Meet the Patel-Joneses—Babo, Sian, Mayuri, and Bean—in their little house with orange and black gates next door to the Punjab Women... read full description
reviews
Jul 26, 2010
The Blurb
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Review by Bernard Ryan
Isn’t it one of the great joys of reading that via our imaginations we can become immersed in a new culture with all its sights and smells and sounds, its food and music, its beliefs and attitudes….without leaving home? We have spoken before on this program about the recent emergence of novels in English from the once “Asia Minor ”. The Middle Eastern writers have long been around as have authors from equally-exotic Anglophone places such as Nova Scotia and Newfou More...
Isn’t it one of the great joys of reading that via our imaginations we can become immersed in a new culture with all its sights and smells and sounds, its food and music, its beliefs and attitudes….without leaving home? We have spoken before on this program about the recent emergence of novels in English from the once “Asia Minor ”. The Middle Eastern writers have long been around as have authors from equally-exotic Anglophone places such as Nova Scotia and Newfou More...
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Nov 12, 2010
Jennifer
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It is set mostly in Madras, India and spans about thirty years. A young Gujerati man studying abroad in England meets a Welsh girl. They fall deeply in love. How they keep their love strong and stay happy in spite of the odds against them, how they inspire family members with a desire for a similar love, how they do their best to raise their daughters to be happy. Mostly about real family life with its sadness, happiness, and challenges. I really liked it.One of the things I liked best is that i
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Jan 03, 2012
Sarine
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In the tradition of Seth's A Suitable Boy and Lahiri's collection of stories about the generational and cultural divide of modern era relationships and family ties, Tishani Doshi's The Pleasure Seekers is a delightful and resonate tale of intermingling love and life. Interestingly enough, Doshi, as a freelance journalist, has interviewed the aforementioned Lahiri on the publication of her latest book about often competing and sometimes conflicting cultures and how these obstacles help shape the
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Apr 02, 2011
Tze-Wen
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The Pleasure Seekers is a ballad of love, the kind that hits you like a deluge and threatens to sweep you away from everything you were and knew before, into blissful oblivion. It is also an ode to family, to the loved ones that are at the core of your existence, and who matter most in the end. And finally, it is the quest of many who are seeking themselves within and without, a quest that will take them to their predestined future.
The book strongly reminded me of Another Gulmohar Tree (se More...
The book strongly reminded me of Another Gulmohar Tree (se More...
Sep 14, 2010
Lisa
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"There is no such thing as home. Once you have forsaken it and stepped outside of the circle, you can't ever re-enter and claim anything as yours."
This is a quote from the book that captures one essential truth -- that stepping outside of one's home boundaries has great consequences for everyone.
This book explores the lives of a family whose cultures combine in the amazing prosaic story woven by Tishani Doshi. The lives of each of these characters touches so man More...
This is a quote from the book that captures one essential truth -- that stepping outside of one's home boundaries has great consequences for everyone.
This book explores the lives of a family whose cultures combine in the amazing prosaic story woven by Tishani Doshi. The lives of each of these characters touches so man More...
Sep 26, 2010
Alicia
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This book was definitely worth the quick read that it was. At times, the poetic-ness of the author's style seemed a bit much, especially as I wanted to learn more about the family and what was going to happen next. But, the writing was well done and made for some really interesting images. I also think that Doshi does an excellent job of keeping the reader engaged, because I was always wanting to know what happened next, especially with the grandmother's eerie dream predications.
I t More...
I t More...
Nov 29, 2010
Siria
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I enjoyed parts of The Pleasure Seekers—the wry humour, the lyrical writing, the neatly sketched characters—but it failed to come together for me into a satisfying whole. I felt as if Doshi should have either focused more on the first half of the story—that of Babo and Sian's cross-cultural romance—or expanded the book to become a true multigenerational epic. As it is, there's no real structure to the book, no sense of conflict, climax and resolution—there are many mini-conflicts, true, but none
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Sep 23, 2010
Lacey
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I was very excited to receive this book via the goodreads giveaway, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, but I'm having a hard time reviewing it. I liked it, but I can't really put my finger on what exactly it is about the story that made me like it so much. Part of it is definitely the setting - I find everything about India fascinating. There's nothing particularly special about the plot or the characters, but my attention was held, and while I didn't necessarily care about what happened to
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Sep 17, 2010
Svati
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I'd like to give this book 2 1/2 stars. It was a fairly fast and painless read, but not highly enjoyable. This is the first book I've gotten for free from Goodreads' "first-reads" program; I was thrilled to have it arrive in the mail a few weeks ago - it looked fresh and beautiful and ready to dive into, as new paperback books always do.
