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Het onzichtbare geluk van andere mensen
Het onzichtbare geluk van andere mensen is een hoogst ontroerende, zwartkomische vertelling op de dunne scheidslijn tussen waan en werkelijkheid. Wanneer Unni zich op zeventienjarige leeftijd van het leven berooft door van een balkon af te springen, gaat zijn vader Ousep op zoek naar een verklaring. Waarom kiest een aantrekkelijke en intelligente jongen met een groot talent voor het tekenen van
stripverhalen voor een dergelijke stap? Ousep, die 'twee sigaretten tegelijk rookt omdat drie hem domweg te veel is', zoekt klasgenoten van Unni op en vraagt ze naar zijn zoon, wat ze van hem vonden, en hoe ze zijn daad verklaren. De zoektocht levert niets op, tot er drie jaar na de dood van Unni een pakketje bij zijn ouders en broertje Thoma arriveert, met de graphic novel die Unni op de dag van zijn zelfmoord verstuurde.
stripverhalen voor een dergelijke stap? Ousep, die 'twee sigaretten tegelijk rookt omdat drie hem domweg te veel is', zoekt klasgenoten van Unni op en vraagt ze naar zijn zoon, wat ze van hem vonden, en hoe ze zijn daad verklaren. De zoektocht levert niets op, tot er drie jaar na de dood van Unni een pakketje bij zijn ouders en broertje Thoma arriveert, met de graphic novel die Unni op de dag van zijn zelfmoord verstuurde.
349 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 923 reviews
May 26, 2015
I WROTE AN EIGHT PARAGRAPH REVIEW, MY INTERNET BOMBED, AND GOODREADS WON'T EVEN HAVE THE DRAFT SAVED, I WONT SPEND PRECIOUS TIME REWRITING THE REVIEW, BUT I WANT TO SAY THAT I HATE YOU GOODREADS, I HATE YOU
October 28, 2013
Unni, what an idiot you turned out to be, thinks Mythili Balasubramaniam, and as the book unfolds to reveal the character of Unni Chacko, we think the same.
Manu Joseph has written a spectacular novel, one of those things that stay in your head years after you read it, and splinters from which you will use in conversation decades later. The story of a dysfunctional Malayali family in 1987 Madras, the novel is unputdownable.
Ousep Chacko carries the story along, and his flawed, disturbed character is absolutely mesmerizing. But the figure that matters the most, of course, is Unni, and his presence in the book, though only physical when memories are being shared, is almost magical. All the characters look at life through him - before him and after him. And the ideas that the author throws around are amazing, schizophrenia, good vs evil, revenge, shame, guilt, every human emotion is tackled at least once. How the author managed to weave it all in, I have no clue, but he did, and so well.
The setting is almost as important. Manu Joseph lashes out at Madras in searing prose, taking his anger out on the great city and its remarkable stupidities in a way I will remember for some time. Not only does Madras come alive, it hangs its head in shame. The author makes sure of it.
Enjoyed is not the word. I lapped it up in two sittings, engrossed and sated. This is a wonderful book.
Get the hardcover; it is a beautiful thing, and read it at least twice. You'll love it.
Manu Joseph has written a spectacular novel, one of those things that stay in your head years after you read it, and splinters from which you will use in conversation decades later. The story of a dysfunctional Malayali family in 1987 Madras, the novel is unputdownable.
Ousep Chacko carries the story along, and his flawed, disturbed character is absolutely mesmerizing. But the figure that matters the most, of course, is Unni, and his presence in the book, though only physical when memories are being shared, is almost magical. All the characters look at life through him - before him and after him. And the ideas that the author throws around are amazing, schizophrenia, good vs evil, revenge, shame, guilt, every human emotion is tackled at least once. How the author managed to weave it all in, I have no clue, but he did, and so well.
The setting is almost as important. Manu Joseph lashes out at Madras in searing prose, taking his anger out on the great city and its remarkable stupidities in a way I will remember for some time. Not only does Madras come alive, it hangs its head in shame. The author makes sure of it.
Enjoyed is not the word. I lapped it up in two sittings, engrossed and sated. This is a wonderful book.
Get the hardcover; it is a beautiful thing, and read it at least twice. You'll love it.
November 29, 2012
The one in search of happiness fades away in the sentiment of shame.
The girl left behind with his dreams struggles to make peace with the event.
The one who wants to unwind the truth refuses the realty.
The one who is the origin of all, the mother, sits back as the moving force for all the events but remains passive herself.
It is about drawing happiness out of the forbidden corners of mental inabilities, camouflaged feelings of sensuality and attempts to draw an acceptable image of unacceptable past.
It is about those "other people" who don't even recognize there life altering impact on the people they passed through. Their happiness is the truth. Rest all around it is an attempt to indulge in the depths of ones own understanding in a vain effort to find its reasons.
The author seems to be laughing at reader as one progresses through the story. Why would one read all the idiotic philosophy the boy seems to have discovered and still continue! And yet one turns pages in the hope that:
1. This boy who is somehow creating his happiness in the dark background that he belongs to, how far can he make?
2. Can illusion of mind overpower the imprints of facts that it denies?
Again, how far?
3. Can a parent ever make peace with the loss of his/her child!
I as a reader thank the author for the way he tackles the ending of the book. The last 30 pages have done a fair job.
The girl left behind with his dreams struggles to make peace with the event.
The one who wants to unwind the truth refuses the realty.
The one who is the origin of all, the mother, sits back as the moving force for all the events but remains passive herself.
It is about drawing happiness out of the forbidden corners of mental inabilities, camouflaged feelings of sensuality and attempts to draw an acceptable image of unacceptable past.
It is about those "other people" who don't even recognize there life altering impact on the people they passed through. Their happiness is the truth. Rest all around it is an attempt to indulge in the depths of ones own understanding in a vain effort to find its reasons.
The author seems to be laughing at reader as one progresses through the story. Why would one read all the idiotic philosophy the boy seems to have discovered and still continue! And yet one turns pages in the hope that:
1. This boy who is somehow creating his happiness in the dark background that he belongs to, how far can he make?
2. Can illusion of mind overpower the imprints of facts that it denies?
Again, how far?
3. Can a parent ever make peace with the loss of his/her child!
I as a reader thank the author for the way he tackles the ending of the book. The last 30 pages have done a fair job.
August 7, 2021
One of the best Indian contemporary young adult mystery/suspense reads.
A father trying to find the probable answer why his seventeen year old son, Unni, committed suicide after three years of his death when a set of comics being delivered back to their house.
He never seemed to be the one who would commit such an act.
Things he never knew about his son gets revealed, things he never knew about his other 'less smart' son he gets to know, things about the secret past of his wife had to come out and so does a few characters which would reveal things that he thought would have ever happened.
The story is all about Unni who was barely present in the whole narration. The story starts with his death and ends with the answers about his death.
The book is incredibly well written, the suspense hidden well. The twists and turns are subtle yet intense. The characters are well etched out.
However, the characters do seem a little crazier at times that it goes out of their character. Some explanations of the so called mystery turned out to be rather not in sync with the storyline.
Trigger warnings for self-harm, suicidal acts, sexual assaults, strong words, bullying, domestic abuse, child neglect, alcohol addiction and graphic scenes.
Some stereotypes are repeated over and over again, and the repetitive focus on the female body parts and their utter male disrespect everywhere in the story gets a little too much. I don't see the significance of such descriptions.
One book on schizophrenia done well. There was never a dull moment while I was reading this book 🖤
A father trying to find the probable answer why his seventeen year old son, Unni, committed suicide after three years of his death when a set of comics being delivered back to their house.
He never seemed to be the one who would commit such an act.
Things he never knew about his son gets revealed, things he never knew about his other 'less smart' son he gets to know, things about the secret past of his wife had to come out and so does a few characters which would reveal things that he thought would have ever happened.
The story is all about Unni who was barely present in the whole narration. The story starts with his death and ends with the answers about his death.
The book is incredibly well written, the suspense hidden well. The twists and turns are subtle yet intense. The characters are well etched out.
However, the characters do seem a little crazier at times that it goes out of their character. Some explanations of the so called mystery turned out to be rather not in sync with the storyline.
Trigger warnings for self-harm, suicidal acts, sexual assaults, strong words, bullying, domestic abuse, child neglect, alcohol addiction and graphic scenes.
Some stereotypes are repeated over and over again, and the repetitive focus on the female body parts and their utter male disrespect everywhere in the story gets a little too much. I don't see the significance of such descriptions.
One book on schizophrenia done well. There was never a dull moment while I was reading this book 🖤
November 27, 2017
I knew it. It couldn't have been just me. There must be others. Others, like me, painted simpletons aggregated within the ambiguous definition by media as "world’s second largest population" who have a story to tell, observations to make and analysis to provide about our ilk. I knew it. I knew it every time I read the uber rich desis educated in foreign colleges living in a developed country somewhere writing about the ‘dust and smell of India’, I knew it when I read depressingly bad quality books written by authors with nothing but the stamp of an IIM and or an IIT degree validating their piss poor caricature of puppy love in colleges, I knew it when I read cocktail party intellectuals write long sermons on Indians. I knew that there has to be someone like Manu Joseph out there writing our story, the story of us, the middle class Indians. I am glad he did so in this book and splendidly at that.
