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Rukogi Nahi Radhika
Hindi
- GenresFiction
159 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Usha Priyamvada
18 books12 followersUsha Priyamvada (Hindi: उषा प्रियंवदा) is the nom-de-plume of Usha Nilsson (née Usha Saksena; 1930, Kanpur – ), an Indian-born American emerita professor of South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a novelist and short-story writer in Hindi and a translator from Hindi to English. She was a winner of the Premchand Prize in 1976, and the Padmabhushan Moturi Satyanarayan Puraskar in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 5, 2023
A loop of ennui.
I picked this book up after making my previous post here 2 days back, which was also about translated literature and how I would love to reiterate it again.
'Rukogi nahi Radhika?'(1967) by Usha Priyamvada, recently translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell as 'Won't You Stay, Radhika?' is about a topic that would always preside over the Indian society - relations. And it's management, and our boundaries, the role we play towards each other, the freedom we give to one another, how we are remembered as a person by our family.
*First things first - The translator's introduction at the beginning of the book is the core of this book i.e to understand its context better keeping the Indian society back then in mind. You miss the intro, You miss the book.
Radhika, a girl who seems to have Electra complex, leaves India for Chicago after her widowed father marries a younger woman. She felt she had almost lost him. Homesickness leaves no one & she returns to India 2 years later only to realise that her sense of unbelonging has only grown stronger.
More than ennui (a feeling of dissatisfaction) I personally felt that Radhika was going through extreme loneliness. And, yes she does have Electra complex, it does feel that she anyhow wants to compete with others for the affection of her father. But then she's also not wrong. She is brave, she is independent, she definitely is rational at times along with being understanding.
Themes of alienation, societal norms, patriarchy, individual freedom are subtly dealt with in this novella. Is it the subtlety or is it the incompleteness? It did feel complete to me. I would still think about it in hindsight. While I was a bit underwhelmed by Rockwell's translation, it did seem authentic. Authentic to both - the original hindi prose & to the Indian society as well. At times it felt too simplistic & at times it was so much mature and filled with emotions. Not to forget the plot itself is filled with so much nuance (which is good), I would have to take a few days to analyse Radhika's decisions and understand her father's side as well.
I picked this book up after making my previous post here 2 days back, which was also about translated literature and how I would love to reiterate it again.
'Rukogi nahi Radhika?'(1967) by Usha Priyamvada, recently translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell as 'Won't You Stay, Radhika?' is about a topic that would always preside over the Indian society - relations. And it's management, and our boundaries, the role we play towards each other, the freedom we give to one another, how we are remembered as a person by our family.
*First things first - The translator's introduction at the beginning of the book is the core of this book i.e to understand its context better keeping the Indian society back then in mind. You miss the intro, You miss the book.
Radhika, a girl who seems to have Electra complex, leaves India for Chicago after her widowed father marries a younger woman. She felt she had almost lost him. Homesickness leaves no one & she returns to India 2 years later only to realise that her sense of unbelonging has only grown stronger.
More than ennui (a feeling of dissatisfaction) I personally felt that Radhika was going through extreme loneliness. And, yes she does have Electra complex, it does feel that she anyhow wants to compete with others for the affection of her father. But then she's also not wrong. She is brave, she is independent, she definitely is rational at times along with being understanding.
Themes of alienation, societal norms, patriarchy, individual freedom are subtly dealt with in this novella. Is it the subtlety or is it the incompleteness? It did feel complete to me. I would still think about it in hindsight. While I was a bit underwhelmed by Rockwell's translation, it did seem authentic. Authentic to both - the original hindi prose & to the Indian society as well. At times it felt too simplistic & at times it was so much mature and filled with emotions. Not to forget the plot itself is filled with so much nuance (which is good), I would have to take a few days to analyse Radhika's decisions and understand her father's side as well.
