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125th out of 281 books
—
320 voters
India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking
Reversing his parents' immigrant path, a young American-born writer returns to India and discovers an old country making itself new
Anand Giridharadas sensed something was afoot as his plane from America prepared to land in Bombay. An elderly passenger looked at him and said, "We're all trying to go that way," pointing to the rear. "You, you're going this way?"
Giridharadas...more
Anand Giridharadas sensed something was afoot as his plane from America prepared to land in Bombay. An elderly passenger looked at him and said, "We're all trying to go that way," pointing to the rear. "You, you're going this way?"
Giridharadas...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
January 4th 2011
by Times Books
(first published December 22nd 2010)
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Really enjoyed this book. Referring to an Indian girl who had moved to England to escape the confines of her Indian family he writes: 'In England...she not only found a boyfriend and not only moved in with him, but also managed to find one who was a Pakistani Muslim. Her parents did not know, and it was assumed they would go into simultaneous cardiac arrest if they ever found out' Writing about attending a party to celebrate a visit home by the above mentioned girl: 'The men seemed more than shy...more
As a one line review, If one wants to read a book on India , among so many in the market, this one can be given a miss.
But broadly, it is somewhat a different take on new India, and yet again by an "outsider". This book is largely a reflection of his personal and very intimate understanding of an India today, which happens to be on a path of tremendous change at all layers. And yet , there is the anger of lost simplicity and fractured familial bonds, of poverty, of growing chasm.
After some po...more
But broadly, it is somewhat a different take on new India, and yet again by an "outsider". This book is largely a reflection of his personal and very intimate understanding of an India today, which happens to be on a path of tremendous change at all layers. And yet , there is the anger of lost simplicity and fractured familial bonds, of poverty, of growing chasm.
After some po...more
I approached this book with some hesitation. When outsiders go in, and attempt to write about the inside, I hesitate. But I read through this (quickly, I might add--the writing is easy, conversational, and fluid that way) and truly appreciated the perspective for what it was. Giridharadas does not attempt to be an insider; he recognizes where he is from (America), that he is on a journey to (not BACK to) India, and that he is writing about his own observations about a nation in some turmoil. In...more
I'm not sure what to make of this book. It was definitely written in a way that made it a quick-paced read. Giridharadas narrated a series of stories about various people in different parts of India to give a sense of how the country has changed/is changing. But at the same time I felt that something is lacking. It felt kind of superficial as if meeting one man with particular goals in one village can give one a sense of an entire nation. I like the way his personal narrative enters the story an...more
A beautiful writer, Giridharadas takes his second-generation, and fairly privileged, Indian-American roots and brings them to bear on understanding the country and the culture of his parents and grandparents. As in any attempt to encompass a nation with anecdotes, exploring its cultural transitions, the book sometimes seems to over-generalize or to overstate the importance of any given experience, but I do credit the author for not giving into this temptation too often. The best kinds of writers...more
I've been reading a lot about India since my return in 2011. This is the best that I've read so far. So much resonated with me, as an Indian born, but US living guy who's spent 6 months there recently.
The book was easy to read, and really hit home to me in a few ways. In particular his discussion about servants and their attitude. I had almost the exact same experience living there.
As someone who was not raised with Indian culture, but saw it first-hand. This book helped explain and put into w...more
The book was easy to read, and really hit home to me in a few ways. In particular his discussion about servants and their attitude. I had almost the exact same experience living there.
