THE OUTSIDERS BY DEVI YESODHARAN

-

BOOK NAME: THE OUTSIDERS

AUTHOR NAME: DEVI YESODHARAN

GENRE: CONTEMPORARY FICTION

PUBLISHER: PENGUIN INDIA

BOOK BUY LINK: https://amzn.in/d/6rf5DZD


BOOK COVER IMAGE



BOOK REVIEW

This is a book that grabbed my attention immediately with its title and the intriguing cover. I generally love stories within stories, and it was one aspect of this book that I loved so much, too.


This is the story of two people: Nita, who immigrates to Dubai after leaving her son behind for a better life, and Darius, whose story Nita narrates to her employer, Rouhi. Nita, as a single mother, was constantly tormented and haggled, which made her leave her hometown for the job. But in Dubai, she can see how she is an outsider and how her world is different from that of others who are native to the country.

In Dubai, she finds a family in Rouhi and her daughter Saba. Only Nita seems to have forgotten that Haroun, Rouhi’s abusive husband, will be back very soon, and her son is awaiting her return home while she is dreaming of a happily ever after with her newfound family. 


And coming to Darius' story, which is similar to Nita’s own, he is an outsider in Muziris and has fallen for Maderi. And nothing seems to go as per his plan, and his future is waiting to be distorted by random gameplay.


Now, this book is more complex than what it appears to be. All throughout, I was more invested in Darius and Maderi than Nita and Rouhi because the relationship between the latter felt very forced and was not convincing enough. However, I liked the exploration of class differences at work and the insight into the elite lives in Dubai.

Maderi, as a character, was more fierce and strong, but Nita and Rouhi failed to impress at that. Their characters lacked depth, and the ending for both stories felt a bit weak and abrupt, which diluted the entire purpose. The storytelling was good, but it could have been better if the characters hadn’t been superficial and artificial. 



MY REVIEW: 3.5/5

This is a part of Blogchatter’s #TBRchallange

#penbooksandscalpel




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHAPTER 1 - ALIZA AND AHMED

-
Image
Their eyes met for the second time in the day. Every time this happens, Aliza feels a ticklish sensation in her stomach. It's not that they have not been closer than just eye contact, but the jitters won't leave her alone. Her mother-in-law was busy scooping out the last few morsels of chicken from the bowl with a creaking noise that numbed Aliza's ears. Her father-in-law was lost in thoughts enjoying his chicken malai korma and tempered ghee rice.   ‘Aliza, can you get me some warm water?’ Aliza comes running with a jar of water to fulfil her new wife's duties, and Ahmed finds his moment just when Aliza is filling his tumbler and his parents are busy eating. He pokes her in the hip, which is faintly visible between her saree fold and her blouse. Aliza winces and moves behind quickly. She turns around to ensure no one has witnessed it and promptly returns to work, flashing a smile. Ahmed had to steal moments like these between daily activities because the house was alwa...
Read more

CHAPTER 4 - DISTANCE MATTERS

-
Image
'Congratulations on your promotion and transfer. We are looking forward to your full commitment to us. Do get back to this letter at the earliest with your answer.' Read the crafted piece of paper. Ahmed's parents were delighted and jumping with joy. They were chanting 'Alhamdulillah' fervently while Aliza stood confused. She could not make anything of this news because Ahmed's promotion meant everything to her. But his transfer would only mean that Aliza must stay back with her in-laws while he would visit only during weekends. She would happily do so, too, if not for her unsupportive mother-in-law. Aliza wanted to cry, and her eyes brimmed with tears that the world looked like a smudged canvas laying still in front of her. She looked at Ahmed pleadingly and waited until 10 to ask him if he really wanted to go. Asking in front of her in-laws would only mean the end of her good days. Ahmed did not look up because he knew what his transfer meant for both of them....
Read more

CHAPTER 2 - THE BACKSTORY - ALIZA

-
Image
  Aliza is the middle child of her family, with two older siblings and two younger ones. She did not always get her parents' attention because the oldest or the youngest sibling often stole it. She was mostly brought up by her oldest sister, Razia, who made sure she bathed, ate, and went to school on time. After Razia's marriage, her next older sibling Fahim brought home his wife, who had sworn to taunt Aliza all her life. Her younger twin siblings Samir and Ameera were at school, and they often stayed outdoors playing. So Aliza grew up to be the one taking care of her siblings while also managing to thrive herself. After finishing high school, she wanted to join college because her friends were also planning to, and they said studying in college will help a lot in the future. She was also the captain of her school's volleyball team and was a tough player. Aliza thought she could pursue her ambitions after school if she managed to convince her father. But her relatives had ...
Read more