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The Inscrutable Americans
This quirky novel - a besteller in India - chronicles an Indian student's year abroad at an American university. Gopal's hilarious misadventures with the American language, his flamboyant landlady, the ubiquitous hamburger, and, most of all, American women form the basis for this wonderfully truthful story.
Faced with the relentless sexuality of his fellow college students, the quintessentially decent Gopal reacts with a mixture of disbelief, sly amusement, and hormonal overload. Throughout his battles with racism, his own insecurity, and his family's warning that he will be severely judged should he dabble in America's temptations, Gopal retains a dignity and surprising shrewdness, rejecting the worst of what American offers even as he recognizes the best. Following reluctantly behind the outrageous leadership of his American friend Randy, the naive but observant Gopal reacts with a wit that far transcends his linguistic limitations.
Faced with the relentless sexuality of his fellow college students, the quintessentially decent Gopal reacts with a mixture of disbelief, sly amusement, and hormonal overload. Throughout his battles with racism, his own insecurity, and his family's warning that he will be severely judged should he dabble in America's temptations, Gopal retains a dignity and surprising shrewdness, rejecting the worst of what American offers even as he recognizes the best. Following reluctantly behind the outrageous leadership of his American friend Randy, the naive but observant Gopal reacts with a wit that far transcends his linguistic limitations.
250 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
169 people are currently reading
2026 people want to read
About the author
Anurag Mathur
66 books31 followersAnurag Mathur was born in New Delhi and educated at Scindia School (Gwalior), St. Stephen's College (Delhi), and the University of Tulsa (Oklahoma). He lived for three years in the U.S.A. before returning home to India to embark on a career in journalism and publishing. He now lives in New Delhi and contributes regularly to leading Indian magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of a travel guide called 22 Days in India.
A fanatical cricket player, he also plays tennis and enjoys travelling.
A fanatical cricket player, he also plays tennis and enjoys travelling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
November 16, 2025
The book reads like a young Indian man's dream of what Americans are like, with a university student-level twist on global geopolitics. It is occasionally funny, occasionally offensive, and always naive and immature.
Within this mode, one issue dominates. The book's image of American women as sex addicts who will sleep with anyone and everyone, and just can't wait to make love to an obnoxious Indian boy, is depressing. The author has an incredibly low view of White women that permeates the narrative of the story. Sadly, it is both a product of and reemphasizes the view that most Indian men have of foreign women. Other than various characters' mothers or daughters, here are all the American women mentioned in the book:
Mary Lou – called the “Linda Lovelace” of the campus, Gopal's best friend openly shouts “how're the blow jobs getting along?” when passing her on campus
Holly – called “Hot Pants Holly”, Gopal's best friend assures Gopal that she'd be willing to have sex with him immediately
Gloria – an obese landlord who spends nearly the whole book trying to get with Gopal, before finally settling for a different college boy, with whom she has sexual exploits that she tries to tell Gopal about
Ann – a girl who has almost reached her goal of having sex with 1000 men in 3 years, she throws herself at Gopal because she wants her 1000th man to be a virgin
Mary Ann – a stripper (called a “damn go-go whore”) who falls for Gopal
Sue – a girl who while simultaneously involved in sexual relationships with the obnoxious ex-Indian “Andy”, Gopal's best friend Randy, and some guy named Tony, then decides to also pursue Gopal even after he rejects her
Bernice – high school girl who will have sex with anyone and tries to put the moves on Gopal, but when he accidentally rejects her she turns around and starts getting it on with another guy right next to him
Jill - another high school girl who has sex with Gopal's best friend whenever he's back in town, pretty much since they were able to crawl out of the cradle
Cindy - Bar-girl/Prostitute who Gopal nearly sleeps with
Margie - Swedish massage parlour girl who goes to Gopal's college and whom Gopal tries to pressure into sex for money; ironically, the only one who doesn't seem to want to sleep with him
Samantha - Obese woman who comes to Gopal's party so all the boys there can take turns having sex with her
Sally - College girl who repeatedly flirts with Gopal despite the offensive things he says to her, reads the Kama Sutra, and speaks suggestively about her relationships with Indians
Mildred - Middle-aged woman who reads the Kama Sutra and whom Gopal starts to pursue for sex, then changes his mind even after deciding that she'd probably have a pity affair with him
A group of unnamed sorority girls who Gopal's best friend says will have sex with Gopal because they “have the morals of an alley cat”
Naked college girls lying around sunbathing everywhere once summer starts
Girls doing ice shows in their panties who Gopal and his best friend go to see for sexual titillation
Anurag Mathur sums up his own view of American women when he writes, “It was so easy and so tempting to think of American girls as sex objects...the women he met were obviously much better able to manage a relationship, was well as several others simultaneously.” - pg 169
Seriously...besides a couple moms and one young daughter, those are pretty much all the women in the book. And you are surprised that Indian men treat foreign women the way they do, when supposedly “educated” Indian men speak this way about them?
