The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
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The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
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3.53 of 5 stars
Alexander McCall Smith meets Jane Austen in this delightfully charming Indian novel about finding love.

What does an Indian man with ... read full description

reviews

Jun 23, 2010
Nielam rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Buku ini memberi saya cara pandang baru dalam melihat kebudayaan India, yang selama ini hanya saya lihat secara sekilas dari film-film Bollywood.

Masyarakat India memiliki pandangan yang cukup konservatif dalam memandang pernikahan, bahkan anak yang mencari sendiri jodohnya dianggap kurang ajar,dan melanggar tradisi.

Dan bagi mereka, jatuh cinta dilakukan setelah menikah. Menikah karena cinta dianggap sebagai sesuatu yang memalukan. Lucu juga ya.

Buku ini mengam More...
5 comments like (6 people liked it)
Mar 22, 2011
Smita rated it: 3 of 5 stars
This book topped the list of ‘Page Turners to pick up in 2009’, published by Hindustan Times. The article said ‘Set in an Indian Marriage bureau and billed as Jane Austen meets McCall Smith, the book is charming, funny and acutely observed.’

Author: Farahad Zama

Publisher: Abacus

Price: 295/-

I grabbed the book as soon as it was out, did it meet the hype & my expectations?

Read on!

Mr. Ali, freshly retired doesn’t know what to do More...
0 comments like (5 people liked it)
Oct 08, 2010
Rhea rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Ceritanya ringan dan datar, tapi cukup menarik. Kasta di India menurut saya seperti ibarat agama bila di Indonesia, bayangkan saja, untuk menikah kebanyakan dari mereka memilih jodoh dari kasta yang sama, sama seperti di negara kita, jika kita menikah bukankah kita juga menginginkan orang yang seiman. Hanya saja bedanya, agama bisa berpindah-pindah sesuai kehendak masing-masing orang, sedangkan kasta tidak bisa karena kasta diperoleh dari keturunan. Hah!!, betapa repotnya.

Bicara soal More...
6 comments like (8 people liked it)
Feb 14, 2010
Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Buku ke-8993

Pertama, covernya cantik. meski warnanya (merah hati tua) kurang pas, seharusnya lebih cerah, tapi gambar dan lay out hurufnya ciamik banget. bahkan, jika dibandingkan dengan cover dr buku luar, kayaknya yg edisi terjemahan lebih maknyus.1 bintang

kedua, judulnya juga menarik. "Biro Jodoh Khusus Kaum Elite". Ternyata kesulitan mencari cinta tak hanya dialami orang miskin, orang kaya yang mestinya tidak mengalami kesulitan mencari cinta (baca: pasangan More...
61 comments like (8 people liked it)
Mar 17, 2010
Endah rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Farahad Zama, satu lagi penulis India yang sukses setelah hijrah ke Barat (London). Pria kelahiran Vizag, India, ini sewaktu masih di tanah airnya bekerja di bank. Lalu, kariernya membawanya mendarat di London yang kemudian menjadi tanah airnya yang kedua.

Tampaknya, pergi dan menetap di Barat, merupakan impian kebanyakan orang India, seperti digambarkan dalam film/novel The Namesake karya Jhumpa Lahiri, penulis India lainnya yang telah lebih dulu menuai sukses di Barat (Amerika).
More...
19 comments like (3 people liked it)
Sep 11, 2010
indri rated it: 4 of 5 stars
#2010-13# hadiah dari lulu

Bagaimana mencari jodoh yang sesuai dengan keinginan anda?

Salah satu caranya adalah melalui biro jodoh. Di India, untuk agama Hindu dengan sistem kastanya, agak sulit menemukan calon mempelai yang benar-benar sesuai. Perjodohan untuk menemukan kompromi yang terbaik. Humor-humor cerdas yang diungkapkan dalam buku ini datang dan pergi, dijalin dalam sudut pandang keluarga Muslim India yang memiliki biro jodoh ini, namun mereka sangat berpikiran ter More...
79 comments like (1 person liked it)
Dec 30, 2011
Tze-Wen rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Zama's debut novel reads like a modern day version of Pride and Prejudice, but he takes us to the thriving East-Indian town of Vizag instead of a more Western setting. Although there is plenty of romance to go around, many other issues are slipped into the narrative to keep it from becoming just another chick-lit. And believe me, it really is more than that. Granted, the book doesn't offer any serious in-depth discussions of controversial (?) topics, but the clash of the traditional and the mode More...
1 comment like (1 person liked it)
Jun 14, 2010
Felice rated it: 3 of 5 stars
The brighter than bright cover of The Marriage Bureau for Rich People caught my eye immediately. Look at it. It's lovely. You aren't going to stumble across colors like that in any ho-hum world. It was love at first sight and interest soon after as I read the description. It wasn't purchase at first sight though. My cash once again went to my local.

