For Matrimonial Purposes

by Kavita Daswani

Book Overview

In this sparkling debut, an unconventional heroine defies tradition by making a marriage between the strict customs of India and the wild freedoms of America to find her own happy ending. Hilarious and heartwarming, For Matrimonial Purposesproves that while the search for love takes many forms, the heartbreak and exhilaration are universal. In a sensual whirl of silk and spices, Kavita Daswani takes us from Bombay to New York and back again-in what...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399150706
• ISBN13: 9780399150708
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 277 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match....

I am actually quite surprised at the vitriolic criticism directed at this book in a lot of the reviews I have read, but what I have noticed is that it has come from mainly those of Indian descent which I actually find quite amusing, oh and before anyone even goes down the road of saying "what do I know about India and Indian traditions?" I am actually half Indian, have been to India on many occasions and not just for holidays so my right to be quite amused is a genetic God given right in my opinion! I actually liked this book a lot, it was warm, frothy, gentle, sweet, well written, and at times quite funny it also in many ways hit home in some of its observations, because I have met families like Anju's, in fact I have a family on my father's side like Anju's! Whilst reading this book, which I did in one sitting, I enjoyed it that much I was quite surprised at how much it mirrored some of my life and that of close Indian friends living here in the UK and even in India! The plot is simple enough, Anju is unmarried at 30 and heading for spinsterhood, her wealthy parents love their daughter but they desperately want her to get married, her mother's flippant comment about "I don't want you to be happy, I want you to be married" is actually quite funny, well it made me laugh, my father pretty much said the same to me and like Anju I felt frustrated, annoyed, and exasperated but in the end our families only want what they think is best for us, and Anju sees and even understand this, she does her best to comply with their hopeful wishes to find a husband but oh my God look what she has to put up with in the way of potential suitors! By escaping to New York to study Anju manages to hold back the tide of unsuitable suitors but she too wants the dream of a nice marriage, she sees her best friend's supposed perfect marriage through less than rose tinted glasses, she pretty much see most people's short comings but it she who is pitied by those watching her because she is not married. This is a fairy tale with a spice filled difference, and the scene describing how Anju bribes the Astrologist to tell her parents that she will find a husband but not necessarily in India is absolutely hysterical, I almost fell out of my wheelchair laughing, not to mention a truly poignant moment when Anju realises that one of the guys she actually likes is in love with an English girl who is not "suitable wife material" because of the colour of her skin. Girls, guys, we all know this happens even now in the supposed enlightened 21st century! All of Anju's dilemmas have been suffered by many an Indian girl both in India or abroad, we are bound by the loving but sometimes harsh family ties that bind, and most of us ultimately want to please our families even if they drive us to distraction. The characters are believable and very human and the story is an absolute treat that needs to be looked at in the context of the subject matter. Basically Indian families want their d

Unbelievable read - fantastic historical story!

According to classmates from overseas this books is historically accurate of what is occuring even today. I am in my mid-thirties and have a friend from India that has an arranged marriage that has worked beautifully... Then, again I have been told, firsthand, about some of the modern arranged marriages with negative consequences. This is an interesting perspective of this "bride to be" that most Western females would never be faced with her situation. Awesome book for the casual reader or for the class room! I am planning on having my daughter read and discuss this book with me when she is in her early teens. I think the discussions that could come from this book could be a real eye opener for Western adolescent girls.

Charming!

This book, about a culture I know little about, was fascinating. I know that there are still "arranged marriages" in some countries. "For Matrimonial Purposes" is funny, sad, educating, and ultimately happy. I recommend this book as a good summer read.

Fantastic!

This is a lovely, breezy, incredibly funny novel. Daswani's descriptions of the Indian middle-class milieu are spot-on and guaranteed to make you giggle out loud. Anju is an unlikely heroin that you end up rooting for, throughout the battles with her family, the mono-browed, poorly-dressed men, and her jaunts to fashion shows in Europe. Finally, an Indian female author that speaks to all of us who think that forging your own ground, and making some room for tradition at the same time, isn't such a bad thing. A *must read*!

An Absolutely Delightful Read

I dove into For Matrimonial Purposes and could barely put it down for meals, exercise and sleep. Kavita is a gifted story teller who invites readers into the transcultural worlds of arranged marriage and feminist inspired independence. The book offers a studied glimpse into the insular world of the Bombay upper middle classes as they jet set around the world whilst seeking the culture-bound security of marrying someone of known origins. I loved being witness to the very subtle manipulations her protagonist devises to both engage an independent self AND honor her parents and her Indianess.