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Those Pricey Thakur Girls #1
Those Pricey Thakur Girls
In a sprawling bungalow on New Delhi's posh Hailey Road, Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his wife Mamta spend their days watching anxiously over their five beautiful (but troublesome) alphabetically named daughters.Anjini, married but an incorrigible flirt; Binodini, very worried about her children's hissa in the family property; Chandrakanta, who eloped with a foreigner on the eve of her wedding; Eshwari, who is just a little too popular at Modern School, Barakhamba Road; and the Judge's favourite (though fathers shouldn't have favourites): the quietly fiery Debjani, champion of all the stray animals on Hailey Road, who reads the English news on DD and clashes constantly with crusading journalist Dylan Singh Shekhawat, he of shining professional credentials but tarnished personal reputation, crushingly dismissive of her 'state-sponsored propaganda', but always seeking her out with half-sarcastic, half-intrigued dark eyes.Spot-on funny and toe-curlingly sexy, Those Pricey Thakur Girls is rom-com specialist Anuja Chauhan writing at her sparkling best.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
299 people are currently reading
4139 people want to read
About the author
Anuja Chauhan
11 books1,083 followersAnuja Chauhan is an Indian author and advertiser. She worked in the advertising agency, JWT India, for over 17 years. She has written 3 novels, The Zoya Factor (2008), Battle For Bittora (October 2010) and Those Pricey Thakur Girls (January 2013). All three books are romances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 687 reviews
August 9, 2023
If you are someone who spent your childhood and teenage years in the 80s and 90s, this will be a book that you can relate to.
Anuja Chauhan tells us the story of Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his wife Mamta and their five daughters. The daughters are Anjini, Binodini, Chandrakanta, Eshwari, and Debjani.
Debjani is reading English news on Doordarshan. You can see all the important events that happened in Delhi and the whole of India during that time, and the author tries to dissect them through the characters. It discusses the tumultuous events that the characters had to face and how they tackled them.
This book, even though on the lengthier side with more than 400 pages, still gives a breezy reading experience due to how the author has written it.
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Anuja Chauhan tells us the story of Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his wife Mamta and their five daughters. The daughters are Anjini, Binodini, Chandrakanta, Eshwari, and Debjani.
Debjani is reading English news on Doordarshan. You can see all the important events that happened in Delhi and the whole of India during that time, and the author tries to dissect them through the characters. It discusses the tumultuous events that the characters had to face and how they tackled them.
This book, even though on the lengthier side with more than 400 pages, still gives a breezy reading experience due to how the author has written it.
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Health Channel ID - Dasfill - Health | YouTube Malayalam Channel ID - Dasfill - Malayalam | Threads ID - Dasfill | X ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
August 19, 2014
So I have come across a lot of book reviewers (even professional ones) describing this as a modern Indian retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Now after blazing through a good many number of pages, I realize how blasphemous and inappropriate this comparison is.
The purported Indian Mr Darcy, Dylan Singh Shekhawat, is an investigative editor who has the gall to refer to a news reader of the 80s as a 'maal' (derogatory hindi word used to describe sexually attractive women in everyday parlance) in an official column he writes for his friend's newspaper. (Which journalist worth his salt even writes such horrid Hinglish in print?)
Imagine a modern Mr Darcy as a newspaper columnist writing a review of the latest news program on some channel in which he mentions how the host of the show (Elizabeth) has an 'amazing rack'. Charming right?
If that doesn't turn you off or make you roll your eyes in disbelief, wait for him to compare the women he casually sleeps with to the layer of grease on junk food. An absolutely intolerable and noxious character trait to spot in the hero of a romance novel written by a woman to boot - disrespect for women bordering on misogyny.
Most of the other characters are over-the-top hysterical, two-dimensional, and unfunny caricatures while the prose is bloated and florid at best. Perhaps Ms Chauhan had a Bollywood adaptation in mind when she wrote this which is good for her since it translates into a shitload of money. But that makes this book even less readable.
P.S.:-1 extra star for the inclusion of the anti-Sikh riots post Indira Gandhi's assassination as a subplot. That added a much-needed layer of credibility to the narrative.
The purported Indian Mr Darcy, Dylan Singh Shekhawat, is an investigative editor who has the gall to refer to a news reader of the 80s as a 'maal' (derogatory hindi word used to describe sexually attractive women in everyday parlance) in an official column he writes for his friend's newspaper. (Which journalist worth his salt even writes such horrid Hinglish in print?)
Imagine a modern Mr Darcy as a newspaper columnist writing a review of the latest news program on some channel in which he mentions how the host of the show (Elizabeth) has an 'amazing rack'. Charming right?
If that doesn't turn you off or make you roll your eyes in disbelief, wait for him to compare the women he casually sleeps with to the layer of grease on junk food. An absolutely intolerable and noxious character trait to spot in the hero of a romance novel written by a woman to boot - disrespect for women bordering on misogyny.
Most of the other characters are over-the-top hysterical, two-dimensional, and unfunny caricatures while the prose is bloated and florid at best. Perhaps Ms Chauhan had a Bollywood adaptation in mind when she wrote this which is good for her since it translates into a shitload of money. But that makes this book even less readable.
P.S.:-1 extra star for the inclusion of the anti-Sikh riots post Indira Gandhi's assassination as a subplot. That added a much-needed layer of credibility to the narrative.
December 24, 2021
If you all know, I don't usually DNF books and neither rate them this low, because of the mere reason for its author's hard-work and well I don't wanna have FOMO for not reading it completely. 😂
This is my second ever book I have DNFed, yes second!!! After reading around 800+ books it's only a second DNF.
But the point is, I just couldn't go through myself the torture of reading this book. I just couldn't vibe with the author's writing style, I know so many people who have practically loved this book, and I could wrap my head around this book.
The plot may seem promising but while reading the first 50 pages, I practically had to drag myself. For another 50 it was me merely giving the book a second chance. The book definitely did not seem funny as the blurb suggests.
I'm a person who reads more than 250+ pages a day and here it took myself more than 1 week to read first 50 pages. I'm not saying the book is bad, alot of them have definitely enjoyed it and you may relate with it too. But the writing style just wasn't for me.
This is my second ever book I have DNFed, yes second!!! After reading around 800+ books it's only a second DNF.
But the point is, I just couldn't go through myself the torture of reading this book. I just couldn't vibe with the author's writing style, I know so many people who have practically loved this book, and I could wrap my head around this book.
The plot may seem promising but while reading the first 50 pages, I practically had to drag myself. For another 50 it was me merely giving the book a second chance. The book definitely did not seem funny as the blurb suggests.
I'm a person who reads more than 250+ pages a day and here it took myself more than 1 week to read first 50 pages. I'm not saying the book is bad, alot of them have definitely enjoyed it and you may relate with it too. But the writing style just wasn't for me.