How wonderful when my instincts are right. The Marriage Bureau for Rich People is a delight with a conscience. Mr Ali has retired from th More...
0 comments like (5 people liked it)
Feb 15, 2010
Luqman rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Pertama2 kayaknya cerita ini berjalan lambat, tapi lama kelamaan mulai memaku kita untuk terus membacanya. Alur yang asik untuk dibaca sekali selesai. Ceritanya juga unik, saya tidak terlalu menyukai kisah percintaan, tetapi yang satu ini menawarkan sesuatu yang Beda!

ada banyak hal-hal yang dapat dipelajari mengenai sistem kasta di India, bagaimana India muslim memandang akan perjodohan dan sebagainya.

Buku yang asyik dibaca waktu senggang

Oh iya... Karakter2 di More...
1 comment like (2 people liked it)
Sep 26, 2011
penelopewanders rated it: 3 of 5 stars
A bit of an adventure with this book - I signed up a spiral of sorts and they arrived from South Africa in the wrong order, having taken (presumably) the scenic route getting here. So I was keen to begin this, enjoying anything related to India and that part of the world. I was a wee bit disappointed, however, as I felt this was unpleasantly similar to The Ladies Number One Detective Agency, simply set on a different continent, with (mainly) a male hero. (Although one could plead that Mrs Ali an More...
0 comments like
May 15, 2011
Tiffany rated it: 2 of 5 stars
The story itself is very simple, it plods slowly along, character and story arcs are set up slowly and only start to get interesting about halfway through. I have a feeling it would have worked better as a series because the business at the marriage bureau felt very episodic in nature, we work through various grooms one by one. It can get tedious if you don't have patience for slice-of-life stories.
The writing itself is also very straightforward, I would beach or airplane read More...
0 comments like
Apr 22, 2011
Retnadi rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Rezeki, jodoh, maut ada di tangan Tuhan. Tentu saja, ini merupakan aksioma--suatu kebenaran yang tak terbantahkan. Namun, karena dalam agama Islam Allah juga menganjurkan umat-Nya untuk berikhtiar, maka kita juga harus berupaya menemukan jodoh kita dan tidak duduk duduk diam saja berpangku tangan.

Salah satu bentuk ikhtiar yang diyakini Mr Ali, seorang pensiunan Muslim di India, adalah dengan membuka biro jodoh. Dengan memanfaatkan ruang iklan surat kabar, setumpuk kartu pos, dan berand More...
0 comments like
Oct 29, 2010
Tony rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I knew nothing about this book prior to picking it up, but I gather that it was marketed as being in the vein of The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency series (which I love). If that's the case, then for once the publisher's comparison is fairly apt. This gentle book is about a retired Indian civil servant who establishes a marriage matchmaking service on the veranda of his house in order to pass the days, and it's very similar to the Ladies No. 1 series -- albeit without any crime. The story feature More...
0 comments like
Jul 04, 2010
Meagan rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This is a sweet, gentle and funny story set in India, and the characters are whole point of the book. Mr. Ali is a retiree with too much time on his hands, and he has decided to start a marriage bureau to fill that time. Mrs. Ali is his supportive wife, who is happy that the marriage bureau will get Mr. Ali out from under her feet. And finally, Aruna is the poor but educated girl who helps Mr. Ali at the bureau.

The book is taken up by the stories of the characters looking for brides More...
0 comments like
Jun 10, 2010
Miz rated it: 5 of 5 stars
When Mr. Ali finds retirement to be less than thrilling, he decides to fill his days by running a matchmaking service to help arrange marriages. As the service grows, so does the breadth of the story. Whether helping a clueless client understand how best to present himself or arguing with his wife over the behavior of their activist son, Mr. Ali's finding retirement less than relaxing.

