Book Review – 2 States: The story of my marriage – Chetan Bhagat (CB)
The book, 2 States – The Story of my Marriage, lives up to what we have come to expect from the Chetan Bhagat stable. In the true sense CB had proclaimed that he was writing a book meant to be made into a typical Hindi movie. Movies of these days which have a strong dose of comedy sprinkled by largesse of love and family drama with a bit of rona-dhona thrown in for good measure. This is the very essence of this book that traces its way back to IIM where the protagonists of the story meet. A few meetings later they both fall in love with each other, the only problem being him from the North & her from the South.
The boy is a typical North Indian guy with loads of education and class. The girl is a typical generation Y Southie who has a penchant for non-veg and the like. Both have to convince each others families of their choices and this is where the fun part of the story lies. Both families have their own characters be it Ananya’s (the girl) super studious brother or the boy’s retired father. Did I mention he was a retired army man. Ahem!
This coupled with a typical Punjabi marriage and the Delhi way of celebrating it in great style and splendour as also the various different ways in which the boy and girl go about impressing on their families about their choice forms the core of the book.
Since I would not like to play spoilsport and delve into the specifics to annoy the author, I suggest you lay your hands on a copy of the book & enjoy a fabulously good read.
A good source for Your Purchase too: Buy it here:CB’s 2 States
Enjoy!
Mani (a.k.a. Ananth S)
Hi, Thanks for article. Everytime like to read you.
Thank you
Thx Boldy. Its comments like these that makes me go on!!!
The attraction of the book is that the main characters look authentic without being caricurtures. We can identify ourselves with the south Indian Tambrahm milieu. Some of scenes like checking on ‘purity’, preparing power point for f.in.law, reading hindu paper during marriage are well described. I did not like the heroine eating non-veg dish with relish. Probably a personal prejudice. The Punjabi wedding scene about Santro car instead of a bigger car was interesting.
The author had married a Tambrahm and probably has drawn from his experience. I found it a hilarious book mainly for the way our community was depicted.
Good one.
keep reviewing more.
Shyamal