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March 15, 2021A wildly entertaining beach-read romcom about a family with five daughters and their goings-on. Hugely enjoyable, very silly at points, with a surprisingly savage subplot about corruption and murder going on to the side. Centres on one daughter's rather lovely romance with lots of pride and prejudice sloshing round, but there's multiple other stories and family relationships to enjoy. I found it a thoroughly escapist pleasure of a read.
November 10, 2019
I read ‘The Zoya Factor’ sometime back and this week in pretty much the same writing style. It has a distinct Indian language construct and humour.
The book gets off to a bit of difficult start with a whole lot of characters introduced abruptly. The story centres around Debjani, who is one of five sisters and Dylan Singh Shekhawat. While Debjani is just making her career as a newsreader on DD, Dylan is a journalist. Their relationship shuffles between love and hate several times. Dylan is pursuing the untold story behind the riots in 1984 and makes many powerful enemies. The effort to club a serious track within this book however, does not quite come across as natural though. Debjani’s sisters have stories of their own adding to complications.
The story has its good moments – it is a light and easy read for the most part. And yet, it could have been more satisfying had the characters had more depth.
The book gets off to a bit of difficult start with a whole lot of characters introduced abruptly. The story centres around Debjani, who is one of five sisters and Dylan Singh Shekhawat. While Debjani is just making her career as a newsreader on DD, Dylan is a journalist. Their relationship shuffles between love and hate several times. Dylan is pursuing the untold story behind the riots in 1984 and makes many powerful enemies. The effort to club a serious track within this book however, does not quite come across as natural though. Debjani’s sisters have stories of their own adding to complications.
The story has its good moments – it is a light and easy read for the most part. And yet, it could have been more satisfying had the characters had more depth.
July 21, 2013
So last night, I finished reading Anuja Chauhan’s latest book — Those Pricey Thakur Girls.
It was infinitely better than Battle For Bittora, but couldn’t recreate that amazing post The Zoya Factorwarm feeling. Chauhan once again manages to capture the nuances of everyday ‘colourful’ people very insightfully — the Parsi receptionist, the fame-hungry eye-witness, the ‘stud’ naval officer. But sometimes it just felt like Chauhan was really stuffing the book like a turkey — you barely have a second to appreciate her ability to artfully draw out specific characteristics before she packs another punch.
Dylan Singh Shekhawat is no Nikhil Khoda, but he does manage to occupy a tiny bit of my heart. Debjani, however, seems like she’s desperately trying to ‘find herself’ throughout the book. I get the feeling that Debjani is a weak shadow of who Chauhan wants her to be. Anjini, who is entertaining, seems strangely out of place; like a prop placed to goad me into evaluating Debjani’s character and mannerisms by constantly forcing the ‘compare and contrast’ element. I wish Chauhan would have developed Anjini’s own story a little more seriously — she seems like a great character to work with, but her story gets a very textbook resolution in the end without any actual development in the middle.
Eshwari is plain strange. She doesn’t for a moment behave like a school-girl, there’s no explanation for her so called ‘self-confidence’ that’s strangely unshakeable throughout the book. The adolescence angle isn’t played up consistently, so it half feels like two different characters.
Binodini is a character that I love. She’s bindaas but insecure at the same time. Her relationship with her husband and the implications it has on the family is interesting, and is touched on at the right time.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls definitely seems like it’s written with the sole intention of being turned into a movie — I didn’t get that feeling with TZF. I hate that this book is trying so hard — but it does get it right in a few places.
It was infinitely better than Battle For Bittora, but couldn’t recreate that amazing post The Zoya Factorwarm feeling. Chauhan once again manages to capture the nuances of everyday ‘colourful’ people very insightfully — the Parsi receptionist, the fame-hungry eye-witness, the ‘stud’ naval officer. But sometimes it just felt like Chauhan was really stuffing the book like a turkey — you barely have a second to appreciate her ability to artfully draw out specific characteristics before she packs another punch.
Dylan Singh Shekhawat is no Nikhil Khoda, but he does manage to occupy a tiny bit of my heart. Debjani, however, seems like she’s desperately trying to ‘find herself’ throughout the book. I get the feeling that Debjani is a weak shadow of who Chauhan wants her to be. Anjini, who is entertaining, seems strangely out of place; like a prop placed to goad me into evaluating Debjani’s character and mannerisms by constantly forcing the ‘compare and contrast’ element. I wish Chauhan would have developed Anjini’s own story a little more seriously — she seems like a great character to work with, but her story gets a very textbook resolution in the end without any actual development in the middle.
Eshwari is plain strange. She doesn’t for a moment behave like a school-girl, there’s no explanation for her so called ‘self-confidence’ that’s strangely unshakeable throughout the book. The adolescence angle isn’t played up consistently, so it half feels like two different characters.
Binodini is a character that I love. She’s bindaas but insecure at the same time. Her relationship with her husband and the implications it has on the family is interesting, and is touched on at the right time.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls definitely seems like it’s written with the sole intention of being turned into a movie — I didn’t get that feeling with TZF. I hate that this book is trying so hard — but it does get it right in a few places.
July 11, 2016
4.5 stars
This book was like a manna from heaven, when I was feeling a bit down and current reads were not helping. Almost Woodhousian in humor (though a bit cruder), I thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the sisters (5 in no. named alphabetically from A to E, though C was missing as she had eloped with a foreigner). Debjani was the star of the book, Eshu and Anjini in supporting roles, Dylan provided the stud element and Steesh (Satish) and Gullu bhaiyya, the fun factoms. I also will remember Bhudevi mausi who conveniently got infested by Pushkarani's (her mother in law who committed suicide) bhooth and terrorized her husband and his lover, the resident cook. . I pitied BJ and Mamata, the almost sane parents of the 5 feisty girls for their trials and tribulations.
This book was surely a pick-me-up.
I would recommend it to all who are feeling a bit low.
This book was like a manna from heaven, when I was feeling a bit down and current reads were not helping. Almost Woodhousian in humor (though a bit cruder), I thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the sisters (5 in no. named alphabetically from A to E, though C was missing as she had eloped with a foreigner). Debjani was the star of the book, Eshu and Anjini in supporting roles, Dylan provided the stud element and Steesh (Satish) and Gullu bhaiyya, the fun factoms. I also will remember Bhudevi mausi who conveniently got infested by Pushkarani's (her mother in law who committed suicide) bhooth and terrorized her husband and his lover, the resident cook. . I pitied BJ and Mamata, the almost sane parents of the 5 feisty girls for their trials and tribulations.
This book was surely a pick-me-up.
I would recommend it to all who are feeling a bit low.
March 7, 2013
I usually don't read rom-coms. Indian authors, even less. But this one hit the spot.
The characters come in various shades of grey, each one quirkier than the other. The lead characters have a depth that I always assumed such books would lack. There were countless moments when i actually burst out laughing.
