A book review after ages

Thank to a close friend I think I have started reading again. Or i was reading 1 book a year or something like that. I finished the book in 4 days.. Yay!! and i reviewed it at goodreads; here is the link:

The Illicit Happiness of Other People by Manu Joseph

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a gift from a close friend and I am really thankful. I have been trying to restart my reading and wasn't interested in reading a plain boring fiction neither a complicated non fiction.
The language is easy to read which I loved but the thoughts and ideas presented are anywhere from plain routine to highly twisted.
It is setup in 90s Madras and to me it felt a true reflection of the times from across the country of middle class society. The non stop push from parents towards getting good grades and clearing IIT entrance for boys and the appropriateness guidance or rather mandates for girls.
The story tells a lot about how we perceive that everyone else is routine or normal except us or our families as teenagers but when we inch closer and take a peek almost everyone is delusional about the normalcy and their own unhappiness.
To me the novel beautifully highlights how each of us have our own truths and view of world which we perceive as truth. And also when we are pushed to see that we are not so unique and everyone is prone to faults it can impact us either too loud or we chose to ignore and continue with our individual delusional world.

This was a perfect read and I would definitely recommend this book.



View all my reviews