Mathur's stereotypical Black Americans are little better. None of them even have the decency of getting a real name. Here are all the Black characters in the entire book:
1st Black man: A pimp in a gray overcoat who offers Gopal “real live, wild pussy”
2nd Black man: “Gopal beheld a short black man wearing a fur cap, half dancing as he walked. His arm turned half circles and his fingers snapped in time to some invisible music. His feet sprang with each step and his body curved sideways keeping pace with the snap of his fingers. Gopal was astonished. 'What is happening to him?' he asked. 'Oh nothing, just be-bopping his way down.”
3rd Black man: A guy who speaks alternatively in sing-song rhymes or grammatically poor “ebonics” who is known only as “the Peacock”. “He was black, about six and a half feet tall, and to Gopal appeared to be a least as broad. He wore green, white, and red trousers, a purple shirt with yellow circles on it and gold chains that hung like wreaths around his neck. On his feet were white high heeled boots, on his head as a kind of cap with a long brim and on his face were mirrored sun-glasses.”
The only other Black people Gopal meets the whole time are seen when he drives by the unnamed Black ghetto in town, which is hidden behind a vast junkyard just like an Indian slum. They are horrifically poor, all unemployed, their homes were all unkempt, they were all carrying bottles of alcohol, and fights and rage break out right in front of him. When Gopel asks what work the people do, the Peacock tells him, “Not much. The most money you make is going through the junkyard and picking up whatever whitey throws away.”
There are plenty of other offensive stereotypes I could pick out (like the way that “village” Indians are mocked and insulted throughout), or the author's real anger towards overweight women. He mentions the weight of girls frequently and portrays the “fat” ones as sexually promiscuous and willing to sleep with anyone, using such descriptors as:
“She was wearing a flowered summer dress with massive arms emerging from it. Her face had to stay afloat atop the fat. Minuscule eyes peered like mice from behind the protective layers.”
“'I'd shoot that arrow right into her fat face.' They (Gopal and his best friend) both sniggered.”
“They could hear her skipping to the stairs outside like a rhino practicing ballet steps.”
“And what am I going to tell your Dad when he arrives to investigate your disappearance? That you've drowned in rolls of blubber?”
“Gopal couldn't see her face, just her enormous, gross body in its cheap flowered print.”
“Privately, he believed that Miss Saxena was so ugly that such books were the closest she would ever get to romance.”
“Her face, he noted, seemed to have pieces of fat stuck on it instead of features.”
Okay, that's enough of that. I can see the appeal of the book for a wealthy city-Indian audience with mixed feelings about America – it feeds right into the stereotypes about America that they enjoy the most, while also taking some cheap shots at the Indians they don't like.
That being said, at times the critiques (both of America and India) are legitimate. From time to time the book is even funny. But it's not well-written in terms of grammar or plot, and the offensive stereotypes and encouragement of horrific views of foreign women far outweigh the occasional humor.
