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The Illicit Happiness Of Other People (2012)

by Manu Joseph(Favorite Author)

3.99 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0393338622 (ISBN13: 9780393338621)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

review 1: I’d heard so much about Manu Joseph’s comic prowess that the unexpectedly dark “The Illicit Happiness of Other People” (2012) came as a surprise. No, I haven’t read his debut novel yet but his second work of fiction is best described as a philosophical potboiler. Why does 17-year-old Unni, the charismatic son of a UNI journalist in Chennai, jump to his death? It’s a riddle his alcoholic father would have to solve by questioning Unni’s classmates, a nun who has taken a vow of silence, and a corpse among others. Add to the mix a woman who talks to walls and a young boy who knows what Pele’s real name is. Manu Joseph uses his characters well to present a pacy whodunit -- or rather, whydunit -- that is worth your time.
review 2: After Serious men, I... more was sure that I’ve got to read every manu joseph novel. This one, though less commercial and more philosophical, was as good. What I love about Joseph’s books are his acute observational skills about middle class India coupled with his thorough understanding of the human behavior. The book is an incisive study in pain, loss, longing, existentialism which has been adeptly woven into an intriguing psychological thriller. The humour is mostly caustic and once again borrows from joseph’s superb understanding of human behavior. Being a typical thriller reader, I expected a bit more “twists” in the end and hence was a tad disappointed. (though I admit I shouldn’t from a book of this mold). less

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