Friends from College

by Devapriya Roy

What happens when friends from college reunite after two decades, savouring the familiar streets, decaying mansions and timeless coffee houses of Calcutta—and the past catches up with them unbidden?

Written in the robust tradition of serialised fiction and published in The Telegraph over forty-two weeks, Friends from College is a love-letter to Calcutta of the nineties – the decade in which ‘Gen X’ grew up, made friends, became lovers, drifted apart, and sometimes left the city for good. Much like our protagonist, Charulata Ghosh, who now lives in London and goes by Lata (to her mother’s great annoyance). Waiting impatiently for her to come home is Aaduri Bagchi, BFF, lapsed books editor trying to make sense of the new listicle school of journalism.

Unaware of Lata’s return, her ex, star filmmaker Ronny Banerjee, is preparing to shoot his magnum opus. Until a family wedding throws them together, and sparks fly. Laughter follows, and heartbreak. And secrets tumble out of forgotten closets.

Sunlit with hope and affection, this is a novel that quickly draws you into its evocative heart.

Genres: Fiction, Indian Literature

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2019

Reviews

[Harini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgia is bitter-sweet. Memories, half-forgotten and jumbled, come back relentless and unabated as one re-negotiates one’s equation with a city, once home and much lived in, but now just a place once intensely familiar.

It gets more complicated when unresolved, complicated relationships come to the fore and one is confronted with people with whom a lot was shared once but who plays no role in the present. People meet and separate – going on parallel paths, perhaps never to meet again.

Friends from College by Devapriya Roy is all about navigating such a journey. One which brings Lata Ghosh back to Calcutta after two decades and straight in the path of Ronny Banerjee, her college sweetheart, her ‘one that got away’!

The author weaves a simple but charming tale of Lata Ghosh, a successful management consultant in her late 30s / early 40s coming home to Calcutta to attend her cousin’s wedding. It is this short visit, in which Lata Ghosh unravels as she negotiates her equations once more with the city, family and friends, that the author explores. Set in the format of a serialized novel, Friends from College, originally titled The Romantics of College Street, was published in The Telegraph from May 2018 and 2019 and is now out in the form of a book. An ode to the city and in particular, the author’s alma mater, Presidency College, the book touches a chord.

Due to the unfamiliar setting, as this is an out-and-out Calcutta novel, the beginning where the author introduces the main character and sets the scene can be somewhat challenging. You need to know the city well. But once I got past that initial hiccup, the book was captivating. The story finds its groove, peppered with delightful, relatable and lovable characters, minor and major, all real with individual quirks. Aaduri, Hem Shankar Tiwari, Pixie, Tilottama, Tiana, Goopy, her mother Manjulika Ghosh, Nimki and an assortment of relatives light up the landscape so lovingly created. As in the case of Roy’s earlier novels, The Vague Woman’s Handbook and The Weight Loss Club, this story left me with one big smile.

Does Lata get back with Ronny? That is for you to read and find out. More than a love story of two college friends, this one is an ode to a city much loved and remembered!

[Dinesh Kudtarkar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book considering it’s college re-union or romantic story sort of. However am completely disappointed with this book. There is no story at all. First half of the book wasted in just showcasing character attire and too much attention on unnecessary details. Like what they wearing. What groceries bought from market, which first add up to story or narration.

Not recommended!!

[debalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like reading a bengali romcom. Plus being a bengali I the descriptions a lot relatable.
It's easy and light.