This book moved me, fucked with my mind and drove me to raptures of laughter that lingered, strangely as a melancholic afterthought. A few specific thoughts below.
What I liked:
1. The voice: Holy shit! the voice this man writes with is an art by in itself. Nuanced, intelligent and observant with a touch of arrogance.
Here now is the final stand of an age, the last time one can profile a street in Madras and be correct. Men are managers, mothers are housewives. And all bras are white.
2. Explains the phenomenon that Indian mothers are: Almost always profiled as a creepy, conservative mama bear the reader of Indian authors is deprived of the closer look these women deserve. Mariamma Chacko sounded so familiar to me, like someone I knew. The women of the 80's, well educated, with potential to become a professor thrust into a marriage she hardly wanted carrying on her shoulders, quite stubbornly, a secret she chooses to suffer alone. Her characterization is almost poetic.
3. The harsh but funny truth of middle class daily life: This hit me hard man. And close to home. Without giving out spoilers, I will tell you this that if as a kid you knew the humiliation of borrowing at a grocery shop, there are pages in this book that will tear you up. That Manu Joseph manages to say it as it is and then deliver it with humour warms my heart to know that Indian writing has come of age.
4. Love as love is in Middle class India: I won't say much but I think Manu Joseph knows what this phrase 'love failure case' means in Madras (as he prefers to calls Chennai). Stuff Google can't turn up with a researched article on but a young man in Chennai probably would.
What I did not like:
Who am I to say anything about this master? This book is almost perfect in my eyes in achieving what it intended to do. There were a few thing though that I think weren't perfect or bit out of whack but then I guess Unni Chacko would have understood.
This book moved me, fucked with my mind and drove me to raptures of laughter that lingered, strangely as a melancholic afterthought. A few specific thoughts below.
What I liked:
1. The voice: Holy shit! the voice this man writes with is an art by in itself. Nuanced, intelligent and observant with a touch of arrogance.
Here now is the final stand of an age, the last time one can profile a street in Madras and be correct. Men are managers, mothers are housewives. And all bras are white.
2. Explains the phenomenon that Indian mothers are: Almost always profiled as a creepy, conservative mama bear the reader of Indian authors is deprived of the closer look these women deserve. Mariamma Chacko sounded so familiar to me, like someone I knew. The women of the 80's, well educated, with potential to become a professor thrust into a marriage she hardly wanted carrying on her shoulders, quite stubbornly, a secret she chooses to suffer alone. Her characterization is almost poetic.
3. The harsh but funny truth of middle class daily life: This hit me hard man. And close to home. Without giving out spoilers, I will tell you this that if as a kid you knew the humiliation of borrowing at a grocery shop, there are pages in this book that will tear you up. That Manu Joseph manages to say it as it is and then deliver it with humour warms my heart to know that Indian writing has come of age.
4. Love as love is in Middle class India: I won't say much but I think Manu Joseph knows what this phrase 'love failure case' means in Madras (as he prefers to calls Chennai). Stuff Google can't turn up with a researched article on but a young man in Chennai probably would.
What I did not like:
Who am I to say anything about this master? This book is almost perfect in my eyes in achieving what it intended to do. There were a few thing though that I think weren't perfect or bit out of whack but then I guess Unni Chacko would have understood.
March 17, 2022
A great second novel from the irreverent and stunningly original Manu Joseph. It is set in 1980s Madras and at its center is a Malayali Christian family. The elder son Unni Chacko, a talented graphic novelist has committed suicide at a young age. His father Ouseph is an alcoholic journalist who is relentless in his pursuit of the reason behind his son's suicide. Mariamma, his wife wants him dead even as she desperately runs a household and tries to hold on to her sanity. Thoma the younger son is pining for the love of Mythili Balakrishnan, a beautiful neighbor but he is struggling with all sorts of fears and insecurities.
Much of the novel is about Ouseph's investigation into the reason behind his son's suicide. Manu Joseph creates an cast of outstanding supporting characters - which include Unni's classmates who range from the intelligent to the clueless and the lost, a nun, a neuroscientist, eccentric cartoonists and a paedophilic teacher. All these characters are interviewed by Ouseph during his investigation and those were the best parts of the book for me. It really works well as a mystery novel but there is a lot more to it than Ouseph Chacko's investigation.
Like in his first novel Serious Men, there is a very interesting paranormal element in The Illicit Happiness Of Other People. The eccentric Unni Chacko believes there is a "Syndicate of Life" that deliberately destroys and misleads the truly enlightened people - the ones who know what is really going on. The mysterious neuroscientist known as Psycho and Soman Pillai (Unni's best friend who never goes out of his room) and their interactions with Ouseph not only emphasizes the novel's paranormal and philosophical themes but make for some pulsating reading. They are a testimony to Manu Joseph's brilliant imagination and interest in a wide variety of topics.
The dark side of male sexual desire is one of the novel's major themes. Ouseph wonders whether every male has committed a sexual crime at some point or the other in his life. Manu himself has made some barbs at Indian male feminists on Twitter and in his columns. I suspect Manu might have been inspired more than a bit by J.M.Coetzee's Disgrace in his treatment of male sexuality. In fact, a plot point in this book is quite similar to the one in Disgrace. The novel is also peppered with memorable and sharp observations about Indian society - like Malayali alcoholics, how Indians drive, Tamil Nadu politics, the Indian education system and middle class attitudes of the 1980s.
I was also reminded of Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red. Like in that book where descriptions of paintings and miniatures form an important part of the narrative, there are lengthy descriptions of Unni Chacko's graphic novels at various points and this slows down the narrative at times. Ouseph tries to determine whether there are clues embedded in Unni's cartoons that would help solve the mystery around his suicide.
I think Manu Joseph is a truly unique writer. The kind of writer whose public persona and output makes you want to read every word that he has ever written. There are very few like him. I am sure the people who read his cheeky columns for Mint and the older ones for Outlook, Open and Times of India know what I am talking about.
Much of the novel is about Ouseph's investigation into the reason behind his son's suicide. Manu Joseph creates an cast of outstanding supporting characters - which include Unni's classmates who range from the intelligent to the clueless and the lost, a nun, a neuroscientist, eccentric cartoonists and a paedophilic teacher. All these characters are interviewed by Ouseph during his investigation and those were the best parts of the book for me. It really works well as a mystery novel but there is a lot more to it than Ouseph Chacko's investigation.
Like in his first novel Serious Men, there is a very interesting paranormal element in The Illicit Happiness Of Other People. The eccentric Unni Chacko believes there is a "Syndicate of Life" that deliberately destroys and misleads the truly enlightened people - the ones who know what is really going on. The mysterious neuroscientist known as Psycho and Soman Pillai (Unni's best friend who never goes out of his room) and their interactions with Ouseph not only emphasizes the novel's paranormal and philosophical themes but make for some pulsating reading. They are a testimony to Manu Joseph's brilliant imagination and interest in a wide variety of topics.
The dark side of male sexual desire is one of the novel's major themes. Ouseph wonders whether every male has committed a sexual crime at some point or the other in his life. Manu himself has made some barbs at Indian male feminists on Twitter and in his columns. I suspect Manu might have been inspired more than a bit by J.M.Coetzee's Disgrace in his treatment of male sexuality. In fact, a plot point in this book is quite similar to the one in Disgrace. The novel is also peppered with memorable and sharp observations about Indian society - like Malayali alcoholics, how Indians drive, Tamil Nadu politics, the Indian education system and middle class attitudes of the 1980s.
I was also reminded of Orhan Pamuk's My Name is Red. Like in that book where descriptions of paintings and miniatures form an important part of the narrative, there are lengthy descriptions of Unni Chacko's graphic novels at various points and this slows down the narrative at times. Ouseph tries to determine whether there are clues embedded in Unni's cartoons that would help solve the mystery around his suicide.
I think Manu Joseph is a truly unique writer. The kind of writer whose public persona and output makes you want to read every word that he has ever written. There are very few like him. I am sure the people who read his cheeky columns for Mint and the older ones for Outlook, Open and Times of India know what I am talking about.
June 6, 2020
TW: suicide, mental illness, ableism
Before I started this book I was vaguely under the impression that once upon a time Manu Joseph used to be a sharp and insightful journalist, until he drank the sanghi kool aid and became a full fledged apologist for fascism. Turns out he was always this annoying. If you'd like to skip the rest, read this article by Asim Ali instead, written in response to Joseph's facile piece about the riots in Delhi.
For anyone unfamiliar with indian politics, Manu Joseph can usually be found defending the Modi government, endlessly debating the semantics of oppression, and writing op eds for middle aged men to quote so they can feel superior to their wives. His novel The Illicit Happiness of Other People is much the same. The sly ironic tone never varies. The stream of gently condescending philosophy is relentless. What is life? What is morality? Why did Unni do what he did? The point of this novel is not in providing answers, it's the journey. Or some such thing.
Joseph is undeniably a talented writer. Even as I despaired ever starting this book I could admire his clever turn of phrase. His writing, in fact, lays bare his disdain for women, the working class, queer people, the weak and oppressed, anyone who annoyed him that week. It's satire, he will say loftily, when questioned, forgetting that the function of satire is to punch up, while he always punches down. In between ranting about the communist party, he smugly mocks everyone for having beliefs, not having beliefs, being happy, being unhappy, having dreams, not having dreams, caring, not caring. You will never be as smart as Manu Joseph, nor as enlightened. You will never comprehend his genius. Imagine my lack of surprise when this book was revealed, in a plot twist I saw coming a mile away, to be about an incel, probably written by an incel. Joseph, after all, is the edgiest edgelord to ever edge.
