Scan barcode
santiboo72's review against another edition
5.0
Blissful
I loved this book, made me laugh out loud in parts, highly recommended. Couldn’t put it down. Go professor Chandra!!
I loved this book, made me laugh out loud in parts, highly recommended. Couldn’t put it down. Go professor Chandra!!
lgmaxwell722's review against another edition
3.0
It takes a bicycle hit and run for Professor Chandra to take his doctor's advice and "follow his bliss." Thus begins a journey that takes him from Esalan in Big Sur to a monastery in Colorado. Along the way Professor Chandra begins to take a look at what following bliss means to him.
Although I found parts of this books funny, it was not as quirky as I originally thought it was going to be. I also found my attention waning the last quarter of the book. Some errors in pronoun grammar made the read a bit confusing until I was able to figure out what the author intended.
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss was a fast read, but it left me slightly disappointed.
Although I found parts of this books funny, it was not as quirky as I originally thought it was going to be. I also found my attention waning the last quarter of the book. Some errors in pronoun grammar made the read a bit confusing until I was able to figure out what the author intended.
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss was a fast read, but it left me slightly disappointed.
annicamon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jimmacsyr's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. Some really fun dialog and a lot of family dynamics.
quiltmom14's review against another edition
4.0
Going through some personal “stuff” with aging parents and in-laws, and this book just struck the right chord with me. Really enjoyed it, made me think and reflect - highly recommend.
crowhaven's review against another edition
2.0
I was looking forward to this novel but sadly, I found the characters one-dimensional cliches that we have seen a hundred times before.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Rajeev Balasubramanyam’s novel, Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss, in exchange for an honest review.
Cambridge economics professor, Dr. Chandrasekhar aka “Charles,” is having a mid-life crisis. He has, once again, been forced to face the crushing disappointment and indignity of having been passed over for a Nobel Prize. This wouldn’t be so terrible, if in pursuit of his career, he hadn’t sacrificed personal happiness and developing relationships with his family. He is divorced from his wife Jean, who has remarried and moved from England to Colorado with their teenage daughter, Jasmine. Jasmine is acting out and getting into major trouble, including experimenting with drugs. Charles cannot relate to his older children. His son, Sunny, is a successful entrepreneur and is so consumed with his business, that he has little time for his family. After a major ideological disagreement, Charles has not spoken to his eldest daughter, Radha, in years and doesn’t even know where she is living.
After experiencing a major health scare, Charles takes a break from teaching at Cambridge and travels to the United States. He begins to reconnect with Jasmine, Jean, and Jean’s new husband. It’s an odd family dynamic, but not without love and concern. Charles begins to realize that he needs to change his outlook and to begin to focus on deepening his relationships, both to help himself and his children.
Balasubramanyam has a strong writer’s voice, which he uses effectively to set the tone of both the story and especially Charles. The opening chapters introduce us to Charles, who is quite a difficult person, someone who delights in both being a curmudgeon and destroying others. It’s humorous, even though the reader is keenly aware that Charles is a very unhappy person. It also sets us up for his transformation. Charles makes a lot of mistakes, but he is the perfect character to undergo a massive transformation and we root for him to succeed.
I really loved the relationship between Jasmine and Charles. Jasmine’s troubles are generally those of a confused and angry teenager, but we soon see that her acting out and experimentation is taking her down a dark path. Drug addition or perhaps consequences of spending time with unsavory people, are looming on her horizon. Charles is devastated that this is happening to his daughter and initially he feels quite helpless. However, he is struck with the idea that Jasmine can be sent to a monastery to live with a woman that he met at his yoga retreat. Charles shifts from being a very self-involved character, to someone who begins to think of others, starting with his beloved youngest daughter. Previous to his experience at the yoga retreat, Charles would never have suggested this for his daughter, but through his personal enlightenment, he can now help her. I was taken with the novel’s themes of balancing self-reliance with building relationships. You can’t help others without fixing yourself, but fixing yourself means little, if you can’t experience deep relationships with other people.