From the snobbish Modernites to incorrigible Columbans; from the interesting battle of wits to weak-in-the-knees, butterflies in the stomach mushy moments; from the tongue-in-cheek humor to dirty office politics (and then some!); from the perfect use of "Hinglish" to funny takiya-kalaams; from the super sexy Dylan to an overwrought bundle of hormones Steesh; from "L for Loud LN" to Mamtaji to Hot Dulari to fiesty Eshu to lovable Lobster to typical Mom dialogues;
this book is the perfect masala of family drama, misunderstandings, LOL phases and ultimately head-over-heels love!
The characters come in various shades of grey, each one quirkier than the other. The lead characters have a depth that I always assumed such books would lack. There were countless moments when i actually burst out laughing.
From the snobbish Modernites to incorrigible Columbans; from the interesting battle of wits to weak-in-the-knees, butterflies in the stomach mushy moments; from the tongue-in-cheek humor to dirty office politics (and then some!); from the perfect use of "Hinglish" to funny takiya-kalaams; from the super sexy Dylan to an overwrought bundle of hormones Steesh; from "L for Loud LN" to Mamtaji to Hot Dulari to fiesty Eshu to lovable Lobster to typical Mom dialogues;
this book is the perfect masala of family drama, misunderstandings, LOL phases and ultimately head-over-heels love!
July 4, 2020
What a wild ride. This book is a laugh riot, interspersed with cute and overly dramatic moments, a book that resonate strongly with me desi mind. Residing in Delhi is a family- Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his wife Mamta, who watch over their 5 daughters, named alphabetically. This story is particularly about Debjani, or 'babejani' and Dylan. But you will have a healthy dose of all these characters and more.
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Chauhan aptly describes a family which is dunked in chaos, a world that is inherently evil and a love story that is 'bhagwan bharose' (left to the will of God). The story is quirky, the dialogues are hilarious and each character is one of a kind, a specimen if you'll allow me. There is an actual plot, that is far away from the traditional love stories we come across, with some serious events that is otherwise unexpected from a breezy read of this kind. This story feels like a getaway from all the emotionally heavy books I read and I enjoyed it through and through.
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Chauhan aptly describes a family which is dunked in chaos, a world that is inherently evil and a love story that is 'bhagwan bharose' (left to the will of God). The story is quirky, the dialogues are hilarious and each character is one of a kind, a specimen if you'll allow me. There is an actual plot, that is far away from the traditional love stories we come across, with some serious events that is otherwise unexpected from a breezy read of this kind. This story feels like a getaway from all the emotionally heavy books I read and I enjoyed it through and through.
April 22, 2013
3.75 stars
Anuja Chauhan delivers another winner with this Humlog meets Hollywood style chick flick set in the salubrious environs of New Delhi’s Hailey Road in the eighties. The back blurb carefully calls it a ‘romcom’ distancing it from the slightly pejorative ‘chicklit’ descriptor. It’s a distinction that matters – it allows for a heroine who is sweet and good natured and called Dabbu and who mercifully doesn’t drip attitude. And more importantly it allows her to come accessorized with sundry sisters, cousins, nephews and nieces instead of designer handbags and heels. Which is very refreshing indeed. Those Pricey Thakur Girls is wholesome, laugh a minute fare. And the hero is dishy too in a very believable sort of way.
A minor quibble - Chauhan’s greatest strength (her completely whacky sense of humour and great comic timing) sometimes becomes a weakness. She can’t resist cracking a good joke even if it goes against time and place and character, which adds to the page but takes away from the whole.
Anuja Chauhan delivers another winner with this Humlog meets Hollywood style chick flick set in the salubrious environs of New Delhi’s Hailey Road in the eighties. The back blurb carefully calls it a ‘romcom’ distancing it from the slightly pejorative ‘chicklit’ descriptor. It’s a distinction that matters – it allows for a heroine who is sweet and good natured and called Dabbu and who mercifully doesn’t drip attitude. And more importantly it allows her to come accessorized with sundry sisters, cousins, nephews and nieces instead of designer handbags and heels. Which is very refreshing indeed. Those Pricey Thakur Girls is wholesome, laugh a minute fare. And the hero is dishy too in a very believable sort of way.
A minor quibble - Chauhan’s greatest strength (her completely whacky sense of humour and great comic timing) sometimes becomes a weakness. She can’t resist cracking a good joke even if it goes against time and place and character, which adds to the page but takes away from the whole.
February 24, 2013
Anuja Chauhan has a gift for creating hot leading men in her books! This was an easy breezy read. It had some factual errors about life in the late 80s, but those can be ignored, I guess. Read if you enjoy crazy families, hot dudes and laugh out loud funny incidents.
October 11, 2015
Oh, why can't all chick-lit be like this?
Anuja Chauhan writes a breathtakingly fresh and uproariously funny novel, full of delightful and tender moments of romance between Debjani, the champion-of-losers protagonist and Dylan, the cynical, hot and intelligent love interest.
The novel reminds one of Pride and Prejudice at times, especially the fact that there were 5 Thakur girls, and also that Dylan is so much like Mr. Darcy. (Fangirl swoon). But, after reading one too many vapid modern Indian novels, this flashback to the 80s invigorated me a lot. Just imagine, living with only one channel to watch, that too state-owned! Also, Delhi seems much more beautiful in that era.
The author has left no stone unturned in characterization. Delhi's people are showed in true form, and it warms your heart to read about them, and their (not-so) petty trials and tribulations. The romance is well planned and realistic. Debjani may as well serve as a role model to today's girls. Elizabeth Bennet would have been proud.
Recommended to lovers of smart chick-lit!
Anuja Chauhan writes a breathtakingly fresh and uproariously funny novel, full of delightful and tender moments of romance between Debjani, the champion-of-losers protagonist and Dylan, the cynical, hot and intelligent love interest.
The novel reminds one of Pride and Prejudice at times, especially the fact that there were 5 Thakur girls, and also that Dylan is so much like Mr. Darcy. (Fangirl swoon). But, after reading one too many vapid modern Indian novels, this flashback to the 80s invigorated me a lot. Just imagine, living with only one channel to watch, that too state-owned! Also, Delhi seems much more beautiful in that era.
The author has left no stone unturned in characterization. Delhi's people are showed in true form, and it warms your heart to read about them, and their (not-so) petty trials and tribulations. The romance is well planned and realistic. Debjani may as well serve as a role model to today's girls. Elizabeth Bennet would have been proud.
Recommended to lovers of smart chick-lit!