Within this mode, one issue dominates. The book's image of American women as sex addicts who will sleep with anyone and everyone, and just can't wait to make love to an obnoxious Indian boy, is depressing. The author has an incredibly low view of White women that permeates the narrative of the story. Sadly, it is both a product of and reemphasizes the view that most Indian men have of foreign women. Other than various characters' mothers or daughters, here are all the American women mentioned in the book:
Mary Lou – called the “Linda Lovelace” of the campus, Gopal's best friend openly shouts “how're the blow jobs getting along?” when passing her on campus
Holly – called “Hot Pants Holly”, Gopal's best friend assures Gopal that she'd be willing to have sex with him immediately
Gloria – an obese landlord who spends nearly the whole book trying to get with Gopal, before finally settling for a different college boy, with whom she has sexual exploits that she tries to tell Gopal about
Ann – a girl who has almost reached her goal of having sex with 1000 men in 3 years, she throws herself at Gopal because she wants her 1000th man to be a virgin
Mary Ann – a stripper (called a “damn go-go whore”) who falls for Gopal
Sue – a girl who while simultaneously involved in sexual relationships with the obnoxious ex-Indian “Andy”, Gopal's best friend Randy, and some guy named Tony, then decides to also pursue Gopal even after he rejects her
Bernice – high school girl who will have sex with anyone and tries to put the moves on Gopal, but when he accidentally rejects her she turns around and starts getting it on with another guy right next to him
Jill - another high school girl who has sex with Gopal's best friend whenever he's back in town, pretty much since they were able to crawl out of the cradle
Cindy - Bar-girl/Prostitute who Gopal nearly sleeps with
Margie - Swedish massage parlour girl who goes to Gopal's college and whom Gopal tries to pressure into sex for money; ironically, the only one who doesn't seem to want to sleep with him
Samantha - Obese woman who comes to Gopal's party so all the boys there can take turns having sex with her
Sally - College girl who repeatedly flirts with Gopal despite the offensive things he says to her, reads the Kama Sutra, and speaks suggestively about her relationships with Indians
Mildred - Middle-aged woman who reads the Kama Sutra and whom Gopal starts to pursue for sex, then changes his mind even after deciding that she'd probably have a pity affair with him
A group of unnamed sorority girls who Gopal's best friend says will have sex with Gopal because they “have the morals of an alley cat”
Naked college girls lying around sunbathing everywhere once summer starts
Girls doing ice shows in their panties who Gopal and his best friend go to see for sexual titillation
Anurag Mathur sums up his own view of American women when he writes, “It was so easy and so tempting to think of American girls as sex objects...the women he met were obviously much better able to manage a relationship, was well as several others simultaneously.” - pg 169
Seriously...besides a couple moms and one young daughter, those are pretty much all the women in the book. And you are surprised that Indian men treat foreign women the way they do, when supposedly “educated” Indian men speak this way about them?
Mathur's stereotypical Black Americans are little better. None of them even have the decency of getting a real name. Here are all the Black characters in the entire book:
1st Black man: A pimp in a gray overcoat who offers Gopal “real live, wild pussy”
2nd Black man: “Gopal beheld a short black man wearing a fur cap, half dancing as he walked. His arm turned half circles and his fingers snapped in time to some invisible music. His feet sprang with each step and his body curved sideways keeping pace with the snap of his fingers. Gopal was astonished. 'What is happening to him?' he asked. 'Oh nothing, just be-bopping his way down.”
3rd Black man: A guy who speaks alternatively in sing-song rhymes or grammatically poor “ebonics” who is known only as “the Peacock”. “He was black, about six and a half feet tall, and to Gopal appeared to be a least as broad. He wore green, white, and red trousers, a purple shirt with yellow circles on it and gold chains that hung like wreaths around his neck. On his feet were white high heeled boots, on his head as a kind of cap with a long brim and on his face were mirrored sun-glasses.”
The only other Black people Gopal meets the whole time are seen when he drives by the unnamed Black ghetto in town, which is hidden behind a vast junkyard just like an Indian slum. They are horrifically poor, all unemployed, their homes were all unkempt, they were all carrying bottles of alcohol, and fights and rage break out right in front of him. When Gopel asks what work the people do, the Peacock tells him, “Not much. The most money you make is going through the junkyard and picking up whatever whitey throws away.”
There are plenty of other offensive stereotypes I could pick out (like the way that “village” Indians are mocked and insulted throughout), or the author's real anger towards overweight women. He mentions the weight of girls frequently and portrays the “fat” ones as sexually promiscuous and willing to sleep with anyone, using such descriptors as:
“She was wearing a flowered summer dress with massive arms emerging from it. Her face had to stay afloat atop the fat. Minuscule eyes peered like mice from behind the protective layers.”
“'I'd shoot that arrow right into her fat face.' They (Gopal and his best friend) both sniggered.”
“They could hear her skipping to the stairs outside like a rhino practicing ballet steps.”
“And what am I going to tell your Dad when he arrives to investigate your disappearance? That you've drowned in rolls of blubber?”
“Gopal couldn't see her face, just her enormous, gross body in its cheap flowered print.”
“Privately, he believed that Miss Saxena was so ugly that such books were the closest she would ever get to romance.”
“Her face, he noted, seemed to have pieces of fat stuck on it instead of features.”
Okay, that's enough of that. I can see the appeal of the book for a wealthy city-Indian audience with mixed feelings about America – it feeds right into the stereotypes about America that they enjoy the most, while also taking some cheap shots at the Indians they don't like.
That being said, at times the critiques (both of America and India) are legitimate. From time to time the book is even funny. But it's not well-written in terms of grammar or plot, and the offensive stereotypes and encouragement of horrific views of foreign women far outweigh the occasional humor.