September 21, 2021
रुकोगी नहीं राधिका
******
सन् 1967 में प्रकाशित यह उपन्यासिका तब के हिसाब से बोल्ड है। पूरी कहानी जिस नायिका के चारो ओर घूमती है वो अपने विधुर पिता द्वारा कम उम्र की लड़की से विवाह करने की वजह से उत्पन्न चिढ़/गुस्सा के कारण एक वैसे विदेशी पुरुष के साथ अमेरिका चली जाती है जो उम्र में उससे काफी बड़ा है। अपने इस decision से पिता को कष्ट देकर एक तरह से बदला भी लेती है। दो साल अमेरिका में रह कर....kind of live-in relationship में रहते हुए वहाँ पढ़ाई और काम कर लौटी है।
कहानी में विदेश जाने पर लगने वाला कल्चरल शॉक, वहाँ से लौटने पर लगने वाला रिवर्स कल्चर शॉक, हाइली educated और इंडिपेंडेंट विचारधारा वाले परिवार के सदस्यों का आपसी रिश्ता और एक-दूसरे की आवश्यकता या अनावश्यकता, लड़की के जीवन में पुरुष की जरुरत और किस तरह के पुरुष को जीवन के लिए प्राथमिकता देना पड़ता है...जैसे विषयों को समाहित किया गया है।
भाषा सरल है। कहानी भी स्मूथली मूव करती है। इंटरेस्ट बना रहता है। कुछ विशेष जानने और पाने को नहीं है। 'good 2nd डिवीज़न' यानि 55% अंक देता हूँ इसे 😬
वैसे मेरी पहली पंक्ति ही जजमेंटल है.....
हम अक्सरहां मान लेते हैं कि 50-60 साल पहले ये संपेरों का देश था और अब मॉडर्न युग है.....जबकि शायद सच्चाई ये है कि ह्यूमन बीहैवियर के सेंस में तो कोई बदलाव नहीं आया होता है। इसलिए तब के हिसाब से बोल्ड और अब के हिसाब से दकियानूसी जैसा निर्णय देना गलत है।
******
सन् 1967 में प्रकाशित यह उपन्यासिका तब के हिसाब से बोल्ड है। पूरी कहानी जिस नायिका के चारो ओर घूमती है वो अपने विधुर पिता द्वारा कम उम्र की लड़की से विवाह करने की वजह से उत्पन्न चिढ़/गुस्सा के कारण एक वैसे विदेशी पुरुष के साथ अमेरिका चली जाती है जो उम्र में उससे काफी बड़ा है। अपने इस decision से पिता को कष्ट देकर एक तरह से बदला भी लेती है। दो साल अमेरिका में रह कर....kind of live-in relationship में रहते हुए वहाँ पढ़ाई और काम कर लौटी है।
कहानी में विदेश जाने पर लगने वाला कल्चरल शॉक, वहाँ से लौटने पर लगने वाला रिवर्स कल्चर शॉक, हाइली educated और इंडिपेंडेंट विचारधारा वाले परिवार के सदस्यों का आपसी रिश्ता और एक-दूसरे की आवश्यकता या अनावश्यकता, लड़की के जीवन में पुरुष की जरुरत और किस तरह के पुरुष को जीवन के लिए प्राथमिकता देना पड़ता है...जैसे विषयों को समाहित किया गया है।
भाषा सरल है। कहानी भी स्मूथली मूव करती है। इंटरेस्ट बना रहता है। कुछ विशेष जानने और पाने को नहीं है। 'good 2nd डिवीज़न' यानि 55% अंक देता हूँ इसे 😬
वैसे मेरी पहली पंक्ति ही जजमेंटल है.....
