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The Private Life of Mrs Sharma
Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Working as a receptionist and committed to finding a place for her family in the New Indian Dream of air-conditioned malls and high paid jobs at multi-nationals, life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Because while Mrs Sharma may espouse traditional values, India is changing all around her, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if she came out of her shell a little, would it? With equal doses of humour and pathos, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma is a sharp-eyed examination of the clashing of tradition and modernity, from a dramatic new voice in Indian fiction.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2016
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2043 people want to read
About the author
Ratika Kapur
5 books59 followersRatika Kapur is the author of two novels, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma (Bloomsbury) and Overwinter (Hachette India).
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November 8, 2016
“I have too many fantasies to be a housewife.... I guess I am a fantasy.”
----Marilyn Monroe
Ratika Kapur, an India writer, pens a heart felt and very intimate tale of a middle aged married woman's life and thoughts in her upcoming book, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma in which the author weaves a compelling story about a mid-aged North Indian married woman with a teenage son and a husband working offshore in Dubai, who when meets a handsome stranger on her way to work, begins a forbidden companionship with him all the while aspiring for a fulfilling life not only for herself but also for her son and for her husband. Her longings and desires make her vulnerable as well as resolute for her husband's homecoming but when tragedy strikes, everything seems to be falling apart.
Synopsis:
Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Working as a receptionist and committed to finding a place for her family in the New Indian Dream of air-conditioned malls and high paid jobs at multi-nationals, life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Because while Mrs Sharma may espouse traditional values, India is changing all around her, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if she came out of her shell a little, would it?
With equal doses of humor and pathos, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma is a sharp-eyed examination of the clashing of tradition and modernity, from a dramatic new voice in Indian fiction.
Renuka Sharma met Vineet Shegal, a handsome 30 year old hotel manager, on her way to work in the metro. Soon their simple acquaintance blossoms into the prospect of simple friendship, away from the prying eyes of the society. Why? Because Renuka is a mid aged married woman whose son is 15 years old and whose husband works offshore in Dubai to provide a fulfilling and satisfying lifestyle and means to his family in Delhi. Renuka too works as a receptionist for a hot shot male gynecologist. Eventually the simple friendship turns into something sexual and Renuka being a loyal and respectable Indian wife cannot have an affair with any other men, so she keeps the affair a secret as well as running until her husband gets back from Dubai for his holiday. But on the day of her husband's homecoming, an unfortunate tragedy comes knocking at Renuka's home that threatens to snatch away the happiness of her life.
Renuka is a modern woman yet she knows her boundaries, even though mid way through this novel, she is seen exploiting her so-called boundaries of being a respectable married mother. Renuka loves to aspire for a better quality of life with the gradual rise in the global economical standard of life. Her dreams revolve around her son's MBA, a better apartment in some posh locality, shopping in malls and other such frivolities of life. Renuka is not the epitome of modern Indian married woman, yet she is the role model for the common Indians who aspires for a life that will match with the fast growing economical quality of life.
The author's writing style is extremely polished and easy to comprehend with the author's evocative prose. The simplicity in her writing style reflects as well as syncs well with the character's down-to-earth demeanor. The narrative is articulate as well as laced with light humor even though the story is just a series of daily thoughts and some events occurring in the protagonist's daily middle class life. The readers will get to contemplate with the character's mindset through their own perspectives. The story has quite a few twists even though they are predictable still they make the story even more intriguing.
The characters of the book are strikingly portrayed through their flaws, hope, promises and broken dreams. Each and every character from the book has that typical Indian flair in their demeanor. The main character, Renuka, is charming, calm, loving and responsible all the while keeping her bold side under wraps and as she unravels her wild side of vulnerability through her sexual desires, masturbating herself and her constant mention of switching on the washing machine to remind herself about those wild nights with her husband, the readers, especially the married women who lack sex in their marriage can easily relate to her emptiness and lust for sex. The other characters are also interestingly crafted out to leave an impression in the minds of the readers.
The city of Delhi comes alive through the author's exquisite words as she vividly captures this magnificent capital city into the backdrop of the story line. The author arrests the striking details of this city through its rusty landscapes to its sky-rising buildings and apartments to the urban global dream of the typical Delhiites to its metro to its basic human lifestyle that will unfold right before the eyes of its readers. The story is like a portal through which readers can easily be transported to the capital of India and roam through its streets freely alongside with the protagonist and her male companion.
In a nutshell, this is quite an unique modern tale about the life of a middle class Indian citizen.
Verdict: A promising tale that holds so many untold wishes and that will keep the readers intrigued to their very core.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Bloomsbury India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Marilyn Monroe
Ratika Kapur, an India writer, pens a heart felt and very intimate tale of a middle aged married woman's life and thoughts in her upcoming book, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma in which the author weaves a compelling story about a mid-aged North Indian married woman with a teenage son and a husband working offshore in Dubai, who when meets a handsome stranger on her way to work, begins a forbidden companionship with him all the while aspiring for a fulfilling life not only for herself but also for her son and for her husband. Her longings and desires make her vulnerable as well as resolute for her husband's homecoming but when tragedy strikes, everything seems to be falling apart.
