The Chosen

by K.R. Usha

Set in southern India, shifting between Bangalore and a fictional French protectorate on the western coast, this novel tells the story of a young woman torn between who she is and who she wants to be.

Genres: Fiction

321 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become a fan of Usha KR. This is the sort of novel I would want to write, if I could. I don’t know how she does it, but she manages to pull every strand of memory I have of growing up in a middle-class family in Bangalore and whisper it back to me. I have no idea why this book is rated so low on Goodreads, but then, I am not one to care for ratings or reviews. If you love Bangalore, you would love this book.

There’s a note of sadness that occupies much of Usha’s writing - that penetrative sadness is there in this book too. This is not a story as much as a glimpse into a woman’s confusing journey. There are no resolutions at the end and that’s fitting because life doesn’t come with any. It’s moving. Poignant. And ultimately, a story that gives me my memories.

[Abhay Navada · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a huge fan of the writing style employed by the author (i.e. a lot of focus on details) in this book. I never really got a sense of the direction the story was taking. But, I must say that I enjoyed the last 30 odd pages of the book as it gave me a much needed, clear picture of what was actually going on inside the protagonist's head.

[Kirti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chosen

I have had patience to read some rather slow and meaningless books and unfortunately this one belonged to that category that I did not even have patience to reach even half of it.

The jacket described it as one of the feminist stories of how a woman realises her path to fulfillment which is why I even picked it up in the first place. The book fails to live upto even the synopsis description. A rather slow narrative that moves past being boring, the book put me to sleep. Poorly strutured and irrelevant to a modern woman. Wish to steer clear of the authors other books.

[Harini Gopalswami Srinivasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle, sympathetic novel about the aspirations of a young girl trying pull herself up from her limited social milieu. But will she be able to break through the 'us and them' barriers, or will she realize the value of those who love her for what she is? Usha's second book is a delight. We see here an author who has found her voice, grown in confidence and developed in literary quality. This book, too, is imbued with her characteristic irony and attention to detail.