Hats off to Shrayana Bhattacharya for writing this extremely engaging and provocative account of 'India's Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence' (sub title of the book). I am not sure what category to put it in, academic, fiction, non-fiction, biography? It is being appreciated by Economists and academics so it definitely has a high value to them. It does refer to some data on labour and women's work, very correct statistics used in a most engaging fashion. Something pure academic Economists fail to do. The author did interview all those women in the book, so it is not fiction, non-fiction category definitely fits.
Biography: the stories of the dozens of women across various social strata, but largely the middle class. And the story written in first person, is it about the author? It is indeed very brave in the Indian patriarchal society to write about your boyfriend and the breakup in such a frank manner. Again hats off to Shrayana!
The book is about the patriarchal system in India that show women her place. Most of the tales told in the book do just that, put women in her place. I particularly relate to the author's description of her attending high society parties with her boyfriend where she would speak to men and rich non-working women about her work. After the party the boyfriend tells her not to talk about her work to these people who would not appreciate it!! Or something to that effect. I was taken aback. I have often found it difficult to find topics of conversation with the upper middle class women as I have nothing to say about fashion, jewelry, cooking or any such topic. The result is that I generally avoid such gatherings and where attendance is mandatory, make a hurried escape.
There are stories about an accountant and her escape from her home town, an air hostess and even home based agarbatti and garment workers. The latter I found most real, perhaps as it also a story of the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), with whom I have engaged a lot. However, some stories, like that of the Rajput princess, sound like a third grade film.
To her credit, Shrayana is able to capture the angst among Indian women, choosing those who form part of the fan club of the iconic actor Shah Rukh Khan. These women repeatedly watch his films that somehow seem to give them relief from difficult situations in their life. She describes long sequences in many of Shah Rukh Khan's films, definitely indicating her own status as a fangirl. One of the reasons for the popularity of Shah Rukh Khan, according to Shrayana, is the 'vulnerability' portrayed in his characters, unlike most other male stars. Further, the female characters in his films are given large screen presence and dialogues, they actually get a chance to say something substantial.
The choice of the sample is a bit strange as it clearly excludes married women who may consider themselves 'content' with their lives. Perhaps that is the intent of the book. It also provides a very negative view of Indian men, again perhaps part of the plot. In one chapter the author gives a list of objections that readers may have to her choice of characters and the story line. What I am trying to express here is perhaps also included in her list and she gives an explanation of why these women are not there in her sample. It is the author's prerogative after all.
It is an extremely engaging volume. I was lucky to be able to get the audio version when Shrayana was offering it for free download. I really enjoyed the idea of an audio book, experiencing one for the first time. Reading the book in her own voice for 14 hours and 34 minutes, is a feat in itself. Very well done and soothing to the ear. Seeking independence among young women in India and their silent, sometimes not so silent, protest is vividly depicted.
I think more men need to read the book. When I enquired with the Economics faculty in my University, only one female professor said she had read the book. None of my male colleagues had, or seemed interested. The gender composition of the readership would be an interesting statistic to reveal, as well as the views of the men who read the volume. I do not pretend that this is a review of the book, just a few stray thoughts as I completed listening to 14 hours and 34 minutes of the book. Congratulations to Shrayana and look forward to more such engaging views of the world from her pen!
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