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steelglassivory's review
4.0
I picked up this book largely on a whim at library@orchard, mainly because I had just returned a whole stack of books but had found nothing else to take home in exchange, and just didn't want to return home empty handed.
The stories in this collection are centred on the Singaporean Tamil experience (though I didn't realise this properly until I started reading the first story) but I don't feel that this impacted my understanding or enjoyment of the stories even though I'm not ethnically Indian. The themes and situations such as the cliques in 'PG-13', the narrator's relationship with his estranged brother in 'Body on Board', Ria's amusing experience waitressing in a Mexican restaurant were highly relatable and readers who want to read this but are hesitant to because they fear not being able to understand the context need not worry.
The stories are clever and amusing and each narrator has his/her own unique voice despite all coming from the consciousness of the same author, something which I found remarkable!
Favourite story: The Employee's Guide to Transporting Customers to Mexico
Five stars:
- Body on Board
- The Employee's Guide to Transporting Customers to Mexico
- Tenali Raman Redux
Four stars:
- Inexplicably
- Regrettable Things
- PG-13
Three stars:
- Funeral Gifts
- Yours Truly, Vimala
- Never Have I Ever
Two stars:
- Revelation to Amala Rose
The stories in this collection are centred on the Singaporean Tamil experience (though I didn't realise this properly until I started reading the first story) but I don't feel that this impacted my understanding or enjoyment of the stories even though I'm not ethnically Indian. The themes and situations such as the cliques in 'PG-13', the narrator's relationship with his estranged brother in 'Body on Board', Ria's amusing experience waitressing in a Mexican restaurant were highly relatable and readers who want to read this but are hesitant to because they fear not being able to understand the context need not worry.
The stories are clever and amusing and each narrator has his/her own unique voice despite all coming from the consciousness of the same author, something which I found remarkable!
Favourite story: The Employee's Guide to Transporting Customers to Mexico
Five stars:
- Body on Board
- The Employee's Guide to Transporting Customers to Mexico
- Tenali Raman Redux
Four stars:
- Inexplicably
- Regrettable Things
- PG-13
Three stars:
- Funeral Gifts
- Yours Truly, Vimala
- Never Have I Ever
Two stars:
- Revelation to Amala Rose
More...