हम अक्सरहां मान लेते हैं कि 50-60 साल पहले ये संपेरों का देश था और अब मॉडर्न युग है.....जबकि शायद सच्चाई ये है कि ह्यूमन बीहैवियर के सेंस में तो कोई बदलाव नहीं आया होता है। इसलिए तब के हिसाब से बोल्ड और अब के हिसाब से दकियानूसी जैसा निर्णय देना गलत है।
November 22, 2018
‘रुकोगी नहीं राधिका’ राधिका की कहानी है। राधिका के ही चहुँ ओर इस उपन्यास का कथानक घूमता है। उसके अतीत और वर्तमान और इन वक्फों में उसके जीवन में आने वाले विभिन्न किरदारों से पाठक परिचित होता है।
इस बात के अलावा सभी किरदारों और उनके भीतर चल रहे द्वंदों को बड़ी खूबसूरती से दर्शाया गया है। भले ही उपन्यास 1967 में पहली बार प्रकाशित हुआ था लेकिन आज भी वह उतना ही प्रासंगिक है।आज के समय के युवाओं के मनोभावों को यह बड़ी सटीकता से दर्शाने में कामयाब होता है। उपन्यास मुझे तो काफी पसंद आया और मैं चाहूँगा कि आप लोग भी इसे पढ़े।
उपन्यास के प्रति मेरे विस्तृत विचार आप निम्न लिंक पर जाकर पढ़ सकते हैं:
रुकोगी नहीं राधिका
इस बात के अलावा सभी किरदारों और उनके भीतर चल रहे द्वंदों को बड़ी खूबसूरती से दर्शाया गया है। भले ही उपन्यास 1967 में पहली बार प्रकाशित हुआ था लेकिन आज भी वह उतना ही प्रासंगिक है।आज के समय के युवाओं के मनोभावों को यह बड़ी सटीकता से दर्शाने में कामयाब होता है। उपन्यास मुझे तो काफी पसंद आया और मैं चाहूँगा कि आप लोग भी इसे पढ़े।
उपन्यास के प्रति मेरे विस्तृत विचार आप निम्न लिंक पर जाकर पढ़ सकते हैं:
रुकोगी नहीं राधिका
March 24, 2025
I saw a glowing review for this novel in The Hindu Books newsletter, and I was drawn by the intrigue of a 1967 Hindi novel about a woman returning from the US. We don’t often hear the perspective of Indian women traveling abroad, much less from an era when the US was truly a foreign country to Indians.
Heavy exposure to Hollywood movies and shows evokes a sense of deja vu in the current generation of Indians who move to the US (though life in the US is vastly different from what is portrayed in the mainstream movies). They are mostly shielded from feelings of true alienation because those who migrated earlier have created microcosms of Indian society (with all its endearing and problematic aspects) in every major metropolitan city in the US, and they find it easier to stick to what you're comfortable with than to try assimilating in a new country with a different set of values.
So, as a recent migrant myself, I was curious about how this Radhika managed to survive in America in the diaspora-less 60s when there were no Indian supermarkets with live chaat counters or restaurants serving authentic Indian food (down to the district you're from). I especially wanted to know how she coped with the food and the logistics here (as someone who fell into the unfortunate intersection of having to rely on public transportation and vegetarian food for a long time). But, all that is only briefly touched upon. Similar to every other theme in the book. To summarize the story in a sentence: Radhika returns from America and remains indecisive about what to do with her life. That's it! There is nothing more. By two thirds of the book, I was quietly willing Radhika to leave. The characters were surprisingly progressive and sensible considering the time period the story is set in. But, I saw no merits to this novel beyond that.
I had to read the introduction by the translator to know that the novel is about "ennui". Ughhhhhh. At least the book was short. I may be ungenerous here because I was frustrated by the lack of plot, momentum, and compensatory virtues of any sort, but here's a good review that unearths themes that glided right past my annoyed reading.
https://www.thehindu.com/books/usha-p...
Heavy exposure to Hollywood movies and shows evokes a sense of deja vu in the current generation of Indians who move to the US (though life in the US is vastly different from what is portrayed in the mainstream movies). They are mostly shielded from feelings of true alienation because those who migrated earlier have created microcosms of Indian society (with all its endearing and problematic aspects) in every major metropolitan city in the US, and they find it easier to stick to what you're comfortable with than to try assimilating in a new country with a different set of values.
