Matt Fraser từ Mandrás, Ourense, Spain

_att_raser

12/22/2024

Dữ liệu người dùng, đánh giá và đề xuất cho sách

Matt Fraser Sách lại (10)

2019-07-01 21:31

Hành Trình Nội Tại Thư viện Sách hướng dẫn

Sách được viết bởi Bởi: Chánh Tín

It took me quite a while to come to terms with this book. While it was quite readable and I liked the author (which is not necessarily required, but very helpful in a memoir), something just did not click with me. At first I figured it must be because she was so young, and usually young people have no place writing a memoir. But Ms. Kennedy was actually living a pretty interesting life in a country I am quite curious about. Kennedy was a freelance reporter living as a single (western) woman in India. I eventually figured it out, the story has no narrative. While the author moves to India and slowly adjusts to the culture and customs, and makes friends with several locals before eventually returning home, there is no sense of accomplishment. Typically a story will have a purpose, and a memoir especially will demonstrate some climax that makes the telling of a life story a worthwhile trip. It would be like How I Met Your Mother ending the series without ever showing us Ted meeting his wife. An enjoyable show to be sure, but we would feel let down with the experience. That said the book was filled with interesting side trips and tidbits that made the read interesting. My favorite thought was the statement on arranged marriages. They are like starting with a pan of cold water on a low heat; it will eventually build to a passionate boil over time. Westerners insist on the rolling boil before you marry someone and that has nowhere to go except to cool off. Given the divorce statistics of a typical western marriage as compared to an arranged marriage I must agree they have a good point. I also learned just how impossible it is for a single woman to get her own apartment in India with it generally accepted that any female wanting to do that must be a whore. This is not just one or two bad, old fashioned landlords; it is pretty much universal. The author had to lie that she had a husband and he would be joining her later. Another cultural belief is that cats are generally considered evil and as such are avoided whenever possible. I asked a few of my Indian coworkers to confirm that which they did. Finally I found the back and forth on the caste system fascinating. I was reminded in part of how we Americans are always trying to separate ourselves from each other with the belief one is superior to the other. Like the way southerners are stereotyped – just think about the last time you heard a southern accent – what did you immediately think about the person? It seems in India they have a whole cultural segregation that is understood and passively enforced by everyone. Interestingly a person’s financial status is not enough to bridge the gap between classes. Her maid was of a higher class and thus she had an attitude that defied her job status. You should definitely read this book if you have an interest in India as the side stories a worth it. But if you are looking for some sort of life lesson or accomplishment by the author then this book misses the mark. On balance I would say this book is worth reading, but do not move it to the top of the to read pile.

Người đọc Matt Fraser từ Mandrás, Ourense, Spain

Người dùng coi những cuốn sách này là thú vị nhất trong năm 2017-2018, ban biên tập của cổng thông tin "Thư viện Sách hướng dẫn" khuyến cáo rằng tất cả các độc giả sẽ làm quen với văn học này.