November 28, 2011
I picked up this book on the recommendation of a friend. I had no idea about his reading habits, so this was done purely out of respect for said friend. However this book was so annoying and stereotypical that I vowed never to take recommendations from friends again, lest I lose respect for them. Eventually, this sentiment led me to join goodreads.com so that I can take recommendations from perfect strangers online and choose to agree or disagree without affecting my private life in any way. Good move, I'd say.
This novel claims to be hilarious, although I didn't find anything remotely funny about it - neither the prose (if it is witty and funny, it does a good job of hiding it) nor the characters which were lazy stereotypes of small-town Indians and NRIs. A humourous insight of Indian students studying in the USA ,it is not. Avoid like the plague.
This novel claims to be hilarious, although I didn't find anything remotely funny about it - neither the prose (if it is witty and funny, it does a good job of hiding it) nor the characters which were lazy stereotypes of small-town Indians and NRIs. A humourous insight of Indian students studying in the USA ,it is not. Avoid like the plague.
October 30, 2012
It started off really well!
It was hilarious, I thought. The stereotypical cultural references to the average Indian upbringing were spot on. The letters written by Gopal- the protagonist- from the U.S to his brother in India are laugh out loud funny! Unnecessary capitalization of phrases like "Higher Studies" and "Revered Grandmother" are adorable as is his puzzlement with everything American.
Gopal-the-village-boy's innocence has been portrayed quite convincingly and his obsession with Jajau's Hair Oil Factory is hilarious. I can almost imagine him looking at the buildings of New York with wide-eyed wonder.
While he is bright and educated on the one hand, he is socially awkward and uninformed about social/cultural trends, on the other, which I found rather endearing. He manages to make a stripper fall for him and then refuses to cheat on her by looking at other strippers! :D Aww.
The problem with this book starts mid-way! It gets monotonous and the author tries too hard to hold the reader's attention. It is as though two different people have written the two halves of the book. It abruptly stops being funny and gets a little annoying. Too many details and an absolute lack of direction ruined my interest in Gopal's fate. I didn't care anymore because all Gopal wanted to do, for the next ninety pages or so was to get laid.
"Go die, Gopal! I want to move on to another book."
It was hilarious, I thought. The stereotypical cultural references to the average Indian upbringing were spot on. The letters written by Gopal- the protagonist- from the U.S to his brother in India are laugh out loud funny! Unnecessary capitalization of phrases like "Higher Studies" and "Revered Grandmother" are adorable as is his puzzlement with everything American.
Gopal-the-village-boy's innocence has been portrayed quite convincingly and his obsession with Jajau's Hair Oil Factory is hilarious. I can almost imagine him looking at the buildings of New York with wide-eyed wonder.
While he is bright and educated on the one hand, he is socially awkward and uninformed about social/cultural trends, on the other, which I found rather endearing. He manages to make a stripper fall for him and then refuses to cheat on her by looking at other strippers! :D Aww.
The problem with this book starts mid-way! It gets monotonous and the author tries too hard to hold the reader's attention. It is as though two different people have written the two halves of the book. It abruptly stops being funny and gets a little annoying. Too many details and an absolute lack of direction ruined my interest in Gopal's fate. I didn't care anymore because all Gopal wanted to do, for the next ninety pages or so was to get laid.
"Go die, Gopal! I want to move on to another book."
January 1, 2018
A friend gave this book as a gift a couple of years ago. I picked it up recently in an attempt to understand what could make this book a good gift.
I had to struggle to keep myself engaged. In terms of writing, it'll be rated 3/5 stars by Chetan Bhagat fans. As far as the story it tells, well, it has none.
A filthy rich Brahmin upper caste with a money minting oil factory as his potential inheritance goes to the US for his masters. For one long year, he attempts to get laid, and fails. He comes close a few times, but doesn't drive it home because he vomits before the act or is simply too shy. He even goes to a massage parlour and makes unwanted sexual advances repeatedly even after being warned.
Every chapter of the book is a short story of how this sexually desperate lad fails to find sex. One can read the chapters in a random order because a chapter adds nothing to its following ones.
To make it worse, the book is highly ignorant of the Indian socio-economics as this chap tries to convince people in the US that India has no starvation. It also argues that India has equality amongst all castes with a weird logic that Gandhi became a successful leader despite not being from the highest of castes. The boy in the story has seen no struggle in his life except in achieving his single most important goal - sexual intercourse. That is all!
I have wasted precious hours reading this book. I hope not many people do. And I hope no one thinks this to be a gift-worthy material, the way my friend did.
I had to struggle to keep myself engaged. In terms of writing, it'll be rated 3/5 stars by Chetan Bhagat fans. As far as the story it tells, well, it has none.