[Ayantika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read for those who want to indulge in the nostalgia of their glorious JU / Presi days and never got over uni even after moving countries and continents (eg: ME)

[Ameya Joshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was trying to think of a movie metaphor for Devapriya Roy’s Friends from College and I’ve decided it is most appropriate to liken it to a Hollywood RomCom. It’s a good, classy RomCom though (is this a separate genre from Chick Flick btw? I’m a guy and I quite like the occasional RomCom so I hope not…) - not particularly dumb in the way some masala movies can be where logic and character continuity is thrown out of a window. The characters for one are all elite Bengali bhodrolok – with fancy backgrounds and shmancy lives – but with a self-awareness about it which makes it slightly more palatable. They all seem to know each other making Calcutta high-society seem like one incestuous circle (maybe that is true) but there are enough occasional outsiders to keep giving their voice and perspective making them seem nicer than they probably are. Their lives are seemingly vacuous, they all look lovely and stunning and statuesque with sharp features and fine clothes, they have a seemingly endless supply of money (we are told why of course) and their problems are oh-so-stereotypically first-world so it is difficult to feel too concerned about them. The episodic nature in which the story came about (the book was originally a serialized weekly newspaper column in the Telegraph) does not work particularly well for a novel since scenes are cut-off at key junctures and not followed up on, characters flit in and out of the story and because you’ve just read the previous episode 40 minutes ago instead of 8 weeks ago – it does feel a bit jerky.

Despite all these seemingly non-complimentary things I’ve mentioned in the previous paragraph – there is a je ne sais quoi to this tale which had me rushing through it in just 3 days, catching up on chapters in varied places from the boring conference calls similar to what ‘Luts’ would be on to the loo. It’s breezy to read yet educative (maybe a little too much) about food, fashion, jewellery and much more with lovely bits of trivia peppered in through the book (did you know about a piece of furniture called the Bombay Fornicator!?). I thought having spent a couple of years in Jamshedpur (where our crew takes a convenient detour to my old campus) with plenty of Bengalis and plenty of friends as well, I’d know a fair bit about them – but the jethus and pishis and types of muslin was a bit too much for me eventually to keep track of. Still, my vocabulary would be much enriched I’d hope. But there is a vacuousness to it all which didn’t quite let me take it seriously or get too invested in it which I thought was a pity because I really liked the authors style and approach.

Friends from College it is at its heart a pureplay Calcutta Nostalgia book – targeted and marketed at the domestic and international Probashi Bengalis – so if you are one of those dive right in I guess. For the rest of us – as Pixie might educate our protagonists – YMMV (your mileage may vary).

[Manjul Bajaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read. Breezy, witty and full of atmosphere.

[Sulagna Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

When one of your favourite authors and your dearest city collide, you know you have to read it. In "Friends from College," first released in a serialised form in “The Telegraph,” Calcutta—of the past and present—come together to form a rich, textured background against which the comedy of errors reaches its crescendo. Charulata Helen-of-Troy Ghosh leaves behind a complicated web of failed relationships and the coveted profession of a successful marketing consultant to return for a cousin’s wedding to her hometown Calcutta, albeit briefly. The spectres of the past soon become palpable realities as Lata’s paths cross with Shomiron ‘Ronny’ Banerjee, filmmaker extraordinaire and former lover boy. As things wont to happen, Lata and Ronny unconsciously undertake the task of untangling their long-forgotten (?) remonstrations, misunderstandings, and unrequited feelings in between chance encounters. Devapriya Roy has said in an interview, “I was very clear that I was writing about a particular generation…who had essentially grown up in socialist India…the generation who truly reaped ‘the first fruits of liberalisation.’ Aaduri and the crop of minor characters hold universes within themselves and propel the story forward—they present unique perspectives that add to the ever-emerging facets of the story. Calcutta comes alive as a living, breathing character whose nostalgia haunts all these characters and whose modernity takes the characters’ breath away with its heady stupor. Devapriya Roy’s novels have always appealed to me as a frilly, frothy concoction that delight due to their earnestness. This one, though no different, comes with a reckoning of the demands of adulthood and how we can still keep the spark alive through the harsh realities that keep closing in on us.