July 17, 2015
Well I managed to finish it, and given my history of abandoning chick lit in between, it is good going. Anuja Chauhan's Pride and Prejudice inspired rom com is refreshing and doesn’t strike one false cord, until it does and starts sliding off the rail following pretentious and unbelievable storylines. To give credit where it is due, this book did induce laugh out loud moments, and had me rooting for characters. The ending left much to be desired, but I can never forget the “PUSH KAR” and Bhudevi’s eccentric techniques including the “pubic hair, lemon juice, rakhi” concoction she comes up with. Give it a try if you are up for giggling out loud in public and meeting quirky list of characters, the house on Hailey Street being one of them.
November 29, 2014
4½ Hilarious Stars!!: ★★★★½
In this story beginning at a magnificent bungalow in the posh Hailey Road, we meet the Thakur family. Justice Laxmi Thakur and Mrs. Mamta Thakur have five, alphabetically named daughters and also believe in marrying them off with a boy of the same name.
Anjini, the eldest daughter is married to a great husband but has come to stay at her father's house for a short 'trip'. Binodini, the second daughter has two twins and a businessman husband, who's always asking for more money. Chandrakanta ran away with some other guy on her wedding's eve so is banished from the family. Debjani, 'the lover of losers', has just gotten a post in DD as a news anchor. And Eshwari, the youngest of the lot is in her last year of school and has no idea what will she do after that.
Anuja Chauhan tells the tale of this crazy family in a hilarious manner which would make you laugh out loud. With hilarious situations and hilarious dialogues, it also holds a serious backdrop in between.
Overall a great book! It could've easily been a 5 star read but the Hindi phrases irked me to no end. They were there is abundance.
Recommended to everyone who would like a light and fun read.
Thanks for Divya and Anvita to read it with me :)
In this story beginning at a magnificent bungalow in the posh Hailey Road, we meet the Thakur family. Justice Laxmi Thakur and Mrs. Mamta Thakur have five, alphabetically named daughters and also believe in marrying them off with a boy of the same name.
Anjini, the eldest daughter is married to a great husband but has come to stay at her father's house for a short 'trip'. Binodini, the second daughter has two twins and a businessman husband, who's always asking for more money. Chandrakanta ran away with some other guy on her wedding's eve so is banished from the family. Debjani, 'the lover of losers', has just gotten a post in DD as a news anchor. And Eshwari, the youngest of the lot is in her last year of school and has no idea what will she do after that.
Anuja Chauhan tells the tale of this crazy family in a hilarious manner which would make you laugh out loud. With hilarious situations and hilarious dialogues, it also holds a serious backdrop in between.
Overall a great book! It could've easily been a 5 star read but the Hindi phrases irked me to no end. They were there is abundance.
Recommended to everyone who would like a light and fun read.
Thanks for Divya and Anvita to read it with me :)
July 3, 2013
Set in the Eighties , this book brought about a lot of memories . Our first TV , the chitrahar days and ofcourse the evening news when the whole family would be huddled in front of the TV .
Wickedly funny , with a whole lot of Delhiisms thrown in , this book takes a look at the Indian family scene with a lot of affection and good humor .
There's the philandering chacha , the victimized chachi , the beti who slaps a case against her own father , the stepson who cannot help but have a crush on his hot , step Mausi.
Ofcourse , the book would be incomplete with Debjyani or DabbuRam , who steals many heart with her flawless diction while reading the nine o clock news and her own Delhi wallah Mr Darcy -the Debonair and dashing Dylan Singh Shekhawat . The chemistry between them has been portrayed well , although sometimes you do feel you are watching a Bollywood flick .
Although there are too many dialogues and the book does get slack at times , never the less it is fresh , comical and hugely ticklish . Gladly recommended to anyone wanting to add a few laugh sto their evenings.
Wickedly funny , with a whole lot of Delhiisms thrown in , this book takes a look at the Indian family scene with a lot of affection and good humor .
There's the philandering chacha , the victimized chachi , the beti who slaps a case against her own father , the stepson who cannot help but have a crush on his hot , step Mausi.
Ofcourse , the book would be incomplete with Debjyani or DabbuRam , who steals many heart with her flawless diction while reading the nine o clock news and her own Delhi wallah Mr Darcy -the Debonair and dashing Dylan Singh Shekhawat . The chemistry between them has been portrayed well , although sometimes you do feel you are watching a Bollywood flick .
Although there are too many dialogues and the book does get slack at times , never the less it is fresh , comical and hugely ticklish . Gladly recommended to anyone wanting to add a few laugh sto their evenings.
September 22, 2013
Loved loved loved the book and blame it completely for doing absolutely nothing (laundry, cleaning cooking, unpacking - all much needed) yesterday. Picked it up in Delhi airport just because the title reminded me of how we used to talk. Bengali market and vicinity, kirana shop, Mohan Singh place tailor who stitched wrangler and levis and Doordarshan(newsreader with white rose behind her ear and I think there was one with a mole on her chin, Aap aur Hum and the scary logo and music) and really I could go on and on and on, just came alive! But the really outstanding parts were the interaction between the kids (Monu, Bonu and Samar), Chachiji and Mamtaji, the sisters and LN and everyone else - I could have sworn I have been in the middle of some of those conversations and known some of those people and I bet a lot of readers would feel the same way! I have to admit I have woken up this morning smiling having had happy vivid dreams of Delhi and friends and various eccentric relatives and laindi dogs! Brava Anuja Chauhan - keep doing this thing!
January 6, 2014
What a bloody brilliant book! A witty and funny novel that transported me to the glorious eighties :) Dylan , you are definitely the Indian version of Mr Darcy. Debjani , you reminded me of Jo from The Little women. Every single character is relateable and quirky and loony (in a nice way, though). Chachiji , you rocked with your ramblings of Pushkarni and Hot-Dulari. The Push-kar-ni joke itself was just fab! I am waiting to devour The Zoya factor next. What a lovely start to the year ! :)
June 28, 2020
I read more than hundred something pages and I sleepwalked through the rest of it. I could not find the energy to turn pages. God! Where does the story go? What happens to the characters? I don't understand who's who? I heard only praises about the Author, but I found some two-dimensional 400 page story that has the power to put even an insomniac to sleep.
April 15, 2013
By Anuja Chauhan, Grade A
I love Anuja Chauhan. I adore her characters, admire her wit and try to imitate the ease in her writing. No Indian writer in the genre can come beat her in this game, not even the famed Advaita Kala. She is the Helen Fielding of the East, the Carrie Bradshaw of India. And while both Zoya Factor and Battle for Bittora had their share of flaws, Those Pricey Thakur Girls is perfect, right from the blurb where our discipline loving Bau ji names his five daughters alphabetically.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls
In a sprawling bungalow on New Delhi’s posh Hailey Road, Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his wife Mamta spend their days watching anxiously over their five beautiful (but troublesome) alphabetically named daughters. Anjini, married but an incorrigible flirt; Binodini, very worried about her children’s hissa in the family property; Chandrakanta, who eloped with a foreigner on the eve of her wedding; Eshwari, who is just a little too popular at Modern School, Barakhamba Road; and the Judges favourite (though fathers shouldnt have favourites): the quietly fiery Debjani, champion of all the stray animals on Hailey Road, who reads the English news on DD and clashes constantly with crusading journalist Dylan Singh Shekhawat, he of shining professional credentials but tarnished personal reputation, crushingly dismissive of her state-sponsored propaganda, but always seeking her out with half-sarcastic, half-intrigued dark eyes. Spot-on funny and toe-curlingly sexy, Those Pricey Thakur Girls is rom-com specialist Anuja Chauhan writing at her sparkling best.
