Single in the City

by Sushmita Bose

To be young, good-looking, carefree, working, single and a woman in a new city has its shares of trials and tribulations, surprises and joys. Nearly a decade ago, when journalist-columnist Sushmita Bose decided to move from Calcutta to Delhi, She was excited in an apprehensive kind of way. Soon, she would have to find her own apartment, make new friends, figure out the lay of an entirely new friends, figure out the lay of an entirely new land, settle down into an unknow workplace, learn how to drive, and more. She had roundly been warned about the big bad city that Delhi was. In Single in the City a collection of the eponymous column that Sushmita Bose wrote for Hindustan Times, she presents a humorous and sardonic take on the seemingly unending roller-coaster ride life can become when one is 'single in the city.' A humour-packed book with natty illustrations, Single in the City promised to have the reader in splits at the turn of almost every page.

Genres: Nonfiction, Chick Lit

260 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2010

Reviews

[Aditi Bhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sushmita Bose definitely succeeds in compiling the life accounts of a female bachelor in Delhi. There is not even a single page, I could not relate to (except for the chapter in which she describes her difficulty in waking up early to exercise). And the most extraordinary thing is that it is so relatable in even today's time! Also, it is quite witty and humorous.

The book starts with her experience (or rather struggle) in finding a place to stay and then setting it up. Daily chores like cooking & cleaning go hand in hand with every chapter the way they go in a bachelor's everyday life. She learns to drive, tries to make new friends and catch up with work at new office. Bose accurately captures all the major problems, benefits, chaos, and drama of living alone. I feel like it's the story of my life. She even writes a chapter about her parents coming to stay at her place and obviously the drama that follows. It is really funny to read about their dinner table conversations and dissimilar chain of thoughts on most of the topics.

Also, Bose has written about other things in the life of single women that were not even meant to be spoken aloud. She avidly captures their real struggles like buying a sanitary pad or lingerie from a shop (with a male shopkeeper obviously) that lead to weird conversations and embarrassment for no particular reason . But it is not just the aspect of "living alone" that she focuses on but "living alone in Delhi". The chapters narrate stories with popular places of Delhi as backdrop. She mentions some popular experiences like shopping in Sarojini, dining in Khan Market, and going for walks in Lodhi Gardens and Nehru Park. I felt quite happy reading about them as I too have had my share of experiences at the same spots. Moreover, Bose talks in detail about the walking culture in Delhi. She says that there are parks in almost every colony and that people show up before sunrise and after sunset but how health goes for a toss during bachelor life due to overwork, socializing and obviously alcohol. She writes after her nth failed attempt to wake up early, "Next week, I have to get up before sunrise. Just the thought makes me feel good." And that's what she funnily does. Just had a thought.

In the later chapters, she appreciates the location of the capital saying, "One of the nicest things about Delhi is that you can head out to different places especially hill stations at a moment's notice. You don't even have to plan out transport." She describes about her weekend trips with colleagues to Shimla, Lansdowne, Kalka etc and stopping and stuffing at different Dhabas on the way.

Apart from the city of Delhi, the book also talks about gender discrimination but in a very light and subtle manner. It mentions about the stark difference between the treatment of males and females in our country. One particular chapter talks about how society views girls who drink as "available" and "bad women". Bose further explains this by using an example of Bipasha in the movie, "Race" who earlier fed on soft drinks but after a plot twist is always seen with alcohol and trying to do "bad to others"!

She writes about a lot of other instances and experiences too and talks in details about her annoyance with children who beg near the signal or footpaths. The experience is rather very relatable imo as I have also been approached by these children especially when I am accompanied by a guy friend. It doesn't take a moment before they add unnecessary embarrassment to the air by calling out, "Aap dono ki jodi salaamat rahe, aapki shaadi ho jaye, aapke bal bachhe ho". All this to extract money out of embarrassment.

I think I would particularly recommend this book if you are a female and bachelor and putting up alone in Delhi. Stronger recommendation if you happen to be a Bengali.