A filthy rich Brahmin upper caste with a money minting oil factory as his potential inheritance goes to the US for his masters. For one long year, he attempts to get laid, and fails. He comes close a few times, but doesn't drive it home because he vomits before the act or is simply too shy. He even goes to a massage parlour and makes unwanted sexual advances repeatedly even after being warned.
Every chapter of the book is a short story of how this sexually desperate lad fails to find sex. One can read the chapters in a random order because a chapter adds nothing to its following ones.
To make it worse, the book is highly ignorant of the Indian socio-economics as this chap tries to convince people in the US that India has no starvation. It also argues that India has equality amongst all castes with a weird logic that Gandhi became a successful leader despite not being from the highest of castes. The boy in the story has seen no struggle in his life except in achieving his single most important goal - sexual intercourse. That is all!
I have wasted precious hours reading this book. I hope not many people do. And I hope no one thinks this to be a gift-worthy material, the way my friend did.
September 15, 2021
The Inscrutable Americans is a humorous story about an Indian who goes to study in America. Gopal has been living in India for a long time and is completely unaware of American customs when he gets there. On an amusing journey throughout his educational life, he understands the social differences between India and America and gets used to them.
It was a funny story but I didn’t like it. I didn’t laugh at every chapter, and sometimes the book was monotonous. There was nothing new throughout the book, it just had the same plot every chapter. I liked the plot as it was unique, but there were a lot of story elements missing.
It was a funny story but I didn’t like it. I didn’t laugh at every chapter, and sometimes the book was monotonous. There was nothing new throughout the book, it just had the same plot every chapter. I liked the plot as it was unique, but there were a lot of story elements missing.
July 6, 2016
I bought this book last week and started reading it without thinking much. Set during the 1990s, the period when Indians had started exploring and settling down in the US of A, the story is about a small town Indian boy who sets his foot in the land of Columbus for his higher studies, mind you back then. The difference in culture, lifestyle, language and many other issues that the boy copes with in a new country is what forms the plot of the story. Fortunately it’s a small world that we live in now, even if I had read it back then I am pretty sure I wouldn’t have found this one remotely funny! Humour is a serious thing. Stereotyping people from any country- be it Indians, Americans, French, Swedish, Chinese, Japanese or Mexicans and writing about them has far reaching consequences. The world reads it. I did not find Gopal’s letters funny at all, there is nothing comically ‘Indian’ about it, even in the 1990s it was never called ‘Indian English’. Call it bad English, one can accept it. On the other hand everything about the Americans is written with such shortsightedness. The inscrutability for me was with the author’s purpose of writing this book. Thankfully my sense of humour pulled through this ordeal.
July 29, 2011
You see there aren't many books that make me laugh out loud. The Inscrutable Americans was the first book that could do this. I first read this book at the age of 14. Adolescent I was, I could relate to the transitory period in Gopal's (the protagonist) life.
The story is about an Indian boy Gopal, hailing from a small town in Madhya Pradesh who goes to USA to pursue his higher education. There he battles the usual issues faced by an Indian living in the US- racism, sexual discomforts, food, etc. As I always say, cliched though the concept, it is the characters that make a story. Evidently, The Inscrutable Americans has mighty strong character profiles; Randy and Gopal leading the lot.
The book has an excellent pace that builds up gradually, reaching a glorious high towards the climax (pun intended- those who've read this will know what I'm referring to -)
One of the lines that I can never forget from this book is
Cliched or not, you're bound to enjoy this book! :)
The story is about an Indian boy Gopal, hailing from a small town in Madhya Pradesh who goes to USA to pursue his higher education. There he battles the usual issues faced by an Indian living in the US- racism, sexual discomforts, food, etc. As I always say, cliched though the concept, it is the characters that make a story. Evidently, The Inscrutable Americans has mighty strong character profiles; Randy and Gopal leading the lot.
The book has an excellent pace that builds up gradually, reaching a glorious high towards the climax (pun intended- those who've read this will know what I'm referring to -)
One of the lines that I can never forget from this book is
"Are red haired girls, red all over?
Cliched or not, you're bound to enjoy this book! :)
August 14, 2007
I remember reading this book over 4 yrs ago sitting on a bus. I laughed so hard the old man sitting next to me actually had to get up and change his seat because he thought I was mad!!
There are tons of books that have cropped up recently dealing with the lives of the ABCD's living abroad as well as the adventures and the misadventures of fresh of the boat people who traveled from remote cities in India to foreign lands; but since this is the first one I read - I thoroughly enjoyed it.
