Arranged Marriage: Stories

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Book Overview

Although Chitra Divakaruni's poetry has won praise and awards for many years, it is her "luminous, exquisitely crafted prose" (Ms.) that is quickly making her one of the brightest rising stars in the changing face of American literature. Arranged Marriage, her first collection of stories, spent five weeks on the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller list and garnered critical acclaim that would have been extraordinary for even a...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385483503
• ISBN13: 9780385483506
• Release Date: May 1996
• Publisher: Anchor Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Short story collection of Indian women in India and America

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's award-winning books continue to stun her readers with their illumination of the lives of Indian women in both India and America. No other Indian writer has offered such an excellent perspective of life between and within these two cultures.Whether describing the plight of a woman trapped in an abusive marriage in India or the quick adjustments required of an immigrant bride in California, she cracks open the inner lives of her characters, revealing the disappointments and dreams in a way that makes them appear universal. In language that rings with authenticity and the sounds and rhythms of the Indian people, her books are full of rich imagery. You can almost smell the tumeric, see the saffron robes, hear the finger bells, and taste the cardamom and the curry.Arranged Marriage, a short story collection, is a good place for readers new to Divakaruni to begin to appreciate her; it a lovely addition to the bookshelves of those who already count her as one of our most important contemporary authors.

An incredible collection of stories

This book gives a deep view of the troubles of arranged marriagse. It also presents situations where the arranged marriages turn out well, an aspect most people overlook. It is heartfelt and warm, and the reader is privledged to have a glimpse at these womens lives. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Indian culture, and to anyone who has wondered about the custom of arranged marriages.It is a beautifully written book.

Splendid!

I first found this book in an unknown bookstore in my hometown and I was amazed to find out that Indian writers actually wrote stuff in English. This is the first book I have read by an Indian writer and I couldn't put it down. I found myself thorougly engrossed by the vivid details and how true everything was that I went on to read everything else she had written and I am still reading her work. I would also be honored to take her Creative Writing classes, if I lived closer and maybe to meet her. Her book captivated my soul and gave me a new perspective on Indian life.

Thought-provoking

I found this book to be extremely diverse in terms of the characters and scenarios. Whether the story was of domestic violence or of mixed relationships in America, Divakaruni weaved a common thread through the challenges of womanhood from an Indian-American context. Of all of her books, this is the one I found most honest and captivating.

An Indian Girls Viewpoint on Arranged Marriage

For me being an Indian girl, I recently began to wonder what it might be like to have an arranged marriage. What it would be like to dwell in a loveless marriage. Reading this book about arranged marriage and it being writen by an Indian author, I was drawn into reading her book. Divakaruni had written wonderful short stories about how women lived their lives not just for themselves, but for the people around them, especially their men. While reading the stories I began to comprehend with the fact that women don't marry a "prince from a far-off magic land" but they just end up with men. The way I saw it in the story "Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs" the husband needed a victory and his only conquest was his wife. Over all I began to realize that marriage isn't going to be all that it's meant out to be.