He said in an interview once that this book is semi autobiographical. As a teenager a friend of his died by falling (or jumping) off a building. I don't know which of his characters he relates to most. Perhaps it is Unni himself. This book is sure to be loved by all the misunderstood intellectuals.
Before I started this book I was vaguely under the impression that once upon a time Manu Joseph used to be a sharp and insightful journalist, until he drank the sanghi kool aid and became a full fledged apologist for fascism. Turns out he was always this annoying. If you'd like to skip the rest, read this article by Asim Ali instead, written in response to Joseph's facile piece about the riots in Delhi.
For anyone unfamiliar with indian politics, Manu Joseph can usually be found defending the Modi government, endlessly debating the semantics of oppression, and writing op eds for middle aged men to quote so they can feel superior to their wives. His novel The Illicit Happiness of Other People is much the same. The sly ironic tone never varies. The stream of gently condescending philosophy is relentless. What is life? What is morality? Why did Unni do what he did? The point of this novel is not in providing answers, it's the journey. Or some such thing.
Joseph is undeniably a talented writer. Even as I despaired ever starting this book I could admire his clever turn of phrase. His writing, in fact, lays bare his disdain for women, the working class, queer people, the weak and oppressed, anyone who annoyed him that week. It's satire, he will say loftily, when questioned, forgetting that the function of satire is to punch up, while he always punches down. In between ranting about the communist party, he smugly mocks everyone for having beliefs, not having beliefs, being happy, being unhappy, having dreams, not having dreams, caring, not caring. You will never be as smart as Manu Joseph, nor as enlightened. You will never comprehend his genius. Imagine my lack of surprise when this book was revealed, in a plot twist I saw coming a mile away, to be about an incel, probably written by an incel. Joseph, after all, is the edgiest edgelord to ever edge.
He said in an interview once that this book is semi autobiographical. As a teenager a friend of his died by falling (or jumping) off a building. I don't know which of his characters he relates to most. Perhaps it is Unni himself. This book is sure to be loved by all the misunderstood intellectuals.
January 23, 2015
A great start to my 2015 Indian Book challenge. This was one book that I relished from beginning to end. It was so different, so eccentric and full of dark humor and satire, with eccentric and individualistic characters. The narration mesmerized me, made me contemplate ( a rare feat), and I almost became a part of the folie a deux. The plot revolves around the suicide of Unni Chacko, a 17 year old precocious thinker, who leaves behind a grieving younger brother Thoma, perhaps the most sane character in the whole book, parents who are at logger heads, and distinct in their own ways - alcoholic father who loudly abuses all and sundry each night, and a raving mad (with gaps of chilling sanity) mother, who talks to the house and walls. Their next door neighbour, the 16 year old Mythili, who was 13 when Unni died, is also an interesting character. There are many others too, but the book revolves around Unni's suicide and the quest of the family in search of the cause thereof. I sympathized with all, especially Thoma, my favourite. I lived the colony life of the dusty Madras middle class society, I laughed and cried with them, and I was always echoing Unni's family - Oh, Unni, why, why, why??? I met his various friends, even visited a psychiatry professor. I doubted the existence of universe and God, and I was for one moment scared of that blasphemy.
This is one book which I will read again, perhaps savoring each line, and digging for the hidden meaning behind the sentences.
I got another Indian author to admire and gush about, who showed me the depths to which human curiosity and behavior can delve into.
This is one book which I will read again, perhaps savoring each line, and digging for the hidden meaning behind the sentences.
I got another Indian author to admire and gush about, who showed me the depths to which human curiosity and behavior can delve into.
September 29, 2012
Reading this book, Manu Joseph seems at once a discovery and an old friend for Indian writing in English. He has a witty style, adding meticulously observed details that make it unputdownable. But I found that all the characters towards the end had Ousep's or Unni's narrative style, more or less. So, as the extra-ordinary became plausible, the characters themselves started to evaporate into one homogenous personality. This even made me re-think the plot. Maybe there is really only one boy, Unni and all other boys are confabulations of the distraught father to resurrect him from the dead- but no, it seems that is not the case.
Secondly, the plot does not end with a believable enough reason for the question "why" that gets us going from page 1. It seems odd that the end affirmed the popular vote that it was indeed a suicide, rather than end as a tribute to the cartoonist- as a simple accident, a laughable one, even. It would have been commendable that Unni got the last laugh even as his father kept digging for a reason...as the last para seems to suggest. So, reconciliation of the plot was somehow forced and didn't agree well with the protagonists' (all the Chackos) stance. Somehow I feel they were denied that bit of relief when they could well have had it.
On the whole, a great and timely effort. Just wish it ended differently, giving less into adult cynicism and more to adolescent naivete, with the bravado of accidental heroes.
Secondly, the plot does not end with a believable enough reason for the question "why" that gets us going from page 1. It seems odd that the end affirmed the popular vote that it was indeed a suicide, rather than end as a tribute to the cartoonist- as a simple accident, a laughable one, even. It would have been commendable that Unni got the last laugh even as his father kept digging for a reason...as the last para seems to suggest. So, reconciliation of the plot was somehow forced and didn't agree well with the protagonists' (all the Chackos) stance. Somehow I feel they were denied that bit of relief when they could well have had it.
On the whole, a great and timely effort. Just wish it ended differently, giving less into adult cynicism and more to adolescent naivete, with the bravado of accidental heroes.
September 6, 2016
Rare combination of creative complex ideas entwined within a very simple plot - A curious father trying to unearth the reason for his son's suicide.
"This is how people resolve suicides - by considering it a consequence of unbearable grief or by manufacturing motives. Or through the inordinate importance given to the final note of the dead, which is usually only a confused half-truth."
Take a bow Manu Joseph, for giving us superb characters.... especially Unni Chacko. What a brilliant character in a 17 year old witty student, cartoonist, leader, philosopher, keen observer, brimming with life and ironically commiting suicide.
"No matter what their delusions are, parents do not really know their children."
All chapter titles are enigmatically designed such that the moment you reach towards the end, you realise its apt meaning. True that for the book's title as well :)
Immensely enjoyed this gem of a book. Intelligent writing. Highly recommended.
"This is how people resolve suicides - by considering it a consequence of unbearable grief or by manufacturing motives. Or through the inordinate importance given to the final note of the dead, which is usually only a confused half-truth."
Take a bow Manu Joseph, for giving us superb characters.... especially Unni Chacko. What a brilliant character in a 17 year old witty student, cartoonist, leader, philosopher, keen observer, brimming with life and ironically commiting suicide.
"No matter what their delusions are, parents do not really know their children."
All chapter titles are enigmatically designed such that the moment you reach towards the end, you realise its apt meaning. True that for the book's title as well :)
Immensely enjoyed this gem of a book. Intelligent writing. Highly recommended.
December 1, 2012
Manu Joseph's first novel, 'Serious Men' was a satirical one on India's elite scientific institutions. Just a year later, he has come up with this second one, which is an absorbing psychological thriller. I liked this one much better than 'Serious men', as the main characters are deep, intriguing and strong personalities, making you look forward to what they would do next. The novel is set in the southern Indian city of Madras in the late 1980s and has splendidly funny, sharp and perceptive observations on the Tamil residents of Madras and their preoccupations. It has got good suspense and grabs your interest and attention all the way.
Unni Chacko is at the center of the novel but he was already dead three years before the novel even starts. He was a seventeen-year old boy who expressed his comprehension of the world and pursuit of truth through his cartoons. But Unni commits suicide by jumping off from the top floor of his building without leaving a note or telling anyone close to him about the reasons behind his intentions to take his own life.
Ousep Chacko, Unni's father and a somewhat failed and drunken journalist, sets about trying to unravel the mystery behind 'why Unni killed himself'. The novel is all about his gradual discovery of who Unni really was, what consumed his thoughts, what company he kept and how he came to end his life. Unni's mother Mariamma is portrayed with care and love as a fascinating and troubled personality, a middle-class housewife of Madras in the 80s, who constantly lets out her frustrations by talking and gesticulating to the kitchen wall. She has much baggage from her childhood in Kerala and is the long-suffering wife of Ousep and a loving mother. The story follows Unni's brief life in search of what he believed to be the Ultimate Truth. We are taken through a maze of the many psychological posers that Unni and his buddy Somen Pillai create before arriving at the reason behind Unni's decision to commit suicide.
The persona of Unni is beautifully developed through the recollections of his mother, his friends and the neighborhood girl, Mythili. The author seems to have done substantial research talking to neuro-scientists about the nature of mental disorders. One of the central themes running through the book is the possibility that the pursuit of Truth, in most cases, could be just a mental disorder and Enlightenment , just a schizophrenic condition!
There are many incisive and funny observations on Madras and its inhabitants all through the book. There are also some profound statements about Life and Truth coming from Unni.
