A review by myrdyr
Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam

4.0

3.8/5 stars. First of all, I think I was expecting something a bit more light-hearted based on the title. My main criticism is that I didn’t necessarily find Professor Chandra’s change of heart and experiences to be entirely believable. The entire plot seemed somewhat contrived. I don’t know if this crusty older man is capable of this kind of self-reflection and self-awareness at this point in his life. I especially had a hard time believing his openness to the processes and experiences at Esalen. I find it easier to believe he would have snorted, rolled his eyes, and feigned illness or something to avoid participating in the group exercises. Ultimately, I did enjoy this book, probably because I did believe that this man and this family really did care about each other even though they were all a bit of a mess.
Many thanks to Knopf Canada/Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this book and accompanying prize pack!