Synopsis:
Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Working as a receptionist and committed to finding a place for her family in the New Indian Dream of air-conditioned malls and high paid jobs at multi-nationals, life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Because while Mrs Sharma may espouse traditional values, India is changing all around her, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if she came out of her shell a little, would it?
With equal doses of humor and pathos, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma is a sharp-eyed examination of the clashing of tradition and modernity, from a dramatic new voice in Indian fiction.
Renuka Sharma met Vineet Shegal, a handsome 30 year old hotel manager, on her way to work in the metro. Soon their simple acquaintance blossoms into the prospect of simple friendship, away from the prying eyes of the society. Why? Because Renuka is a mid aged married woman whose son is 15 years old and whose husband works offshore in Dubai to provide a fulfilling and satisfying lifestyle and means to his family in Delhi. Renuka too works as a receptionist for a hot shot male gynecologist. Eventually the simple friendship turns into something sexual and Renuka being a loyal and respectable Indian wife cannot have an affair with any other men, so she keeps the affair a secret as well as running until her husband gets back from Dubai for his holiday. But on the day of her husband's homecoming, an unfortunate tragedy comes knocking at Renuka's home that threatens to snatch away the happiness of her life.
Renuka is a modern woman yet she knows her boundaries, even though mid way through this novel, she is seen exploiting her so-called boundaries of being a respectable married mother. Renuka loves to aspire for a better quality of life with the gradual rise in the global economical standard of life. Her dreams revolve around her son's MBA, a better apartment in some posh locality, shopping in malls and other such frivolities of life. Renuka is not the epitome of modern Indian married woman, yet she is the role model for the common Indians who aspires for a life that will match with the fast growing economical quality of life.
The author's writing style is extremely polished and easy to comprehend with the author's evocative prose. The simplicity in her writing style reflects as well as syncs well with the character's down-to-earth demeanor. The narrative is articulate as well as laced with light humor even though the story is just a series of daily thoughts and some events occurring in the protagonist's daily middle class life. The readers will get to contemplate with the character's mindset through their own perspectives. The story has quite a few twists even though they are predictable still they make the story even more intriguing.
The characters of the book are strikingly portrayed through their flaws, hope, promises and broken dreams. Each and every character from the book has that typical Indian flair in their demeanor. The main character, Renuka, is charming, calm, loving and responsible all the while keeping her bold side under wraps and as she unravels her wild side of vulnerability through her sexual desires, masturbating herself and her constant mention of switching on the washing machine to remind herself about those wild nights with her husband, the readers, especially the married women who lack sex in their marriage can easily relate to her emptiness and lust for sex. The other characters are also interestingly crafted out to leave an impression in the minds of the readers.
The city of Delhi comes alive through the author's exquisite words as she vividly captures this magnificent capital city into the backdrop of the story line. The author arrests the striking details of this city through its rusty landscapes to its sky-rising buildings and apartments to the urban global dream of the typical Delhiites to its metro to its basic human lifestyle that will unfold right before the eyes of its readers. The story is like a portal through which readers can easily be transported to the capital of India and roam through its streets freely alongside with the protagonist and her male companion.
In a nutshell, this is quite an unique modern tale about the life of a middle class Indian citizen.
Verdict: A promising tale that holds so many untold wishes and that will keep the readers intrigued to their very core.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Bloomsbury India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
December 22, 2020
This was a totally disappointing read. Not going to pick up any other book by the same author soon. What's worse were the misleading title and the blurb. You don't fool readers like that.
February 14, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It's a very quick read but more complex than the simple writing style would suggest. There's a lot of subtext in the writing, and with the first-person narration, the reader knows the character is not always being honest with herself, even though she seems to think she is. There are social themes at play here, particularly for women raising children and taking care of family members. There's a darkness to it too that I liked, and some risque passages considering the chaste demeanor of the main character. And the setting of India always fascinates me. Would be a great book club read. Very happy I found it.
February 7, 2017
Mrs. Sharma is a cutesy , plucky lady.
She is 37, lives with her aged in laws and 15 year old son Bobby, who dreams of being a chef, though Mrs. Sharma who is a receptionist to an OBGyn specialist has higher hopes for him. Her husband, a physiotherapist is working in the Middle East for monetary purposes.
Mrs Sharma becomes friendly with a young man in the metro station and the friendship grows. Her narrative ensues, focussing upon herself and her life, along with many musings of a general kind. Mrs. Renu Sharma is mentally strong and she knows it.
So what happened towards the end was totally unexpected.
I enjoyed the narrative, the first few pages of which were written in an almost pidgin English, but later I realised that it is Mrs. Sharma's style and she cares two hoots whether we like it or not.
She is 37, lives with her aged in laws and 15 year old son Bobby, who dreams of being a chef, though Mrs. Sharma who is a receptionist to an OBGyn specialist has higher hopes for him. Her husband, a physiotherapist is working in the Middle East for monetary purposes.
Mrs Sharma becomes friendly with a young man in the metro station and the friendship grows. Her narrative ensues, focussing upon herself and her life, along with many musings of a general kind. Mrs. Renu Sharma is mentally strong and she knows it.
So what happened towards the end was totally unexpected.
I enjoyed the narrative, the first few pages of which were written in an almost pidgin English, but later I realised that it is Mrs. Sharma's style and she cares two hoots whether we like it or not.