For example, at one point, Unni elaborates his theory on how ordinary men manage to cast such a spell on women who are much cleverer than him. He says: ' ...the fundamental quality of a delusion is that it is contagious. The very purpose of every delusion is to transmit itself to other brains. That is how a delusion survives. On the other hand, truth can never be transmitted. It does not travel from one brain to another. Movement is a quality of delusion alone....'
Elsewhere, the neuroscientist Dr.Iyengar says, '….the society of neuroscientists would admit that all evidence points to the fact that God is a figment of man's delusion, yet believers in God, who form most of humanity, cannot be considered delusional. This is a ridiculous position....'
I enjoyed reading the book immensely and believe that Manu Joseph is one of the most promising writers in English emerging from India. I look forward to his future works.
Unni Chacko is at the center of the novel but he was already dead three years before the novel even starts. He was a seventeen-year old boy who expressed his comprehension of the world and pursuit of truth through his cartoons. But Unni commits suicide by jumping off from the top floor of his building without leaving a note or telling anyone close to him about the reasons behind his intentions to take his own life.
Ousep Chacko, Unni's father and a somewhat failed and drunken journalist, sets about trying to unravel the mystery behind 'why Unni killed himself'. The novel is all about his gradual discovery of who Unni really was, what consumed his thoughts, what company he kept and how he came to end his life. Unni's mother Mariamma is portrayed with care and love as a fascinating and troubled personality, a middle-class housewife of Madras in the 80s, who constantly lets out her frustrations by talking and gesticulating to the kitchen wall. She has much baggage from her childhood in Kerala and is the long-suffering wife of Ousep and a loving mother. The story follows Unni's brief life in search of what he believed to be the Ultimate Truth. We are taken through a maze of the many psychological posers that Unni and his buddy Somen Pillai create before arriving at the reason behind Unni's decision to commit suicide.
The persona of Unni is beautifully developed through the recollections of his mother, his friends and the neighborhood girl, Mythili. The author seems to have done substantial research talking to neuro-scientists about the nature of mental disorders. One of the central themes running through the book is the possibility that the pursuit of Truth, in most cases, could be just a mental disorder and Enlightenment , just a schizophrenic condition!
There are many incisive and funny observations on Madras and its inhabitants all through the book. There are also some profound statements about Life and Truth coming from Unni.
For example, at one point, Unni elaborates his theory on how ordinary men manage to cast such a spell on women who are much cleverer than him. He says: ' ...the fundamental quality of a delusion is that it is contagious. The very purpose of every delusion is to transmit itself to other brains. That is how a delusion survives. On the other hand, truth can never be transmitted. It does not travel from one brain to another. Movement is a quality of delusion alone....'
Elsewhere, the neuroscientist Dr.Iyengar says, '….the society of neuroscientists would admit that all evidence points to the fact that God is a figment of man's delusion, yet believers in God, who form most of humanity, cannot be considered delusional. This is a ridiculous position....'
I enjoyed reading the book immensely and believe that Manu Joseph is one of the most promising writers in English emerging from India. I look forward to his future works.
April 25, 2018
A deeply disturbing book to read.. It is depressing to read about deaths, especially suicides.
This is about Ousep chacko, an alcoholic father, who goes is search of the reason for his son Unni chacko's suicide. in this journey he learns about his seventeen year old son many details which he didn't know when he was alive. Loved unni's cartoons and empathused with thoma, unni's brother..
Parents never really understand their children.. Thats my most important takeaway from this book.
Wonderful writing and it was unput-downable towards the second half..!!
Thanks Gorab for such a wonderful reco... The recommendations I'm getting this year are mostly hits.. :-D
This is about Ousep chacko, an alcoholic father, who goes is search of the reason for his son Unni chacko's suicide. in this journey he learns about his seventeen year old son many details which he didn't know when he was alive. Loved unni's cartoons and empathused with thoma, unni's brother..
Parents never really understand their children.. Thats my most important takeaway from this book.
Wonderful writing and it was unput-downable towards the second half..!!
Thanks Gorab for such a wonderful reco... The recommendations I'm getting this year are mostly hits.. :-D
July 14, 2016
This book made me write my first ever review on Goodreads. The book is about a father's quest to know why his son did what he did. Each character had its own story which was beautifully woven in the plot. Full of dark humor and satire.
August 6, 2016
Ousep Chacko, according to Mariamma Chacko, is the kind of man who has to be killed at the end of a story. But he knows that she is not very sure about this sometimes, especially in the mornings.
That was a solid opening to this tale. Couldn't have expected for a better opening. The thing I've realized about Manu Joseph's storytelling: he is exceptionally good at drawing the reader's attention. He belongs to the league of amazing authors who are remarkable at introducing the characters, adding the mystery, setting the environment, and easing the readers into the narration. If Serious Men made me chuckle, then The Illicit Happiness of Other People gave me the blues. This too, just like all the books I liked, made me regret not completing the book in one sitting.
It is the misanthrope alone who has clarity. By standing outside the huddles of man, he sees a lot, and what he often sees is the evidence that people are not as smart as dogs think they are. And he wants to see it time and again. In the fog of ambiguities and mysteries, he desperately searches for truths because truth usually shows humanity in a poor light.
Found myself thinking about this book the next day at work due to the incredible substance of the story. The mystery of why Unni did what he did, kept me puzzling. However, when the mystery was revealed, it turned out to be a typical Indian-Cinema-Melodrama, and ultimately the ending looked ridiculous and absurd because the narration kept me anticipated for an extraordinary finish. Only, later when I was thinking about the story, I realized how the intuitiveness of certain people is often easier to understand than those who are comprehensive and intriguing. In regard to this very aesthetic attribute, the ending seemed reasonable.
The world cannot be conned so easily by frauds. Great god-men are great because they really believe they are holy. And all our gods, Ousep, are not lies. They existed. All our gods, from the beginning of time, have been men with psychiatric conditions. And their delusions were so deep, they passed them on. God and believer were then locked in the Folly of Two, they still are.
Excellent prose with genuine observations, ironical characterizations, and editing are the standout aspects of this book. Absorbing and affecting books with artistic prose should come with a warning. Damn! I gotta man-up and read me some grit.
June 7, 2016
Illicit Happiness
To me, a good book is always the one that inflicts a change in me. It could be positive, negative or even something which is neutral, but if it changes anything within me, it is good enough. The Illicit Happiness of Other People is a strange book. I know it's a good one, because it definitely changed something inside me. It's difficult to explain what, but I know, after I turned the last page, I was changed.
It's a story about how a father, tries to find a good reason to believe that his son's suicide was had an honorable motive; and at the same time, coping with his wife's psychological problems. Ousep Chacko has turned into a failure ever since his son, Unni Chacko killed himself three years earlier, and due to the misfortune imposed upon them, good wife, Mariamma is trying to kill him. Along with this Thoma Chacko, his only living son is trying to come in terms with his strange family and his love for his next door neighbour.
The story, is primarily told from three different point of views: Ousep, Mariamma, Thoma and Mythili, their neighbor. Each of them tries to find a reason to why Unni killed himself. They each have something to hide, and each of them tries their best to keep it hidden. What starts a desperate attempt for Ousep turns into a whole new revelation and along the investigation, as he talks to various friends and acquaintances related to Unni, he began to see his son in a whole new light. Each of them had a similar, yet entirely new approach to Unni's personality, which, in some way or the other, could have had an impact on Unni's suicide.
I love how the story takes form. It starts with a picture of how strange the Chacko family is. Slowly, we begin to understand what Unni was like, although his personality is scrutinised in every way possible, throughout the book. It is followed by each character's thoughts and views on Unni as well as each other. Eventually, things are out in the open, and each character tries to accept other's flaws and light is slightly seen in their lives. Throughout, the investigation behind Unni's suicide is carried on, bringing about shocking incidents which helps us understand better about Unni. I have never read anything so perfectly dissected and so beautifully presented.
I don't think this story would have had the same impact on me if it were written by any other author. Manu Joseph's way of getting the plot out and then weaving plot into a well written story is simply brilliant. He knows what he's writing and that is why this was a success. There was a sense of thoroughness in this book and I do not think, he would have been able to make one mistake. This is my first time reading his work and I'm not stopping at it.
To describe the book in one word, I would say phenomenal. It talks about happiness and life in a way nobody has ever talked about. It treads the path that is rarely taken. I cannot describe what is the underlying idea behind the book. I would recommended that you read the book. But I can guarantee you one thing: it is not going to disappoint you.
To me, a good book is always the one that inflicts a change in me. It could be positive, negative or even something which is neutral, but if it changes anything within me, it is good enough. The Illicit Happiness of Other People is a strange book. I know it's a good one, because it definitely changed something inside me. It's difficult to explain what, but I know, after I turned the last page, I was changed.
It's a story about how a father, tries to find a good reason to believe that his son's suicide was had an honorable motive; and at the same time, coping with his wife's psychological problems. Ousep Chacko has turned into a failure ever since his son, Unni Chacko killed himself three years earlier, and due to the misfortune imposed upon them, good wife, Mariamma is trying to kill him. Along with this Thoma Chacko, his only living son is trying to come in terms with his strange family and his love for his next door neighbour.
The story, is primarily told from three different point of views: Ousep, Mariamma, Thoma and Mythili, their neighbor. Each of them tries to find a reason to why Unni killed himself. They each have something to hide, and each of them tries their best to keep it hidden. What starts a desperate attempt for Ousep turns into a whole new revelation and along the investigation, as he talks to various friends and acquaintances related to Unni, he began to see his son in a whole new light. Each of them had a similar, yet entirely new approach to Unni's personality, which, in some way or the other, could have had an impact on Unni's suicide.