Though the book is an easy read with a happy ending, it touches on a number of interesting themes More...
0 comments like
Jul 12, 2009
Jenny rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I have to say, the book fooled me a bit; I thought it would be more literary, but really, by the end, it was a basic chick lit romance. However it was so cleverly disguised in the society and cultures of India that I was seduced.

Mr. Ali is retired and decides to supplement his pension by opening a marriage bureau for arranged marriages. His assistant is a young woman whose family is unable to afford a wedding for her, so she must remain unmarried. Mr. Ali has a son who is involved in More...
0 comments like (4 people liked it)
Jul 09, 2009
Medbie rated it: 4 of 5 stars
With The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, Mr. Zama brings the reader into the colorful world of present-day India, where some marriages are still arranged and caste and/or religion can still be a factor in deciding a good match.

Our protagonist, Mr. Ali is retired and his retirement has begun to weigh on both him and his wife. To fill out his free time, he opens a marriage bureau. This will function as a time saver and be more discreet for those who would like to advertise for a match More...
0 comments like (1 person liked it)
Feb 09, 2010
Uci rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Untunglah saya tidak lahir dan hidup di India! Itu pikiran pertama yang melintas saat membaca buku ini. Kenapa? Duh, mau kawin aja ribet banget! Nggak heran jika Biro Jodoh Khusus Kaum Elite yang didirikan Mr. Ali setelah dia pensiun, laris manis.

Bayangkan, menikah atas dasar cinta itu tercela hukumnya! Jadi kalau mau menikah, jodohmu harus dipilihkan oleh keluarga atau mak comblang atau yah...pemilik biro jodoh. Karena banyak sekali yang harus dipertimbangkan. Kasta, penghasilan, ju More...
8 comments like (3 people liked it)
Aug 02, 2009
Sheela rated it: 1 of 5 stars
This novel, which is about an old man in India starting a marriage bureau to keep busy in his retired life, was bland and boring. Though set in modern day, the story and the plot lines were old-fashioned and didn't keep up with the current times. The one story line that illustrated the emergence of a new generation of Indians was not explored well enough. The writing was repetitive and written as if the story was translated from another language into English. The author was trying to focus on th More...
0 comments like (3 people liked it)
Jun 27, 2011
Ali rated it: 4 of 5 stars
The Marriage Bureau for Rich people, is set in modern day India, in a South Indian town among a Hindu and Muslim community. At the centre of the story is Mr and Mrs Ali, the muslim owners of the marriage bureau, and Aruna the Hindu assistant they hire. The Ali's have a son involved in political protest, who they worry about, while Aruna's family argue about the difficulty of Aruna marrying, due to their extreme poverty. Marriage and romance is at the heart of this novel, and the adorably wise M More...
0 comments like
Apr 14, 2010
Lilyrose rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Retired Mr Ali from Vizag in south India, has a lot of time on his hands and is often bored. He starts a marriage bureau to keep him busy and it becomes quite a success. Aided by an articulate assistant Aruna, with loads of advice and help from his wife, Mr Ali helps several people with their own whims and fancies to find the right match.

Farahad Zama has written a book that is easy to read and will leave you feeling happy and comforted, with a smile on your face. This is so well-writ More...
0 comments like
Mar 19, 2010
mina rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Sebenarnya review-nya 3,5 bintang.

Ini kisah Cinderella a la India, too good to be true, tapi membawa rasa hangat di hati *halah* Terus terang ya, buku ini membosankan luar biasa dan sangat lempeng sampai separo buku, sampai muncul tokoh cowok keren, Ramanujam. Saat itu barulah mulai menarik. Kalau separo buku awal aku selesaikan berabad-abad, maka separo buku terakhir hanya sekali libas saja.

Jadi separo awal buku bercerita tentang Biro Jodoh yang baru didirikan Mr. Ali, More...
0 comments like
Mar 09, 2010
Niratisaya rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Opiniku...