There are tons of books that have cropped up recently dealing with the lives of the ABCD's living abroad as well as the adventures and the misadventures of fresh of the boat people who traveled from remote cities in India to foreign lands; but since this is the first one I read - I thoroughly enjoyed it.
December 12, 2018
Sometimes funny, sometimes sexist
June 15, 2012
The pace and humour was amazing to start with, but the narration went on to be a drone by the end of the book
June 5, 2019
I can honestly say this is the worst piece of shit book I've ever read and I read non-sensical garbage all the time.
August 3, 2021
Though it was funny at times, but I didn't like the stereotype presentation of American women. I personally have talked many of them and they are for from just sex-hungry folks, as portrayed in this novel. Besides, the protagonist is an asshole, any educated small-town Indian boy could do way better than this moron.
October 31, 2013
I was a teenager growing up in India when I read this book. I found it incredibly funny and enjoyed it so much that I re-read it atleast once. Infact I recall that for a while I had the book sitting on my bedside and I would go to the funniest parts and chuckle myself to sleep.
'The Inscrutable Americans' is a story of a simple and God-fearing (and mom and grandma fearing) boy from a small town in India. Gopal has had no exposure to Western culture and many things in modern life, which seemed preposterous to me, even then. But again, I grew up in a city with full awareness of things that Gopal was ignorant of. Even so, his reaction to the new experiences seem ludicrous - but the expression of this silliness is what makes the book a total laugh riot. Gopal goes to America to study and is desperate to lose his virginity there. His terrible English and innocence in the American way of life doesn't stand in the way of him making friends. One such friend, the other main character, is a young American guy with ample experience in "lady affairs". His name is Randy - the meaning of the word in Hindi and Gopal's handling of his new friend's name is itself hilarious. Randy takes it upon himself to help the cause of Gopal's raging hormones. The letters that Gopal writes to his family back home add to much of the humor in the book.
There is no point or message in the story - it's not meant to seriously portray the cultural shock that young Foreign students face in America. So don't try to analyze this book from that angle. As for humor, yes there's some slapstick humor. But at no point, does it degenerate into an annoyance. It's funny. Period. Today, the world is a much smaller place, and India has changed considerably since the book was written; perhaps many of the passages may not be as funny or the reader may not relate to them (but again, I couldn't relate to them at a personal level even then, or when I ended up in the States later for higher studies). I'm not sure if I'd enjoy the book now as much as I did then. The book is full of clichés and stereotypical characters but that doesn't interfere with making it less enjoyable - it’s the handling of the simple plot, more specifically the amusing language that made Anurag Mathur's book such a hit then. I'd go as far as to call it a classic written by an Indian author for its cult value - it was a popular comedy that we urban Indians grew up on.
'The Inscrutable Americans' is a story of a simple and God-fearing (and mom and grandma fearing) boy from a small town in India. Gopal has had no exposure to Western culture and many things in modern life, which seemed preposterous to me, even then. But again, I grew up in a city with full awareness of things that Gopal was ignorant of. Even so, his reaction to the new experiences seem ludicrous - but the expression of this silliness is what makes the book a total laugh riot. Gopal goes to America to study and is desperate to lose his virginity there. His terrible English and innocence in the American way of life doesn't stand in the way of him making friends. One such friend, the other main character, is a young American guy with ample experience in "lady affairs". His name is Randy - the meaning of the word in Hindi and Gopal's handling of his new friend's name is itself hilarious. Randy takes it upon himself to help the cause of Gopal's raging hormones. The letters that Gopal writes to his family back home add to much of the humor in the book.
There is no point or message in the story - it's not meant to seriously portray the cultural shock that young Foreign students face in America. So don't try to analyze this book from that angle. As for humor, yes there's some slapstick humor. But at no point, does it degenerate into an annoyance. It's funny. Period. Today, the world is a much smaller place, and India has changed considerably since the book was written; perhaps many of the passages may not be as funny or the reader may not relate to them (but again, I couldn't relate to them at a personal level even then, or when I ended up in the States later for higher studies). I'm not sure if I'd enjoy the book now as much as I did then. The book is full of clichés and stereotypical characters but that doesn't interfere with making it less enjoyable - it’s the handling of the simple plot, more specifically the amusing language that made Anurag Mathur's book such a hit then. I'd go as far as to call it a classic written by an Indian author for its cult value - it was a popular comedy that we urban Indians grew up on.
