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The Sari of Surya Vilas
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 13, 2021
If the adjectives in this book were deleted, there would only be 30 pages left.
My head started to ache reading the over-explanation.
I only read this book because someone gifted it to me. (come to think of it, that person is not a well-wisher!)
I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone, not even on a dare.
The story is extremely predictable and the women have been shown in a weak role (especially when they are around men). Considering the author is a female, it could have been better.
My head started to ache reading the over-explanation.
I only read this book because someone gifted it to me. (come to think of it, that person is not a well-wisher!)
I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone, not even on a dare.
The story is extremely predictable and the women have been shown in a weak role (especially when they are around men). Considering the author is a female, it could have been better.
August 10, 2018
This book was a total cover buy because of the beautiful South Indian lady, her jewellery and the landscape behind. But did I like the book? Read on to find out.
~
Here are some buzz words to interest you: Historical fiction, heirloom sari, family saga and most important Chennai😍
This book is set in two time periods 1857 and the 1900's in Madras (Chennai) and the Coromandel coast. It's divided in two parts.
Allarmelu's, (the protagonist) mother dies and leaves behind an heirloom sari which is passed down from generations. The sari goes missing and Allarmelu must trace it since it's the only memory of her mother. It was her mother's dying wish that she (Allarmelu) take care of the sari.
~
In 1857, the East India company sets fire to the many sari looms on the Coromandel coast and send an orphaned girl, Chandrika later converted to Christina to England. She carries a legacy of a sari with her from the Coromandel.
~
The book has a really interesting plot but it couldn't hold my attention. It started off really well, but the charm fizzled out towards the end. The plot changes were abrupt. But, Vayu Naidu writes well. The writing was really beautiful.
I don't think I'll recommend this book to you. It was a mediocre read for me. However I liked the mentions of tiffin, filter coffee with chicory 😍 and murukku😍 all of it made me very nostalgic about my vacations spent at my Maushi's place in Ranipet.
~
Here are some buzz words to interest you: Historical fiction, heirloom sari, family saga and most important Chennai😍
This book is set in two time periods 1857 and the 1900's in Madras (Chennai) and the Coromandel coast. It's divided in two parts.
Allarmelu's, (the protagonist) mother dies and leaves behind an heirloom sari which is passed down from generations. The sari goes missing and Allarmelu must trace it since it's the only memory of her mother. It was her mother's dying wish that she (Allarmelu) take care of the sari.
~
In 1857, the East India company sets fire to the many sari looms on the Coromandel coast and send an orphaned girl, Chandrika later converted to Christina to England. She carries a legacy of a sari with her from the Coromandel.
~
The book has a really interesting plot but it couldn't hold my attention. It started off really well, but the charm fizzled out towards the end. The plot changes were abrupt. But, Vayu Naidu writes well. The writing was really beautiful.
I don't think I'll recommend this book to you. It was a mediocre read for me. However I liked the mentions of tiffin, filter coffee with chicory 😍 and murukku😍 all of it made me very nostalgic about my vacations spent at my Maushi's place in Ranipet.
June 16, 2020
I was blown away by The Sari of Surya Vilas. First of all, it's my favorite genre, historical fiction . The plot is set in southern Indian city of Madras during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, a monumental event in the history of the nation of which there are stories and legends yet to be told and many more lost and forgotten forever.
The story tumbles through the lives of a rich anglophile Telugu family, the rural weaver community and an east-loving family in Britain. There are fabulous tit-bits of wisdom all across this book, like the meaning of the motifs woven into timeless Kanjeevaram saris to a fictional take on how eastern words got into the Oxford dictionary. I loved everything about this book from the lucid language to the gripping story telling.
The story tumbles through the lives of a rich anglophile Telugu family, the rural weaver community and an east-loving family in Britain. There are fabulous tit-bits of wisdom all across this book, like the meaning of the motifs woven into timeless Kanjeevaram saris to a fictional take on how eastern words got into the Oxford dictionary. I loved everything about this book from the lucid language to the gripping story telling.
January 24, 2023
I fell in love with the cover and the blurb sounded promising. The book started off well, the writing is fabulous, and I loved the detailed characterisations and the liberal sprinkling of Telugu words. But despite all that is going for it, the book failed to engage. The book flitted all over the place, and one situation didn't logically lead into another. While the story was eventually tied up neatly and presented with a flourish, I still didn't "get it". Perhaps it was the wrong book at the wrong time for me. I will, however, recommend the book for the settings and the characterisations.
February 7, 2023
I truly enjoy a good historical fiction, one set in Madras presidency is just a cherry on top!
While Naidu's descriptive imagery is rich it sometimes gets excessive and almost distracts you from the plot. For the entirety of part 1 I was left scratching my head trying to understand where the story was heading. part 2 did save the book with Chandrika's entries and the sub plot about the seeraivakkam weavers, Indian mutiny but once again by the end it got lost in its narration unable to stick to one proper storyline and leaving too many loose ends.
While Naidu's descriptive imagery is rich it sometimes gets excessive and almost distracts you from the plot. For the entirety of part 1 I was left scratching my head trying to understand where the story was heading. part 2 did save the book with Chandrika's entries and the sub plot about the seeraivakkam weavers, Indian mutiny but once again by the end it got lost in its narration unable to stick to one proper storyline and leaving too many loose ends.
August 25, 2020
Lots of good ideas, but a bit disjointed and perhaps too many
March 18, 2023
The writing is brilliant, but the story was not executed well, IMHO.
March 29, 2021
This might be the most underrated book I have ever read.
Based on 1909 in Madras, when India was not free from the rule of Britishers, it is a historical fiction full of colors and powerful characters. This book helps you explore the power of passing on gifts which holds cultural significance to one's younger generation to make them feel the presence of past. Though set in as early as 1850s, the book has strong female characters who challenges the norms of that time, for example, portrait of a 'married woman' showing her teeth which requires immense courage. The book also feels very rich in terms of knowledge attained by the historical events, even though fictionalised.
The thing I loved the most about the book is the powerful writing and detailed description of little things. And the thing I didn't like about the book was abrupt change of plots, there were some very harsh and quick plot changes which I didn't understand.
Based on 1909 in Madras, when India was not free from the rule of Britishers, it is a historical fiction full of colors and powerful characters. This book helps you explore the power of passing on gifts which holds cultural significance to one's younger generation to make them feel the presence of past. Though set in as early as 1850s, the book has strong female characters who challenges the norms of that time, for example, portrait of a 'married woman' showing her teeth which requires immense courage. The book also feels very rich in terms of knowledge attained by the historical events, even though fictionalised.
The thing I loved the most about the book is the powerful writing and detailed description of little things. And the thing I didn't like about the book was abrupt change of plots, there were some very harsh and quick plot changes which I didn't understand.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews