Review by Booklist Review
Upadhyay's polished, transfixing stories are set in his hometown of Kathmandu, and the particulars of that fabled city and Nepalese culture as a whole infuse each tale, even though it's really the universal inner realm and the mysterious state of marriage that he illuminates so marvelously. His heroes can't begin to fathom their wives' minds. An accountant loses a good job, and rather than talk reasonably to his patient, intelligent wife, he embarks on an affair with a servant. Another businessman, Deepak Misra, can't believe that his blond American wife, a painter, has left him for good. And Ganesh, a mama's boy, torments himself with the suspicion that his luscious wife has a lover. Upadhyay conjures up an aging manservant, a renowned poet, and an actor to reflect various aspects of life in Kathmandu, which he subtly portrays as a city in flux as foreigners with romantic notions take up residence, blithely ignorant of the suffering all around them and of the true nature of this mountain kingdom. Donna Seaman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Love and matrimony are as complicated in modern Nepal as anywhere else, as depicted in this debut collection of stories from one of the first Nepali authors writing in English to be published in the West. In only one of the nine stories does the focus waver from the tensions inherent in a class-conscious society where most marriages are still arranged, despite the fast-forward of globalization and a younger population used to traveling abroad or at least hearing about it. Parents such as the mother in "The Room Next Door" are angry and confused when their children are reluctant to conform. This mother is shamed when her college-age daughter becomes pregnant; the girl then marries the only man who might have her an unemployed simpleton who has appeared on their doorstep. Young couples at a loss to articulate submerged desires find it difficult to communicate in times of stress. In "The Good Shopkeeper," an accountant who loses his job drifts away from his wife and into an affair with a servant girl; the dissolution of another man's marriage to an American woman gives way to an unusual rebound relationship in "Deepak Misra's Secretary." While all of the stories are set in Nepal, one, "This World," also dips into New Jersey and explores the ambivalence of a young woman deciding her future and, by extension, her identity. Those seeking the exoticism so often found in contemporary Indian fiction won't find it here there are no lush descriptions or forays into spirituality. In an assured and subtle manner, Upadhyay anchors small yet potent epiphanies in a place called Kathmandu, and quietly calls it home. (Aug. 2) Forecast: This collection sports an enticing cover and will likely do better as an original paperback than it might have as a hardcover. A seven-city author tour will give Upadhyay some U.S. exposure. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Billed as the first Nepali author writing in English to be published in the West, Upadhyay brings to readers the flavor of Nepal and its culture in this impressive collection of nine short stories. Like Ha Jin's Bridegroom, Upadhyay's stories portray the lives of simple yet psychologically complex characters and reveal much about the universal human condition in us all. Many of the pieces contain themes centered around the cultural taboos relating to the roles of men and women, love, and fidelity and discuss other issues pertinent to Nepali life such as arranged marriages, the caste system, and the Hindu faith. "The Good Shopkeeper" and "Deepak Misra's Secretary" are examples of stories in which the characters, searching for acceptance and satisfaction in life, are found engaging in extramarital affairs. "This World" and "A Great Man's Homage" bring up issues dealing with the "freedoms" of expression allowed for women, both verbally and sexually. "Limping Bride" and "The Room Next Door" touch, respectively, upon cultural mores regarding matters such as alcoholism and children conceived out of wedlock. Upadhyay's stories leave the reader with much food for thought and will make a good choice for book discussion groups. Highly recommended for most public and academic libraries. Shirley N. Quan, Orange Cty. P.L., Santa Ana, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Debut volume of diverting if sometimes lukewarm tales about contemporary Nepalese men and women adapting to the ethos of the West while bearing (and sometimes suffering) the cultural expectations of their native land. Born and raised in Nepal, Upadhyay came to the US at 22, which is about the age of many of his young people, all of them struggling with their native past while trying to make an American future. The collection progresses from settings entirely in Nepal to those that include characters affiliated with both America and Nepal. In the opener, "The Good Shopkeeper," a young accountant is fired from his job and abandons his conventional life for the very American pursuit of happiness, which here includes therapeutic sex with a local housemaid. "Deepak Misra's Secretary" concerns a young businessman who is abandoned by his Westernized wife but finds comfort in the austere personality of his severe secretary, with whom he has variably interesting sex. In "During the Festival," a young husband is persuaded that his beautiful wife is having an affair with a neighbor, a man who must suddenly come to terms with his own mother: a Freudian tale told from an a-Freudian-Nepalese perspective. In one of the strongest pieces here, young Kanti-on the brink of earning her Ph.D. from Duke University-finds herself deeply attracted to the unreliable Jaya, who inevitable cheats on her. When approached by the stolid, English-educated, and refined Prakash, a physician who has recently opened a local clinic in Nepal, she endures the ancient tug-of-war between prudence and passion. Ultimately, she opts to return to the States to complete her education and hope for the best. Not especially original in theme, but Upadhyay's flinty, oddly proper style is attractive and succeeds in bringing life to these otherwise unpromising (and often seemingly misogynistic) scenarios. Author tour
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