I love how the story takes form. It starts with a picture of how strange the Chacko family is. Slowly, we begin to understand what Unni was like, although his personality is scrutinised in every way possible, throughout the book. It is followed by each character's thoughts and views on Unni as well as each other. Eventually, things are out in the open, and each character tries to accept other's flaws and light is slightly seen in their lives. Throughout, the investigation behind Unni's suicide is carried on, bringing about shocking incidents which helps us understand better about Unni. I have never read anything so perfectly dissected and so beautifully presented.
I don't think this story would have had the same impact on me if it were written by any other author. Manu Joseph's way of getting the plot out and then weaving plot into a well written story is simply brilliant. He knows what he's writing and that is why this was a success. There was a sense of thoroughness in this book and I do not think, he would have been able to make one mistake. This is my first time reading his work and I'm not stopping at it.
To describe the book in one word, I would say phenomenal. It talks about happiness and life in a way nobody has ever talked about. It treads the path that is rarely taken. I cannot describe what is the underlying idea behind the book. I would recommended that you read the book. But I can guarantee you one thing: it is not going to disappoint you.
March 17, 2018
The first few pages were sort of depressing or too cynical for me and I wasn't sure of my choice. But it was a unputdownable read for me and I completed it with very few breaks, the longest one being at about 94% when I had to force shut my eyes and sleep.
The setting was familiar, the place and the schooling at 90s. It was a nostalgic read bringing back memories of a few drunken neighbours of the likes of Ousep, two suicides, the entrance exam preparations, the political climate of the city then. It was like living with the Chacko family, watching them so closely, laughing and crying with them... contrary to the last book I read, couldn't hate any of the characters.
A very simple plot but lots of facts and mystery elements, cynicism and dark humour, and finally the end that struck so hard and still hovers over me... why Unni? Why?
The setting was familiar, the place and the schooling at 90s. It was a nostalgic read bringing back memories of a few drunken neighbours of the likes of Ousep, two suicides, the entrance exam preparations, the political climate of the city then. It was like living with the Chacko family, watching them so closely, laughing and crying with them... contrary to the last book I read, couldn't hate any of the characters.
A very simple plot but lots of facts and mystery elements, cynicism and dark humour, and finally the end that struck so hard and still hovers over me... why Unni? Why?
August 30, 2020
I had liked Manu Joseph's "Serious Men" because of many reasons - for the way he'd sketched out even the most 'insignificant' of characters, for the biting humour, for the way he managed to make me accept a near fantastic story for real - to name a few.
In all those respects, I liked his second book even more! It's been a while since a writer made me laugh (yes, LOL) on one page, and then forced me to ponder eternal questions or given me a poignant moment on the very next page! The author's remarkable powers of observation shines in this book as he portrays even stereotypes with tremendous flair. That goes for the city of Chennai as well - playing a subtle role on some occasions and offering a more in-your-face shade on others. From a silent nun to a neuro-scientist, every character despite extreme quirkiness, is believable.
Handsome, brilliant, happy Unni Chacko did something terrible, and his journalist father Ousep wants to know why. Ousep feels Unni's cartoons hold the key, and goes about investigating them battling penury, alcoholism and abuse. This also leads him further into Unni's life - his friends, his thoughts and philosophy, his relationships. In the meanwhile, his once-brilliant wife Mariamma, who has allowed circumstances to push her into talking to walls and long dead people, is constantly scheming to kill him. The beyond dysfunctional family is completed by Thoma, his second son. Unni's character is developed superbly through the perspectives of others, including the girl next door Mythili, and his cartoon works are profound in themselves. The author's affection for his main characters is evident - because despite their faults and idiosyncrasies, the reader would end up feeling for them, and their plight. Ousep's search for answers takes him from the dreary routines of the daily life to philosophical, moral and psychological planes, creating a vast canvas.
It is difficult to bracket this work into a specific genre. It is many things - a thriller, a sharp commentary on society, culture and religion, a dark comedy with a wicked take on existence and morality, a poignant human story and sometimes, even a profound look at the mystery that is life and the human search for truth. It is a remarkable book, and very easily goes into my favourites!
PS: There are two Malayalam movies this book reminded me of - Sphadikam for the name Thoma Chacko and the cutting of shirt sleeves; Kathavasheshan for the theme - the flashback from a suicide and the search for the reason, and yes, in a very loose way, the reason itself.
In all those respects, I liked his second book even more! It's been a while since a writer made me laugh (yes, LOL) on one page, and then forced me to ponder eternal questions or given me a poignant moment on the very next page! The author's remarkable powers of observation shines in this book as he portrays even stereotypes with tremendous flair. That goes for the city of Chennai as well - playing a subtle role on some occasions and offering a more in-your-face shade on others. From a silent nun to a neuro-scientist, every character despite extreme quirkiness, is believable.
Handsome, brilliant, happy Unni Chacko did something terrible, and his journalist father Ousep wants to know why. Ousep feels Unni's cartoons hold the key, and goes about investigating them battling penury, alcoholism and abuse. This also leads him further into Unni's life - his friends, his thoughts and philosophy, his relationships. In the meanwhile, his once-brilliant wife Mariamma, who has allowed circumstances to push her into talking to walls and long dead people, is constantly scheming to kill him. The beyond dysfunctional family is completed by Thoma, his second son. Unni's character is developed superbly through the perspectives of others, including the girl next door Mythili, and his cartoon works are profound in themselves. The author's affection for his main characters is evident - because despite their faults and idiosyncrasies, the reader would end up feeling for them, and their plight. Ousep's search for answers takes him from the dreary routines of the daily life to philosophical, moral and psychological planes, creating a vast canvas.
It is difficult to bracket this work into a specific genre. It is many things - a thriller, a sharp commentary on society, culture and religion, a dark comedy with a wicked take on existence and morality, a poignant human story and sometimes, even a profound look at the mystery that is life and the human search for truth. It is a remarkable book, and very easily goes into my favourites!
PS: There are two Malayalam movies this book reminded me of - Sphadikam for the name Thoma Chacko and the cutting of shirt sleeves; Kathavasheshan for the theme - the flashback from a suicide and the search for the reason, and yes, in a very loose way, the reason itself.
May 25, 2021
It's hard to pigeonhole this brilliant book into one particular genre or category. It's as much a psychological thriller as it is a poignant piece of dramatic fiction with dry and remarkable humour in unanticipated places.
The story, set in Madras of the late '80s, traces the lives of the Chacko's, a Malayali Catholic family, dealing with the loss of their firstborn son, Unni Chacko. The plot progresses as the patriarch of the family, Ousep Chacko, receives new evidence surrounding the mystery of his child's death thereby setting him to resume an otherwise abandoned investigation. It's through this whydunnit journey that the author cleverly unravels the life of the protagonist's seemingly brilliant son and everyone dear to him, eventually leading us to the mystery of his death. The Illicit Happiness of Other People comes together as a literary masterpiece layered with dark comedy, sophisticated social commentary, humorous analogies, moral and philosophical quandaries of a layperson, psychological mysteries and the chagrin born out of its beautifully fleshed-out characters.
Manu Joseph's narrative style is exemplary, endearing and intelligent. It takes an extraordinary writer to bring into context different philosophies and psychological theories in a simplified tone and seamlessly follow it up with intense jocularity. It makes the reader wonder if it's his way of highlighting the core of his plot on a meta-level. Every page is splashed with thought-provoking sentences and humorous observations of the human psyche.
Both the book and the author are a revelation and as you read, you realise that at the heart of this story is a moral tragedy, which is a constant reminder that some things, even after the passing of decades still remain the same. Highly recommended!
P.S: Thank you for this wonderful recommendation, Anirud! :)
The story, set in Madras of the late '80s, traces the lives of the Chacko's, a Malayali Catholic family, dealing with the loss of their firstborn son, Unni Chacko. The plot progresses as the patriarch of the family, Ousep Chacko, receives new evidence surrounding the mystery of his child's death thereby setting him to resume an otherwise abandoned investigation. It's through this whydunnit journey that the author cleverly unravels the life of the protagonist's seemingly brilliant son and everyone dear to him, eventually leading us to the mystery of his death. The Illicit Happiness of Other People comes together as a literary masterpiece layered with dark comedy, sophisticated social commentary, humorous analogies, moral and philosophical quandaries of a layperson, psychological mysteries and the chagrin born out of its beautifully fleshed-out characters.
Manu Joseph's narrative style is exemplary, endearing and intelligent. It takes an extraordinary writer to bring into context different philosophies and psychological theories in a simplified tone and seamlessly follow it up with intense jocularity. It makes the reader wonder if it's his way of highlighting the core of his plot on a meta-level. Every page is splashed with thought-provoking sentences and humorous observations of the human psyche.
Both the book and the author are a revelation and as you read, you realise that at the heart of this story is a moral tragedy, which is a constant reminder that some things, even after the passing of decades still remain the same. Highly recommended!