February 5, 2016
I picked this one going by the ratings and to be honest I'm highly disappointed. It was an easy read but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. The story is about Mrs. Sharma who's husband moved to Dubai for work and she's living with her son and in-laws. Mrs. Sharma comes across a guy named Vineet on metro station and this meet turns into a good friendship. They start meeting often and eventually end up in bed. She hides the fact that she's married and has a son who's a teenager. She feels that it's her personal life and it's not necessary for her to share this with anyone and Vineet never asked her about her personal life in first place but Vineet gets serious about this relationship and even thinks of spending rest of his life with Mrs. Sharma even when he comes to know that she has a son and a husband. He assumes that just because she slept with him means that she isn't really happy with her personal life and wants to leave her husband. The story was not only boring but meaningless. Its the kind of novel that stays with you as a bad memory or sheer waste of time. No spoilers as it would sound more stupid and you would end up wondering why she did what she did and what eventually happened to her and her married life, son and husband.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2017
WOW. So much to unpack. Definitely not a “likeable” protagonist, more along the lines of EILEEN by Ottessa Moshfegh. The last 10% changed the game for me. Not a perfect book or a protagonist you necessarily want to root for but definitely one that will never leave me.
April 13, 2020
I can't understand the relatively low rating this book has. It's a great story with an immersive and layered narrative, containing numerous subtexts. A lot is said without being explicitly said. I would like to give it the full 5 stars, except the ending felt a bit rushed and over the top. Final rating: [4.25*]
September 12, 2017
Sigh. I really wanted to like this book, especially since I read it was a "hidden gem" of some sort. I'm also very into South Asian and Persian books right now, so I wanted to learn a few things about that region's culture. But Mrs. Sharma just rambles, which, to be fair, is just her voice; it is a first-person narration after all. The writing was meh. I probably gleaned a couple of insights, but that's about it.
So, I usually like "quiet" books with subtle but deeply affecting surprises, like in real life. I don't like Hollywood-esque trickery, those tabloid-worthy, sensationalistic and bombastic plot lines that reek of Michael Bay films, manipulatively drawing you in with shallow Playboy girls and shiny, video game-like animations with theatrical cliffhangers--No Substance. Well, at least I don't like those in my BOOKS. To be clear, Mrs Sharma had none of that, but... UGH! It could use a little Michael Bay. (Yes, I can't believe I just said that.) Mrs. Sharma was a bore and a let-down. Even the attempted drama to close the book was an eye-roll.
I gave it 2 stars for "good try," the writing wasn't Completely terrible, and because I actually finished it. But the plot was really a 1-star for me.
So, I usually like "quiet" books with subtle but deeply affecting surprises, like in real life. I don't like Hollywood-esque trickery, those tabloid-worthy, sensationalistic and bombastic plot lines that reek of Michael Bay films, manipulatively drawing you in with shallow Playboy girls and shiny, video game-like animations with theatrical cliffhangers--No Substance. Well, at least I don't like those in my BOOKS. To be clear, Mrs Sharma had none of that, but... UGH! It could use a little Michael Bay. (Yes, I can't believe I just said that.) Mrs. Sharma was a bore and a let-down. Even the attempted drama to close the book was an eye-roll.
I gave it 2 stars for "good try," the writing wasn't Completely terrible, and because I actually finished it. But the plot was really a 1-star for me.
November 14, 2018
****2.5****
This was a weird read for me. The narration was almost irritating at the first but later on felt that this is the way Mrs.Sharma wants to talk. The story is simple and straightforward. An Indian middle class working woman trying hard to cope with day to day life alone.
The ending was a bit too dramatic for me and hard to believe. But overall a ok-ish read.
Happy Reading!!!
This was a weird read for me. The narration was almost irritating at the first but later on felt that this is the way Mrs.Sharma wants to talk. The story is simple and straightforward. An Indian middle class working woman trying hard to cope with day to day life alone.
The ending was a bit too dramatic for me and hard to believe. But overall a ok-ish read.
Happy Reading!!!
May 24, 2016
It took me the first chapter to figure out why the writing seemed so stiff and wooden..and then ting-tong my slow brain finally realized that it is the character speaking not the writer. The book is written in first person and after a point I actually felt like I was sitting in the office canteen at lunch and listening to someone familiar confiding in me and hearing what she was not saying.
The story of a middle-middle class middle-aged lady Renuka Sharma trying to make sure that her son gets to be a part of the consumerist lifestyle which is the norm now - and of which she is in the periphery; but gets to witness through her boss' clients. She is ready to make sacrifices and fight for it - even at the cost of thwarting her son's desire to become a chef - he must do an MBA , wear a tie and go to a glass and chrome office in Gurgaon and she will leave no stone unturned to achieve that even if it means sending her husband off to Dubai and pushing herself in loneliness.
She refuses to acknowledge her needs or when she does like all women finds so many justifications that after a point she is unable to hold it all together.
The ending I found to be abrupt, but then isn't that life sudden and abrupt !
This book leaves me very, very impressed and waving it over and my head and going - Read it ! Read it.
