Story' by the legendary actor Ashok Kumar; 'Disbelieve it or not' by the actor-turned-director Ashutosh Gowariker; and 'The Window' by the talented director Basu Chatterji. I liked these stories because these were experiences or some incident that happened with these film personalities. These experiences or stories were retold as stories. While reading these three stories I wanted to know what may happened next. Other film personalities shared some experiences that happened - one shared some interview that happened, another some postcards shared, and yet another the anxiety before the release of the first movie. So, there was no particular liking or disliking for those stories.

Rating: 2.75/5.