In the posh locality of Hailey Road in New Delhi, a few years after the anti-Sikh riots, lives the Thakur Family: Retired Justice Thakur, his wife Mamta Ji, and their five alphabetically-named daughters – Anjini, Binodini, Chandralekha, Debjani, and Eshwari. And if any of you thought it would be similar to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, well, the similarity ends there. The whole novel is tinted with nostalgia. Set in the simple times of the 80s, where DD was the only English news channel, Campa Cola was the kids’ choice of drink and playing card games in the evening was a routine.
Each of the girls have their own eccentricities and opinions, but the story mainly revolves around the fourth daughter, Debjani. Debjani, recently recruited as an English newsreader for the only news channel in India, DeshDarpan, is intelligent, smart, independent, and pretty. She has earned many innovative names for herself, ‘lover of losers,’ Molonchin (due to the mole on her chin, which many think to be a fake), and D-for-Dabbu being some of them. The reader has no choice but to admire the skill with which Ms. Chauhan introduces her. Dabbu, the lover of losers, who felt bad for West Indies when India beat them in the World Cup (come on, they were sure they’d win. It must have been such a rude shock at the complete turn of events.) She adopts ugly neighbourhood strays, and is cursed by a small mole on her chin, which everybody is convinced is fake. She is endearing, and tugs at your heartstrings. She’s a character the reader will immediately root for, even if she is wrong.
On the other side is our half-Rajput half-Christian male protagonist, Dylan Singh Shekhawat. Tall, dark, handsome, flirtatious, and drop-dead gorgeous with long dimples in his lean cheeks; he won over my heart almost instantaneously. Heart-breaker, charmer and journalist-extraordinaire for India Post, he is shown to be deeply affected by the aftermath of the anti-Sikh riots, and is on the quest for the truth.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls is a simple love story between D-for-Debjani and D-for-Dylan, complete with initial flirting, misunderstandings, and reconciliations. Dylan, despite his reputation of being a Casanova, falls lock stock and barrel for Dabbu; and she of course turns to mush at the mere thought of him. Stolen kisses in the stairwells, dances, dropping of handkerchiefs and other intimate moments made my ‘stomach do ballet’ along with Dylan! With references to the political and social background in the 80’s, one does get a feel of the lifestyle of that era, but Anuja Chauhan does not let the story dwell on it too much.
Despite a huge cast of characters, each one fret higher than the other in terms of bizarreness, you would not feel lost trying to place them in the story. From the drop-dead gorgeous Anji Di, to the wannabe-lawyer-wannabe-bodybuilder cousin Gulgul, to Mr.Gambhir of the Kirana store, Brigadier Sahab, hot-Dulari, Chachi Ji; each one has a definitive role in the plot, not seeming out of place at all. And to spice up the story, Chauhan introduces a supernatural element in the form of the ghost of grandmother Pushkarni who enters the body of dear Chachi Ji on and off. The joint Indian families in the book automatically provide for tongue-in-cheek humour and sarcasm.
Chauhan adds some solid Delhi mirch-masala in the form of the street language adopted by all, the snobbery of Stephanians, the eternal rivalry between Modernites and Dipsites, and an obsession with body-building and ‘jeeming’ (Gymming). Transitioning comfortably between Hindi and English (Hinglish actually), we are shown the Delhi culture in its true form.
Anuja manages to throw you into fits of laughter, let you go all mushy-mushy and make your heart flutter, and show a love story in the pre-internet era. I absolutely LOVED Those Pricey Thakur Girls. And the best part? This is not the last time we meet the Thakur family. Can’t wait for its sequel, ‘The House That BJ Built’!
Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/
I love Anuja Chauhan. I adore her characters, admire her wit and try to imitate the ease in her writing. No Indian writer in the genre can come beat her in this game, not even the famed Advaita Kala. She is the Helen Fielding of the East, the Carrie Bradshaw of India. And while both Zoya Factor and Battle for Bittora had their share of flaws, Those Pricey Thakur Girls is perfect, right from the blurb where our discipline loving Bau ji names his five daughters alphabetically.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls
In a sprawling bungalow on New Delhi’s posh Hailey Road, Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur and his wife Mamta spend their days watching anxiously over their five beautiful (but troublesome) alphabetically named daughters. Anjini, married but an incorrigible flirt; Binodini, very worried about her children’s hissa in the family property; Chandrakanta, who eloped with a foreigner on the eve of her wedding; Eshwari, who is just a little too popular at Modern School, Barakhamba Road; and the Judges favourite (though fathers shouldnt have favourites): the quietly fiery Debjani, champion of all the stray animals on Hailey Road, who reads the English news on DD and clashes constantly with crusading journalist Dylan Singh Shekhawat, he of shining professional credentials but tarnished personal reputation, crushingly dismissive of her state-sponsored propaganda, but always seeking her out with half-sarcastic, half-intrigued dark eyes. Spot-on funny and toe-curlingly sexy, Those Pricey Thakur Girls is rom-com specialist Anuja Chauhan writing at her sparkling best.
In the posh locality of Hailey Road in New Delhi, a few years after the anti-Sikh riots, lives the Thakur Family: Retired Justice Thakur, his wife Mamta Ji, and their five alphabetically-named daughters – Anjini, Binodini, Chandralekha, Debjani, and Eshwari. And if any of you thought it would be similar to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, well, the similarity ends there. The whole novel is tinted with nostalgia. Set in the simple times of the 80s, where DD was the only English news channel, Campa Cola was the kids’ choice of drink and playing card games in the evening was a routine.
Each of the girls have their own eccentricities and opinions, but the story mainly revolves around the fourth daughter, Debjani. Debjani, recently recruited as an English newsreader for the only news channel in India, DeshDarpan, is intelligent, smart, independent, and pretty. She has earned many innovative names for herself, ‘lover of losers,’ Molonchin (due to the mole on her chin, which many think to be a fake), and D-for-Dabbu being some of them. The reader has no choice but to admire the skill with which Ms. Chauhan introduces her. Dabbu, the lover of losers, who felt bad for West Indies when India beat them in the World Cup (come on, they were sure they’d win. It must have been such a rude shock at the complete turn of events.) She adopts ugly neighbourhood strays, and is cursed by a small mole on her chin, which everybody is convinced is fake. She is endearing, and tugs at your heartstrings. She’s a character the reader will immediately root for, even if she is wrong.