Happy reading! :)

P.S. The illustrations in the book are very simple, minimal and add a good visual experience while reading.

[Poonam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read 'Single in the City' columns when they were published in HT. I hardly re-read books, especially when there is already so much in the world to catch up. However, I bought the book solely for its illustrations and print. It looked like a fun book that should be part of one's collection.

I re-read it again and finished it in couple of hours. I laughed and smiled not because it is terribly funny. Because I was reminded of my own stay in a new city when I moved to Pune.

The find for house, need for transport and if you are single, you build your interests and dependable support systems. You have visits from family, and suddenly you are appraised as host, as an adult and how you treat your parents. How much you keep in touch..

And then there are adventures, trips and movie marathons. There are irrational fears - like, I too, as she mentions in the book check every nook and crevice of the house for suspect assailants when I let myself into the house. I am usually armed with pepper-spray (Ok, this is almost a Delhi thing.)

Icing on the cake are she writes about Delhi (which I consider home) without so much of stereotype and she's a Bong. The book made for a fine light-read, done in couple of hours.

[Monica Mittal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift when I was going to live alone in a metro for the first time. When I started reading this book, I thought it was made for me. I could so easily relate to what the author was going through. The book is a collection of her experiences she had in Delhi when she moved from kolkata for a job. these experiences were first published as a regular column in a prestigious daily and later were given the shape of a book.
Each story was skillfully bounded with good humor and a witty tone. Although it does get boring at times.

A light read for a travel or may be you can keep it on your bed side for that last read before going to sleep.

[Gen-v · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Wouldn't mind giving it a 5 star rating but then it won't do justice to other books which i have given 5 stars.
I don't remember the last time when i was giggling so much while reading a book. And before i actually start reviewing it let me tell you it was one of my impulsive purchase. I saw this book being sold on roadside. I picked it up. I analysed perfectly yellow pages. I read the title. I got impressed by the cover. I fell in love with the illustrations. I smelled the book carefully (carefully, because i picked it from the roadside collection moments ago) and i asked the price. Next thing i know is this book travelling back to home with me! And book cover and book title are good enough reasons for me to buy any book despite my friends rolling their eyes everytime i recite this reason.
Now back to the review. I. JUST. LOVED. IT. Story of a woman living alone in a difficult city is itself a very intriguing plot ( as i have experienced living alone in the same city this book talks about) but the way it is written! The way it is written>>>> I may not be reading the newspaper while these columns were being published in it but as they say, if you are meant to read a piece of writing, you will read that piece of writing. It will come to you. ( Okay i may have changed it a bit but you got an overall idea.) So, the author got the idea of converting those news column into a book and here it is, on my lap! It is a kind of book that i enjoy and would have happily signed me up for if there was another book written by this author but why does it always happen with me that i particularly fall in love with the books that are the only published piece of writings of an author !

[Mridusmita Bordoloi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started "Single in the City" with the expectation that it is going to be a funny and light read on life as a single person full of anecdotes. While the book was full of anecdotes about the author, her family and friends there was not so much focus on " single in the city". Most of the stories were about life in general for a working girl in Delhi. I did enjoy the simple narration and liked quite a few of the stories and actually finished this book in a few hours time.
However, my biggest problem with this book is the randomness of it; whether in choosing the chapters, between chapters and within chapters. It seems the stories/articles have not been thought through and just randomly put together. In some of the chapters the conversation just jumps from one topic to another without any connection...

[Komal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of an article series written by Sushmita Bose for Hindustan Times exploring the highs and lows of being a single woman in a big, bad city. It was funny at times but mostly just a pass-time-leisurely sort of book.

[Pammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://reviewerinmesays.blogspot.com/...

[Palavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read for single girls.

[Aniruddh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I really didnt get anything out of the book. Gave me a perspective on what the crowd wants to read though.

[Niranjani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A carefree young girl in the big city of Delhi and her turbulent yet humorous anecdotes as a single in the city. Its a good read.