As someone who was not raised with Indian culture, but saw it first-hand. This book helped explain and put into w...more
I REALLY liked it. if you are one of the first orvsecond gen indian immigrant,this book will resonate with you as it did with me. It is about an indian -american kid going back to live in modern india and comparing it with his parents' india and his early memories while visiting india with his parents. There so many similarities --specially now that mark and aruna live in india. this book identifies the changes in 21st century india that we all have seen, felt, been proud of and despaired about....more
Very insightful, intimate look into the blossoming modern society of India. The author touches on the outmoding of the caste system and the transference from that hierarchy to the hierarchy of class. Other subjects include the push towards capitalism from socialism and how that has left older generations behind in a wasteland of what once seemed secure dreams and the new idea of "twoness" as it relates to love relationships. The author did his research, interviewing everyone from the richest man...more
Tradition meets ambition and desire--India threw off its colonial rulers in the last century, but according to author Giridharadas that was just its first step in a struggle for freedom. This is a beautifully written, absorbing account of modern Indian society in an era of rapid change told through the personal lives of a diverse and well-drawn group of individuals in the midst of the transition. International call centers continue to multiply, but arranged marriages are still common and traditi...more
I think this is meant to be some kind of general overview about modern India in the last 10 years or so – BUT when I read this I thought of it more as being the author’s memoir, comparing the impression of India from his childhood in the US to the rapidly modernizing reality he found when he moved there. He then goes into in-depth investigations of different facets of this phenomenon, but he never really removes himself from the narrative.
I didn’t really know a lot about the topic – I have read...more
I didn’t really know a lot about the topic – I have read...more
This book has been on my shelf for a year or so, I received it as a gift. I needed the right time to read it, and since I haven't been in India since last summer, and am going again in a few weeks, it seemed like a good time. Overall, I really liked the book, and it's style. It's not just another, "Oh, look how India is changing", book, but for the most part seems to uncover the contradictions and daily struggles for people dealing with the change. What's the impact on aspirations? Family dynami...more
This book is in part about the author's search for his own past as an Indian-American, but more about the "new" India youths who must confront the tension of deeply-rooted tradition of familial obligation and the new global, modernized, Westernized opportunities for independence. I liked the premise, and it was interesting for the first half, but I grew tired of it about midway through. The journalistic rambling style didn't really appeal to me, and much of the central point was repeated over an...more
This was recommended to me by a library patron who knows I visited India. I was a very brief India visitor, but I do think this book captures the complexity and evolution of India. Giridharadas grew up in the U.S. of Indian parents. He returns to India to live, work and report over a number of years. He captures the changes and opportunities found in India (brought about by capitalism and globalization) but also the dichotomies/contradictions and identity upheaval brought about by the dramatic t...more
A very interesting take on changes happening in India. Its about old versus new seen from the eyes of an second generation Indian. An outsider perspective always has the benefit of looking into questions/perspective which we seem to take for granted. Even though some of it is repetitive from the plethora of "Returning to India" authors, I was still bowled over by the some of the comparison like in old caste system causing the society division and in new system it's money as caste boundaries melt...more
As we have been preparing for our trip to India, I have read a series of books, both fiction and non-fiction, focused on life in current-day India. Although each book concentrated on a different facet of modern Indian society/culture, an overriding theme in each was the omnipresent corruption that permeates business,the legal system and government. I believe that this non-fiction memoir offered me the clearest picture of both the importance of family relationships and at the same time, the lesse...more
I can say that India Calling has made it onto my list of all time favourite books before I even managed to finished the book. It's beautifully written to portray the movement of Indians, not as a nation, but as individuals trying to find a balance between the always changing India. It shows a culture that is conflicted by influences of modern world and Westerners but yet trying to hold onto their Indian identity. The author, Anand Giridharadas, touched on every aspect that makes up the Indian va...more
As a second generation Indian, I found MUCH to relate to in Giridharadas’ book. It’s a compelling and deeply interesting look into the complexities of today’s Indian society.