On the other side is our half-Rajput half-Christian male protagonist, Dylan Singh Shekhawat. Tall, dark, handsome, flirtatious, and drop-dead gorgeous with long dimples in his lean cheeks; he won over my heart almost instantaneously. Heart-breaker, charmer and journalist-extraordinaire for India Post, he is shown to be deeply affected by the aftermath of the anti-Sikh riots, and is on the quest for the truth.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls is a simple love story between D-for-Debjani and D-for-Dylan, complete with initial flirting, misunderstandings, and reconciliations. Dylan, despite his reputation of being a Casanova, falls lock stock and barrel for Dabbu; and she of course turns to mush at the mere thought of him. Stolen kisses in the stairwells, dances, dropping of handkerchiefs and other intimate moments made my ‘stomach do ballet’ along with Dylan! With references to the political and social background in the 80’s, one does get a feel of the lifestyle of that era, but Anuja Chauhan does not let the story dwell on it too much.
Despite a huge cast of characters, each one fret higher than the other in terms of bizarreness, you would not feel lost trying to place them in the story. From the drop-dead gorgeous Anji Di, to the wannabe-lawyer-wannabe-bodybuilder cousin Gulgul, to Mr.Gambhir of the Kirana store, Brigadier Sahab, hot-Dulari, Chachi Ji; each one has a definitive role in the plot, not seeming out of place at all. And to spice up the story, Chauhan introduces a supernatural element in the form of the ghost of grandmother Pushkarni who enters the body of dear Chachi Ji on and off. The joint Indian families in the book automatically provide for tongue-in-cheek humour and sarcasm.
Chauhan adds some solid Delhi mirch-masala in the form of the street language adopted by all, the snobbery of Stephanians, the eternal rivalry between Modernites and Dipsites, and an obsession with body-building and ‘jeeming’ (Gymming). Transitioning comfortably between Hindi and English (Hinglish actually), we are shown the Delhi culture in its true form.
Anuja manages to throw you into fits of laughter, let you go all mushy-mushy and make your heart flutter, and show a love story in the pre-internet era. I absolutely LOVED Those Pricey Thakur Girls. And the best part? This is not the last time we meet the Thakur family. Can’t wait for its sequel, ‘The House That BJ Built’!
Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/
October 23, 2019
The last time I read a romantic romp like this must have been more than a decade ago. Perhaps it was Advaita Kala’s ‘Almost Single.’ And then, before that, ‘The Bridges of Madison County.’ Well, two such books in almost 20 years says that I don’t like this genre much. I don’t know why I picked this one up now, but I confess that I was pleasantly surprised!
I wasn’t expecting to like it half as much as I have - the novel clips along at a fast pace and it was the sort of reading that I can call ‘mindless.’ Nothing too taxing and you know the ending as it is all too predictable. The girl and the guy have to get together. But. The humor and witticism kept me going. A pleasant read. Would I read the sequel? Maybe, another ten years later?
I wasn’t expecting to like it half as much as I have - the novel clips along at a fast pace and it was the sort of reading that I can call ‘mindless.’ Nothing too taxing and you know the ending as it is all too predictable. The girl and the guy have to get together. But. The humor and witticism kept me going. A pleasant read. Would I read the sequel? Maybe, another ten years later?
June 24, 2020
‘Those Pricey Thakur Girls’ is the latest book by Anuja Chauhan. She was speaking about it on the Radio One and I was checking out her profile on my phone. I thought I’ll order her books, but then there were already six books that were lined up for me to read, I thought, I’ll read it once I finish with them. Then came the Flipkart 50% sale, I bought it and now, those six books wait while I read it, just like the trains, “last in, first out”. I must thank my friend Shweta for it.
The story is about five alphabetically named Thakur girls, who live on 16, Hailey Road, New Delhi in 1986. Their father, (BJ, as his daughters call him or LN, as his wife addresses him) is a retired judge, who eats maggi and plays kot-piece with his retired friends every evening. Their mother, Mamtaji, is the lady around the house, with her embroidery and cooking. The Judge has two very close friends, Sahas Singh Shekhawat and Balkishen Bau with whom he plays kot-piece. Their neighbours are their chachaji, chachiji and their son, Gulab (Gulgul bhaisaab) who wants to open a gym.
A-Anjini is married to A-Anant and lives in A-Allahabad. They have a son, Samar, from Anant’s first marriage, but once she is introduced in the novel, she is forever at the Thakurs.
B-Binodini is married to Vickyji and stays in B-Bhopal with her 7 year old twins, Bonu and Monu and has an eye on her hissa in the Thakur house.
C-Chandralekha is never talked about because she eloped with and Estonian on the day before her marriage.
D-Debjani alias Dabbu, because she favours the losers like Randhir Kapoor (Dabbu), the mongrels on the street, is the judge’s favourite and heroine of the story. She is 23 and has just got a job as a news reader on Deshdarpan.
E- Eshwari or Eshu, is seventeen, studies in Modern School, Barakhamba Road and plays basketball. She seems to be the closest to Dabbu and the two girls even share secrets.
Sahas Singh Shekhawat is married to Juliet Lobo and they have three sons. The oldest one is Dylan, who is a journalist with India Post and stays in Bombay. He is working on the cause of the Sikh massacre of 1984.
The reference to Campa cola and Gold spot, Mohan Singh Place, Bengali Market, Love 86 was very nostalgic. The book was very funny and once it so happened that I was reading it in the Delhi Metro and I suddenly burst out laughing much to the shock of the fellow passengers.
The book is very well written and interesting. I enjoyed reading. Everytime, I would start a chapter, I would tell myself, I’ll read it after this but then the end of the chapter would drag me on and I must confess that I have even read the book till 2am even when I had to get up early next morning.
I really loved the book.
The story is about five alphabetically named Thakur girls, who live on 16, Hailey Road, New Delhi in 1986. Their father, (BJ, as his daughters call him or LN, as his wife addresses him) is a retired judge, who eats maggi and plays kot-piece with his retired friends every evening. Their mother, Mamtaji, is the lady around the house, with her embroidery and cooking. The Judge has two very close friends, Sahas Singh Shekhawat and Balkishen Bau with whom he plays kot-piece. Their neighbours are their chachaji, chachiji and their son, Gulab (Gulgul bhaisaab) who wants to open a gym.
A-Anjini is married to A-Anant and lives in A-Allahabad. They have a son, Samar, from Anant’s first marriage, but once she is introduced in the novel, she is forever at the Thakurs.
B-Binodini is married to Vickyji and stays in B-Bhopal with her 7 year old twins, Bonu and Monu and has an eye on her hissa in the Thakur house.