So, as a recent migrant myself, I was curious about how this Radhika managed to survive in America in the diaspora-less 60s when there were no Indian supermarkets with live chaat counters or restaurants serving authentic Indian food (down to the district you're from). I especially wanted to know how she coped with the food and the logistics here (as someone who fell into the unfortunate intersection of having to rely on public transportation and vegetarian food for a long time). But, all that is only briefly touched upon. Similar to every other theme in the book. To summarize the story in a sentence: Radhika returns from America and remains indecisive about what to do with her life. That's it! There is nothing more. By two thirds of the book, I was quietly willing Radhika to leave. The characters were surprisingly progressive and sensible considering the time period the story is set in. But, I saw no merits to this novel beyond that.
I had to read the introduction by the translator to know that the novel is about "ennui". Ughhhhhh. At least the book was short. I may be ungenerous here because I was frustrated by the lack of plot, momentum, and compensatory virtues of any sort, but here's a good review that unearths themes that glided right past my annoyed reading.
https://www.thehindu.com/books/usha-p...
July 2, 2026
i felt like the book was very surface level when it came to actually exploring radhika’s relationship w her father, although it was heavily used to setup the preface and tone of the story. i don’t understand why vidya was suddenly decided to be done away with, i wished there was an angle to that aspect. i wanted to see radhika and her father have atleast one normal more-than-5-words long conversation. also a lot of detailing about the characters and say, their occupations or background was very very quickly fed to the reader as non-negotiable bits of information, which was ultimately difficult to retain and connect later as a result. lots of tell don’t show going on here.
oh and yeah im pissed off, all her interactions w men were dialed towards sexuality, not as authentic as id hoped.
so much for ennui huh?
oh and yeah im pissed off, all her interactions w men were dialed towards sexuality, not as authentic as id hoped.
so much for ennui huh?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 22, 2023Unpopular opinion: Just finished reading it. I was really looking forward to reading this book but I am disappointed and annoyed. This is my first Hindi book by Usha Priyamvada Ji. I have read the English translation of Pachpan Khambhe, Laal Deewarein (beautifully translated by Daisy Rockwell), which I loved.
कहानी कुछ ऐसे शुरू होती है कि राधिका कुछ सालों तक विदेश में रहने के बाद वापस भारत लौटी है। एयरपोर्ट पर उसे लेने अक्षय आया है जो विद्या, (राधिका की सौतेली माँ जो उसके पिता से तक़रीबन बीस साल छोटी है), का परिचित है। यहाँ ये बताना जरूरी है कि राधिका के विदेश जाने की वजह उसके पिता की दूसरी शादी है जिससे वो इतनी नाखुश है कि एक विदेशी पत्रकार डैन के साथ अमेरिका चली जाती है।
खैर, वो दिल्ली से घर (?) जाने के लिए ट्रेन लेती है और घर पहुंचने से पहले लखनऊ में उतरती है (रज्जू मामा और सुनीति मामी के द्वारा उतार ली जाती है, वर्ना वो वहाँ नहीं उतरती)। वहाँ उसके मामा-मामी, मौसी, और उसके बड़े भैया रहते हैं। फिर वहाँ से वो अपने पापा और विद्या के पास जाती है और फिर दो दिन में वापस दिल्ली आ जाती है।
यहाँ उसे फिर अक्षय मिलता है जिसकी मदद से वो अगले ही दिन एक किराए का मकान लेकर रहने लगती है। फिर उसे मनीश (मनीष) मिलता है जिससे वो अमेरिका में मिली थी। फिर कुछ-कुछ होता रहता है…गौर करने वाली बात है कि राधिका कोई काम नहीं करती है। बावजूद इसके कि मनीश (मनीष) उसे एक जॉब ऑफर करता है।
आखिर में क्या होता है, ये मुझे समझ नहीं आया। राधिका सबसे इतनी ख़फ़ा क्यों है, ये भी समझ नहीं आया। ये कहानी आखिर कहना क्या चाहती है, ये भी समझ नहीं आया।
It's very difficult to like a book if I don't like the characters. Radhika is one of the most boring, insensitive, selfish, immature and dull characters I have ever read. In fact, I could not connect with any character. Plus, there are too many unnecessary characters.