December 3, 2018
Personally I thought this book was very funny. However, there were scenes in particular that were a bit 'rape-y' for my taste and many of the female characters where portrayed as sex-obsessed or were actually prostitutes. Over time, I have hard much difficulty actually recommending this book to others because of the sexist/body shaming comments which are thematically a part of the main characters experience with women. I couldn't comfortably say I thought this book was really funny knowing there was a girl in the woods waiting for young men to have their turn with her. It was such an absurd scene that seemed like the author was maybe trying to get at something else, but never really took the opportunity to say that this was wrong or that it isn't funny and that maybe there is something Opal can see here and learn here. Opal sees the situation and before anything else he just kind of blinks it away. All other comical aspects of it come from immature comments and jokes that play on stereotypes. Even though now, on reflection, I find it offensive... I will admit I bought it after reading because I thought it was funny and it lifted my spirits during finals week. So, I don't exactly recommend it, but if you did read it, it wouldn't be the biggest waste of your time. Just be aware of it's social impurity and maybe read Passage to India after as some kind of contrast to it's taste. It is a short book and a quick read, go wild.
March 7, 2014
A cute, charming story about Gopal, a young man from a small town in India, who comes to the U.S. for his final year of college at a small midwestern campus. It's usually amusing and sometimes hilarious as he tries to understand American customs and idioms with the help of his young mentor, Randy, a fellow student assigned by the dean to show him around. Gopal at first assumes Randy is a description rather than a name, and he isn't far wrong. Part of Gopal's preparation includes a selection of American pornography, and Randy makes it his goal to help Gopal discard his virginity. The edition I read was the 43rd printing, which says something about the book's popularity.
January 8, 2017
Extremely horrible grammar throughout the book. How could someone publish this piece of shit without getting at least the grammar corrected. Here are some of the sentences:
"Then I'm going to long bathroom"
"Then I am sleeping long time after London and when I'm waking it is like we are flying over sea of lights"
"Still please tell her I have done needful".
How can someone with such a horrible English put that "inscrutable" word in the title? Sounds like someone else did it for him. But how did a real publication house agree to publish this piece of garbage, where every page is jam-packed with half-sentences and horrible grammar, is puzzling.
"Then I'm going to long bathroom"
"Then I am sleeping long time after London and when I'm waking it is like we are flying over sea of lights"
"Still please tell her I have done needful".
How can someone with such a horrible English put that "inscrutable" word in the title? Sounds like someone else did it for him. But how did a real publication house agree to publish this piece of garbage, where every page is jam-packed with half-sentences and horrible grammar, is puzzling.
November 1, 2007
Oh how I hoped this book by an Indian author would capture the trials and tribulations of a foreigner in USA. It attempted to, but sucked !Besides badly-formed sentences and an even badderly-formed story, it ends up being a ridiculous narrative filled with crude sexual references.
Boo Hiss !
I would be happy to give this book away for FREE! As long as someone can give me money for free in return.
Boo Hiss !
I would be happy to give this book away for FREE! As long as someone can give me money for free in return.
December 1, 2016
This may have been relevant in 1970, not anymore.......Basically, the story of an Indian who failed to adjust to the American way of life. The character development is dicey as well, acc to the author, the character is very intelligent with respect to the hair oil business and the chemistry around it, but the person comes across as plain stupid.
May 7, 2017
In the days before Chetan Bhagat, this book provides a humorous account of the clash of the Indian and American cultures. Really funny and definitely must be read once. I would have given it 4 star rating, except all the "sex in America" theme bored me quite a bit.
July 26, 2016
Great read! It was funny cover-to-cover, and the author captures the immigrant experience of culture clash really well. Some of the perspectives are dated, but even those were true when the book was written.
May 17, 2022
This was all the rage in college as it was prolly one of the first POVs of an Indian student's life in the US. Funny in places, but mostly generic.
The final 'plot twist' is cringe and has led to many airhostesses/female passengers being harassed over the years by 'charming' idiots.
The final 'plot twist' is cringe and has led to many airhostesses/female passengers being harassed over the years by 'charming' idiots.
November 11, 2014
Read this when I was still in school and thought it was the most hilarious book ever. Thank god I can see every single thing wrong with it now.
April 26, 2019
Writing is hilarious as the novel starts and then gets too monotonous midway, that I couldn't complete the novel.
February 24, 2018
Wish I had read this book at least a decade or two earlier so I could have appreciated the humour better.
March 7, 2013
I had bought this one at a railway bookstore in year 2005 for 80-90 Rupees. In those days that was the most money I carried with me. I can't forget the amusing language the book had and reading it was such a fun then. America was still alien to me, and reading story of a guy who had probably funnier English than mine was a complete amusement. I don't know whether I will still like it as much as I did the first time and that's a shame!
