What do you think?
Rate this book
The Invitation: A Novel
A moving story that redefines the meaning of family, friendship, and success among a group of first-generation Indian immigrants.
When Vikram invites three ofhis college friends to his son’s graduation from MIT, they accept out of
obligation and curiosity, viewing the party as a twenty-fifth reunion of sorts.
Village genius Vikram, now the founder of a lucrative computer company, is
having the party against his son’s wishes. Frances and Jay regret accepting:
Frances, a real estate agent, hasn't sold a house in a year; Jay’s middle
management job isn't brag worthy; and their daughter is failing the eleventh
grade. Lali plans to hide the fact that her once-happy marriage is crumbling
because her American husband is discovering his Jewish roots. Each had left
UCLA expecting to be successful and have even more successful children. At
Vikram’s Newport Beach mansion, the showmanship they anticipate dissolves as
each is forced to deal with his or her own problems. The follow-up to A Good Indian Wife, Anne Cherian’s novel resonates with the poignancy of
real life colliding with expectations unmet.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2012
41 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Anne Cherian
5 books61 followersAnne Cherian was born and raised in Jamshedpur, India. She graduated from Bombay and Bangalore Universities and received graduate degrees in journalism and comparative literature from the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and visits India regularly.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
November 22, 2020
I could say that part of the reason I’m rating this book as high as I am is that it was the right amount of fun escapism to keep me reading while struggling through this year’s NaNoWriMo! :/ Though to be fair, I’m an easy grader (and almost always give everything 4 stars. :P)
The premise of this story revolves around four old college friends who reunite at a party that one of them is throwing for his son. But really, most of the novel is lots and lots of narrative backstory, and not a little bit of drama. Though perhaps Cherian saves most of the melodramatic moments for the party itself.
The main thing these friends have in common is that they were (continental) Indian immigrants. So it’s interesting to juxtapose this text against THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS by Kiran Desai, which I read earlier in the month. Desai’s novel has far more complex worldbuilding, in talking about the history and cultural events that shaped India and her (slight) characters. Cherian’s characters are more fleshed out, but their world seems relatively shallow.
Not to say that I didn’t learn anything about different ethnic groups! And not to disparage the angst felt by Frances and Jay, Lali and Vic, which largely revolved around middle aged malaise and screwed up kids. :P Or screwed up in their minds, I guess. But I didn’t really experience much of it first hand because it was told to me. I guess, by default, my favorite stories were Frances dealing with her struggling kid and her struggling career, and Lali flirting with the idea of adultery, because those things happened in real time.
I’ll also give Cherian props for the character of Vic, who was quite obviously a self-absorbed egotist. But she gave him a human side in wanting his son to work for him, in part to forge the relationship they never had when said son, Nikhil, was a kid. (Said son is technically the beneficent of Vic’s lavish party, for graduating from MIT.)
That being said, I think Cherian dropped the ball a bit, too. I suppose we don’t need to know whether Frances and her daughter, Mandy, went to India for a year after all, but what was going on with Lali’s son, Aaron? He wasn’t really a full character because he didn’t appear in the flesh; he just caused his mother tsuris for wanting to take a year off from Harvard. But suddenly he’s getting a bar mitzvah? Oy gevalt! :P
Let me backtrack. Part of Lali’s story is that her husband, Johnathan, is combating empty nest syndrome, I guess, by exploring his Jewish roots. Jonathan isn’t a POV character, and the Jewish content in the book is pretty paint by the numbers. Technically, it would make a lot more sense for HIM to have an (adult) bar mitzvah than it would Aaron, who wasn’t raised in the faith and for all we know has no interest in it!
So yeah, this whole (slight) storyline is why I’m labeling this novel as “Jewish fiction.” :P I realize I’m being cheeky, because if anything this is “Indian fiction” or “midlife crisis fiction.” But hey, I have this GoodReads shelf; might as well use it, heh.
The premise of this story revolves around four old college friends who reunite at a party that one of them is throwing for his son. But really, most of the novel is lots and lots of narrative backstory, and not a little bit of drama. Though perhaps Cherian saves most of the melodramatic moments for the party itself.
The main thing these friends have in common is that they were (continental) Indian immigrants. So it’s interesting to juxtapose this text against THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS by Kiran Desai, which I read earlier in the month. Desai’s novel has far more complex worldbuilding, in talking about the history and cultural events that shaped India and her (slight) characters. Cherian’s characters are more fleshed out, but their world seems relatively shallow.
Not to say that I didn’t learn anything about different ethnic groups! And not to disparage the angst felt by Frances and Jay, Lali and Vic, which largely revolved around middle aged malaise and screwed up kids. :P Or screwed up in their minds, I guess. But I didn’t really experience much of it first hand because it was told to me. I guess, by default, my favorite stories were Frances dealing with her struggling kid and her struggling career, and Lali flirting with the idea of adultery, because those things happened in real time.
I’ll also give Cherian props for the character of Vic, who was quite obviously a self-absorbed egotist. But she gave him a human side in wanting his son to work for him, in part to forge the relationship they never had when said son, Nikhil, was a kid. (Said son is technically the beneficent of Vic’s lavish party, for graduating from MIT.)