P.S: Thank you for this wonderful recommendation, Anirud! :)
September 23, 2012
Mass delusions. Cartoons. Teenagers at the cusp of adulthood. An investigative father who is also a drunkard journalist. A schizophrenic mother. A day dreaming, timid young boy. A pretty girl next door. Typical curious middle class residents, resigned happily to their humdrum lives. A patriarch in psychiatry. Madras. Syrian Catholics. Kerala.
These key subplots revolve around the whydunnit suicide of a philosphically minded teen cartoonist who is in attitude and behaviour, stronger and wiser than most.
Great stuff. One of the few books which grip you like a thriller while dealing with a more profound satirical commentary on societal expectations, hypocrisies and the place of the individual and his needs in it. Thoroughly enjoyable.
These key subplots revolve around the whydunnit suicide of a philosphically minded teen cartoonist who is in attitude and behaviour, stronger and wiser than most.
Great stuff. One of the few books which grip you like a thriller while dealing with a more profound satirical commentary on societal expectations, hypocrisies and the place of the individual and his needs in it. Thoroughly enjoyable.
October 30, 2017
My first book by Manu Joseph, an author that I had been meaning to start reading since ages. I dived into the book knowing very little of what it's about or its setting; all I had for context was that it's a highly recommended read. This worked well in my favour as it allowed the book to *wow* me by catching me off guard.
The book is essentially some of the finest contemporary Indian writing that I have read, the kind of writing that doesn't try too hard to be beautiful or witty. It tells a story and does it well. The book handles it's themes of adolescence and coming of age, of mental health and of grief very maturely. The characters are well fleshed out and the author manages to draw them such that the reader has an instant connect to them. You share their grief and you revel in their small victories. Most importantly, you accept them for who they are, flaws and all. The setting of the book and the way it builds up is incredible and the author deserves full credit for keeping me thoroughly invested in the book and the characters throughout the book making its a brisk and enjoyable read.
All I would say is for people to not give this book a miss. I will withhold from divulging too much about the book as it deserves to be read like this.
The book is essentially some of the finest contemporary Indian writing that I have read, the kind of writing that doesn't try too hard to be beautiful or witty. It tells a story and does it well. The book handles it's themes of adolescence and coming of age, of mental health and of grief very maturely. The characters are well fleshed out and the author manages to draw them such that the reader has an instant connect to them. You share their grief and you revel in their small victories. Most importantly, you accept them for who they are, flaws and all. The setting of the book and the way it builds up is incredible and the author deserves full credit for keeping me thoroughly invested in the book and the characters throughout the book making its a brisk and enjoyable read.
All I would say is for people to not give this book a miss. I will withhold from divulging too much about the book as it deserves to be read like this.
April 24, 2017
Brilliant stuff. The humor is wry, intelligent and incisive. Starts of as a harmless satire, but then turns into this really intense drama that weaves psychiatry, neuroscience and philosophy into its fold.
The characters are all too real. The body language, idiosyncrasies, all the bearings of a typical Malayalee Catholic family (shout-out to my favorite, the endearingly stupid and adorable Thoma Chacko here).
For those of you who have read Sense of an Ending, would feel an uncanny resemblance between Adrian Finn (from the same) and Unni Chacko (the protagonist in Illicit Happiness)- both precociously intelligent with an ability to make people feel vastly inferior for their ordinariness- ultimately end up doing something stupid which a superior breed like them would be never imagined to do. And the rest of the plot unfolds to solve that mystery.
On a closing note, Manu Joseph- the man is an absolute riot! Such scathing, merciless, intelligent prose. He will have have you from the word go.
The characters are all too real. The body language, idiosyncrasies, all the bearings of a typical Malayalee Catholic family (shout-out to my favorite, the endearingly stupid and adorable Thoma Chacko here).
For those of you who have read Sense of an Ending, would feel an uncanny resemblance between Adrian Finn (from the same) and Unni Chacko (the protagonist in Illicit Happiness)- both precociously intelligent with an ability to make people feel vastly inferior for their ordinariness- ultimately end up doing something stupid which a superior breed like them would be never imagined to do. And the rest of the plot unfolds to solve that mystery.
On a closing note, Manu Joseph- the man is an absolute riot! Such scathing, merciless, intelligent prose. He will have have you from the word go.
June 14, 2021
I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. The prose started with the death of a seventeen year old boy and the story is a cathartic pursuit of the reason for this death, by his parents. I credit the writer for creating a good tragedy- an alcoholic household in poverty. At times, the prose was very realistic and sad; the imageries quite vivid. I also however felt that this was achieved at the cost of few quips that the writer attempted every now and then.
While I could appreciate the tragedy, it had few sub-stories that need not have gotten as much attention as it did and felt anti-climactic. I ended up not caring about the reason for the death and the mystery did not quite hold up. Psychobabble towards the end had very broad statements and was not to my liking.
However, it is a breezy read and one can definitely appreciate the tragedy. Many a times I felt sad at the prospect of picking this book up, which is definitely a writer's win!
While I could appreciate the tragedy, it had few sub-stories that need not have gotten as much attention as it did and felt anti-climactic. I ended up not caring about the reason for the death and the mystery did not quite hold up. Psychobabble towards the end had very broad statements and was not to my liking.
However, it is a breezy read and one can definitely appreciate the tragedy. Many a times I felt sad at the prospect of picking this book up, which is definitely a writer's win!
July 4, 2017
My God!!!! This was a unique book with unique characters. This is the second book that I read where the protagonist is dead from the start but is the force of the whole story. Each character is natural starting from Ousep, Mariamma Thoma, Mythili, Somen Pillai and all the others too. There are deep delvings into human minds and just shows what a keen observer the author is.
Unni a boy of seventeen has committed suicide and his drunken father and a bit soft in the head mother do not know why. Their quest Separately turns up some of the facts of life including the fact that How little parents know their children.
Hugely impressed by the writing and the plot. Will surely read more of Manu Joseph.
Thanks Shalini for your recommendation. I would never have read this otherwise.
Unni a boy of seventeen has committed suicide and his drunken father and a bit soft in the head mother do not know why. Their quest Separately turns up some of the facts of life including the fact that How little parents know their children.
Hugely impressed by the writing and the plot. Will surely read more of Manu Joseph.
Thanks Shalini for your recommendation. I would never have read this otherwise.
February 27, 2016
The book is gripping and exciting like a thriller, yet makes you smile and ROFL at times with the 'very-malayalee' sarcasm and wit that the narrator makes.The way he 'draws' the characters into the mind, even the insignificant, is remarkable. Manu, you are a genius!
( I started reading the book while I was inside train, and completed the book in return trip. Hardly 8 hours. The book is that classic!)
( I started reading the book while I was inside train, and completed the book in return trip. Hardly 8 hours. The book is that classic!)
March 30, 2019
This book probably marks the emergence of Manu Joseph as a more confident author who decides that certain plotlines are too mainstream, choosing to say the story the way he wants it. This one is darker, more tragic and will perhaps haunt you for a time. In the author's own words, the worst kind of tragedy is the one that makes you laugh. This one does. As a footnote, may I add that I couldn't identify the appropriateness of the title even after reading the book.
Strange book.
Strange book.
February 17, 2013
Someone give this novel a Man Asian, shortlist it for a Man Booker. This is one of the best Indian novels I have read in recent times. A psychological thriller like none other, it tells the story of charming 17-year old genius cartoonist Unni Chacko, who, one day, jumps to death from his third-floor balcony. It really feels as if he is the protagonist of the book but he is not, because he is dead. And its not even a spoiler. The twist comes later. Some really idiotic review gave it away even before I read the book, so for me it didn't come as a huge surprise, but to those who don't know what the book is 'really' about, it will surely be a memorable one. The depiction of the Chacko family is a bleak one. What I mean is, living in the Chacko household may come across as the sort of living in a drunkard's cell. Three members of the Chacko family tell the story, in third person. The novel is not just about finding out why Unni did what he did, which we do find in the end, but it is also a comment on the late 80's Madras, and slyly touches the issues of the poor education system which still prevails in India. It has some very striking observations, and thinkable ideas. To describe it in a few words, it actually is a book of ideas. But these ideas are presented in such a fresh manner, you are forced to sit up and take notice. Read this book, for it will give you an insight into the 'other' side of looking at the world. And it also will, I am sure, provide you the rare satisfaction of reading literary fiction packed in mystery and thriller genre.
March 16, 2016
The book is about a family trying to make sense out of Unni Chacko's (eldest son's) suicide. It is difficult to believe this is in fact the one line story of this dark humor, philosophical weird book. And yet, Manu Joseph, pulls it off in the backdrop of 1990's apartment complex Madras with stereotypes of entrance exam preparing, middle class tamil life.
Ousep Chacko is the disconsolate father who is persistent in his quest for 'truth' not withstanding his dual personality of the sober and the drunk. Your heart goes out to Mariamma the mother who talks to walls her laments and loved Unni the way only a mother can. Thoma, the younger brother who is going through the social crisis of adolescence in a socially ostracized family. His thought process is something one can relate to. The characters with their queerness are still believable.
I found myself drifting off on a tangent with all the folle a deux, Unni's 'social experiments', the principles of thoughts and truth. Some of these parts were too heavy for a read over a coffee break, but then the cynicism and humor kicks in. The psychological elements were new to me and so interesting. The closure, not dramatic, but nonetheless satisfying. The cartoons themselves were awesome!