The story of a middle-middle class middle-aged lady Renuka Sharma trying to make sure that her son gets to be a part of the consumerist lifestyle which is the norm now - and of which she is in the periphery; but gets to witness through her boss' clients. She is ready to make sacrifices and fight for it - even at the cost of thwarting her son's desire to become a chef - he must do an MBA , wear a tie and go to a glass and chrome office in Gurgaon and she will leave no stone unturned to achieve that even if it means sending her husband off to Dubai and pushing herself in loneliness.
She refuses to acknowledge her needs or when she does like all women finds so many justifications that after a point she is unable to hold it all together.
The ending I found to be abrupt, but then isn't that life sudden and abrupt !
This book leaves me very, very impressed and waving it over and my head and going - Read it ! Read it.
March 19, 2016
A knockout novella about motherhood and the inner life of a duty-bound single mom doing unprecedented things for a 'respectable' woman, soaring on the wings of a rationalized modernity.
December 24, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book and initially toyed with giving it a two star, but I don’t think that rating is fair overall. This thought mainly stemmed from the fact that for such a short book, this took me forever to get through and reading it at some points actually felt like a task. The beginning is intriguing, the middle lags, and then it picks up again in the end. The ending in particular frustrated me because the book felt so unfinished. It could have had so much more potential with a better and more satisfying ending.
I feel like I didn’t really like our protagonist at all, but I can’t put my finger on why. I really liked her narration and the writing style of this book worked for me – but something wasn’t right. I know it’s not supposed to be the most action packed of contemporaries, but the plot was very slow and honestly nothing much happened at all. There was some discussion of the role of women as serving men, motherhood, cultural norms and loneliness that I liked but it wasn’t gone into enough. Sexuality was talked about more often, and I liked how there was talk of breaking taboo of women being sexual beings. I would’ve liked similar conversations to be had with the other themes in the book.
There aren’t many characters in this book so they’re easy to keep track of, but tell me how about half-way through her mother and father-in-law completely disappear? I was under the impression they all lived together, but there are several scenes in the book set in their home and they don’t seem to be around at all. That really confused me.
I’d definitely read more from the author. As I said, I liked the writing and some really interesting themes comes up that I’d love explored more in fiction. This book was by no means bad, just left me wanting so much more which is a shame.
I feel like I didn’t really like our protagonist at all, but I can’t put my finger on why. I really liked her narration and the writing style of this book worked for me – but something wasn’t right. I know it’s not supposed to be the most action packed of contemporaries, but the plot was very slow and honestly nothing much happened at all. There was some discussion of the role of women as serving men, motherhood, cultural norms and loneliness that I liked but it wasn’t gone into enough. Sexuality was talked about more often, and I liked how there was talk of breaking taboo of women being sexual beings. I would’ve liked similar conversations to be had with the other themes in the book.
There aren’t many characters in this book so they’re easy to keep track of, but tell me how about half-way through her mother and father-in-law completely disappear? I was under the impression they all lived together, but there are several scenes in the book set in their home and they don’t seem to be around at all. That really confused me.
I’d definitely read more from the author. As I said, I liked the writing and some really interesting themes comes up that I’d love explored more in fiction. This book was by no means bad, just left me wanting so much more which is a shame.
February 24, 2016
I took a little while to warm up to this book, Mrs Sharma talking to herself in the tone wasn't working for me initially but there was something that stopped me from giving up and I am glad I continued because once I got used to the tone I actually quite enjoyed the book. The secret life of Mrs Sharma is about a housewife who is torn between the conservative upbringing she has had and the contemporary ideas she is absorbing while working at a doctors clinic in Delhi. Somewhere between a husband working in Dubai to make more money for the family, a son who is missing the father and gets into not so nice company and habits, taking care of ageing inlaws, Mrs Sharma gets into an extra marital affair without even realising it. The book gives a good insight in what I think is a reality of many Mrs Sharma these days
June 18, 2016
A surprise of a novel! Slow pace and quiet writing. But Mrs. Sharma packs a punch. Her character is delightfully surprising and just has layers and layers to it. Such a well crafted commentary on a society we know too well.
I could not put this book down.
I could not put this book down.
January 9, 2021
Rep: Indian cast & setting
February 11, 2016
“When people say, ‘Oh, look at that woman, she is so bold,’ what are they saying? Actually, the only thing that they are saying is that she is not scared to make certain types of decisions.”- Mrs. Renuka Sharma, protagonist from The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma
What happens when a married woman, living with her son and in-laws tries to go out and live a little? The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma by Ratika Kapur is a story about Mrs. Renuka Sharma. She has a son, 16-year-old Bobby and lives with her in-laws in a small rental flat in New Delhi, while her husband is based out in Dubai, working as a physiotherapist, saving for the family. A long distance marriage and perfect upbringing of her son keeps Renuka busy, until she creates a private life for herself, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma.
Mrs. Sharma's life revolves around her clinic where she works as a office manager, her husband with whom she skypes twice a week, looking after a diabetic father in law who can go into diabetic coma anytime and trying to keep Bobby on a straight timeline, starting with good grades in school to college to an MBA degree and finally a swanky executive job in an air conditioned office.
Besides these mundane tasks, she has a private life to handle, which started off with a conversation with a random stranger on Hauz Khas metro station. The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma, something which turned out to a total shocker!
Overall, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma is pretty amazing! The story starts with the background and mundane life but takes an unexpected turn which is like BAM! in your face. I mean when we were reading the book we never expected the plot to be like this.