C-Chandralekha is never talked about because she eloped with and Estonian on the day before her marriage.
D-Debjani alias Dabbu, because she favours the losers like Randhir Kapoor (Dabbu), the mongrels on the street, is the judge’s favourite and heroine of the story. She is 23 and has just got a job as a news reader on Deshdarpan.
E- Eshwari or Eshu, is seventeen, studies in Modern School, Barakhamba Road and plays basketball. She seems to be the closest to Dabbu and the two girls even share secrets.
Sahas Singh Shekhawat is married to Juliet Lobo and they have three sons. The oldest one is Dylan, who is a journalist with India Post and stays in Bombay. He is working on the cause of the Sikh massacre of 1984.
The reference to Campa cola and Gold spot, Mohan Singh Place, Bengali Market, Love 86 was very nostalgic. The book was very funny and once it so happened that I was reading it in the Delhi Metro and I suddenly burst out laughing much to the shock of the fellow passengers.
The book is very well written and interesting. I enjoyed reading. Everytime, I would start a chapter, I would tell myself, I’ll read it after this but then the end of the chapter would drag me on and I must confess that I have even read the book till 2am even when I had to get up early next morning.
I really loved the book.
June 1, 2022
Set in the eighties, Those Pricey Thakur Girls is the tale of the five beautiful (albeit chaotic) daughters of Justice Laxmi Narayan Thakur (retd.) as they flit in and out of their bungalow on Delhi’s prestigious Hailey Road. More precisely, the story revolves around the fourth daughter Debjani (Dabbu): the lover of losers, the messiah of stray dogs and the bearer of an Aruna Iraniesque mole on her chin.
Dabbu has just landed the much-coveted job of a newsreader at Desh Darpan (DD), the ONLY news channel in the country. Following her first nervous newscast, the general opinion of her doting family and the odd chaatwala is affectionate and brimming with praise. However, the scathing review by an unknown columnist in the widely circulated India Post newspaper rips Dabbu’s maiden venture to shreds.
Disheartened, dismayed and downcast, dear Debjani is alliteratively enough down in the dumps.
So what happens when the idealistic Debjani crosses swords with her father’s best friend’s son, the cynical investigative reporter, Dylan Singh Shekawat? And what happens when Debjani discovers that the brimming with snark and rippling with sinews Dylan is the pen behind the vitriolic piece that described her as “Miss Dolly dotted chin with a basilisk gaze?”
---
Anuja Chauhan pretty much rocks.
This book is yet another gem from the lady who writes like a dream.
She has the ability to push together a spunky yet soft heroine and an empathetic yet devilish hero and infuse their pairing with enough chemistry, wit, chutzpah and interfering busybodies to create a memorable love story. The strength of her stories lies in the plethora of supporting characters who are so well-etched that you long for individual novellas of their very own.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls is a complete package. There are varying shade of humor ranging from droll wit to outright bawdy innuendos. The story effectively straddles the bridge between frothy chick-flick and gritty political gameplay.
Finally, the setting. Anuja Chauhan’s books are set in nostalgic patches of old Delhi that make you crave girly gossip nights atop terraces, Campa Cola and hormonal neighbourhood boys who mature from puppy dog affection to wolfish admiration.
As always, I come away from a Chauhan romp with the replete sense of *paisa-vasool*. The book made me smile, the family shenanigans made me laugh and Dylan Singh Shekawat still remains high on my list of yummy fictional male-leads.
Dabbu has just landed the much-coveted job of a newsreader at Desh Darpan (DD), the ONLY news channel in the country. Following her first nervous newscast, the general opinion of her doting family and the odd chaatwala is affectionate and brimming with praise. However, the scathing review by an unknown columnist in the widely circulated India Post newspaper rips Dabbu’s maiden venture to shreds.
Disheartened, dismayed and downcast, dear Debjani is alliteratively enough down in the dumps.
So what happens when the idealistic Debjani crosses swords with her father’s best friend’s son, the cynical investigative reporter, Dylan Singh Shekawat? And what happens when Debjani discovers that the brimming with snark and rippling with sinews Dylan is the pen behind the vitriolic piece that described her as “Miss Dolly dotted chin with a basilisk gaze?”
---
Anuja Chauhan pretty much rocks.
This book is yet another gem from the lady who writes like a dream.
She has the ability to push together a spunky yet soft heroine and an empathetic yet devilish hero and infuse their pairing with enough chemistry, wit, chutzpah and interfering busybodies to create a memorable love story. The strength of her stories lies in the plethora of supporting characters who are so well-etched that you long for individual novellas of their very own.
Those Pricey Thakur Girls is a complete package. There are varying shade of humor ranging from droll wit to outright bawdy innuendos. The story effectively straddles the bridge between frothy chick-flick and gritty political gameplay.
Finally, the setting. Anuja Chauhan’s books are set in nostalgic patches of old Delhi that make you crave girly gossip nights atop terraces, Campa Cola and hormonal neighbourhood boys who mature from puppy dog affection to wolfish admiration.
As always, I come away from a Chauhan romp with the replete sense of *paisa-vasool*. The book made me smile, the family shenanigans made me laugh and Dylan Singh Shekawat still remains high on my list of yummy fictional male-leads.
July 4, 2014
When does repetitive recollections in the form of people, places, popular tv, food etc from an earlier era cease to be merely an attempt to lend colour to the setting or necessary and become, instead, cynical attempts to trigger fond nostalgia based feelings ? I do not know. Anuja peppers her story with constant reminders of the 80s - from Nirulas to postman oil to DD and its theme music to ambassador cars, friendly Sardar shopkeepers and many many more. After yet another unnecessary mention of something from the 80s, one tends to move towards the "cynical exploitation of nostalgia" argument. Also an irritation are the lazy descriptions of how the leads walk (lithely), talk (like warm honey or something?), laugh, dress, their hair, their muscles, their eyes...ugh. Also, is the Thakur girls' obsession with Dylan's butt unique to them ? Do let me know so that I can go devote some time to developing and enhancing it.(after I'm done with this tasty gajar ka halwa)
The same goes for their frank talks of sex, male and female body parts etc. Is that an age thing ? A region specific thing ? Or is it just that characters in books and movies talk like this ? ( I remember when I saw Monsoon wedding and the women talk about Ira Dubey's...what was it...chunnu munnus ?) It's fun though.
Lest it be thought that I hated the book, I didn't. Anuja has an ear for fun, snappy, un-artifical english dialogue, puns and limericks and for some humorous scenes. (This would be a good book to make a movie out of). I laughed for quite a while, strangely, when the character named Hiranandani is referred to by another as Hijranandini. (ok, I just snorted some halwa through my nose again)
It's also brave of her to make the events of 1984 and the period after a part of her book (if only perhaps to lend some heft, gravity, seriousness to an otherwise light tale ?) The women are all, well, I wouldn't say well defined but they're all interesting. Some of them are fairly independent, some not so much but none of them are...shrinking violets ?