Generally, I found the story to be fast-paced, although it lost a little steam in the middle. I think it’s because although it was very important to the character arc for Charles to discover himself at the yoga retreat, this aspect was less interesting than that of his repairing the relationship with his family. I thought it was interesting that Charles is not necessarily enlightened after the yoga retreat. It helps him on his way, but it is only a stepping stone towards the bliss he finds from connecting with his family. I like that the book wraps on a hopeful note, yet not unrealistic or completely perfect. Charles and his family members, still have a lot to learn, but they have made great strides.
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss is an uplifting redemption story that begs readers to reflection on their own lives. Balasubramanyam is a talented writer and I recommend Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
Cambridge economics professor, Dr. Chandrasekhar aka “Charles,” is having a mid-life crisis. He has, once again, been forced to face the crushing disappointment and indignity of having been passed over for a Nobel Prize. This wouldn’t be so terrible, if in pursuit of his career, he hadn’t sacrificed personal happiness and developing relationships with his family. He is divorced from his wife Jean, who has remarried and moved from England to Colorado with their teenage daughter, Jasmine. Jasmine is acting out and getting into major trouble, including experimenting with drugs. Charles cannot relate to his older children. His son, Sunny, is a successful entrepreneur and is so consumed with his business, that he has little time for his family. After a major ideological disagreement, Charles has not spoken to his eldest daughter, Radha, in years and doesn’t even know where she is living.
After experiencing a major health scare, Charles takes a break from teaching at Cambridge and travels to the United States. He begins to reconnect with Jasmine, Jean, and Jean’s new husband. It’s an odd family dynamic, but not without love and concern. Charles begins to realize that he needs to change his outlook and to begin to focus on deepening his relationships, both to help himself and his children.
Balasubramanyam has a strong writer’s voice, which he uses effectively to set the tone of both the story and especially Charles. The opening chapters introduce us to Charles, who is quite a difficult person, someone who delights in both being a curmudgeon and destroying others. It’s humorous, even though the reader is keenly aware that Charles is a very unhappy person. It also sets us up for his transformation. Charles makes a lot of mistakes, but he is the perfect character to undergo a massive transformation and we root for him to succeed.
I really loved the relationship between Jasmine and Charles. Jasmine’s troubles are generally those of a confused and angry teenager, but we soon see that her acting out and experimentation is taking her down a dark path. Drug addition or perhaps consequences of spending time with unsavory people, are looming on her horizon. Charles is devastated that this is happening to his daughter and initially he feels quite helpless. However, he is struck with the idea that Jasmine can be sent to a monastery to live with a woman that he met at his yoga retreat. Charles shifts from being a very self-involved character, to someone who begins to think of others, starting with his beloved youngest daughter. Previous to his experience at the yoga retreat, Charles would never have suggested this for his daughter, but through his personal enlightenment, he can now help her. I was taken with the novel’s themes of balancing self-reliance with building relationships. You can’t help others without fixing yourself, but fixing yourself means little, if you can’t experience deep relationships with other people.
Generally, I found the story to be fast-paced, although it lost a little steam in the middle. I think it’s because although it was very important to the character arc for Charles to discover himself at the yoga retreat, this aspect was less interesting than that of his repairing the relationship with his family. I thought it was interesting that Charles is not necessarily enlightened after the yoga retreat. It helps him on his way, but it is only a stepping stone towards the bliss he finds from connecting with his family. I like that the book wraps on a hopeful note, yet not unrealistic or completely perfect. Charles and his family members, still have a lot to learn, but they have made great strides.
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss is an uplifting redemption story that begs readers to reflection on their own lives. Balasubramanyam is a talented writer and I recommend Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
4.0
Based on the title, I expected this to just be a light read, which was what I was looking for at the moment. It was a light read, but a lot more satisfying than most, because I didn't have to suspend any of my core beliefs to enjoy it.
