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Serving Crazy with Curry

3.47 of 5 stars 3.47 · rating details · 887 ratings · 115 reviews

Between the pressures to marry and become a traditional Indian wife and the humiliation of losing her job in Silicon Valley, Devi is on the edge–where the only way out seems to be to jump. . . .

Yet Devi’s plans to “end it all” fall short when she is saved by the last person she wants to see: her mother. Forced to move in with her parents until she recovers, Devi refuses to...more

Paperback, 272 pages

Published October 26th 2004 by Ballantine Books (first published 2004)

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Mar 01, 2011 D.G. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, reviewed

The best things about this book are the title and that it's short (234 pgs.)

I don’t know that I’ve ever read a book with so many unappealing, self-serving, spiteful, uninteresting characters. I definitely wouldn’t wish any of them as members of my family or friends because I’d be bound to get stabbed in the back and then get blamed for it.

The problem I had with this story was not the shitty characters – the world is full of nasty people, after all – but the way the conflict was resolved. The boo...more

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Jan 13, 2008 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: expanding-horizons, india

Devi feels like a failure. She has no husband, no children, and now she’s lost her job too. She compares herself to her older sister Shobha, who appears on the surface to be the ideal traditional Indian wife, and finds herself wanting. She decides that life is no longer worth living, and carefully plans her suicide, an event that she wishes to proceed as painlessly and neatly as possible. But something goes awry:

“Death was supposed to have happened. She had chosen to die, but now she was alive,...more Devi feels like a failure. She has no husband, no children, and now she’s lost her job too. She compares herself to her older sister Shobha, who appears on the surface to be the ideal traditional Indian wife, and finds herself wanting. She decides that life is no longer worth living, and carefully plans her suicide, an event that she wishes to proceed as painlessly and neatly as possible. But something goes awry:

“Death was supposed to have happened. She had chosen to die, but now she was alive, a survivor. What exactly had she survived? How was she supposed to deal with the failure to end her life as well as the failure of not being able to live it with any dignity?” [p. 34]

Serving Crazy with Curry is about Devi and her family. When Devi’s suicide plot fails, she adopts a vow of silence, returns home to live with her parents and begins to cook. Saroj and Avi immigrated to California from India many years ago, and Saroj has never truly settled here and still yearns to return to her homeland. Saroj’s mother Vasu comes to visit once or twice a year. The story is mostly about the relationships between these four closely connected women: Devi, Shobha, Saroj, and Vasu. Malladi did a wonderful job of painting these characters individually, giving them each a vibrant personality of their own. She seamlessly weaves in a compelling backstory for each of them that helps us to understand who they are and why they manage their lives the way they do. I was disappointed that the book was set in the U.S. (I was hoping it would be set in India), but Malladi brought plenty of rich Indian culture to the mix. Devi shops, prepares, and cooks fragrant and flavourful recipes, using techniques learned from her mother but always incorporating her own ideas for unusual ingredients. The author deals with Devi’s recovery in a sensitive and thoughtful fashion, delving deftly into the psychology of suicide and the dangers and obstacles that surround a survival. There were numerous times that I felt that the author was so close to grasping onto something truly deep and meaningful in this book, but somehow it quietly eluded her pen each time. Malladi, however, definitely has a talent for description and wordplay:

“She had to go. She could feel it all the way inside her where the small sparks of light were playing, trying to stimulate her heart, which was slowing down making her free, unfettered.” [p. 227]

I enjoyed reading Serving Crazy with Curry, but I frequently felt that this young author fell just a bit short of writing something magnificent, instead of something merely good. There was much to sink myself into, and yet the plot that floated around the main character often felt somewhat contrived and manipulative.

“I feel like a walking mass of pain, unable to understand my actions, yet feeling little remorse, which makes me feel guiltier. This is a vicious cycle I can’t break free of.” [p. 231]

This is the third of Malladi’s five published novels, which she’s been producing more or less annually since 2002. At only 33 years of age, I suspect that she has many more good novels to come, and that her skill will only increase. Definitely an author to watch.(less)

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Feb 11, 2008 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was the first work by this author I read, and it started my fascination with American ethnic subculture literature (e.g. the new explosion of Indian literature written for American audiences, exploring themes such as family, change, love, and social acceptance). I think Jane found it at duty free in Canada on the way to Morocco. The story is about a South-Indian family living in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is something I immediately could relate to. A great storyteller once said "stor...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2009 Amanda B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisorybooks-2008-09

I actually picked up this book in Mr. Nourok’s advisory as a temporary book, but actually liked it so I continued to read it. The title of the book intrigued me because it seemed to not only speak of Indian culture (because of the curry) but it added something unexpected with the “crazy”. There was also a quote on the cover of the book which states “If life gets you down, spice it up with the unexpected…” which to me meant something interesting was brewing in the pages of this novel. It started...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Kerry Hennigan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having loved The Mango Season when I read it many years ago, I looked forward to Serving Crazy with Curry, expecting some of the humor I remembered from that earlier novel by author Amulya Malladi.