The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma inspires immediate sympathy with a first-hand account of her life. Though she cribs from time to time about her circumstances, but Mrs. Sharma is not someone who would waste her time bemoaning about injustices of her life. One minute she is crying and the other minute she transforms into an action taker, taking control of her son and her life.
Mrs. Sharma claims that she was not born yesterday, she knows everything. She is traditional and down to earth in real life, but one corner of her brain can analyse moves of every single person in her life. She is calculative and practical as well. She knows the difference between need and want and she knows how to perfectly balance her regular and private life. Only one time, when she lost control, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma happened.
“I was not born yesterday” – and she keeps on experimenting with different opportunities to make best of the less ideal situation she comes across.
You will love the smooth transition of The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma from a personal journal to a twist that will stun you! We fell in love with the simplicity and traditional methods of Mrs. Sharma and her bold avatar as well. Ratika Kapur has made sure that a perfect balance is there in the book. The Private Life of Mrs, Sharma is pretty engaging though you might feel it has been dragged a bit in the beginning. But all in all, it is one book that you must read!
What happens when a married woman, living with her son and in-laws tries to go out and live a little? The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma by Ratika Kapur is a story about Mrs. Renuka Sharma. She has a son, 16-year-old Bobby and lives with her in-laws in a small rental flat in New Delhi, while her husband is based out in Dubai, working as a physiotherapist, saving for the family. A long distance marriage and perfect upbringing of her son keeps Renuka busy, until she creates a private life for herself, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma.
Mrs. Sharma's life revolves around her clinic where she works as a office manager, her husband with whom she skypes twice a week, looking after a diabetic father in law who can go into diabetic coma anytime and trying to keep Bobby on a straight timeline, starting with good grades in school to college to an MBA degree and finally a swanky executive job in an air conditioned office.
Besides these mundane tasks, she has a private life to handle, which started off with a conversation with a random stranger on Hauz Khas metro station. The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma, something which turned out to a total shocker!
Overall, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma is pretty amazing! The story starts with the background and mundane life but takes an unexpected turn which is like BAM! in your face. I mean when we were reading the book we never expected the plot to be like this.
The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma inspires immediate sympathy with a first-hand account of her life. Though she cribs from time to time about her circumstances, but Mrs. Sharma is not someone who would waste her time bemoaning about injustices of her life. One minute she is crying and the other minute she transforms into an action taker, taking control of her son and her life.
Mrs. Sharma claims that she was not born yesterday, she knows everything. She is traditional and down to earth in real life, but one corner of her brain can analyse moves of every single person in her life. She is calculative and practical as well. She knows the difference between need and want and she knows how to perfectly balance her regular and private life. Only one time, when she lost control, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma happened.
“I was not born yesterday” – and she keeps on experimenting with different opportunities to make best of the less ideal situation she comes across.
You will love the smooth transition of The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma from a personal journal to a twist that will stun you! We fell in love with the simplicity and traditional methods of Mrs. Sharma and her bold avatar as well. Ratika Kapur has made sure that a perfect balance is there in the book. The Private Life of Mrs, Sharma is pretty engaging though you might feel it has been dragged a bit in the beginning. But all in all, it is one book that you must read!
December 8, 2015
Bought the book after I read her interview in The Hindu.
The story as the book's title states is the private life of Mrs. Sharma. The protagonist, on whose voice the book is set, is caught between traditional Indian upbringing and the modernity she sees around her. She is a middle-class lady who is too grounded in her reality, to the point of being ignorant to everything else around her. The way she protects her husband from the unpleasant truth about her son, or the way she protects her own mind from the realities of an affair that she got herself into, shows she is a woman who only likes to see, believe and do what appeals to her.
The voice of the book relates completely to an Indian lady's mind - I can actually see how the words would have been in the protagonist's mind and how she is translating them into thoughts - a very Hinglish voice. I read in the author's interview that this was deliberate, and it works very well for the book.
The last chapter was shocking but all along the reader knows that this was not going to end well. I felt the ending wanting. I'd like to know what happened to Mrs. Sharma after the book ended. I can also see that it is deliberate that the author wanted to evoke such an emotion in the reader.
Mrs. Sharma is a well-thought out character, I enjoyed reading the book.
The story as the book's title states is the private life of Mrs. Sharma. The protagonist, on whose voice the book is set, is caught between traditional Indian upbringing and the modernity she sees around her. She is a middle-class lady who is too grounded in her reality, to the point of being ignorant to everything else around her. The way she protects her husband from the unpleasant truth about her son, or the way she protects her own mind from the realities of an affair that she got herself into, shows she is a woman who only likes to see, believe and do what appeals to her.
The voice of the book relates completely to an Indian lady's mind - I can actually see how the words would have been in the protagonist's mind and how she is translating them into thoughts - a very Hinglish voice. I read in the author's interview that this was deliberate, and it works very well for the book.
The last chapter was shocking but all along the reader knows that this was not going to end well. I felt the ending wanting. I'd like to know what happened to Mrs. Sharma after the book ended. I can also see that it is deliberate that the author wanted to evoke such an emotion in the reader.
Mrs. Sharma is a well-thought out character, I enjoyed reading the book.