That being said, I think Cherian dropped the ball a bit, too. I suppose we don’t need to know whether Frances and her daughter, Mandy, went to India for a year after all, but what was going on with Lali’s son, Aaron? He wasn’t really a full character because he didn’t appear in the flesh; he just caused his mother tsuris for wanting to take a year off from Harvard. But suddenly he’s getting a bar mitzvah? Oy gevalt! :P
Let me backtrack. Part of Lali’s story is that her husband, Johnathan, is combating empty nest syndrome, I guess, by exploring his Jewish roots. Jonathan isn’t a POV character, and the Jewish content in the book is pretty paint by the numbers. Technically, it would make a lot more sense for HIM to have an (adult) bar mitzvah than it would Aaron, who wasn’t raised in the faith and for all we know has no interest in it!
So yeah, this whole (slight) storyline is why I’m labeling this novel as “Jewish fiction.” :P I realize I’m being cheeky, because if anything this is “Indian fiction” or “midlife crisis fiction.” But hey, I have this GoodReads shelf; might as well use it, heh.
September 25, 2021
I spent most of this book, engaged and thinking it was four stars and then…the wheels came of. While I don’t need to have everything resolved, the ending felt so abrupt and clumsy.
June 15, 2012
I've read my share of immigrant fiction; I suppose you might call it an "interest" of mine, as a child of parents who came to the U.S. decades ago... however, it's an interest that's been increasingly dormant over the years precisely because so many of the books seem to read like this one, with all the inter-cultural stuff serving as the "meat" of the novel & very little depth or characterization otherwise... for those of us unfamiliar with the culture, it's not much more than a Lonely Planet Guide to being an immigrant (in this case, an NRI/child of NRIs) in the U.S., and for those who hail from the same culture, it's essentially a very drawn-out version of the African American comedian doing the 'ol "White people do this, and we do this" routine for a predominantly African American audience. Cherian seems to have set out with one intent & one intent only, to ensure that all her non-South Asian readers understand that just because four people originally hail from the same country, that doesn't mean that they have one single thing in common culturally (appearance, language, food, religion, socioeconomic status) - this point is made and reinforced over and over again. I did appreciate all the interesting little facts about differing aspects of the cultures (no even numbers in Hindu gift-giving - I'm all set if I ever get invited to a wedding!), but again, I could have read a sociology text or a Lonely Planet guide for that sort of thing; in a work of fiction, I'd expect a bit more story & character. As numerous other reviewers have commented, Cherian's characters stay flat like caricatures; I believe it's more than possible to write a complex book that revolves around 4 superficial people, but that's not a feat this novel manages. Other reviewers commented that they had a hard time connecting with the characters due to how shallow they were - I think Cherian meant to tie in their preoccupations w/ how they appeared to others w/ the depiction of each character's personal and cultural background. In other words, for those of us who are unfamiliar with the culture(s) who would just write off wanting to appear successful as "shallow" (to the extent of parking our non-BMW/Mercedes vehicle several blocks away), she wants us to know that it's not that cut and dry - there are deep cultural reasons for being so image-obsessed, reasons that go back generations... I guess this is where all the comparisons to Oscar Wilde & Jane Austen come in, since many of their characters were image-obsessed due to their cultural trappings/societal pressures as well. Unfortunately, the writing is incredibly flat. Wilde & Austen are famous for their great wit, and there's simply not a trace of verve or whimsy to Cherian's verging-on-prissy writing style. One positive is that she moves the story along well enough, and I could never exactly tell where the story would go next. But all in all, the novel reads like a trifle, something I'll forget about a few days from now....
May 24, 2012
Frances, Jay, Lali, and Vikram met as undergraduates at UCLA. All four had come to the U.S. from India, each from a different walk of life, to pursue some version of the American dream. All four expected to be tremendous successes in life and have even more successful children. Frances and Jay, who met during college, married shortly after graduation and had three children while Frances sold real estate and Jay worked in management. Lali married an American cardiologist and the two had one son, and Vikram founded his own successful computer company and never stopped pursuing his desire to have colossal success.
Twenty-five years later, Vikram has invited his old friends to attend a party celebrating his son Nikhil's graduation from MIT. And while Jay, Frances, and Lali decide to attend the party more out of curiosity than anything else, none of their lives have been as smooth as they believe Vikram's is. Frances, who abandoned the pursuit of her PhD when she started having children, now sells real estate, although she hasn't sold a house in more than a year, Jay's middle-management job isn't quite what he imagined he'd be doing, and their oldest daughter is failing 11th grade. Lali's marriage is struggling as her husband begins to explore his neglected Jewish roots, and her son decides he wants to take a year off from college. And while Vikram is mostly concerned with the appearance of success, his son is not interested in pursuing the path Vikram feels he should. As the four prepare for the party and then meet at Vikram's mansion in Newport Beach, they need to decide how much truth they'll divulge to their friends, not realizing how the truth reveals itself in ways you never expect.
The plot of The Invitation is certainly familiar, but Anne Cherian's adept storytelling hooks you quickly and immerses you in each of the characters' lives and struggles. I felt like Cherian did a good job in trying not to have her characters adhere to cultural stereotypes, although you see how easy it is to slip back into old habits. Ultimately, however, the story veered a bit into melodramatic territory, which I felt undercut the book's effectiveness. I think Cherian is a very good writer, but it seemed to me that she lost a little steam as the book neared its end, although it is still an enjoyable read.