(With all due respect to Usha Ji) There's no rhythm or sequence in the story. Flashbacks are so frequent and random, scenes change abruptly. It was so confusing. The story is modern, indeed ahead of its time, but sadly not executed well.
I would say this book is poorly edited, like nobody read the draft before publishing. It's riddled with proofreading errors as well. That killed the joy of reading. It's sad that editors don't pay attention to Hindi manuscripts.
I really wanted to like it but I'm sorry, it didn't work for me. If you want to read this book, and if you read English books, I'd suggest you to read its English translation, 'Won't You Stay Radhika?', again translated by Daisy Rockwell. I should have done that.
कहानी कुछ ऐसे शुरू होती है कि राधिका कुछ सालों तक विदेश में रहने के बाद वापस भारत लौटी है। एयरपोर्ट पर उसे लेने अक्षय आया है जो विद्या, (राधिका की सौतेली माँ जो उसके पिता से तक़रीबन बीस साल छोटी है), का परिचित है। यहाँ ये बताना जरूरी है कि राधिका के विदेश जाने की वजह उसके पिता की दूसरी शादी है जिससे वो इतनी नाखुश है कि एक विदेशी पत्रकार डैन के साथ अमेरिका चली जाती है।
खैर, वो दिल्ली से घर (?) जाने के लिए ट्रेन लेती है और घर पहुंचने से पहले लखनऊ में उतरती है (रज्जू मामा और सुनीति मामी के द्वारा उतार ली जाती है, वर्ना वो वहाँ नहीं उतरती)। वहाँ उसके मामा-मामी, मौसी, और उसके बड़े भैया रहते हैं। फिर वहाँ से वो अपने पापा और विद्या के पास जाती है और फिर दो दिन में वापस दिल्ली आ जाती है।
यहाँ उसे फिर अक्षय मिलता है जिसकी मदद से वो अगले ही दिन एक किराए का मकान लेकर रहने लगती है। फिर उसे मनीश (मनीष) मिलता है जिससे वो अमेरिका में मिली थी। फिर कुछ-कुछ होता रहता है…गौर करने वाली बात है कि राधिका कोई काम नहीं करती है। बावजूद इसके कि मनीश (मनीष) उसे एक जॉब ऑफर करता है।
आखिर में क्या होता है, ये मुझे समझ नहीं आया। राधिका सबसे इतनी ख़फ़ा क्यों है, ये भी समझ नहीं आया। ये कहानी आखिर कहना क्या चाहती है, ये भी समझ नहीं आया।
It's very difficult to like a book if I don't like the characters. Radhika is one of the most boring, insensitive, selfish, immature and dull characters I have ever read. In fact, I could not connect with any character. Plus, there are too many unnecessary characters.
(With all due respect to Usha Ji) There's no rhythm or sequence in the story. Flashbacks are so frequent and random, scenes change abruptly. It was so confusing. The story is modern, indeed ahead of its time, but sadly not executed well.
I would say this book is poorly edited, like nobody read the draft before publishing. It's riddled with proofreading errors as well. That killed the joy of reading. It's sad that editors don't pay attention to Hindi manuscripts.
I really wanted to like it but I'm sorry, it didn't work for me. If you want to read this book, and if you read English books, I'd suggest you to read its English translation, 'Won't You Stay Radhika?', again translated by Daisy Rockwell. I should have done that.
March 15, 2023
A 2.5 star.
This novella has a central character named Radhika, experiencing a reverse cultural shock on her return to India after completing her studies abroad. An existential issue she is dealing along with finding a balance between many personal relationships.
Radhika is not someone I liked, even if it written by Usha Priyamvada. She is educated, civilised, has survived on her own in a different country and is a strong woman, yet she is reluctant to pull strings in order to mend few strained but essential relationships. She chooses to be an idle and mull over the how people have changed over time and is so caught up in her own prejudices that she forgets to live in the present.
I liked the subject of a privileged woman lost in idleness but wish the treatment was better and more effortless.
This novella has a central character named Radhika, experiencing a reverse cultural shock on her return to India after completing her studies abroad. An existential issue she is dealing along with finding a balance between many personal relationships.