Quite cathartic. The Irish Times review quoted on the book's website says "Spending time with Professor Chandra feels like you've been in therapy, in a good way." Clearly, Balasubramanyam has been to his own fair share of therapy, and he's found it useful. He fits group therapy and mindfulness practices into the book seamlessly, so I ended up learning a couple interesting techniques I'd like to use, without feeling like the book was just a frame for them. Interestingly, one of Professor Chandra's experiences reminded me of some of the trust exercises from Susan Choi's novel of that name. (Very vague semi-spoilers for both books:)
There is an element of caricature to almost every character (Professor Chandra himself very much included), and everyone's a little bit ridiculous, but there's a respect for everyone underneath it all, even for Steve and Sunny.
Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a light and/or light-hearted read.
Quite cathartic. The Irish Times review quoted on the book's website says "Spending time with Professor Chandra feels like you've been in therapy, in a good way." Clearly, Balasubramanyam has been to his own fair share of therapy, and he's found it useful. He fits group therapy and mindfulness practices into the book seamlessly, so I ended up learning a couple interesting techniques I'd like to use, without feeling like the book was just a frame for them. Interestingly, one of Professor Chandra's experiences reminded me of some of the trust exercises from Susan Choi's novel of that name. (Very vague semi-spoilers for both books:
Spoiler
Only, instead of leaving me feeling sick at the experience of overly exposed children manipulated by a sadistic teacher, it left me feeling introspective, and gave me a chance to sit with my discomfort as disparate adults completely consensually opened themselves up to other adults. I still had my doubts about the guy who ran the workshop Professor Chandra took, but he seemed more like a real therapist with a side of scam-artist-to-the-rich, rather than a sicko who liked to break children open to see what's inside.There is an element of caricature to almost every character (Professor Chandra himself very much included), and everyone's a little bit ridiculous, but there's a respect for everyone underneath it all, even for Steve and Sunny.
Spoiler
I think it's pretty funny how Sunny's posit that Chandra can make anything happen by wanting it enough, and making it manifest, turns out to be true, and yet neither Sunny nor Chandra comment on it. I still think Sunny's a terrible person, but I suppose if his neoliberal father is reformable, so is he.Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a light and/or light-hearted read.
bianca89279's review against another edition
3.0
As you can tell from my rating, this was only an okay read for me.
I don't know if it's the because of the title and/or the cover, but I was expecting something light, charming and whimsy.
I usually like books about changing one's ways, finding one's bliss, although I roll my eyes at some of the pseudo-spiritual stuff some people get up to, while also being in the camp of if it makes them happy and doesn't hurt anyone ...
But I don't know, I went with the flow but I always wanted to get out and do something else. If you don't care for the characters it's difficult to get invested in what happens to them. That's not to say the novel was bad, I just didn't quite feel it.
I don't know if it's the because of the title and/or the cover, but I was expecting something light, charming and whimsy.
I usually like books about changing one's ways, finding one's bliss, although I roll my eyes at some of the pseudo-spiritual stuff some people get up to, while also being in the camp of if it makes them happy and doesn't hurt anyone ...
But I don't know, I went with the flow but I always wanted to get out and do something else. If you don't care for the characters it's difficult to get invested in what happens to them. That's not to say the novel was bad, I just didn't quite feel it.
paigewetzel's review against another edition
3.0
This story definitely pulled me in and was enjoyable, a fairly easy but interesting read. I appreciated the different layers and boundaries that Balasubramanyam set up with Professor Chandra's many cultural backgrounds and stories he navigated. I appreciated that the story centered on his family and the complex relationships there. At times I struggled to feel connected to Professor Chandra and fully understand his desires or goals, but liked the major plot points and different scenery Balasubramanyam worked in. I read this on a vacation and think that's exactly what it is suited for! Would make for a good beach read.