Twenty-five years later, Vikram has invited his old friends to attend a party celebrating his son Nikhil's graduation from MIT. And while Jay, Frances, and Lali decide to attend the party more out of curiosity than anything else, none of their lives have been as smooth as they believe Vikram's is. Frances, who abandoned the pursuit of her PhD when she started having children, now sells real estate, although she hasn't sold a house in more than a year, Jay's middle-management job isn't quite what he imagined he'd be doing, and their oldest daughter is failing 11th grade. Lali's marriage is struggling as her husband begins to explore his neglected Jewish roots, and her son decides he wants to take a year off from college. And while Vikram is mostly concerned with the appearance of success, his son is not interested in pursuing the path Vikram feels he should. As the four prepare for the party and then meet at Vikram's mansion in Newport Beach, they need to decide how much truth they'll divulge to their friends, not realizing how the truth reveals itself in ways you never expect.
The plot of The Invitation is certainly familiar, but Anne Cherian's adept storytelling hooks you quickly and immerses you in each of the characters' lives and struggles. I felt like Cherian did a good job in trying not to have her characters adhere to cultural stereotypes, although you see how easy it is to slip back into old habits. Ultimately, however, the story veered a bit into melodramatic territory, which I felt undercut the book's effectiveness. I think Cherian is a very good writer, but it seemed to me that she lost a little steam as the book neared its end, although it is still an enjoyable read.
August 15, 2012
I think it's churlish to dislike a free book, and I realize that any finished novel represents lots of hard work on the part of the author. But although I wanted to like this book, I didn't.
I kept confusing the two main female characters. I had to write "Frances" and "Lali" on index cards and write their pertinent info beneath their names to try and keep them straight. I've read Russian novels with dozens of characters, but have never yet needed to resort to index cards.
The one memorable character is Vic, a self-made man who wants to give his eldest son, Nikhil, all of the advantages he never had - including a job with the company he owns. Nikhil, however, wants to become a chef - a career that Vic thinks is beneath him.
The ending is particularly unsatisfying because it's so implausible. Vic throws a party, during which his wife's cousin, Rajesh, expires. Vic's wife Priya unjustly accuses him of causing Rajesh's death by giving him a not-good-enough job. She further claims that Vic will kill their son if he gives Nikhil a good job. Sounds like crazy talk to me, but we're to believe that Vic sees the light and will now allow Nikhil to follow his dreams.
I'm going to add this book to the collection at the library I work, in the hopes that someone will like it better than I did. I got this through a Goodreads giveaway.
I kept confusing the two main female characters. I had to write "Frances" and "Lali" on index cards and write their pertinent info beneath their names to try and keep them straight. I've read Russian novels with dozens of characters, but have never yet needed to resort to index cards.
The one memorable character is Vic, a self-made man who wants to give his eldest son, Nikhil, all of the advantages he never had - including a job with the company he owns. Nikhil, however, wants to become a chef - a career that Vic thinks is beneath him.
The ending is particularly unsatisfying because it's so implausible. Vic throws a party, during which his wife's cousin, Rajesh, expires. Vic's wife Priya unjustly accuses him of causing Rajesh's death by giving him a not-good-enough job. She further claims that Vic will kill their son if he gives Nikhil a good job. Sounds like crazy talk to me, but we're to believe that Vic sees the light and will now allow Nikhil to follow his dreams.
I'm going to add this book to the collection at the library I work, in the hopes that someone will like it better than I did. I got this through a Goodreads giveaway.
August 5, 2012
I really wanted to like this book. I love stories of other cultures and I especially love reading about relationships within them. However, this book dragged on so much I felt like I was watching paint dry. I would put it away for a day and pick it up again, hoping against hope it would pick up a bit, make me care. I managed to get to exactly the middle of the book and I just could not do it any longer. The story surrounds three families and one invitation. Good grief, it really is that dry. I expected more intricacies, more nuances and I just could not wait any longer. For those who stuck it out, I hope it got better - I really do. For me, it just was not enough . . .
April 29, 2013
While I generally enjoy books about other cultures and particularly other cultures as they land in America, there were a few things about this book that I just didn't enjoy. I didn't like the neatly wrapped up ending, and I didn't like the narration - the point of view would switch from one character to another and it would take me a few sentences to sort of catch up to it. I didn't find much depth to most of the characters - both because they were shallow and because they were two-dimensional in many instances.
May 22, 2012
I won this through goodreads. I really had a hard time liking this book since the characters were so shallow. I take pride in telling the truth and this book was one lie after another. The lies were told in order to make the characters appear to be something that they were not. Maybe this is a true depiction of how it is to be an Indian immigrant coming to America for a better life but if it is, I honestly feel bad for them.
June 21, 2012
This was just an ok read...... None of the situations that the characters are involved in ever seem to get resolved and everything is left hanging at the end. I had a hard time keeping up with which family I was reading about in each chapter (there were 3) - things just didn't seem to flow together.
July 24, 2012
This book had some interesting moments, but the characters were very thin and the narrative seemed a bit too meandering at times. However, my biggest issue was with the ending, which seemed rushed and unfinished.