This book is not a light read for it's meandering musings on truth, thought and design of life. I liked the same author's Serious Men better. This is an author who is confident and trusts his reader enough to not simplify it. Refreshing!
Ousep Chacko is the disconsolate father who is persistent in his quest for 'truth' not withstanding his dual personality of the sober and the drunk. Your heart goes out to Mariamma the mother who talks to walls her laments and loved Unni the way only a mother can. Thoma, the younger brother who is going through the social crisis of adolescence in a socially ostracized family. His thought process is something one can relate to. The characters with their queerness are still believable.
I found myself drifting off on a tangent with all the folle a deux, Unni's 'social experiments', the principles of thoughts and truth. Some of these parts were too heavy for a read over a coffee break, but then the cynicism and humor kicks in. The psychological elements were new to me and so interesting. The closure, not dramatic, but nonetheless satisfying. The cartoons themselves were awesome!
This book is not a light read for it's meandering musings on truth, thought and design of life. I liked the same author's Serious Men better. This is an author who is confident and trusts his reader enough to not simplify it. Refreshing!
November 19, 2012
You remember some Sundays in, because someone significant has died, and the city you live in, is at a standstill.
You curl up with Manu Joseph's The Illicit Happiness of Other People, and you cannot stop until the end.
Your heart breaks for Mariamma.
Your heart angers for Philipoise. And the true and tragic nature of life that allows men like him to thrive.
Your heart yearns for Thoma. And, the sad-happy moments of life that make men out of boys.
Your heart saddens for Ousep.
And, your heart leaps for Unni. Idiot Unni, confused Unni, clever Unni, extraordinary Unni, Mythili and Unni, Unni…oh Unni...
Why did you do what you did?
I recommend this book. It is witty, wise and introspective.
You curl up with Manu Joseph's The Illicit Happiness of Other People, and you cannot stop until the end.
Your heart breaks for Mariamma.
Your heart angers for Philipoise. And the true and tragic nature of life that allows men like him to thrive.
Your heart yearns for Thoma. And, the sad-happy moments of life that make men out of boys.
Your heart saddens for Ousep.
And, your heart leaps for Unni. Idiot Unni, confused Unni, clever Unni, extraordinary Unni, Mythili and Unni, Unni…oh Unni...
Why did you do what you did?
I recommend this book. It is witty, wise and introspective.
May 11, 2021
Ousep Chacko, a drunkard journalist is head of a dysfunctional family with wife Mariyamma who has issues of nervous break down & a 12 year old academically dumb son, Thoma Chacko. This family sleeps in the stupor of humiliation brought home by Ousep every night & survives scoldings & profanities by Mariyamma when her nerves split abruptly.
Beholding these, Thoma doesn't dare to held his head high for the fear of awkward stares piercing him from neighborhood. Thus this Malayalam household had long lost its reputation in its sorroundings in the vast sultry city of Madras. In addition to this , the eldest son of family - Unni Chacko's mysterious suicidal death three years ago adds to their nonchalant treatment. Unni, a teenage school going boy commiting suicide without any premonition frames different opinions on him & the family.
Why did a happy & cheerful Unni who draws comics as his passionate hobby even did that ? Why did Unni did what he did!? Among many others in the world , why only Unni?
These questions haunt the family distorting their lives even further. Ousep Chacko starts investigating his son's suspicious death when he finds something now after three years of the incident. He starts piecing information by meeting many people- Unni's classmates, freinds, visiting school , church etc., tirelessly. In this tedious journey of solving jigsaw puzzle of his son's death, Ousep, an irresponsible father ever, discovers an unseen shade of Unni, his occult thoughts & his inconspicuous life altogether.
Manu Joseph has done a tremendous job & his writing is execptionally brilliant. The out of the box concepts he has dealt exhibits his in-depth research, knowledge & dexterity in the art of story telling. He has mixed a perfect potion of dark, witty & dry humour with gripping enigmatic environment in the revelations of Unni's death. He satirically points out laborious educational system and also thrusts on male sexual desires & pleasures often in his narration.
Watching a dysfunctional family closely gives a strange satisfaction to us with a sadistic sigh of relief coming out of unawares. The reason might be our family matters are not naked like them, our grouses are barricaded perfectly with four walls of lime & stone preventing from penetrating. We enjoy our morning cup of coffee instead of that extra added sugar cynically discussing their mishappenings. With our gazes & gossips, we suck them out of the little hope & confidence they are trying to muster. The author has tweaked these stealthy pains sustained by a poor, demented & dysfunctional family living amidst all 'happy' people.
What if Chacko family had had a listening ear & an inviting eye contact instead of indifferent glares, what if it had pleasing pleasantaries instead of mocking smiles, what if a couple of conversations in the gaps of their griefs!!?
They wouldn't have endured so much; they might have found solace if not a solution, a respite if not a remedy. I feel it so... isn't!?
Beholding these, Thoma doesn't dare to held his head high for the fear of awkward stares piercing him from neighborhood. Thus this Malayalam household had long lost its reputation in its sorroundings in the vast sultry city of Madras. In addition to this , the eldest son of family - Unni Chacko's mysterious suicidal death three years ago adds to their nonchalant treatment. Unni, a teenage school going boy commiting suicide without any premonition frames different opinions on him & the family.
Why did a happy & cheerful Unni who draws comics as his passionate hobby even did that ? Why did Unni did what he did!? Among many others in the world , why only Unni?
These questions haunt the family distorting their lives even further. Ousep Chacko starts investigating his son's suspicious death when he finds something now after three years of the incident. He starts piecing information by meeting many people- Unni's classmates, freinds, visiting school , church etc., tirelessly. In this tedious journey of solving jigsaw puzzle of his son's death, Ousep, an irresponsible father ever, discovers an unseen shade of Unni, his occult thoughts & his inconspicuous life altogether.
Manu Joseph has done a tremendous job & his writing is execptionally brilliant. The out of the box concepts he has dealt exhibits his in-depth research, knowledge & dexterity in the art of story telling. He has mixed a perfect potion of dark, witty & dry humour with gripping enigmatic environment in the revelations of Unni's death. He satirically points out laborious educational system and also thrusts on male sexual desires & pleasures often in his narration.
Watching a dysfunctional family closely gives a strange satisfaction to us with a sadistic sigh of relief coming out of unawares. The reason might be our family matters are not naked like them, our grouses are barricaded perfectly with four walls of lime & stone preventing from penetrating. We enjoy our morning cup of coffee instead of that extra added sugar cynically discussing their mishappenings. With our gazes & gossips, we suck them out of the little hope & confidence they are trying to muster. The author has tweaked these stealthy pains sustained by a poor, demented & dysfunctional family living amidst all 'happy' people.
What if Chacko family had had a listening ear & an inviting eye contact instead of indifferent glares, what if it had pleasing pleasantaries instead of mocking smiles, what if a couple of conversations in the gaps of their griefs!!?
They wouldn't have endured so much; they might have found solace if not a solution, a respite if not a remedy. I feel it so... isn't!?
July 7, 2016
First published in Open Road Review (http://openroadreview.com/manu-joseph/)
Manu Joseph’s The Illicit Happiness of Other People, henceforth TIHOOP in this review, often left me smiling and chuckling, and more than quite often, pensive.
TIHOOP, in its second read (immediately after the first, an endeavour I rarely undertake), remained riveting and enriched, lost none of its magical and abiding charms, and as it is with almost every second read, you get a tighter grip on some things which escaped you before. And, like always, as it is with every good book, you find yourself saying to the author, hey, I see what you did there.
Meet the Chackos: Ousep Chacko, a once-upon-a-time writer who everyone thought would write the ‘great novel’, but who instead “decayed in his state of gentle happiness”. He is a failed man and a failed father; a journalist by day and an expletive-spewing dragon who smacks of liquor at night. A man who never fixes things, so much so that chancing upon a screwdriver in his room is a source of mystery.
Mariamma Chacko, a once-besotted woman, who once loved her husband, who called him her ‘happiness’ and tried to exorcise an unrelenting ghost of her past, and who, now, considers matricide. Mariamma Chacko, she of the strong shoulders who has forgotten how it’s like to be held in affection, who calls herself Rock, who nurses her grouses, almost as a rite, and talks to her yellow walls.
And, Unni Chacko. The precocious 17-year-old cartoonist loved by everyone, the almost always winner of Father versus Son, the special one who could charm smiles out of his mother even during the latter’s finger-wagging-haranguing-at-walls trance. Sweet, handsome Unni Chacko: an idiot to a girl, a mystery to many. An “abnormal” child who strayed too far, who harboured thoughts “dark and disturbing”. And by having failed to survive, by having killed himself, a death he must have thought to be unsubtle enough to not warrant a note of explanation, Unni Chacko now dons the role of the failed exception, who now adds fuel to that one constant strain in the narratives that circle his death:
“The tragic defeat of the unusual, and so the triumph of the normal”.
And did I forget Thoma Chacko?
Weak in maths, and in the knees for the girl next door, the youngest Chacko holds the notion that seeing a girl’s underwear would rob her off future marriage prospects. He seeks strength and confidence to emerge from the shadow that his ‘special’ brother has cast on him, one which lurks around still, even strongly post his death. He is the eye of the storm that is the Chackos – a Malayalee Catholic family in 1990s Madras who no one is jealous of.