December 3, 2015
This is a fascinating story that is told through the eyes of one woman, Mrs. Sharma, as she revisits events in her life between 7th May to 31st August.
It felt cosy like she was telling just me about her life over a cup of coffee, an intimate moment between her and myself the reader. This was done by the way the author Ritika Kapur used certain phrases with Mrs Sharma leaving questions hung, not needing an answer. There are moments of light comedy in this story of duty, love and tragedy, in an India that is rapidly changing and leaving many struggling to adjust to it.
I loved this book that let me enter a world I knew very little about. The author's style of writing was refreshing and I look forward to more of her books in the future.
I wish to thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.
It felt cosy like she was telling just me about her life over a cup of coffee, an intimate moment between her and myself the reader. This was done by the way the author Ritika Kapur used certain phrases with Mrs Sharma leaving questions hung, not needing an answer. There are moments of light comedy in this story of duty, love and tragedy, in an India that is rapidly changing and leaving many struggling to adjust to it.
I loved this book that let me enter a world I knew very little about. The author's style of writing was refreshing and I look forward to more of her books in the future.
I wish to thank Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.
March 25, 2017
I loved this book so much that I actually couldn't keep it down. It also made me feel very emotional inside, which is a nice - and rare- quality in a book! I felt myself empathising with the sort of character who in real life I'd probably judge (the dutiful bahu trope). The plot twist at the end was certainly unexpected, but the ending was quite nice. Also enjoyed the glimpse of the Delhi I love and inhabit (instead of the more usual Chandni Chowkesque depiction; which I'm sure is lovely but sometimes can get a bit too Exotic India for my taste). Hard to describe a genre for this book, but would definitely recommend it to others.
January 7, 2017
Fascinating novel. Told strictly from a single point of view. Concentrates the narrative. Why we do what we do and how we rationalize it to ourselves. We see many forces at work here, a husband absent through work, a teenage son who rebels against his mother's wishes for him, traditional role of women compared to more modern mores in India. I was captivated from the first page to the last.
December 26, 2015
quite moving in its own way...
February 3, 2017
3.5 stars. 4 if it were not for the surprising and somewhat bizarre ending.
March 15, 2019
3.5
It was sarcastic and funny at times. It is the story of Mrs Sharma, a "respectable woman" who lives her son and in laws. She annoyed and frustrated me at times. I still don't understand what Vineet saw in her. The narrative was interesting and fast paced. The ending was totally unexpected
It was sarcastic and funny at times. It is the story of Mrs Sharma, a "respectable woman" who lives her son and in laws. She annoyed and frustrated me at times. I still don't understand what Vineet saw in her. The narrative was interesting and fast paced. The ending was totally unexpected
October 16, 2018
Brilliant, short and so much to unpack.
Possibly one of the most unlikable characters I've ever liked.
This book would be a great book for book club or for buddy reading.
Possibly one of the most unlikable characters I've ever liked.
This book would be a great book for book club or for buddy reading.
November 9, 2016
The story of a middle-class wife in modern Delhi, who is absolutely determined to see herself as perfectly normal, even as her circumstances get more and more out of control. The book is told in first-person present-tense, and Mrs Sharma's voice is absolutely gripping, making it very hard to stop reading. Here she is describing herself:
Still, I know that I have to be careful not to take a wrong step. That is why I always say to Bobby, Watch your step. Watch each and every step you take. People will tell you to walk holding your head up high, but I think that you have to keep your eyes on the ground and watch where you put your foot. We hear it on the train daily, Mind the gap. When you get on to the train, Mind the gap. When you get off the train, Mind the gap.
My name is Mrs Renuka Sharma. I am thirty-seven years of age and a married lady. I am a respectable married lady who hails from a good family, and I have a child and a respectable job, and a mother-in-law and father-in-law. I am not a schoolgirl, and even when I was a schoolgirl, when I was Miss Renuka Mishra, even then I actually never did the types of things that other girls of my age did. There was no bunking school to meet a boy, or notes or love letters exchanged, or phone calls in the darkness when the grown ups were sleeping. And it was not that I could not catch the attention of the boys loitering around me. Actually, I was quite a pretty girl, quite a clever, pretty girl, and I don’t like to boast, but the truth is that I did break some hearts in the boys’ school on the opposite side of the road. Still, I think that I knew at that time, just like I know now, that such foolishness is timewaste.
Mrs Sharma's husband, like many Indians these days, is away working in Dubai, where he can earn more money than if he had remained in India. This has left her as the sole parent of their teenage son Bobby who, despite Mrs Sharma's deeply-held ambition to see him with a MBA working in an office, is more interested in drinking with his friends and learning to be a chef. Mrs Sharma strikes up a friendship with Vineet, a man her own age with whom she is at first only interested in finding platonic friendship. At first. Vineet proves to have a very different goal. As matters progress between her and Vineet, she finds more and more convoluted ways of maintaining her self-perception as a 'respectable woman', until it all finally erupts into disaster.
The ending felt too abrupt for me, and though I do think it works thematically, I still would have loved to see some of the repercussions play out. Ultimately though, this was an excellent book, and I am eager to read more by Kapur.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
Still, I know that I have to be careful not to take a wrong step. That is why I always say to Bobby, Watch your step. Watch each and every step you take. People will tell you to walk holding your head up high, but I think that you have to keep your eyes on the ground and watch where you put your foot. We hear it on the train daily, Mind the gap. When you get on to the train, Mind the gap. When you get off the train, Mind the gap.