July 23, 2013
"I did not enjoy this book as much as the Good Indian Wife. I guess we are supposed to see the power of friendship and that no family is as perfect as their fascade, but I just wanted the party to be over.
August 6, 2012
Had potential, but the characters are all unlikeable and keep expressing the same thoughts over and over and over again.
July 3, 2012
Honestly, this author is the worst. I have no idea who lets her keep writing books. Someone make it stop.
November 2, 2012
Mostly read...I did't like it, but I was too far into it to turn back. I skimmed maybe the last two chapters.
February 13, 2013
The book wasn't too bad until I got to the end which managed to be trite and puzzling at the same time :(
September 3, 2021
Every time I read immigrant fiction, I can’t help but see the implausibility of taking the Desi out of an immigrant Indian. We are a bunch plagued with self-righteous superiority in the way of living and being. So much so, that when things don’t accord in the favor of our rigid plans, we tend to concern over how it impacts our social standing – at the cost of turning a blind eye to the problem causing the derailment, at the cost of pushing our children and their needs down to the bottom of the barrel in the hopes they will vanish if ignored. Such is the allure of keeping up appearances in our culture that we are willing to crush any semblance of individuality, both in ourselves and our children, under its weight. The Invitation, by Anne Cherian, is a saga of four immigrant Indians and the story of how they broke traditions only to find themselves clutching at the roots they claimed to have forsaken.
I see that it doesn’t have a great rating on Goodreads, but I enjoyed the Indians-in-America world created by Cherian. Perhaps my most cherished aspect of the book is, at no point through the narrative does the author let slip her own predilections as to whether she favors the East or the West. The plot is the truth of triumph and tyranny of both worlds in its entirety and nothing but it. That, in my opinion, is a mark of a fiction carved out of relatability. If you are a reader that enjoys domestic fiction, there is a good chance you will enjoy this book. Ditto for those of us who have lived the hybrid lifestyle that blends the West into our inherent East. I am especially curious to know how this book is received by the many among us who still rest the onus of social standing on their children’s little shoulders! The ending was a little too abrupt for my liking; were it not for the trace of ambiguity as a way of climax (that left me a bit annoyed), it was dramatically entertaining enough to warrant a four-star rating. 3.5 stars.
#bibliophilebookreview
#TheInvitation
#annecherian
Link to my blog
https://borrowedforlightreadingandpad...
I see that it doesn’t have a great rating on Goodreads, but I enjoyed the Indians-in-America world created by Cherian. Perhaps my most cherished aspect of the book is, at no point through the narrative does the author let slip her own predilections as to whether she favors the East or the West. The plot is the truth of triumph and tyranny of both worlds in its entirety and nothing but it. That, in my opinion, is a mark of a fiction carved out of relatability. If you are a reader that enjoys domestic fiction, there is a good chance you will enjoy this book. Ditto for those of us who have lived the hybrid lifestyle that blends the West into our inherent East. I am especially curious to know how this book is received by the many among us who still rest the onus of social standing on their children’s little shoulders! The ending was a little too abrupt for my liking; were it not for the trace of ambiguity as a way of climax (that left me a bit annoyed), it was dramatically entertaining enough to warrant a four-star rating. 3.5 stars.
#bibliophilebookreview
#TheInvitation
#annecherian
Link to my blog
https://borrowedforlightreadingandpad...
December 1, 2016
Really a 2.5,but I found it oddly compelling. This is a Bollywood soap opera,the story of 4 Indian friends who met at UCLA and are seeing each other again at a son's graduation party. They are competitive, jealous, insecure and full of secrets as they approach this gathering together after so many years. The touches of humor and humanity keep the story going.
November 22, 2017
DNF
I was bored. The plot doesn't go anywhere. I really liked her other novel The Good Indian Wife, but this one didn't pull me in at all. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood. I might revisit it and give a proper review.
I was bored. The plot doesn't go anywhere. I really liked her other novel The Good Indian Wife, but this one didn't pull me in at all. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood. I might revisit it and give a proper review.
August 29, 2023
Overall, not a bad read, but the ending felt incredibly rushed. I got to the point to where there were about fifteen pages left and realized that a critical conflict was still unsolved and the circumstances that led to its resolution were very sudden and kind of random, causing it to feel forced.
October 19, 2017
Enjoyed the book but not as much the ending.
October 6, 2019
Interesting.
June 8, 2020
It had a slow start but then grabbed me. I liked the build up to the party and sure didn’t expect it to turn out like it did. A quick but good wrap up.
January 31, 2021
I would not have missed much had I not read this.
April 15, 2023
Not great. Very fluff. I don't think she painted Indian men in a very good light. The characters started to come to life but then it ended abruptly after the party. Was expecting more.
February 4, 2021
It was free. You get what you pay for.
March 5, 2013
I am a cover page person. I do judge a book by its cover. Though in this case, I was not drawn by its cover page, rather I picked this book on a whim, without any expectations. And this book sure took me by surprise. This immigrant fiction is about a group of four friends, complete with their imperfections, the hidden truths, their insecurities and everyday real issues about family.
Frances, Jay, Lali and Vikram, all Indian immigrants, meet at UCLA. The author takes time to dwell into the lives, present and past, of each of these characters. I was instantly drawn to their stories.