There is not a lot of humor here, though, but plenty of realistic irony. Serving Crazy with Curry begins when out of work Devi attempts suicide, and is discovered in a bath of her own blood by her frantic mother.

Saroj is not about to let her daughter forget what she has done - such a thing is unthinkab...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Kerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 10, 2004, library

This book begins with Devi, 27 year old, American-born Indian daughter of Avi and Soraj, writing a list of the pros and cons of committing suicide. The pros win and, with careful consideration and planning, she fills her bath tub, climbs in and equally carefully slits her wrists. All the planning in the world is ruined by her mother, who comes calling, lets herself in with the key Devi has long wished she hadn't given her, and finds her daughter in time to save her life.

On her release from the...more This book begins with Devi, 27 year old, American-born Indian daughter of Avi and Soraj, writing a list of the pros and cons of committing suicide. The pros win and, with careful consideration and planning, she fills her bath tub, climbs in and equally carefully slits her wrists. All the planning in the world is ruined by her mother, who comes calling, lets herself in with the key Devi has long wished she hadn't given her, and finds her daughter in time to save her life.

On her release from the hospital, Devi goes back to live with her parents and her grandmother Vasu, who is visiting from India. Unable to face the things that drove her into the bath tub in the first place, or the explanations everyone wants of her, Devi simply stops talking. And she soon starts cooking. To Soraj's horror, she invades her mother's perfect kitchen and starts creating her own curious brand of fusion cooking - dishes such as blueberry chicken curry. As she cooks, she begins to heal. And around her, her mixed-up, confused family begins to rediscover itself, from her sister Shobha and her failing arranged marriage to Soraj's hurtful relationship with her own mother and a whole lot more in between.

This come to a head when a stranger arrives at the door to reveal Devi's most painful secret, the one that was the final straw that drove her into the bath tub. As her family faces this, everything cracks apart so that it can come together again in a new, better way.

This sounds like it should be a depressing book. It isn't. It's bright and thoughtful and just a bit crazy like its title. I truly can't remember how I found out about it, but I'm sure it came from browsing around the internet. One of my nice librarian friends tracked down a copy for me and I devoured it in a couple of days. Now I want to share it with everyone, especially my mother and my Indian "sister" who I think would relate to quite a bit of it.

It's written in an occasionally non-linear fashion, where it can take a moment to work out if the current anecdote is current or in the past. However, I didn't have an real troubles with that. While Devi is the main protagonist, the book doesn't focus solely on her. Instead, all the characters get a share of the limelight, usually giving the reader secret knowledge the other characters don't share and thereby making everyone a little more honest.

The things you might expect to find are in here, especially the clash of cultures and generations as Soraj tries to live her Indian life in America and keep her daughters, who think of themselves as American, Indian. We see how Soraj's own childhood with Vasu has shaped her into the person she is, and how her own raising of Shobha and Devi has shaped them. All in all, this book is about love. The love for one's husband or wife, one's lover, one's family, one's heritage. The different characters have all found different kinds of love to be their first priority and each is show to be neither less nor more than any other, but all their choices gave a profound affect on the people around them.

Then there's the appendix at the end where the author has a chat with her characters, which is just delightful.

This is a delightful book; go out, find a copy, read it and then share it with your friends.

[Copied across from Library Thing; 25 September 2012](less)

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Jul 07, 2011 Lydia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Devi has decided. Her life just seems to hold no more meaning and she cannot see a future for herself. Her parents want her to become a traditional Indian wife. She can't seem to hold a job. She will never be like her sister, Shiobba, with a great job, a great husband and a wonderful life. And so, she makes detailed plans to end her life.

If she had remembered that her mother had a set of keys to her apartment, she might have actually succeeded. But her overbearing mother walks in to find Devi in...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Denise rated it 5 of 5 stars

5.0 out of 5 stars Serving up a great read!!, December 3, 2004

This review is from: Serving Crazy with Curry (Paperback)
Amulya Malladi is a master storyteller. This book, the third novel focusing on the lives and times of Indian women in crisis, is a fabulous study of family dynamics. Relationships are at the center of a Malladi novel -- between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and daughters, sisters and sisters -- and this one is a powerful discussion of a family reacting to a...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Pattie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of this book, and then the last third was more than disappointing! I liked the whole idea of the old culture meeting the new in this Indian family. The added cooking theme was interesting and fun. I knew I was reading a book about a dysfunctional family and was eager to see how some issues would be resolved and some wouldn't. The "whys" of the characters issues were explained but not resolved in a realistic way at all. I was just sooooooo disappointed with t...more

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Sep 09, 2009 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The role of women and how they find their voices as well as how those voices define themselves.

