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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
A heartbreaking indictment of India's class divide. Ramchand is a lowly sari wala in a shop catering to Amritsar's most exclusive clientele: bored, self-indulgent, and often viciously competitive wives and daughters of the elite. A series of chance encounters throw him into contact with two very different women at opposite ends of the social hierarchy; his futile attempts to rescue one and communicate with the other force Ramchand to confront the maddening injustice and cruelty of his situation and the impossibility of change.
Ramchand is a 27 year old shop assistant, selling saris to the elite and wealthy (among others) in Amritsar. An orphan and without much education, Ramchand lives every day just like the last. He moves between the sari shop and his room without variation and much thought. His life is thrown on its head when he takes saris to one of the wealthiest families in Amritsar. He decides to better himself and begins relearning English. The kink in his plans comes in the form of his fellow sari seller and his alcoholic wife. I don't think I am giving anything away here, but the end is a hard pill to swallow, though I am not sure how I would change it. Short and interesting, this book was ok.
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Soul crushingly real story of Ramchand, an assistant at Sevak Sari House. Will make you want to visit Amritsar asap and crave chaat pretty badly but 10/10, would recommend for an engaging short read
An extremely depressing book that just liners on and on with no point. The story of a Sari shop salesman is depicted and it pulls you into the despair as well.
Not uplifting, but a sad story that draws you in, makes you hope, much like the main character does, and then drops you back down in the dumps.
https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-sari-shop.html