They are the “cuckoos among the crows”. Its family man doesn’t own a scooter unlike the rest of the “good fathers” ( “a scooter in Madras is a man’s promise that he will not return home drunk in the evening”) and makes a ruckus every night; the wife is probably nuts because she talks to her walls and doesn’t come to her balcony to see her husband walk to office unlike the “good wives”; they don’t have two children anymore “to emphasize their normalcy”, because the son, probably also nuts, took his life, and the youngest plays number 11 in the batting order.
The other people, when they want to feel better, they look at the Chackos’ door.
The state of gentle happiness, the one that Ousep wallowed in and which allowed him not to write his masterpiece, never again makes an appearance in the Chacko family. Where Jesus hung on the wall, now there is Unni, palefully enlarged. His death, like almost every suicide, is a mystery. It colours everything that went before, leaving his father to puzzle over the pieces of a spent life, everything which now appears – or seems to appear – fraught with new meanings or clues.
The mystery of Unni’s death is the only mystery that matters to Mariamma anymore. And Ousep, in what is not just an attempt to know his son better but one which also holds another import, chiefly that of reconciliation with Mariamma, has made it his life’s mission. The clues, he believes, are in Unni’s works: his many comics, most of them reflecting a fecund young mind buzzing with questions. And Ousep meets his friends, peers, and acquaintances. He collects their narratives, their refractions of his young boy, each of a different colour and wavelength, each dappling his weary old face.
Maybe he was really special as they said, maybe he knew and saw something that very few ever manage to know and see. Maybe he was a boy who invented different realties because there was too much Maths to do in the real world. A boy weak in MPC – maths, physics, chemistry – who liked drawing cartoons, cartoons which were not really funny as he thought them to be.
*
There are small moments in TIHOOP which are absolutely delightful. And, Thoma Chacko whose actions and thoughts almost always induced a delightful strange sensation of the stuff I once semi-thought but never really emancipated on page, is hands down this reader’s favourite. An example:
But would she find Thoma handsome? Is Thoma handsome? Like Unni? It would be really wonderful if there was a canvas tent where a boy could go in unnoticed, probably wearing a mask. Inside, a panel of men and women would ask him to remove his mask. They would inspect him carefully and pass the verdict – handsome, or not handsome. Thoma wishes there was a way he could solve his doubt for ever.
I could relate to most of the events inside the walls of the Chacko household. I could connect and understand the characters and their motives, but I should say that though this book ticks off possibly almost all the boxes in the Characters-who-speak-to-the-Reader with panache, it being an absolute whopper can as well be attributed to its deftness in defying genre boundaries and showing no supine to be pigeonholed.
It’s of course, no prizes in guessing, a family drama. It’s, to don a cliché, a mirror held up against its time, namely the Madras of 1990 (“I am grateful it was not a paradise”, writes Joseph in Acknowledgements), a satirical eye at a society fiendishly in love with JEE and entrance exams, where children are “groomed from childhood to believe that intelligence is purely a mathematical ability”. It’s a delicious whydunnit and reads like a superb thriller, hiding its secrets well, sometimes in plain sight, building its suspense with every new character, dropping its climax which burgeons into a huge mushroom cloud in the reader’s chest, its deafening and heartrending roar muted until the last sentence is read and the book set aside.
And finally, TIHOOP is a male book; one that almost feels vicariously guilty of it. One that tries to shy away from wallowing in its gender and turns its biting eyes on the male world it inhabits, focusing on the manifestations of its disruptive one-sided power mechanisms, and lampooning and condemning not just the “pornographic eyes of men”.
Manu Joseph’s The Illicit Happiness of Other People, henceforth TIHOOP in this review, often left me smiling and chuckling, and more than quite often, pensive.
TIHOOP, in its second read (immediately after the first, an endeavour I rarely undertake), remained riveting and enriched, lost none of its magical and abiding charms, and as it is with almost every second read, you get a tighter grip on some things which escaped you before. And, like always, as it is with every good book, you find yourself saying to the author, hey, I see what you did there.
Meet the Chackos: Ousep Chacko, a once-upon-a-time writer who everyone thought would write the ‘great novel’, but who instead “decayed in his state of gentle happiness”. He is a failed man and a failed father; a journalist by day and an expletive-spewing dragon who smacks of liquor at night. A man who never fixes things, so much so that chancing upon a screwdriver in his room is a source of mystery.
Mariamma Chacko, a once-besotted woman, who once loved her husband, who called him her ‘happiness’ and tried to exorcise an unrelenting ghost of her past, and who, now, considers matricide. Mariamma Chacko, she of the strong shoulders who has forgotten how it’s like to be held in affection, who calls herself Rock, who nurses her grouses, almost as a rite, and talks to her yellow walls.
And, Unni Chacko. The precocious 17-year-old cartoonist loved by everyone, the almost always winner of Father versus Son, the special one who could charm smiles out of his mother even during the latter’s finger-wagging-haranguing-at-walls trance. Sweet, handsome Unni Chacko: an idiot to a girl, a mystery to many. An “abnormal” child who strayed too far, who harboured thoughts “dark and disturbing”. And by having failed to survive, by having killed himself, a death he must have thought to be unsubtle enough to not warrant a note of explanation, Unni Chacko now dons the role of the failed exception, who now adds fuel to that one constant strain in the narratives that circle his death:
“The tragic defeat of the unusual, and so the triumph of the normal”.
And did I forget Thoma Chacko?
Weak in maths, and in the knees for the girl next door, the youngest Chacko holds the notion that seeing a girl’s underwear would rob her off future marriage prospects. He seeks strength and confidence to emerge from the shadow that his ‘special’ brother has cast on him, one which lurks around still, even strongly post his death. He is the eye of the storm that is the Chackos – a Malayalee Catholic family in 1990s Madras who no one is jealous of.
They are the “cuckoos among the crows”. Its family man doesn’t own a scooter unlike the rest of the “good fathers” ( “a scooter in Madras is a man’s promise that he will not return home drunk in the evening”) and makes a ruckus every night; the wife is probably nuts because she talks to her walls and doesn’t come to her balcony to see her husband walk to office unlike the “good wives”; they don’t have two children anymore “to emphasize their normalcy”, because the son, probably also nuts, took his life, and the youngest plays number 11 in the batting order.
The other people, when they want to feel better, they look at the Chackos’ door.
The state of gentle happiness, the one that Ousep wallowed in and which allowed him not to write his masterpiece, never again makes an appearance in the Chacko family. Where Jesus hung on the wall, now there is Unni, palefully enlarged. His death, like almost every suicide, is a mystery. It colours everything that went before, leaving his father to puzzle over the pieces of a spent life, everything which now appears – or seems to appear – fraught with new meanings or clues.
The mystery of Unni’s death is the only mystery that matters to Mariamma anymore. And Ousep, in what is not just an attempt to know his son better but one which also holds another import, chiefly that of reconciliation with Mariamma, has made it his life’s mission. The clues, he believes, are in Unni’s works: his many comics, most of them reflecting a fecund young mind buzzing with questions. And Ousep meets his friends, peers, and acquaintances. He collects their narratives, their refractions of his young boy, each of a different colour and wavelength, each dappling his weary old face.
Maybe he was really special as they said, maybe he knew and saw something that very few ever manage to know and see. Maybe he was a boy who invented different realties because there was too much Maths to do in the real world. A boy weak in MPC – maths, physics, chemistry – who liked drawing cartoons, cartoons which were not really funny as he thought them to be.
*
There are small moments in TIHOOP which are absolutely delightful. And, Thoma Chacko whose actions and thoughts almost always induced a delightful strange sensation of the stuff I once semi-thought but never really emancipated on page, is hands down this reader’s favourite. An example:
But would she find Thoma handsome? Is Thoma handsome? Like Unni? It would be really wonderful if there was a canvas tent where a boy could go in unnoticed, probably wearing a mask. Inside, a panel of men and women would ask him to remove his mask. They would inspect him carefully and pass the verdict – handsome, or not handsome. Thoma wishes there was a way he could solve his doubt for ever.
I could relate to most of the events inside the walls of the Chacko household. I could connect and understand the characters and their motives, but I should say that though this book ticks off possibly almost all the boxes in the Characters-who-speak-to-the-Reader with panache, it being an absolute whopper can as well be attributed to its deftness in defying genre boundaries and showing no supine to be pigeonholed.
It’s of course, no prizes in guessing, a family drama. It’s, to don a cliché, a mirror held up against its time, namely the Madras of 1990 (“I am grateful it was not a paradise”, writes Joseph in Acknowledgements), a satirical eye at a society fiendishly in love with JEE and entrance exams, where children are “groomed from childhood to believe that intelligence is purely a mathematical ability”. It’s a delicious whydunnit and reads like a superb thriller, hiding its secrets well, sometimes in plain sight, building its suspense with every new character, dropping its climax which burgeons into a huge mushroom cloud in the reader’s chest, its deafening and heartrending roar muted until the last sentence is read and the book set aside.
And finally, TIHOOP is a male book; one that almost feels vicariously guilty of it. One that tries to shy away from wallowing in its gender and turns its biting eyes on the male world it inhabits, focusing on the manifestations of its disruptive one-sided power mechanisms, and lampooning and condemning not just the “pornographic eyes of men”.
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