[Dipankar Bhadra · Rating 3 out of 5]

কলেজের সময়ের বন্ধুরা যাদের সাথে জীবনের অনেক গুরুত্বপূর্ণ অধ্যায় কেটেছে তারা তো একসময় হারিয়ে যায় কেননা আমাদের এগিয়ে যেতে হয়..এক‌ইভাবে তাদেরকেও। কিন্তু অনেক বছর পরে যখন আবার তাদের সাথে দেখা হয় তখন সেই সব পুরানো স্মৃতিরা ( ভালো ও খারাপ) এসে ভিড় করে। এই গল্প সেইসব নস্টালজিয়ার কথাই বলে.. কিন্তু মুশকিল হচ্ছে গল্পের ক্যারেক্টার গুলো বিশ্বাসযোগ্য নয়। প্লট ও প্রেডিক্টবল... তা সত্ত্বেও পড়তে খারাপ লাগে না। যারা প্রবাসী বাঙালি তাদের এই গল্পটি আরো ভালো লাগতে পারে।

[Shreeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

Your are drawn into the story of Charulata Ghosh right from the start. There are moments you smile moments you are sad. Best part is that the author doesn't meander there are no over the top moments or long monologues. The book is crisp and a fast paced and reminded me of college.

[Meenal Manolika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot thank myself enough for stumbling upon The Vague Woman's Handbook and thus discovering Devapriya Roy, my favourite contemporary writer of literary warm fuzzies. Friends from college is a delightful read soaked in nostalgia for college, close friendships, community, and a Calcutta you will fall in love with.

[Sandeepa-bongmom Cookbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the auhtor's work and style of writing. I was also following this story line as it was published as a serial novel in one of the Indian newspapers and was very happy to read it in its entirety as a book. The book reminded me of my days in the city, carefree college days, first job and lots of nostalgia.

[Ved. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Too many unnecessary details and too many characters and distractions with no major narrative or story as such. It did get better as the book progressed, but it still was a struggle to finish this one.

[Mihr Chand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange how works you didn't have high expectations from end up inspiring you in a very visceral manner. Curious.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romp down memory lane for me. A book that cross crossed the many worlds I've called mine. It would have been fun reading it as serialised fiction. But as a book it was jhalmoori

[Moushumi Ghosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read to pass your time. I enjoyed the language a lot. "Bacterial" will be on my mind for a while.

[Gowri N. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Devapriya Roy's other works but did not enjoy this. It's a little too air-headed, privileged, shallow and easy-breezy, like the worst kind of chic-lit. The jacket blurb did promise this and I don't know what I was thinking when I picked this up.

[Rysa R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a brewing (Bengali) rom-com with perfect preciseness of articulating beautiful descriptions and creating an atmosphere of reminiscence with Bengali culture as the backdrop, making it an absolutely delightful read. Revolving mainly around Lata Ghosh’s return to the city of joy, Kolkata for a sojourn, taking a break from her hectic life in London. In the stillness of the present and uncertainty of tomorrow, she finds herself navigating through the city that she once grew up in and in the process, rediscovering herself, memories, lost as though in pages of a tattered book come crashing back, reuniting with family and friends, most of them well-established in their respective field of works and chancing upon new friends in an old city. This book also represents a distinct element of upper middle-class, Kolkata’s very own privileged few members of ‘Bhadralok’, enjoying the advantages brought in with marvel that is capitalism.

This book can be a little tiresome for people who are not at all familiar with the Bengali culture since it contains quite a few Bengali references. But once you overcome that barrier, it is a gratifying read.

[Sanhita · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story revolves around a set of class friends who cross each other's path after a long time, each well established in their chosen fields of work. The dynamics and emotions that were there earlier between each of them have changed and they have moved in life. But after decades when they incidentally come together again the emotions change again and love, which these jetset people thought was impossible so late in life, rekindles.

[Manna Mundlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may not be a read for everyone because it is a very contextual novel. But for those initiated, this is an extremely enjoyable book. Brewed with nostalgia, humour and romance, It goes down smoothly like a good cup of tea..!!