Halaman pertama cukup menyita konsentrasi. Maaf sebelumnya, tapi pada saat membaca halaman-halaman pertama, saya langsung menutupnya dan membatalkan niat membaca. Baru seminggu kemudian saya memutuskan untuk meraih novel yang tersimpan manis di tumpukan buku baru ini. Bertekad melanggar kebiasaan saya untuk membaca dengan tertib, dari halaman pertama sampai akhir secara berurutan, jari-jari saya langsung membuka Bab Satu dan membacanya pada saat itu juga hingga halaman tera More...
1 comment like (1 person liked it)
Mar 31, 2011
Jess rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Mr. Ali is retired and bored so he starts a marriage bureau for rich people. When his business becomes more successful, he hires an assistant, Aruna, to help him with various aspects of the business. We watch Mr. Ali’s business take off as their son takes a stand against the government and Aruna’s family falling on hard times that may delay her ever getting married.

Despite knowing precious little about India and its culture, I really enjoyed this book. It did a very good job of showca More...
0 comments like
Feb 15, 2010
sinta rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Biro Jodoh Khusus Kaum Elite adalah jasa yang dirintis Mr. Ali setelah menjadi pensiunan pegawai negeri. India, sebuah negara yang masih menggenggam erat budaya tradisional dalam hal pernikahan dan memilih pasangan hidup, mendatangkan keuntungan sekaligus mengembangkan biro jasa Mr. Ali dengan pesat. Tidak ada kemudahan tanpa bersanding dengan kesulitan. Walaupun proses dan metode pencarian jodoh yang dilakukan Mr. Ali cukup mudah, tetapi kesulitan akan muncul ketika tugas mencarikan atau mencoc More...
0 comments like
Feb 25, 2010
Nadiah rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Aku berkenalan dengan novel berlatar atau bernuansa India kira-kira 5 tahun yang lalu. Dan, semenjak itu, langsung jatuh cinta pada novel sejenis.

Jadi, membaca karya India adalah hal yang menyenangkan. Mungkin karena begitu banyak hal baru yang dapat kuketahui. Mulai dari makanan hingga tata cara perkawinan mereka yang begitu unik dan 'kaya.'

Ketika buku satu ini tiba di tangan, aku sudah merasa tak sabar untuk menelusuri setiap katanya.

Di awal, kisah terasa a More...
1 comment like
Sep 26, 2010
Khaya rated it: 2 of 5 stars
I finished this book yesterday afternoon and have already begun forgetting it.

Not that this was an awful book. In fact, fans of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and its oeuvre would probably find this book's simplistic writing, facile plot, and exotic setting charming and quaint. For a curmudgeon like me, though, books like this are way too lightweight. I felt like I was reading a children's book.

"The Marriage Bureau for Rich People" basically offers up a s More...
25 comments like (2 people liked it)
Dec 04, 2011
Prima rated it: 3 of 5 stars
buku ringan yang bisa saya habiskan hanya dalam 2 hari... karena memang tidak perlu banyak berfikir dalam membacanya.

Tentang Mr Ali pensiunan PNS yang kemudian membuka biro jodoh dan usahanya ini cukup berkembang dan berhasil membuat klien-kliennya menemukan jodohnya.

Cerita yang sederhana dan syarat dengan setting kebudayaan india dengan keragaman agamanya hingga dapat memberikan pengetahuan tentang kebudayaan india yang berbeda dengan di Indonesia. Dikatakan bahwa dalam More...
4 comments like
Nov 21, 2010
Delba rated it: 4 of 5 stars
After a few months without reading any novels, I decided to go and visit my local library to procure something that would indulge me with interest and once again sprout the love I have for reading.
It didn’t take long before I found “The Marriage Bureau for rich people” by Farahad Zama.

There were 3 main reasons why this book immediately caught my attention:

1. Cover – They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but I’m a person who does so. The beautifully written More...
0 comments like
Aug 02, 2010
Alyssa rated it: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this book and its concept-a retired man in India decides to open a business finding matches for rich people. However, the author's writing was simply lackluster. Part of this comes from the lack of characterization through description or action, and I think the other part comes from his lack of descriptive conversation. Everything is so-and-so "said" instead of any other phrase like "exclaimed" or "cried." The other hard part for me was the culture. This aut More...
0 comments like