[Gowri N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered this book on the shelf of a hostel I stayed at recently. The author, Sushmita Bose, moved from Kolkata to Delhi in 2000 to work as a journalist for the Hindustan Times. Her stories of strange and funny encounters in the city intrigued an editor enough to offer her a weekly column where she wrote about life as a single girl in the capital.

This book is a collection of her columns from those years and makes for an interesting read. The word that comes to me again and again as I write this review is innocent. In the year 2000, I was only twelve years old and India was just starting out on its first decade of explosive growth. As you read the columns, you marvel at the birth and early years of the city of Gurgaon; the cost of liquor and autos and upscale restaurant meals back then; how ordering pizza and cold coffee was considered cool; how so much has changed and yet, so little in terms of human behaviour.

So many things we thought were hip and trendy in 2000 have now become cringe. So many casual thoughts we had then are now suspect, confused as we are by what is the "correct" way to think or opinions to hold. As I read, I didn't really wallow in nostalgia but the changing of the times was hard to ignore.

[LS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. It is light-hearted and funny but also realistic. It's a very raw insight about the life of a single woman, living in Delhi. The chapters a pretty random in nature. They talk about family, jobs or more like the lack of jobs, sexism, class difference, city-living, food and culture, and society in general. But all of it is packed with humor and entertainment. 10/10 recommend it for light reading.

[Anish Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is underrated and author doesn't deserve just 3 stars. I living all by myself in Delhi could completely relate to it. Author has a fabulous way of describing things and her sense of humour is great. I had a hearty laugh reading some chapters. I wish there were more from Sushmita Bose.

[Ankita Jain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okayish.

[Samriddha Bhattacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a fun light comfort read. That is all that one can say about this book in all honesty.

[Kriti Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

its been a long time since I read this book. After reading it I also wanted to live alone in a new city. Where no one know you and you create a new world for yourself.

[Niharika Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

slowly i liked it.... it was god

[Priya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading 'Single in the City' had been just an okay experience. There is nothing great about the book.
With the title, I wondered that it may be a strong story about some girl who is all alone in a city and struggle to a great degree to live, but unfortunately , it was just an ordinary story ( or I would say just ordinary instances shown in the different chapters ) of a girl who lives in Delhi. It basically revolves around the life in Delhi ( her experience in office, eating , shopping etc ) . Some or may be many of the chapters did not seem to be needed at all (for example, the one about 'Ap ki jodi salamat rahe' , 'happy endings' etc ) and reading those were a little boring at times. I do not say that all of the chapters seemed to be meaningless , but there were some good chapters too , like the 'singing for sex in connaught place' and many others which CAN be motivating and spread strength to few girls out there . But overall, I would just say , it looked like Sushmita Bose just collated all her articles that she had been writing , in a book because there were no relation between any of the chapters. One chapter may talk about her working in office and the next would talk about childhood experience and the next would talk about some random experience with a friend.
There is no message that I can take after reading this book except the fact that there is a girl named 'Sushmita Bose' who had been living alone in the city Delhi and is free in her life to choose whatever she wishes to do, she is confident to deal with Delhi alone. It may look a little big for Delhites but may be not for any other Indian metro city today.

[Shweta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never read her column in the HT City Sunday issue..I picked up this book because they were advertising it a lot at the Om book store. In comparison to a lot of such books that I've read on a single woman's life in the big city..this one really wasnt able to hold my attention. In the end it was like,, I just have to finish it cuz I've started it... a little boring I guess.

[Ragini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could so much relate with the nuances that the book has!being away from home into another city and coping everyday with new realities of life is all that book has to offer. Travelling alone, setting up a livelihood on own, learning new things that life has to offer and how author surfaces those difficulties is showcased in the book. I loved the book as i found a glimpse of myself in the book!

[Vineeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

identifiably funny...

[Shruti Methaila · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay the book wasnt as gud as the columns were.

[Nupzbansal · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good attempt but missed certain aspects.. light read

[Minnie Naveen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a cool book...definitely light reading !!!

[Disha Talaulikar · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my never-ending love of living alone in a big city, working, hanging out with interesting people, and managing all of it with a bit of sass!