Frances and Jay (or Jayant Bakshi) are college sweethearts who married right after finishing college. They have three children – Mandy, Lily and Sam. Frances is a real estate agent, while Jay works in the middle management for a computer company. The couple, who considered themselves the best during college, is struggling to provide a decent lifestyle to their family while also trying to understand the dramatic change in their first born, typical of teenage years.
Vikram, the prodigious son of a farmer, starts his own computer company after completing his course at UCLA, and is a successful entrepreneur. Though successful in terms of money, he is battling his own childhood issues, imposing his aspirations on his MIT graduate son Nikhil. He is married to Priya; their marriage arranged by their parents.
Lali married Jonathon, a cardiologist and has a son Aaron. The perfect harmony in Lali’s marriage is troubled by Jonathan’s sudden interest in his religion. She finds herself distanced from her husband due to his new-found passion. As is beautifully put in the narrative “… he had parted the curtains to his own religion, and she found herself offstage.” This growing distance momentarily clouds her judgement and she starts corresponding with an ex from college. She is also peeved about her son’s decision to take a break from his course at Harvard.
The individual stories lead up to the party that Vikram is throwing to celebrate his son Nikhil’s graduation from MIT. All of them are going to meet after 25 years, so they are apprehensive about their relative success or failure in their personal and professional lives while also extremely curious to know about each other.
For most of the book, I loved the way the author has let the characters unfold for her readers. I found the writing rich and nuanced, while the narrative was engaging.
The ending seemed a bit hurried though. There were quite a few unanswered questions and loose ends.
A few questions which came to my mind at the end:
> Jonathan had been making his own plans for several weeks, but inexplicably he agrees to join Lali for the party. I was sure he would decline.
> The Rich chapter was not closed. Why he never came back to marry Frances? Though he was not a major character in the book but his story remained incomplete. There should have been a logical closure.
> The Aakash chapter was not closed either. We never get to know the other person’s perspective. Somehow I got the feeling that he was a good guy but misunderstood. We never get to know.
> Mandy’s change in behavior remained unexplained. Like Frances and Jay, we have to assume that she wanted to break the stereotype, as pointed out by Nikhil; but we never get to know for sure.
> It was also not too clear why Jay and Frances were not doing well financially.
> Another minor issue was the way in which each character would spiral into their past for too long, holding the flow of the central story for quite a long time.
I have pointed out a few points but those are really not the big issues when you read the book. I definitely loved the book for the level of engagement it provides. I loved the author’s writing style and I am certainly going to read her first book – a Good Indian Wife. The first books are usually the best works.
P.S. I also could not locate anything ‘about the author’.
Review Book courtesy: http://www.hachetteindia.com/
Frances, Jay, Lali and Vikram, all Indian immigrants, meet at UCLA. The author takes time to dwell into the lives, present and past, of each of these characters. I was instantly drawn to their stories.
Frances and Jay (or Jayant Bakshi) are college sweethearts who married right after finishing college. They have three children – Mandy, Lily and Sam. Frances is a real estate agent, while Jay works in the middle management for a computer company. The couple, who considered themselves the best during college, is struggling to provide a decent lifestyle to their family while also trying to understand the dramatic change in their first born, typical of teenage years.
Vikram, the prodigious son of a farmer, starts his own computer company after completing his course at UCLA, and is a successful entrepreneur. Though successful in terms of money, he is battling his own childhood issues, imposing his aspirations on his MIT graduate son Nikhil. He is married to Priya; their marriage arranged by their parents.
Lali married Jonathon, a cardiologist and has a son Aaron. The perfect harmony in Lali’s marriage is troubled by Jonathan’s sudden interest in his religion. She finds herself distanced from her husband due to his new-found passion. As is beautifully put in the narrative “… he had parted the curtains to his own religion, and she found herself offstage.” This growing distance momentarily clouds her judgement and she starts corresponding with an ex from college. She is also peeved about her son’s decision to take a break from his course at Harvard.
The individual stories lead up to the party that Vikram is throwing to celebrate his son Nikhil’s graduation from MIT. All of them are going to meet after 25 years, so they are apprehensive about their relative success or failure in their personal and professional lives while also extremely curious to know about each other.
For most of the book, I loved the way the author has let the characters unfold for her readers. I found the writing rich and nuanced, while the narrative was engaging.
The ending seemed a bit hurried though. There were quite a few unanswered questions and loose ends.
A few questions which came to my mind at the end:
> Jonathan had been making his own plans for several weeks, but inexplicably he agrees to join Lali for the party. I was sure he would decline.
> The Rich chapter was not closed. Why he never came back to marry Frances? Though he was not a major character in the book but his story remained incomplete. There should have been a logical closure.
> The Aakash chapter was not closed either. We never get to know the other person’s perspective. Somehow I got the feeling that he was a good guy but misunderstood. We never get to know.
> Mandy’s change in behavior remained unexplained. Like Frances and Jay, we have to assume that she wanted to break the stereotype, as pointed out by Nikhil; but we never get to know for sure.
> It was also not too clear why Jay and Frances were not doing well financially.
> Another minor issue was the way in which each character would spiral into their past for too long, holding the flow of the central story for quite a long time.
I have pointed out a few points but those are really not the big issues when you read the book. I definitely loved the book for the level of engagement it provides. I loved the author’s writing style and I am certainly going to read her first book – a Good Indian Wife. The first books are usually the best works.