I found this book very well written. Probably the most interesting thing about the book for me was how each of the female characters were able to finally find their own voice, and recognize that they are responsible for their own happiness.

Devi, the protagonist is saved by her meddling mother after a suicide attempt. From that point on Devi doesn't speak to any of the other characters in the book. I f...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, womens-fiction-woman-main-character

In this book; Serving Crazy with Curry by Amulya Malladi, we meet Devi and her...dysfunctional family. Devi is harboring many secrets which lead to her almost suicide. I say almost, because she is saved (found) by her mother just in time. After she gets out of the hospital she stops talking and starts cooking. Each family member's story begins to unfold as we see Devi cooking up a storm and take those important steps towards recovery.
I was not wowed by this book, though I didn't hate it either....more

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Jan 13, 2009 Luci rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-america

I picked this up at a local used bookstore, mainly because of the enticing cover art and the interesting, off-the-wall recipes sprinkled throughout the book. I don't know a lot about Indian American culture and so I thought I would read this as a short introduction. I ended up finding a lot of similarities in this story with my own life as a second-generation Asian American female in the Bay Area from a family with only girls.

I would recommend this book for all the mothers, daughters and sisters...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Jadwega rated it 3 of 5 stars

This story has an interesting plot, beginning with an Indian American girl who has just been saved from committing suicide by her overbearing mother. The book explores the girl's recovery from depression through her discovery of the joys of cooking, or, more specifically, changing traditional Indian recipes into something new and exotic. The story delves into cultural identity, traditional roles, marriage, suicide, and depression. I liked the premise, but sometimes I felt that recipes Malladi th...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Abra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, chick-lit, first-time-read

I enjoyed this semi-subcontinental NRI chick lit. I think Malladi is much more successful at "Bollywood in a book" than Shobhan Bantwal. I mean everyone was still all hella upper middle class and all (which, knowing my students for the past eight years, some of whom have been Desi, I know is nonsense... There are plenty of working class Indians, Pakistanis, and Afghans in the Bay Area) but the setting -- Sunnyvale -- was excellently observed, and the balance of drama and reality was good, too. A...more

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May 08, 2011 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

A good, quick read that is very moving. It involves issues of family, relationships, and Indian and American cultures. There also some very delicious sounding recipes for fusion cuisine based on Indian food! Devi attempts suicide, only to be rescued by the last person she wants to see- her mother. She then refuses to speak and begins cooking up wild fusion cuisine concoctions, when she had never shown any interest in cooking before. Family history and secrets spill out as the family tries to lea...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Yuska Vonita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: indian-lit, tbr-2013, ebook

This book is about Devi and her dysfunctional family. Unlike any other Indian Lit that I read, this one is blunt and digs about the taboo subjects among Indians: pre-marital sex, divorce, suicide, and atheism.

It started with Devi who tried to kill herself, but failed. Then The narrator told about Devi's grandfather who committed suicide. It touches the psychological aspect. I read somewhere that suicidal tendencies run in the family. Britney Spears, who was in turbulance (we don't know what she...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Smitha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ethereal, india-via-books

A semi psychological delve into why relationships fail and how we can rebuild those. This is the story of 3 generations of women, each who has failed to find or sustain the love of her life. A grandmother who divorced her abusive husband and got blamed for his suicide to boot, but who later found love with another man. Her daughter who is the typical affluent house wife, and no one seems to care about her and her emotions as she has almost become a 'door mat' - her two daughters, who are intelli...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Kae Cheatham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Found this at my Public Library.

Popular East Indian writer Amulya Malladi depicts an upwardly-mobile family in the San Francisco Bay area, with a twist.
Devi Veturi, late twenties, IT professional, decides her life is in shambles and the only solution is to commit suicide. She's thought it all out quite well, but her mother happens to visit that day and finds Devi before it's too late.

Devi recovers from her suicide attempt, completely stops talking and starts nonstop cooking. Somehow this spurs...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-2013

This book has been on my TBR list for the longest time. I'm happy to say that it has finally been read.

Devi has lost all hope for herself. She's lost another job at another start up company. In the past few months or so she's lost a baby. What's the point in living?