In all, it's a quick, enjoyable read. I suspect women will enjoy it even more than I did.
The same goes for their frank talks of sex, male and female body parts etc. Is that an age thing ? A region specific thing ? Or is it just that characters in books and movies talk like this ? ( I remember when I saw Monsoon wedding and the women talk about Ira Dubey's...what was it...chunnu munnus ?) It's fun though.
Lest it be thought that I hated the book, I didn't. Anuja has an ear for fun, snappy, un-artifical english dialogue, puns and limericks and for some humorous scenes. (This would be a good book to make a movie out of). I laughed for quite a while, strangely, when the character named Hiranandani is referred to by another as Hijranandini. (ok, I just snorted some halwa through my nose again)
It's also brave of her to make the events of 1984 and the period after a part of her book (if only perhaps to lend some heft, gravity, seriousness to an otherwise light tale ?) The women are all, well, I wouldn't say well defined but they're all interesting. Some of them are fairly independent, some not so much but none of them are...shrinking violets ?
In all, it's a quick, enjoyable read. I suspect women will enjoy it even more than I did.
April 10, 2017
The highlight of this book to me more than Dylan falling in love with one of the Thakur sisters was that of the portrayal of Delhi in the 80s. The simple things like sprinkling water on the mattress, sleeping on the terrace to beat the heat were interesting. The end was totally unpredictable. I've kinda started to like #AnujaChauhan and I'm waiting to read the sequel to this 'The House That BJ Built'.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2017
This is a well written book with witty and humorous moments all over it.
Well fleshed out and fully developed characters compliment the simple yet charming setting of the book. The plot is pretty much straightforward and predictable but that doesn't really take away much from the pleasure of reading this book.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Well fleshed out and fully developed characters compliment the simple yet charming setting of the book. The plot is pretty much straightforward and predictable but that doesn't really take away much from the pleasure of reading this book.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
July 24, 2019
3.5/5 A fun read ! If Salman Rushdie could write to entertain and not bore us, he would write like this. Unpretentious and refreshing. And while the author is no Wodehouse, she made the pages fly and kept me smiling. And couldnt help notice how her portrait of middle-class India in the 1980s differs so much from authors writing in Hindi.
I am wary of picking up "chick-lits" and havent picked up the emperor - Chetan Bhagat's books too in years. But reviews on goodreads made me pick it up. And will be reading more by the author for sure.
PS:- Would have rated it 3/5 but the last 50 pages pushed up the rating.
I am wary of picking up "chick-lits" and havent picked up the emperor - Chetan Bhagat's books too in years. But reviews on goodreads made me pick it up. And will be reading more by the author for sure.
PS:- Would have rated it 3/5 but the last 50 pages pushed up the rating.
July 18, 2017
I had zero expectations from this book. But it exceeded my non existant expectations. Even though the pride and prejudice retelling didnt work, the anti sikh riot backdrop of the book did. Overall the characters all had unique voices. Devjani is perhaps my least favorite of these pricey sisters. But then I disliked Liz Benett as well. Eshu is probably the least annoying. The story set out to entertain , while staying true to the eighties political situation. It managed to do that. Not a bad read on a lazy summer day!
August 15, 2015
2.5, if Goodreads permitted half ratings.
After reading a quiet and placid laugh riot by PG Wodehouse, picking up Those Pricey Thakur Girls was like throwing a stone amid a gathering of crows. The book is loud and unrestrained, full of Indian middle class jokes, and it took me a few pages to get a grip on it. I constantly wanted to correct supta vastha to supta avastha and it was annoying that I kept reading about BJ without knowing who that was until a few pages into the book. The plot was so filmy and totally predictable – I could even find Bollywood songs to fit in the various occasions. The present tense narration is also not my favourite.
The book is randy throughout, with such obsession with sexual innuendoes – I am not quite sure if such immense amount of lecherous talk happens in Indian households, but then again, I did not grow up in a large north Indian family, nor in Delhi, so I can't be sure. Considering that the book is set in the 80s, I am also not sure the language of the book suits that era. I thought swearing and saying fuck-related things was a post-2000 phenomenon. Again, I grew up in the 90s in a lower middle class south Indian family in an almost villagish Ahmedabad, so I could not be sure if swearing was common or not.
The movement of time in the book is also not smooth enough. I've still not figured out how many months - or years - years the courtship (or rather, misunderstandings) of Dylan and Debjani lasted, or how long it took Dylan to work on his Tirathpur Sikh massacre investigation.
But there is no denying that the book has humour, a decent plot and strong characterisation (Debjani is the perfect unsure-of-herself-or-her-ideas woman). My favourite character, though, was Juliet Bai. Mujhe Jesu!
After reading a quiet and placid laugh riot by PG Wodehouse, picking up Those Pricey Thakur Girls was like throwing a stone amid a gathering of crows. The book is loud and unrestrained, full of Indian middle class jokes, and it took me a few pages to get a grip on it. I constantly wanted to correct supta vastha to supta avastha and it was annoying that I kept reading about BJ without knowing who that was until a few pages into the book. The plot was so filmy and totally predictable – I could even find Bollywood songs to fit in the various occasions. The present tense narration is also not my favourite.
The book is randy throughout, with such obsession with sexual innuendoes – I am not quite sure if such immense amount of lecherous talk happens in Indian households, but then again, I did not grow up in a large north Indian family, nor in Delhi, so I can't be sure. Considering that the book is set in the 80s, I am also not sure the language of the book suits that era. I thought swearing and saying fuck-related things was a post-2000 phenomenon. Again, I grew up in the 90s in a lower middle class south Indian family in an almost villagish Ahmedabad, so I could not be sure if swearing was common or not.
The movement of time in the book is also not smooth enough. I've still not figured out how many months - or years - years the courtship (or rather, misunderstandings) of Dylan and Debjani lasted, or how long it took Dylan to work on his Tirathpur Sikh massacre investigation.
But there is no denying that the book has humour, a decent plot and strong characterisation (Debjani is the perfect unsure-of-herself-or-her-ideas woman). My favourite character, though, was Juliet Bai. Mujhe Jesu!
November 24, 2014
This book was a good read, however not the best. I don't want to compare this read with any of the Chetan Bhagat because that wouldn't be fair. Anuja has done good job with this book especially the funny parts, they really made me laugh. The only thing I didn't like was so many pages focusing on chahiji stupid stories of being posses and what not. It was a bit off for me. Anyhow; I would recommend this book to others for at least reading it once.
April 4, 2013
It's been a while since I've laughed so much while reading a book. Though the intermixing of languages was a tad jarring, I'll say what started out as a filler read for me turned out to be more promising indeed!
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