I have enjoyed books in the non-Indian, South Asian setting a lot. The stories, characters evoke such a lot of similarities with India, that I end up enthralled. So when I saw The Japanese Lover by Rani Manicka, I grabbed it without a second thought.
Parvathi, a young girl in Ceylon is married off to a rich landlord in Malaya, by her unscrupulous father, by showing the marriage broker some other girl’s picture. This also fulfilled the prophesy when she was born. Parvathi’s husband is annoyed at the cheating, and asks her to get ready to go back to her village. For some reasons, her husband(Marimuthu) lets her stay on with him. She stays there, but not as a much loved wife, but more as a person who is just about tolerated to be allowed to stay on.
Some years later, her husband brings home his love-child with a dancer. When she (the dancer) dies, Marimuthu brings their daughter(Rubini) home to his wife. Later Parvathi gives birth to a son, who ends up being extremely pampered and spoiled. Both these children test Parvathi a lot, in different ways. Marimuthu passes away just before the Japanese invasion of Malaysia.
After the Japanese invasion, it so happens that Parvathi becomes the lover of a Japanese General, and for the first time in her life, is happy and cherished as a woman.
While the story was interesting, there was still something missing. I haven’t been able to pin point it. There was a lot of prophesies, and portents happening, but the story could not really hold it together to explain everything that was brought up in the narration.. It almost feels like a lot of ingredients were added, but somewhere along the line, the purpose of the recipe was lost?
I would rate it 2/5, mainly because it started off well, and the way it ended was a little disappointing. Not a book that I would particularly recommend.
The story seems to somehow go haywire. Was it just Parvathi’s life that was showcased, the contrast between her two lovers, the trials and trbunes of having those children, WHAT? what’s the real focus?
Me firstuuuu!!!
Exactly! You got it – without even reading the book 🙂
Baap rey too much confusion in the story!!
😆 and RM think what confusion it would create if Parvathi used English, Sinhalese, Malay and Japanese all in one single sentence
🙂
The story sounds interesting, with a lot of twists and turns. Pity you didn’t like it!
BTW have you read Memoirs of a Geisha? I read that a long time ago, and was touched. I am so sure you will love it.
Hmm so the General is the Japanese lover….so why does the cover have the picture of a Japanese Woman? 😯
Sigh…when you don’t recommend a book….I don’t think I will be tempted to pick it up 😦
The picture of the Japanese woman is another thing I could not figure out in the book:) I guess they figured that a Japanese woman might sell more books than a Japanese man!
I had almost bought thus book a while back…but from ur review Im glad I did not make tht mustake…too nany hald read boiks on my shelf already:) nice review
Thank you , I know which one not to read .. as if I read so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 🙂
I’ll give this one a miss.. the cover looks awesome,though. I am such a sucker for exotic covers..
I think that answers Sakshi’s question!! 😀 😀
But the cover feels very irrelevant, no?
From where you take out time to read so many books?? Max i can read 2-3 books in a month…
I read where ever I can, Sari 🙂 I read at all of Poohi’s activities. I sit beside her when she is doing her work and read. I read while cooking 🙂 And I read in bed.
That’s good that you don’t recommend it. Means one less book to add to the ever-growing list!