"Mrs Basu's Uncensored Familism" by Chirasree Bose
RATING: ★★★★1/4 (4.25/5)
The journey of Ms. Arpita
Gupta into becoming Mrs Arpita Basu, and then residing in her in-law’s home
which she calls a ‘monster’s den’ is unconventional yet has its seeds sown deep
into familiarity. Arpita is a hilarious character—but she’s always ready to adjust
and adapt to change. She calls her husband ‘a guava-head’, her mother-in-law as
‘red-eyed monster’…whereas she herself feels that she is a ‘chudail’ (a.k.a evil witch) to her husband’s family.
The first half of the book was full of humour; some light and some nudging at deeper satirical implications. Arpita’s life in the den of her in-laws is like an adventure---she is the lead character, her mother-in-law as her stark villain, her father-in-law as impassive as a frozen statue, her husband Akaash as a character one cannot count upon in terms of weaponry and the household help Malti, who secretively supplies her with ammunitions so as to fend against the stream of words hurled by her fastidious mother-in-law. Arpita’s relationship with her husband is dry and fragmented, and they hopelessly find ways to carry forward their familial chores. But when Arpita’s dark past tugs her back into the times she wants to desperately forget, she finds that Akaash’s indifference is rooted deep into something hazy too. As the tables turn, what aspects of her close family will be exposed and what will happen of her marital haven?
The author’s writing is sometimes quite satirical; pointing fingers at the issues that still continue to threaten our society as a whole. Through her protagonist Arpita, the author manages to differentiate ‘family’ and ‘familism’ –which, according to her, is the shackle that binds most married women in the Indian social ladder. The writing style is brimming with story-telling and ‘keeping-readers-hooked-to-the-book’ kind of expertise, which indeed makes way for a very engrossing reading experience. The characterization is fantastic and so is the sequence of events that binds the plot as a whole. The suspense build-up is unhurried yet fascinating, whereas the role of the characters in the primary storyline is well-structured and balanced.
The second half of the
book takes a solemn turn as Akaash’s and Arpita’s past is slowly unravelled, and
it brings along complications and conflicts. The humour part slowly dies out at
this stage and out emerges a more complex cauldron of emotions. But the turn of
events become a bit predictable when the author introduces certain topics to
steer the story towards the climax. The denouement and the ending of the book sees
an able execution (not entirely unforeseen), and although not all loose ends
are tied and not all conflicts are resolved---still the story promisingly concludes
with a tinge of optimism and heralds a fresh beginning.
The author’s note at the
end of the book says:
“Value your family, the
needs of each member. Problems arise and that’s normal. Talk about them, don’t hush
them up. Listen, don’t question. Understand, don’t judge. Love, don’t suspect.
I am sure you can afford to lose familism, not your family.”
Title: ★★★★ (4/5)
Writing style:★★★★★
(5/5)
Plot: ★★★1/2 (3.5/5)
Characterisation:★★★★★ (5/5)
Engrossing factor: ★★★★ (4/5)
Overall impact : ★★★★ (4/5)
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