I feel like we’ve generalized all Indian culture here in the west, as if to say, “All Indians are like…”, without acknowledging the enormous diversity in a country of 1 billion+ people. And no place, save perhaps China, is changing as quickly and as significantly as India. The old meets the new in one generation, one family...more
I feel like we’ve generalized all Indian culture here in the west, as if to say, “All Indians are like…”, without acknowledging the enormous diversity in a country of 1 billion+ people. And no place, save perhaps China, is changing as quickly and as significantly as India. The old meets the new in one generation, one family...more
Shilpi Somaya Gowda's Secret Daughter is built around a unique and yet totally plausible plot set amidst two worlds: San Francisco, US and Mumbai, India and the characters as residents of those two worlds. But at its core, the plot really revolves around the international adoption of Asha, who is given up by a desperate Indian mother seeking to save her female baby from infanticide and adopted by a multicultural couple (husband is from India, wife is caucasian) and its ramifications. I can say a...more
Feb 15, 2012
Jason Pettus
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
nonfiction,
politics,
religion,
travel,
npr-worthy,
personal-favorite,
middle-east,
immigrants
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Regular readers know that in the last several years, I've been giving myself a crash course of sorts all about the regions we in the West refer to as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, mostly because these areas are becoming more and more important by the day in world affairs, and like most Americans I do...more
Regular readers know that in the last several years, I've been giving myself a crash course of sorts all about the regions we in the West refer to as the Middle East and Southeast Asia, mostly because these areas are becoming more and more important by the day in world affairs, and like most Americans I do...more
Non-fiction. The author, a 20-something Indian-American raised in the DC area, returns to India after graduating from college, first working as a management consultant and then, later, as a writer. This is his book describing his impressions of the changes in India over the last 20-30 years. I enjoyed it as someone who knows little about India. But reviewers from India have generally panned it. I suspect they’re probably right. He makes a lot of sweeping generalizations.
A beautiful meditation on the modernization of India. This is not a history, but rather a thoughtful book about what it means to lose and then find your cultural heritage. Bravo to this writer. His parents emigrated from India to the great melting pot and raised their son as an American. He returned to India and re-discovered what it means to be Indian. Against this journey of re-discovery is the context of the revolution of development and the crooked path of modernization taking place in India...more
An outstanding premise as an Indian-American returns to India on a mission of rediscovery. Unfortunately, I didn't find the book as insightful as I'd hoped. By introducing the reader to a number of acquaintances, the author attempts to reveal the changes that have taken place in India. Perhaps it's the limitations of the methodology but I just wasn't left with as strong an impression of the "new" India as I'd hoped for.
Well written, with excellent, but subtle humor inserted at parts. However, the author's bias comes off too strong at times at his comparison of India with the West. There are illustrated differences and contrasts with his home country and India, but again, using the lens of his childhood and family, which may not apply to the case of a country with more than a billion people. Indian culture has gone through rapid transformations in the last two decades, and I believe trying to make some generali...more
Definitely worth a read for the author's insightful attempt at dissecting India and her plunge into modernity. For Indians who are born and have lived through what he tries to decipher by immersing himself into the Indian "hangama", this might not be such a revealing portrait but more an entertaining find to see so much of it published on print for maybe the first time.
If you're a newbie to India, a must-read. It will give you perspective and insights you won't gain by just visiting. I've been to India once and I'm still grappling with this emerging society. This book gave me a decent compass to navigate this wild, interesting, disturbing, innovative, interesting world. Take it with a grain of salt but experience the book. Worth your time.
Giridharadas says things about the Indian philosophy of life that have gone unsaid, and are poorly understood by people who didn't grow up in India. Perhaps these concepts aren't even cemented in the minds of Indians living in India.
He's answered some questions I had about why things are they way they are there. His discussion of caste is the most succinct I've read yet.
He's answered some questions I had about why things are they way they are there. His discussion of caste is the most succinct I've read yet.
A fascinating and beautifully written portrait of culural change in contemporary India. Anand Girihardas is perceptive, detailed, and considered in describing the effects of an old caste and colonial system as it disintegrates, to be replaced by a competitive and market-driven new society. What's lost, what's gained, and how it impacts individual people.
A very interesting portrait of modern India. Very insightful to the changes happening in the culture, the clash of new aspirations and old traditions. The author did a good job of taking his own experiences, examining others' lives, and extrapolating these into his view of what is happening more broadly in the culture. Well written and enjoyable to read.
Jul 29, 2011
Connie
added it
I really enjoyed reading about India. He writes well and the stories of some of the people were very well written and interesting to hear about. I probably will never get there so it's nice to read about the history of the country as well as the current situation from one whose parents grew up there and then chose to come to the US and start their family.
Can't believe this is the first book I have finished this year. Good read for anyone interested in doing business with the India of today! and not 10 years past or even 2 years past! Or anyone who is trying the understand the Indian social culture as it stands today, for even the differences in Indians here in US and Indians in India.
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Feb 16, 2012 11:03am