P.S. I also could not locate anything ‘about the author’.
Review Book courtesy: http://www.hachetteindia.com/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2013
By Anne Cherian. Grade B+
When Vikram invited three of his college friends - Frances and Jay, and Lali - to his son's graduation from MIT, they view the party as a twenty-fifth reunion of sorts and accept out of obligation and curiosity.
They are more reluctant than enthusiastic to meet, however. For, after leaving UCLA with dreams of success and vast ambitions for what their children might achieve, things have not turned out quite as they had imagined.
As their lives are cracked open in the course of an evening, the showmanship they anticipate from each other dissolves, revealing in its stead long suppressed
vulnerabilities and betrayed hopes...
'The Invitation' gives us an insight into the modern day lives of Indian immigrants in USA; their expectations, dreams and desires from the 'Great Immigrant American Life.' Four individuals- Vic, Lali, Frances and Jay, meet at UCLA in the 1980's and bond almost immediately as not many Indians were there in the States at that time. They pass out with their respective degrees, but do not remain in much contact with each other. Until twenty five years later when Vic invites them to celebrate his son's graduation from MIT. They look at it as a reunion of sorts and accept the invitation, mainly out of curiosity about their friend's lives.
The Invitation by Anne Cherian
Jay, brought up in a rich Indian household, adapts to the American lifestyle more easily than the others, as he was more western and forward thinking. Frances, a Goan, believed strongly in finding a match for herself. She did not ultimately complete her Ph.D after getting married to Jay, and getting pregnant. She ends up working as a Real Estate agent, and has not managed to sell even a single house in a year due to the declining economy. Meanwhile Jay works as a middle level manager. Neither of them achieved the success they had aspired for, and strive to make ends meet comfortably.
Vikram, hailing from a small Indian village, knew very clearly what he wanted from life. He started his own software company vikRAM Computers, and was an extremely successful businessman.
Lali, who had an unfortunate sexual experience while at UCLA, had decided that there was to be no love in her life. However, after graduating, she met and got married to a Harvard-graduate Cardiologist.
The story has been narrated in three parts: the first describing the lives of the four friends, and their reaction on receiving Vic's invitation; the second describing their preparation for the party; and the third, the actual party. The entire story was interspersed with events from their past- their days in India, and at UCLA.
I was instantly enthralled by the intertwining lives of the four friends. Their imperfect lives and daily problems; and also their moral conflicts between abiding to their Indian roots and culture, and adapting to the modern ways of America made for a very real read. Anne Cherian has probably drawn instances from her own time at UCLA and incorporated it in the book. The events that were set in India were also very true - from the high expectations of Indian parents from their children, to the nosy neighbours who are forever interested in the problems of others.
On the downside, though, umpteen books have been written on the confused Indian lost in the big America. The characters, too, are a bit stereotypical. Moreover, the ending was too abrupt and vague, and a bit too melodramatic, a lot like a Bollywood movie. However, these are my only complaints from the book. Overall, it was an enjoyable and interesting read.
Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com
When Vikram invited three of his college friends - Frances and Jay, and Lali - to his son's graduation from MIT, they view the party as a twenty-fifth reunion of sorts and accept out of obligation and curiosity.
They are more reluctant than enthusiastic to meet, however. For, after leaving UCLA with dreams of success and vast ambitions for what their children might achieve, things have not turned out quite as they had imagined.
As their lives are cracked open in the course of an evening, the showmanship they anticipate from each other dissolves, revealing in its stead long suppressed
vulnerabilities and betrayed hopes...
'The Invitation' gives us an insight into the modern day lives of Indian immigrants in USA; their expectations, dreams and desires from the 'Great Immigrant American Life.' Four individuals- Vic, Lali, Frances and Jay, meet at UCLA in the 1980's and bond almost immediately as not many Indians were there in the States at that time. They pass out with their respective degrees, but do not remain in much contact with each other. Until twenty five years later when Vic invites them to celebrate his son's graduation from MIT. They look at it as a reunion of sorts and accept the invitation, mainly out of curiosity about their friend's lives.
The Invitation by Anne Cherian
Jay, brought up in a rich Indian household, adapts to the American lifestyle more easily than the others, as he was more western and forward thinking. Frances, a Goan, believed strongly in finding a match for herself. She did not ultimately complete her Ph.D after getting married to Jay, and getting pregnant. She ends up working as a Real Estate agent, and has not managed to sell even a single house in a year due to the declining economy. Meanwhile Jay works as a middle level manager. Neither of them achieved the success they had aspired for, and strive to make ends meet comfortably.
Vikram, hailing from a small Indian village, knew very clearly what he wanted from life. He started his own software company vikRAM Computers, and was an extremely successful businessman.
Lali, who had an unfortunate sexual experience while at UCLA, had decided that there was to be no love in her life. However, after graduating, she met and got married to a Harvard-graduate Cardiologist.
The story has been narrated in three parts: the first describing the lives of the four friends, and their reaction on receiving Vic's invitation; the second describing their preparation for the party; and the third, the actual party. The entire story was interspersed with events from their past- their days in India, and at UCLA.