Anyway, I thought I would enjoy this story because of my personal background; my mother is an American and my father is from India, so I' More...
Anyway, I thought I would enjoy this story because of my personal background; my mother is an American and my father is from India, so I' More...
Jul 13, 2011
Elaine
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This book was very pleasant and pleasantly written, and the family situation depicted is certainly interesting. But, but, but. It's too pleasant! The narrative thread is too gentle, with very little dramatic suspense (only the last 5 pages or so) or real character development. There are also too many grandiloquent statements (Love is X. Love is Y. Fill the empty spaces in your life with Love!) that lack real emotional sense or content. There are a few too many characters -- we end up wanti
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Nov 28, 2010
Lorraine
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There is no denying that this book is well written. The prose is beautiful. The line between detail and concision is well tread. That the book was written in English, published in New York, but written by someone living in India and unapologetically uses Indian terms without explanation adds to its charm. However, I failed to find be captivated by the story.
In any high school English class we are told that a good story has a conflict, rising action, climax, and usually resolution. Thi More...
In any high school English class we are told that a good story has a conflict, rising action, climax, and usually resolution. Thi More...
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Apr 20, 2011
Buried In Print
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Tishani Doshi’s debut opens with Prem Kumar Patel, 47 years old, and his wife, Trishala, sending off their oldest son, Babo, to England, with three younger children remaining at home. The novel begins with a voyage and contains many more.
At the time, the family is “completely innocent of the tumultuous changes [Babo’s] departure was going to bring upon them all”, but the departure is just one catalyst for change in this family saga.
The Pleasure Seekers contains countless More...
At the time, the family is “completely innocent of the tumultuous changes [Babo’s] departure was going to bring upon them all”, but the departure is just one catalyst for change in this family saga.
The Pleasure Seekers contains countless More...
Oct 15, 2011
Neil
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This is a remarkably good book. Doshi beautifully achieves one of the central purposes of good literature, which is to shed a unique look at humanity and the multifaceted ways of our lives. I liked Doshi's blend of narrative storytelling, magic realism (only the slightest brush of it) and lyrical writing. For a writer so new in her craft, I was astounded by Doshi's breadth of knowledge and about the sympathetic treatment of her characters. This book didn't keep me up at night; at times I fel
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Sep 21, 2010
Wanda
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The writing is both poetic and luminous and as the author is first and foremost a poet, it shows in her writing. However, during my reading of this book, I felt as if she were writing an homage to her parents and her heritage rather than telling a story. The narrative served more to mark passages in time than to "tell a story."
It's a fast read (I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it up this morning) and while I don't regret reading this book, I just wish that More...
It's a fast read (I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it up this morning) and while I don't regret reading this book, I just wish that More...
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Oct 26, 2011
Audrey
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Illustrated Review
This story spans many generations of one family, and seems somewhat broken into two parts: the first, about an Indian man and a Welsh woman who fall in love, and the second about their youngest daughter. While the first section had a broad focus on the two lovers and their families, the second had a much narrower focus on one daughter, and only secondary billing for the other, previously main, characters.[return][return]All in all, it was a good story, and I enjoyed More...
This story spans many generations of one family, and seems somewhat broken into two parts: the first, about an Indian man and a Welsh woman who fall in love, and the second about their youngest daughter. While the first section had a broad focus on the two lovers and their families, the second had a much narrower focus on one daughter, and only secondary billing for the other, previously main, characters.[return][return]All in all, it was a good story, and I enjoyed More...
Aug 22, 2011
Andrea
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When Babo leaves Madras, India to study in London, he finds only loneliness and cold, that is until he meets Sian. When he meets her, he immediately falls in love with a ba-da-boom boom boom of his heart. Though his strict Jain parents are horrified by his new love, they are willing to make a compromise. If Babo and Sian wish to marry, they must live with his parents in Madras for two years -- after which point, they can live where they please.
So, Sian leaves Britain's shores and flies More...
So, Sian leaves Britain's shores and flies More...
Oct 25, 2010
Kimberly
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I won this book through first-reads, and it did not disappoint! I fell in love with the story right away and stayed engrossed until the end. I was not ready for it to be over! It's a beautifully written story of an Indian man, Babo Patel, who falls in love with a Welsh woman, Sian Jones, while he's attending school in London. Babo's family disapproves of Sian unless the couple moves to Madras, where they eventually raise their two daughters, Mayuri and Bean. The story mostly revolves around
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May 03, 2011
Bettie
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I can tell already that this is just not going to be for me - even with the Welsh connection...