Radhika is not someone I liked, even if it written by Usha Priyamvada. She is educated, civilised, has survived on her own in a different country and is a strong woman, yet she is reluctant to pull strings in order to mend few strained but essential relationships. She chooses to be an idle and mull over the how people have changed over time and is so caught up in her own prejudices that she forgets to live in the present.
I liked the subject of a privileged woman lost in idleness but wish the treatment was better and more effortless.
September 6, 2018
Story of an girl who breaks the social norms to live life on her terms...
April 5, 2022
A quick one time read, story plot is not that great. Was expecting a lot more than this from the author.
May 11, 2026
3.5 starts rounded up.
First off, I am glad this book exists. A book by an Indian woman written in 1967 and featuring a fiercely independent female lead is such a rarity and needs to be cherished!
The book is mainly about ennui. Radhika leaves in less-than-ideal circumstances to the US and stays there for 3 years as she completes a degree in fine arts. This book is about her return to India after longing for it all the time during her stay.
Radhika feels the emptiness of life when she is in the US - she doesn't have any family around, the one man she relied on has left her and she is in a land that is alien to her and alienates her. She thinks that returning back to India will resolve this, only to discover that something about her has changed fundamentally and perhaps she'll never be truly happy in either place now.
I was surprised by how progressive most of the characters were. Radhika chooses to live on her own in Delhi, in a house she invites multiple men to. This is probably seen as taboo even now in some circles in India, so the fact that this is set in 1967 was refreshing. Maybe some things have truly slid back since then! I also loved that Radhika had the freedom to do as she pleases.
It can be irksome that there isn't a full-fledged character arc here. Radhika is still figuring things out when the book ends, but I feel like she knows more than when we started this journey with her. I also low-key hated that she had all this time to do nothing but ponder. If Radhika had to work for a living, like most of us poor souls do, this would have been a completely different book. There was something almost Victorian era like about her leisure.
Overall, a very readable and interesting book. People in the 60s and 70s were not that different after all.
First off, I am glad this book exists. A book by an Indian woman written in 1967 and featuring a fiercely independent female lead is such a rarity and needs to be cherished!
The book is mainly about ennui. Radhika leaves in less-than-ideal circumstances to the US and stays there for 3 years as she completes a degree in fine arts. This book is about her return to India after longing for it all the time during her stay.
Radhika feels the emptiness of life when she is in the US - she doesn't have any family around, the one man she relied on has left her and she is in a land that is alien to her and alienates her. She thinks that returning back to India will resolve this, only to discover that something about her has changed fundamentally and perhaps she'll never be truly happy in either place now.
I was surprised by how progressive most of the characters were. Radhika chooses to live on her own in Delhi, in a house she invites multiple men to. This is probably seen as taboo even now in some circles in India, so the fact that this is set in 1967 was refreshing. Maybe some things have truly slid back since then! I also loved that Radhika had the freedom to do as she pleases.
It can be irksome that there isn't a full-fledged character arc here. Radhika is still figuring things out when the book ends, but I feel like she knows more than when we started this journey with her. I also low-key hated that she had all this time to do nothing but ponder. If Radhika had to work for a living, like most of us poor souls do, this would have been a completely different book. There was something almost Victorian era like about her leisure.
Overall, a very readable and interesting book. People in the 60s and 70s were not that different after all.