I was instantly enthralled by the intertwining lives of the four friends. Their imperfect lives and daily problems; and also their moral conflicts between abiding to their Indian roots and culture, and adapting to the modern ways of America made for a very real read. Anne Cherian has probably drawn instances from her own time at UCLA and incorporated it in the book. The events that were set in India were also very true - from the high expectations of Indian parents from their children, to the nosy neighbours who are forever interested in the problems of others.
On the downside, though, umpteen books have been written on the confused Indian lost in the big America. The characters, too, are a bit stereotypical. Moreover, the ending was too abrupt and vague, and a bit too melodramatic, a lot like a Bollywood movie. However, these are my only complaints from the book. Overall, it was an enjoyable and interesting read.
Originally reviewed at www.vaultofbooks.com
February 7, 2013
Cherian writes such thought-provoking and compelling accounts of the Indian immigrant experience in the United States. The Invitation, allows her the opportunity to present four different accounts of this experience. The book recounts the varied experiences of Jay, Frances, Lali and Vikram, four friends who met in the 1970s while pursuing graduate degrees at UCLA. Frances is a Goan who was raised to believe in love matches and who schemed to find a way to study in the US. Jay grew up in a wealthy Indian family that wanted him to accept an arranged marriage and return to India to work for a family friend, and has struggled economically in the US. Jay and Frances had easier initial transitions to the US than their two friends but twenty-five years later the former "golden couple" which united the foursome is struggling both personally and professionally. In contrast, Vikram, the nerd who was one of the first to leave his small village in India and who embraced an arranged marriage, has been wildly successful in America. He built a successful computer company and sent his son to MIT--Mighty Indian Triumph. Lali took a totally different path, after a youthful sexual experience made her believe she would not be a suitable match for an arranged marriage, and moved to San Francisco and married a white man. While she has the trappings of success-- a Harvard-educated cardiologist husband and a son enrolled at Harvard--she is at a cross roads as an empty nester and feels disconnected in her marriage when her husband rediscovers his Jewish roots. The four friends are forced to examine their divergent choices when Vikram sends out an invitation to a graduation party for his oldest son.
I love reading about different cultures especially Indian culture. I was particularly excited to read about the Goan experience, as my former roommate's family is from Goa and it is something I'd like to learn more about. Cherian is able to explain so much about the different castes and cultures in India through this one constrained narrative. The novel also vividly depicts the varied experiences of first generation Indian Americans and the conflicts between their dual cultures. For example, Vikram's son has followed the path his father has outlined for him. He studied hard, got into MIT and graduated with honors. But he has grown up in the US and wants to pursue his own passion. Jay and Frances's oldest, Mandy, was once a gifted student but is floundering academically as she faces the stereotype that all Indians perform well. That one idea was something I wanted to read more about. I wish the story had given even more attention to the experiences of the children, possibly providing some of their own voices.
My other criticism is that I wanted more from the ending of the story. It was wonderful to see the four friends interact with one another twenty-five years later. And I understand some of the choices the author makes in terms of why she chose her open-ended closing, but I still longed for more of a neat wrap-up. Overall, I highly recommend both of Cherian's novels. I was left wanting more closure for the characters, but I found them to be incredibly well-drawn and realistic.
I love reading about different cultures especially Indian culture. I was particularly excited to read about the Goan experience, as my former roommate's family is from Goa and it is something I'd like to learn more about. Cherian is able to explain so much about the different castes and cultures in India through this one constrained narrative. The novel also vividly depicts the varied experiences of first generation Indian Americans and the conflicts between their dual cultures. For example, Vikram's son has followed the path his father has outlined for him. He studied hard, got into MIT and graduated with honors. But he has grown up in the US and wants to pursue his own passion. Jay and Frances's oldest, Mandy, was once a gifted student but is floundering academically as she faces the stereotype that all Indians perform well. That one idea was something I wanted to read more about. I wish the story had given even more attention to the experiences of the children, possibly providing some of their own voices.
My other criticism is that I wanted more from the ending of the story. It was wonderful to see the four friends interact with one another twenty-five years later. And I understand some of the choices the author makes in terms of why she chose her open-ended closing, but I still longed for more of a neat wrap-up. Overall, I highly recommend both of Cherian's novels. I was left wanting more closure for the characters, but I found them to be incredibly well-drawn and realistic.
July 25, 2013
The Invitation by Anne Cherian is about four students, Jayant, France, Vikram and Lali, from four different parts of India and different backgrounds meet at UCLA in the 1980s.
Jayant Bakshi (Jay), son of a rich Delhi businessman, having studied at a Darjeeling boarding school and graduated from St Stephens College, Delhi and goes to do a degree in management much against his father’s wishes who wants him to go to Oxford. Frances Dias, a Goan catholic, from a girls college in Hyderabad, joins Phd in anthropology, meets Jay, they date for two years and then get married much against his parents’ wishes. She does not complete her PhD, studies to become a real estate agent and starts working as one. They have three children Amanda, Lily and Sam.
Lali Chacko is a Jacobite Syrian Christian from Cochin in Kerala, having studied in a girls school and college in Bangalore, studies to be a copywriter. She is married to a non-Indian cardiac surgeon at San Francisco hospital, Jonathan Feinstein. She starts working and advertising and quits it when her only child, Aaron, is growing up. Sixteen years later, starts working as a secretary in the English department of a college. Jonathan is a Jew who has rediscovered Judaism and is spending his free time attending classes or going to the synagogue.