But,there is an incident I still remember which sealed its reputation in my mind. In my English Communication class in college, which one of the popular professors of Humanities department was taking, the prof. asked us who has read this book. I looked around I saw no hands raised, so I had to raise mine. The more than cheerful prof. looked straight at me and started explaining the billboard-with-a-hottie-on-it incident in the book with so much enthusiasm that he inadvertently did a f***-pose explaining the protagonist's fantasies in the story. I couldn't help but pretend that I understood nothing, and stared clueless at him.
I remember having a great laugh telling this incident to my friends later; and one of them instantly asked for the book. I still have it somewhere in my cupboard. :D
But,there is an incident I still remember which sealed its reputation in my mind. In my English Communication class in college, which one of the popular professors of Humanities department was taking, the prof. asked us who has read this book. I looked around I saw no hands raised, so I had to raise mine. The more than cheerful prof. looked straight at me and started explaining the billboard-with-a-hottie-on-it incident in the book with so much enthusiasm that he inadvertently did a f***-pose explaining the protagonist's fantasies in the story. I couldn't help but pretend that I understood nothing, and stared clueless at him.
I remember having a great laugh telling this incident to my friends later; and one of them instantly asked for the book. I still have it somewhere in my cupboard. :D
May 21, 2012
As the number of stars suggests 'it was an okay' book. The story of an Indian(more like Jajau) boy going for higher studies in US is predictable and stereotypical to the highest level. Most of the times you are inside the head of Gopal whose only knowledge of English books and movies are Penthouse Letters and Blue Lagoon respectively. With this shallow knowledge he is trying to unravel the mystery called America and in most part American girls.
Most parts of the story defies logic and is at worse contradictory to the previous part. But the book is enjoyable in bits with it's share of laughable jokes and insights about American junta. With it's slow buildup initially the story hurriedly finishes off towards the end. I have a feeling that story would have been better and memorable if the author chose to focus on the college life of Gopal.
Most parts of the story defies logic and is at worse contradictory to the previous part. But the book is enjoyable in bits with it's share of laughable jokes and insights about American junta. With it's slow buildup initially the story hurriedly finishes off towards the end. I have a feeling that story would have been better and memorable if the author chose to focus on the college life of Gopal.
January 20, 2017
My Secret Santa gifted this book to me but it seems he was not aware of the genre of my books. This doesn't fall into my to read shelf.
It started off really well. In first three chapters there was little humour. What I didn't understand is why the author has given this name "The Inscrutable Americans"? I mean really I felt that the protagonist was inscrutable.
Anurag Mathur failed to clearly define the protagonist. He wanted to show Gopal as a innocent, mama's-boy, oh-I-don't-know-what-pussy means kind of a guy but through his action he portrayed him as a complete pervert.
And for last five chapters it's was all about finding a date for Gopal. Same thing over and over again. I really got bored and I didn't find any humor.
It was really inscrutable experience.
It started off really well. In first three chapters there was little humour. What I didn't understand is why the author has given this name "The Inscrutable Americans"? I mean really I felt that the protagonist was inscrutable.
Anurag Mathur failed to clearly define the protagonist. He wanted to show Gopal as a innocent, mama's-boy, oh-I-don't-know-what-pussy means kind of a guy but through his action he portrayed him as a complete pervert.
And for last five chapters it's was all about finding a date for Gopal. Same thing over and over again. I really got bored and I didn't find any humor.
It was really inscrutable experience.
Read
August 9, 2011I just finished reading this book on the recommendation of a cousin. The book just reinforces the stereotype of Americans in India and the Moslem world. For one, I'll like to know this place where the girls throw themselves all over guys. It is from the time when I moved to the US (1 US $ = Rs. 13) but then, I never came across the society painted by the author. There are some other factual errors but other than that, the book is interesting to read and humorous.
December 11, 2012
My roommate gave me this book. She said, "it's the kind of thing you buy in train stations in India".
Plot: sex-obsessed young lad comes to US to study abroad, and hopefully to get laid. It is the 80s... despite being surrounded by ludicrously slutty American girls everywhere, he has difficulty sealing the deal.
A sort of funny but mostly just bizarre caricature of America, Americans, India, Indians, and the 80s.
Plot: sex-obsessed young lad comes to US to study abroad, and hopefully to get laid. It is the 80s... despite being surrounded by ludicrously slutty American girls everywhere, he has difficulty sealing the deal.
A sort of funny but mostly just bizarre caricature of America, Americans, India, Indians, and the 80s.
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