November 17, 2023
रुकोगी नहीं राधिका' (1967) यह लघु उपन्यास प्रवासी भारतीयों की मानसिकता में गहरे उतरकर बड़ी संवेदनशीलता से परत-दर-परत उनके असमंजस को पकड़ने का सार्थक प्रयास है।
उपन्यास की नायिका राधिका अपने पिता द्वारा दूसरी शादी करने के कारण घर छोड़ देती हैं और अमरीका चली जाती हैं। जहाँ से,पीएचडी करने के उपरांत तीन वर्ष पश्चात् वह अपने वतन लौट कर आती है।
स्वदेश पहुँचकर कुछ समय के लिए वह "रिवर्स कल्चरल शाॅक" से ऊबरने की कोशिश में अपनी ही सीमाओं के दायरों को लाँघ पाने में स्वयं को असमर्थ पाती है। इलैक्ट्रा काॅम्प्लैक्स से ग्रसित युवती अपने पिता से आखिर तब मिल पाती है जब उसकी दूसरी माँ की आकस्मिक आत्महत्या की खबर आती है।
टूटे हुए: भाग में एक और कहानी जोड़ दी गई है। टीटी- उर्फ तन्वी तिवारी की कहानी। उसकी अजीबोगरीब हरकतों के कारणों का खुलासा अंत में जाकर होता है। परंतु पूर्वार्ध की राधिका की कहानी से इसका क्या संबंध है, यह मुझे बिलकुल भी समझ नहीं आया।
उपन्यास की नायिका राधिका अपने पिता द्वारा दूसरी शादी करने के कारण घर छोड़ देती हैं और अमरीका चली जाती हैं। जहाँ से,पीएचडी करने के उपरांत तीन वर्ष पश्चात् वह अपने वतन लौट कर आती है।
स्वदेश पहुँचकर कुछ समय के लिए वह "रिवर्स कल्चरल शाॅक" से ऊबरने की कोशिश में अपनी ही सीमाओं के दायरों को लाँघ पाने में स्वयं को असमर्थ पाती है। इलैक्ट्रा काॅम्प्लैक्स से ग्रसित युवती अपने पिता से आखिर तब मिल पाती है जब उसकी दूसरी माँ की आकस्मिक आत्महत्या की खबर आती है।
टूटे हुए: भाग में एक और कहानी जोड़ दी गई है। टीटी- उर्फ तन्वी तिवारी की कहानी। उसकी अजीबोगरीब हरकतों के कारणों का खुलासा अंत में जाकर होता है। परंतु पूर्वार्ध की राधिका की कहानी से इसका क्या संबंध है, यह मुझे बिलकुल भी समझ नहीं आया।
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2025
उपन्यास की नायिका राधिका सब कुछ छोड़कर अमरीका चली जाती है। तीन साल बाद जब वह वापस लौटती है, तो उसे अपने अतीत और वर्तमान—दोनों से जुड़े कई प्रश्नों का सामना करना पड़ता है। लेखिका ने हर व्यक्ति के भीतर छिपे एकाकीपन को समझने और उभारने का प्रयास किया है।
अक्षय और मनीष के बीच राधिका दुविधा में रहती है । अतीत में उस का डैन के साथ रिश्ता - बार बार उसे याद दिलाया जाता है । पिता की दूसरी शादी, पिता से विद्रोह और उन की बेरुख़ी - ये भी राधिका की चिंता का कारण बनी रहती हैं ।
अक्षय और मनीष के बीच राधिका दुविधा में रहती है । अतीत में उस का डैन के साथ रिश्ता - बार बार उसे याद दिलाया जाता है । पिता की दूसरी शादी, पिता से विद्रोह और उन की बेरुख़ी - ये भी राधिका की चिंता का कारण बनी रहती हैं ।
August 1, 2024
Rating 4.25 stars
An unlikeable protagonist, a wavering/confounding personality but liked how the author dissects and shapes Radhika, makes us understand her. If you do not like a flawed titular character, definitely better to stay away from this one.
An unlikeable protagonist, a wavering/confounding personality but liked how the author dissects and shapes Radhika, makes us understand her. If you do not like a flawed titular character, definitely better to stay away from this one.
October 31, 2023
A novelette about 'culture shock' and 'reverse culture shock' with immigrants going abroad and returning to their homeland. Rather trite.
April 14, 2024
A beautiful book which I felt deeply. Any girl growing up in small town India in the eighties and early nineties will identify with the ennui the protagonist exemplifies.
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November 22, 2025A swift read about an expat daughter who returns to India after 2-3 years in Chicago, with many social takes about women who emigrate and reflection on father-daughter relationships. This sparked a lot of curiosity for me about Delhi and Lucknow in the 60s.
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