Vikram Jha (Vic) belongs to poor family in Bihar and has studied in IIT on scholarship. After graduating from UCLA, he opens his own software company, VikRAM Computers. He gets married to Priya, a girl chosen by his parents and they have two sons, Nikhil and Nandan. He is a very successful person.
They have their children and they do not know how to deal with them given their children’s’ American outlook and they still being Indian. Jay and Frances cannot understand why, their oldest daughter, Amanda’s grades are dropping. Vikram’s son, Nikhil, has graduated from MIT wants to be a chef. Lali and Jonathan’s son, Aaron, studying at Harvard, wants to take a break for one year.
When Vikram invites his friends to Santa Barbara to the graduation (his son does not want a party), they accept. They feel it would be a reunion of sorts after 25 years. It is time when they are undergoing crisis in their respective marries live, and deep inside, they all have something to hide from each other. When they go for the party, they come closer to their respective spouses and also open up to their friends.
Each character has been described very well, I could actually picturise them and somewhere in each character, I felt there was a part that I could relate to.
Though, the book ends a little abruptly and left me wanting for more. A sequel would be apt and very welcome. But overall, a very interesting book.
Jayant Bakshi (Jay), son of a rich Delhi businessman, having studied at a Darjeeling boarding school and graduated from St Stephens College, Delhi and goes to do a degree in management much against his father’s wishes who wants him to go to Oxford. Frances Dias, a Goan catholic, from a girls college in Hyderabad, joins Phd in anthropology, meets Jay, they date for two years and then get married much against his parents’ wishes. She does not complete her PhD, studies to become a real estate agent and starts working as one. They have three children Amanda, Lily and Sam.
Lali Chacko is a Jacobite Syrian Christian from Cochin in Kerala, having studied in a girls school and college in Bangalore, studies to be a copywriter. She is married to a non-Indian cardiac surgeon at San Francisco hospital, Jonathan Feinstein. She starts working and advertising and quits it when her only child, Aaron, is growing up. Sixteen years later, starts working as a secretary in the English department of a college. Jonathan is a Jew who has rediscovered Judaism and is spending his free time attending classes or going to the synagogue.
Vikram Jha (Vic) belongs to poor family in Bihar and has studied in IIT on scholarship. After graduating from UCLA, he opens his own software company, VikRAM Computers. He gets married to Priya, a girl chosen by his parents and they have two sons, Nikhil and Nandan. He is a very successful person.
They have their children and they do not know how to deal with them given their children’s’ American outlook and they still being Indian. Jay and Frances cannot understand why, their oldest daughter, Amanda’s grades are dropping. Vikram’s son, Nikhil, has graduated from MIT wants to be a chef. Lali and Jonathan’s son, Aaron, studying at Harvard, wants to take a break for one year.
When Vikram invites his friends to Santa Barbara to the graduation (his son does not want a party), they accept. They feel it would be a reunion of sorts after 25 years. It is time when they are undergoing crisis in their respective marries live, and deep inside, they all have something to hide from each other. When they go for the party, they come closer to their respective spouses and also open up to their friends.
Each character has been described very well, I could actually picturise them and somewhere in each character, I felt there was a part that I could relate to.
Though, the book ends a little abruptly and left me wanting for more. A sequel would be apt and very welcome. But overall, a very interesting book.
January 7, 2013
Vik invites his three college friends to come celbrate his son's graduation from MIT. Vik is extremely proud of his some and sees this as proof of his success as well as his son's. Unfortuantley, Nik does not want the party and has other plans for what he wants to do with his life and it doesn't include taking over his father's company. Frances and Jay accept with hesitation, they are excited to see thier friends but are afraid as well. They thought that success would come easily to them but instead they are struggling to make ends meet. The one area that they thought they could brag about - their children is also not going to work. Their oldest daughter, is struggling in high school and a top college for her is no longer a possibility. Lali is also apphensive. While financially she and her husband are doing well, her personal life is another story. Her son is unsure if he wants to return to Harvard and her marriage is going through a challenge as her husband is rediscovering his roots. She reaches out to an old flame and makes arrangements to see him before the party so she can see if the romance is still there.
This is a story that looks at the lives of four Indian immigrants and the children that they raise in the U.S. Each of them had differnt backgrounds before heading to UCLA and each of them had the thought they they would be the most successful in their group of friends. But while this looks at the relationship between friends and family from the point of view of the Indian culture, it is very similar to how many people feel when reconnecting with old friends. Each of them tries to put their best foot forward and gloss over the bad. I enjoyed this book because I think it was story that many people could relate to even if they are not familiar with Indian culture.
Read as part of the Goodreads First Read program.
This is a story that looks at the lives of four Indian immigrants and the children that they raise in the U.S. Each of them had differnt backgrounds before heading to UCLA and each of them had the thought they they would be the most successful in their group of friends. But while this looks at the relationship between friends and family from the point of view of the Indian culture, it is very similar to how many people feel when reconnecting with old friends. Each of them tries to put their best foot forward and gloss over the bad. I enjoyed this book because I think it was story that many people could relate to even if they are not familiar with Indian culture.
Read as part of the Goodreads First Read program.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews