“From actors to political parties to wedding halls, Tamilians love to keep complicated names first and then make acronyms for the same.” This is one of the numerous humorous statements from the book 2 States – the story of my marriage
I just finished reading this fourth work from Chetan Bhagat. I read the whole book in two days. Couldn't resist. I was too much involved into it. Thank god I finished it before my wife started hating all the red-wrapped books in the world.
Its a good book. Infact, it’s very good. The flair, the language and the way things are explained will take you inside the story. Its like watching a movie. Very good work.
The story goes on explain the Community-First-Country-Next attitude of the Indians. That being the sense of the book humor is the essence of it.
I personally liked couple of things in the book – the advice the hero of the story, Krish gets from a cleric (I thought it's a little eccentric though), the speech of the Father-in-law, the first letter hero reads out, the impact the last line of the letter has on his mind and… a lot of funny statements and comparisons.
Muruku is: “The spiral shaped, brown-coloured snacks resembled fossilised snakes”. There is one on the Tamil Font – “The Tamil font resembles those optical illusion puzzles that give you a headache if you stare at them long enough”
And the way some of the facts of life have been put across; like this one on parents: “From biscuits to brides, if there is anything their children really want, parents have a problem”. And the one on banking: “One good thing about banking is that you don’t feel bad about lying at all”
I just want to touch up on the part of the book which talks about sex. Yes, I feel in today’s world its common and also Chetan hasn’t delved in too much. I guess the intent is to keep the story interesting and to keep the reader involved.
The book gets a little bit boring and too dramatic at the end. I think the Tamil style marriage is explained a little too much. The advise from the cleric could have been avoided and dealt with it in some other way (I don't know which way). I can't imagine a North Indian boy getting 'Gyan' from a south indian guru. (Its not mentioned that the guru was from south though). Foreigners will but I don't think an over acheived (IIT+IIMA) North Indian boy who wanted a job only for money would. I think the use of F word could have been a little less but at the same time I feel the intended target readers won't mind.
And the proposing scene at the college is way too dramatic I reckon. Can't imagine some one doing it. If it's true then hats off to that guy.
Overall the book is a good read, if not, a collection piece.
I give a little more than four stars. But surely, not five. I am rating it as if it matters. :-)
Finally the best thing in the book for me:
He: Did you tell him about me?
She: Sort of.
He: Sort of? I am not Mr. Sort of. I am The Guy.
She: Yeah, I can’t tell him exactly. How would he feel? My boyfriend sat with me when he came to see me
He: Imagine how I felt. Anyway, did you tell him?
She: He asked me, rather hinted, about my virginity.
He: He did not! I will kill that bastard.
She: Jealousy is rather enjoyable emotion to watch.
He: Funny
She: He just said… wait let me remember. Yes, he said are you still pure or something..
He: What a loser? What is he looking for – Ghee.
She: Wait, you will die if I tell you my response.
He: And that is?
She: I told him – Harish, if there is an entrance exam for virginity, you can be sure I won’t top it.
