Mrs. Basu’s Uncensored Familism by Chirasree Bose
Publisher: Write India Publishers
Pages:165
Price: Rs. 195 INR(paperback), Rs. 99 INR(Kindle edition)
ISBN: 978–8193890394
Buy here: https://amzn.to/2unLPy5
Mrs. Arpita Basu, the only daughter-in-law of Basu family, is here to tell you a story that will leave your stomach hurting with chuckles and laughter. A Chudail to her prim mother-in-law, inexistent to the devil father-in-law, a damped down bomb to her once best friend Naveena and well, nothing whatsoever to her own husband Akash, the 23-year-old finds herself questioning the very concept of familism as her six months of tumultuous married life is hit with unanswerable questions sprouting every now and then in her head.
Speaking of head, what do you think is its importance in Mrs. Basu’s life? Oh boy, you’re in for a surprise! Because the quirks of their tongue-in-cheek relationship is bound to make you split your sides.
However, in a split second Mrs. Basu’s life goes kaput as her dark past comes knocking at the door. While she struggles to keep it at bay, her husband leaves her side with no promise of coming back ever.
Is it mere coincidence that her past holds a connection to the disappearance of her husband?
Or, is it what Mrs. Basu deserves for all she did in the past?
This chapter of her life will unravel the mysteries of the present, all the knots of the past and the road to the future. Of course, in the most hilarious way possible.
About the author:
Chirasree is a passionate writer with fanatic zeal to make a difference through her words. Her first book ‘Done With Her…’ released in Feb, 2019 and has grabbed remarkable positions in the top books list on Amazon a number of times. She’d started her career back in 2012 as a software engineer and in due course, realised her passion for writing. She worked as an editor and writer with various writing platforms and continues to expand the horizon of her skills with diverse forms of writing.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
My take on the book:
Mrs Arpita Basu the newly wed bride from a Bengali family is struck in an unhappy marriage. Even after six months of marriage, her husband does not even bother to consider her as a person sharing his room, leave alone life; her mother-in-law does not leave any chance to mock and criticize her. The only person who shows her sympathies in that house is Malti, her father-in-law’s helper, who is her constant support and life advisor.
Arpita had to leave her call center job for a reason and simultaneously had to be separated from her best friend Naveena. As much as Arpita hopes to get close to her husband and desires to have a normal married life someday, things only keep getting worse for her with each passing day. What future awaits Arpita and does she receive the acceptance she yearned from her husband and her mother-in-law forms the rest of the story.
The story starts as a typical family soap drama as Arpita introduces her in-law’s family and the behavioral traits of each of them. The author slowly brings much needed pace and interest into the story as the past of Arpita and her present troubled relationship with her husband starts unfolding. The highlight of the story is the humor, sarcasm and the slapstick comedy lines from Arpita, especially her conversations with her head. The author also succeeds in subtly highlighting the sexism and patriarchy drilled into the society and people’s minds in a humorous way.
The constant comparison between Arpita and Malti is also realistic as highly educated women from the upper class of the society also tend to suffer in the hands of their family’s prejudices while women from the lower classes have the audacity to speak their mind and stand up for their rights. If the story is considered stand alone without the humor, it might seem a known one, however, the author’s narration style and ability to keep the reader engaged sets the book apart. Pick this one for a light read which is endearing with a subtle message.
My rating:
4/5.