My name is Mrs Renuka Sharma. I am thirty-seven years of age and a married lady. I am a respectable married lady who hails from a good family, and I have a child and a respectable job, and a mother-in-law and father-in-law. I am not a schoolgirl, and even when I was a schoolgirl, when I was Miss Renuka Mishra, even then I actually never did the types of things that other girls of my age did. There was no bunking school to meet a boy, or notes or love letters exchanged, or phone calls in the darkness when the grown ups were sleeping. And it was not that I could not catch the attention of the boys loitering around me. Actually, I was quite a pretty girl, quite a clever, pretty girl, and I don’t like to boast, but the truth is that I did break some hearts in the boys’ school on the opposite side of the road. Still, I think that I knew at that time, just like I know now, that such foolishness is timewaste.
Mrs Sharma's husband, like many Indians these days, is away working in Dubai, where he can earn more money than if he had remained in India. This has left her as the sole parent of their teenage son Bobby who, despite Mrs Sharma's deeply-held ambition to see him with a MBA working in an office, is more interested in drinking with his friends and learning to be a chef. Mrs Sharma strikes up a friendship with Vineet, a man her own age with whom she is at first only interested in finding platonic friendship. At first. Vineet proves to have a very different goal. As matters progress between her and Vineet, she finds more and more convoluted ways of maintaining her self-perception as a 'respectable woman', until it all finally erupts into disaster.
The ending felt too abrupt for me, and though I do think it works thematically, I still would have loved to see some of the repercussions play out. Ultimately though, this was an excellent book, and I am eager to read more by Kapur.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
November 10, 2015
I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
'Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Working as a receptionist and committed to finding a place for her family in the New Indian Dream of air-conditioned malls and high paid jobs at multi-nationals, life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Because while Mrs Sharma may espouse traditional values, India is changing all around her, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she came out of her shell a little, would it?
With equal doses of humour and pathos, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma is a sharp-eyed examination of the clashing of tradition and modernity, from a dramatic new voice in Indian fiction.'
Oh how I love Mrs Sharma! She is such a breath of fresh air. She narrates her story as if in conversation with you, and it is a delight to listen to her.
The story is an interesting insight into the lives of modern Indian women; proving that they are not quite as naive as the stereotypes would have you believe. Renu is a sharp, intelligent woman, whose main concern is for her family, but she knows she has her own needs too, and she shows a startling insight and acceptance of the needs of her husband. The story itself is quite slow to unfold, but the pace of the narration is fast enough to keep it moving.
I found the book to be a delightful surprise!
'Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Working as a receptionist and committed to finding a place for her family in the New Indian Dream of air-conditioned malls and high paid jobs at multi-nationals, life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Because while Mrs Sharma may espouse traditional values, India is changing all around her, and it wouldn’t be the end of the world if she came out of her shell a little, would it?
With equal doses of humour and pathos, The Private Life of Mrs Sharma is a sharp-eyed examination of the clashing of tradition and modernity, from a dramatic new voice in Indian fiction.'
Oh how I love Mrs Sharma! She is such a breath of fresh air. She narrates her story as if in conversation with you, and it is a delight to listen to her.
The story is an interesting insight into the lives of modern Indian women; proving that they are not quite as naive as the stereotypes would have you believe. Renu is a sharp, intelligent woman, whose main concern is for her family, but she knows she has her own needs too, and she shows a startling insight and acceptance of the needs of her husband. The story itself is quite slow to unfold, but the pace of the narration is fast enough to keep it moving.
I found the book to be a delightful surprise!
April 8, 2016
This is a perfect work of fiction that inspires one to write. The way tension is built up, right up to the last page, is an amazing achievement in itself. And the icing on this cake is the depth in the characterization of all the principal characters. To me what stood out was the constant shift in Mrs Sharma's position regarding different things as the novel progresses and her efforts to rationalize these shifts. Even though one can guess from the beginning that her future is doomed, her wavering thoughts and actions keep one glued to the text until the expected happens unexpectedly. The insane level of detail and the resultant intensity of the plot make it a great read.
October 10, 2022
Written from the PoV of a middle class North Indian housewife who, like many like her, is going after the Good Life. For this she's ready to send her husband to Dubai, take a job travelling halfway across town everyday and embrace her situation. It captures the mindset very well, using the language Mrs Sharma would speak in, and apart from a rather uninspired last chapter, the book is a thoroughly enjoyable read about how we twist our morals to suit our situation, which Mrs Sharma does on every other chapter.
Interspersed with humour for when the book gets too real, this is a one-day read with a lasting impression.
Interspersed with humour for when the book gets too real, this is a one-day read with a lasting impression.
October 6, 2016
Mrs Sharma spends a lot of time thinking inwardly about her choices, her options and her actions. She dearly loves her son and her family and whilst she is happy to deviate a little from the norm and justify her actions a hundred different ways, she will not let anything get in the way of her perceived normality. I didn't see the ending coming and was gobsmacked.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for an honest review.