Her mother, nosy woman that she is, is the one to come in and save Devi when she least expects it. Now Devi and her entire family must live with this decision, and failure in suicide.

This family, immigrants from India some thirty y...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Claire S rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: g_india-and, global, women, cooking-food-nutrition, id-constructs-race-gender, fiction, struggles-of-use, novel, psyche-of, workplace, human-damage-healing-fict

First read: (9/1/08)
Really loved this. The initial portions of the book were intense and fascinating, and then there kept being more layers. Really enjoyed it and would like to read sequels if they existed and so on. The idea of cooking to wellness had a serious impact on my as well, I'm feeling, now that time has passed, subconsciously. Thanks, Amulya!

Second read: (2/5/10)
Needed something absorbing that was smaller than Sacred Games, this rose to the surface. I had been thinking about it genera...more

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Sep 21, 2009 Irene rated it 1 of 5 stars

Once I start a book, I have to finish it and this one was so painful to get through. To my surprise my husband who is an avid reader thought this book was entertaining - mind you he skimmed through the book. He liked the idea that the story line took place in the bay area.

I found it to be as cheezy and as poorly written as a TV serial/soap opera. The characters are one dimensional, the plot is predictable. The book is made of stereotypes that would make non-Indians cringe. Just plain awful!!!

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Mar 11, 2010 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Suzanne by: Dear Reader / Suzanne Beecher

Thank you to Kaion for coming up with the title of this book! Check out the group "What's the Name of that book??!!" sometime if you ever have a synopsis running amok in your mind but can't come up with the title. Cool group!

Anyway, from what I remember about this book, I really enjoyed it. There was some very nice character development and realistic protrayal of a family. I loved all the cooking Devi described too.

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Nov 29, 2011 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great light read. I enjoyed the setting of the familiar places in the Bay Area. An original story with the added benefit of learning something about Indian culture and Indian food along the way. The dishes Devi makes sound marvelous. I especially enjoyed reading the conversation the author has with her characters after the completion of the novel.

Favorite quotes: "Let love be love, let's not accuse it with a name." p. 220

A reference to the love the grand daughter has for her grandmother reflec...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Kathleen Lynch rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful book! Understanding the cultural differences between the parents being raised in India and their children being Americans was fascinating. Even though they want the children to have the advancements available in America, they want them to retain their Indian culture which would be a very difficult thing to do. Wonderful novel, good recipes and a learning experience!

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Mar 05, 2011 Laura Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

Really enjoyed this and its tapestry of cooking and life. If you liked the Cookbook Collector, or Garden Spells. I enjoyed the light touch of writing with the detailed character development. I have reread this book. And even tried some of the recipes....a Welsh Canadian who grew up with bubbles 'n squeek as dinner fare regularly....curry and spices were a wonderful experience.

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Jun 02, 2011 Leticia rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is refreshing to read a book about the real problems and tribulations of an immigrant Indian family. This story of sisters failing at family, love and career was heart wrenching. As one sister battles with her failed suicide attempt the other fights with her marriage/career as they fall apart they work through it through cooking and family bonding.

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Dec 01, 2009 Christina Viramontes rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Katherine Wagner

I would have given it 5 stars, but the mother in this story annoyed me. The protagonist attempts suicide because her life is a mess. She must now live her parents, but remains in silence. She is not much of cooker, but begins to learn to cook many dishes. This helps her to learn about herself.

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Oct 03, 2009 Dinakar rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another of Amulya Malladi's Indians living in the US. It is a decent book with things going on at a medium-sized clip. No bombshell turns etc. Worth a quick read. The Mango Season was really good - this one is a notch lower.

I especially loved this quote in the book - If you have to give someone respect, give it to them when they are alive, they will value it, why bother after they are dead.

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Dec 19, 2008 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a little different from a book I would typically read. I am a person who loves any book that could be made into a romantic comedy made for Lifetime. But this book was a little more realistic but still full of good drama!

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Dec 01, 2008 Gaurett rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like book about immigrants in the US. This book I enjoyed because it was set in Sunnyvale Ca and the Silicon Valley. It is not a happy book because the main plot is a botched up suicide attempt but it is funny at times

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About Amulya Malladi

Amulya Malladi is the author of five novels. She was born and raised in India and graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering from Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. She received a master's degree in journalism from The University of Memphis, Tennessee, USA. After living in the United States for several years, Amulya now lives in Copenhagen, Denmark with her husband and two sons.

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“But sometimes when you wore a mask for a very long time, it became your face.” — 5 people liked it

“If they were not Indian, Devi was sure they’d be divorced.” — 1 person liked it

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