Poet, journalist and dancer, Tishani Doshi, has a Welsh mother and a Gujurati father. This twin inheritance is at the heart of her comic, lyrical and tenderly written first novel about four generations of the Patel-Joneses, who live in a little house with orange and black gates next door to the Punjab Women's Association in Madras. It's an epic story full of vividly drawn characters, whose More...
Poet, journalist and dancer, Tishani Doshi, has a Welsh mother and a Gujurati father. This twin inheritance is at the heart of her comic, lyrical and tenderly written first novel about four generations of the Patel-Joneses, who live in a little house with orange and black gates next door to the Punjab Women's Association in Madras. It's an epic story full of vividly drawn characters, whose More...
May 09, 2011
Geeta
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I really enjoyed this book. It based on a loved story of an Indian man and a Welsh woman who meet in London and quickly fall in love. Instead of letting cultures and religions get in the way of their love they somehow embraces their differences and overcome the odds, especially considering they fell in love in the lates 60s, a time where interracial relationships were not embraced, no matter the races. The author does a good job of tracing the years of the family. I would recommend this book
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Nov 03, 2011
Rhona
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Beautiful, poetic descriptions with dreamy narration. The narrative jumps and it makes you wonder where the characters have been in between, but it makes you feel as if they are existing in their world beyond the novel. The description of the relationship between the central male and female characters is beautifully written and the two cultures captured with an acute sense of time and place.
Jan 01, 2012
The writing of this book drew me right in and made me love the characters. It shows that cultural differences can be surmounted even when there is some disapproval. The characters are engaging and the writing is wonderful. The author deals with many of the big passages of life and how people deal with these events in different ways, but we all have to deal with them.
Sep 21, 2010
Hathim
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The Pleasure Seekers is not a page-turner, but I was pulled into its story, that is full of life and characters, love and emotions, and also rooted to its culture. The novel was good till the moment Babo married Sian. Afterwards, it was brilliant. The book brings out real Indian characters, in a way that I could understand the feeling they go through.
Sep 16, 2010
Rachel
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Doshi's first novel, The Pleasure Seekers, was a whirlwind of births, deaths, marriages, love and attempts at love. Doshi writes believable characters, be they male or female, Jain or Parsi or Welsh. It was a quick read (I finished it in about six hours), but generally enjoyable. If you like Jhumpa Lahiri, you'll probably like Tishani Doshi.
Jul 30, 2011
Tracy
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This novel traces the love story of Babo and Sian and explores how Welsh and Indian cultures bend as their families learn to accept their love. As Sian is forced to give up her live in the UK early on, the majority of their story is set in Madras and spans about thirty years. Well written and pretty engaging.
Nov 13, 2011
Parita
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This story flows...and it could probably keep flowing, if Doshi hadnt chosen to end it. It was a good narrative that spans generations, but it doesnt really have a central story theme. Being a Jain myself, I could relate to quite a few situations, but I am wondering if that is universal. Worth mentioning here is Doshi's ability to create side characters that add immense flavour to her cooked story, like that of 'Ba'. She seems to be an ace with explaining relations and emotions with words. All i
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Sep 01, 2011
Miko
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Sweet and sentimental book on two generations of the Patel jones family. At times the poetry is achingly beautiful as we bear witness to this deep cross cultural love affair. At other time I found the writing long winded and meandering. From madras to London this family grows and loves.
Sep 17, 2010
Lisa
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I won this through first-reads. I am so excited. Can't wait to get my hands on it. I will review it as soon as I finish!
I received my copy.......by that evening I was on page 119. I was pulled into this story immediately. It was very easy to read and the characters were strong and well developed........I loved them all...It ended too soon!
I received my copy.......by that evening I was on page 119. I was pulled into this story immediately. It was very easy to read and the characters were strong and well developed........I loved them all...It ended too soon!
Mar 03, 2011
Sarah
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This was a beautiful read. I wasn't surprised to discover that the author is a poet, though she also tells an engaging and modern story. The ending left me wanting a bit, and in fact, I was more satisfied with the end of a chapter about Babo & Sian rather than their daughters. I especially identified with the story of 2 people from different cultures dealing with both the romance and the practicality of getting married. Doshi doesn't sugarcoat, but she also doesn't trivialize the beauty of their
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May 31, 2010
thinking about this one - will wait till the pb version is available in aug
Here's what Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian said:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may...
Here's what Peter Bradshaw in the Guardian said:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may...
Nov 27, 2010
Leigh
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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