August 21, 2017
The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma, Ratika Kapur
I chanced upon this novel because it is a part of a course that I have taken up. Otherwise I am not so sure if I would have read this book. As the title suggests, the novel narrates the journey of one Mrs. Renuka Sharma--her sentimental middle class life with lofty ambitions and everyday sacrifices that a homemaker has to make in an overtly conservative Indian society. I have not read any other book of Ratika Kapur. So I am not sure whether she generally frames all her novels in this sort-of-unimpressive fashion or not. I am ready to give her the benefit of the doubt, stating that though the writing is extremely unimpressive and mediocre, perhaps it is so because it symbolizes the unimpressive, unimposing life of Mrs. Sharma.
At the same time, the novel does not pretend to present an overarching moral meaning of life before its readers. It deals with a middle class woman's unassuming life where she reiterates time and again that she is a respectable lady, hailing from a respectable family. She is irrevocably in love with her husband and her son, and she has been a dutiful bride in the groom's family. She works hard in a clinic, and along with the patriarch of the family, tries her best to make both ends meet. The fact that her affair with Vineet does not make her guilty is a point to reckon with. The unconditional routine of life inspires her to go on a vacation. She has never gone on a vacation, except her honeymoon. “When I am near him (Vineet) I feel calm,” she says. “I feel like I feel when I see photos of snow.” Being a conservative woman in an orthodox Hindu family, she considers the liaison to be her tryst with modernity. Unfortunately this affair ultimately brings forth her downfall.
An important aspect of the novel is its depiction of Delhi. Middle class fascination with malls, brand names, Barista, spacious comfortable rooms and, most importantly, the relentless yearning for social mobility are presented with perfection in the novel. The capital of India, New Delhi, is seized with economic bloom and fancy parades of rich, upper class people. Mrs. Sharma, on the other hand, lives in a rented flat with faltering electricity. The episode when she meets Vineet at the SDA market at Hauz Khas immediately makes one aware of her depravity and her innate longing for a comfortable luxurious life. Again, she thinks of the India Gate and nurtures plans to go there once her husband is back from Dubai. In reality, the India Gate where families go out for ice cream is quintessential Delhi. Being a resident of this new vibrant Delhi, she wants to be a part of it, and not just wait in a corner like a mere spectator. The more we understand Mrs. Sharma and her desire for a flat in a sophisticated area in New Delhi, the more we understand that the novel is a paean to the cruel intimacy one develops with a metropolis. The story the novel tells is taut, focused; its wider setting, the new India, pops with life. “It is a jail, a jail,” she says of her financial condition and her life. The dream of breaking free is unfortunately never realized in a metropolis that offers space for love and longing, but more often than not, the affair remains unrequited.
I chanced upon this novel because it is a part of a course that I have taken up. Otherwise I am not so sure if I would have read this book. As the title suggests, the novel narrates the journey of one Mrs. Renuka Sharma--her sentimental middle class life with lofty ambitions and everyday sacrifices that a homemaker has to make in an overtly conservative Indian society. I have not read any other book of Ratika Kapur. So I am not sure whether she generally frames all her novels in this sort-of-unimpressive fashion or not. I am ready to give her the benefit of the doubt, stating that though the writing is extremely unimpressive and mediocre, perhaps it is so because it symbolizes the unimpressive, unimposing life of Mrs. Sharma.
At the same time, the novel does not pretend to present an overarching moral meaning of life before its readers. It deals with a middle class woman's unassuming life where she reiterates time and again that she is a respectable lady, hailing from a respectable family. She is irrevocably in love with her husband and her son, and she has been a dutiful bride in the groom's family. She works hard in a clinic, and along with the patriarch of the family, tries her best to make both ends meet. The fact that her affair with Vineet does not make her guilty is a point to reckon with. The unconditional routine of life inspires her to go on a vacation. She has never gone on a vacation, except her honeymoon. “When I am near him (Vineet) I feel calm,” she says. “I feel like I feel when I see photos of snow.” Being a conservative woman in an orthodox Hindu family, she considers the liaison to be her tryst with modernity. Unfortunately this affair ultimately brings forth her downfall.
An important aspect of the novel is its depiction of Delhi. Middle class fascination with malls, brand names, Barista, spacious comfortable rooms and, most importantly, the relentless yearning for social mobility are presented with perfection in the novel. The capital of India, New Delhi, is seized with economic bloom and fancy parades of rich, upper class people. Mrs. Sharma, on the other hand, lives in a rented flat with faltering electricity. The episode when she meets Vineet at the SDA market at Hauz Khas immediately makes one aware of her depravity and her innate longing for a comfortable luxurious life. Again, she thinks of the India Gate and nurtures plans to go there once her husband is back from Dubai. In reality, the India Gate where families go out for ice cream is quintessential Delhi. Being a resident of this new vibrant Delhi, she wants to be a part of it, and not just wait in a corner like a mere spectator. The more we understand Mrs. Sharma and her desire for a flat in a sophisticated area in New Delhi, the more we understand that the novel is a paean to the cruel intimacy one develops with a metropolis. The story the novel tells is taut, focused; its wider setting, the new India, pops with life. “It is a jail, a jail,” she says of her financial condition and her life. The dream of breaking free is unfortunately never realized in a metropolis that offers space for love and longing, but more often than not, the affair remains unrequited.
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