- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Harper Paperback (Aug 21 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060559322
- ISBN-13: 978-0060559328
- Product Dimensions: 18.8 x 14 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #904,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
East meets West in Moynihan's wry, knowing debut collection, so evocative of modern-day India that readers can smell the temple incense. The six stories feature bungling Westerners, whose insensitivity and ignorance of Indian customs stir up trouble wherever they go, and status-obsessed Indians, who at once mock and emulate their foreign visitors. "In the Heart of Braj" recounts Lila's retreat to visit Shyam Sunder, a rich American who abandoned his life of ease to take orders with a Hindu mystic. Though impressed by the peace and solitude of Shyam's religious existence, an unpleasant surprise awaits the na‹ve foreigner when she steps outside of his protective care. In "A Good Job in Delhi," Hari works in the home of a wealthy British rake whose unexpected benevolence saves the servant from a bleak existence and an undesirable arranged marriage. Most engaging are the stories that offer insight into the country's social mores, such as "Paying Guest" and "The Visa," which present a humorous look at the jockeying for position that occurs in India's upper castes. Moynihan's stories are full of sharp wit ("Lucy collected gurus like furniture"), but they rarely deviate from a fixed character blueprint: Western visitors are boorish, and their Indian hosts seek to exploit them. So many tiresome foreigners make an appearance that the stories become a warning for potential travelers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
In the 1970s, Maura Moynihan moved to New Delhi with her mother and father, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who at the time was U.S. ambassador to India. She wasfascinated by the country's contradictions: ancient religions amid urban chaos, the staggering disparity between rich and poor, and Indian familial tradition and the lure of Western novelty.
From three decades of deeply sympathetic observation came the inspiration for these stories, in which the characters' beliefs are challenged as they interact with those outside their culture. British and American expatriates mingle with Indian friends, colleagues, and servants, and the stories follow the change, or failure to change, that results. Hari, a young Indian servant, hopes for his amiable British boss's help in escaping a prearranged wedding. An American embassy worker named Melanie becomes disillusioned when her married lover uses her to get a visa. At a Himalayan retreat, a wealthy group gathers to seek spiritual enlightenment, but their altruism is tested when they are asked to buy dowries for a poor Indian family.
Through witty dialogue and engaging scenes, Moynihan examines how both easterners and westerners struggle for dignity. Replete with humor and poignancy, Yoga Hotel is a stunning literary debut from a writer who understands the complexity and universality of human hopes, fears, and desires.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The house where Hari worked was in the center of New Delhi, near a lot of government bungalows and embassy residences. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The house where Hari worked was in the center of New Delhi, near a lot of government bungalows and embassy residences. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
expat India captured,
This review is from: Yoga Hotel (Paperback)
I read the original version of this short story collection published in India. I loved every story. Maura Moynihan captures the uniqueness of expat life in India and the relationships between Indians and Western expats perfectly. On top of that the writing is simply splendid on its own, hence these stories are well worth reading just for the language even if you don't have a strong interest in India.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
vapid and shallow,
By a reader - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Yoga Hotel (Paperback)
I expected something a little more complex and deep... the descriptions of the foreign characters are all stereotypical of what Indian people think of them - vapid, shallow, sexually promiscuous, and stupid. Unfortunately, the protagonist in each of the stories meets most of these stereotypes. Descriptions of the Indians fall almost exclusively into the type that is perceived to be "beautiful and intense", or the type that wants to scam foreigners. Both of these descriptions too are shallow and lack depth. As an Indian person myself who has spent many years in India as well as the US, I am quite offended at the sterotypes made of the Indians, as well as the foreigners (I know plenty of non-vapid foreigners who have lived in India as expats). For all the years that the cover of the book claimed Maura Moynihan lived in India, she could have written much better stories.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
expat India captured,
By Josh Turnpike - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Yoga Hotel (Paperback)
I read the original version of this short story collection published in India. I loved every story. Maura Moynihan captures the uniqueness of expat life in India and the relationships between Indians and Western expats perfectly. On top of that the writing is simply splendid on its own, hence these stories are well worth reading just for the language even if you don't have a strong interest in India.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Takes you to India.,
By Narizdura La Carretera - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Yoga Hotel (Paperback)
I've been to India several times, and have a few Indian friends. Moynihan's stories show an insider's knowledge of the country. Read wherever you like and you'll immediately be transported to India.The expat characters are funny, delicious, and anyone who has lived the expat life in Asia will recognise them. |
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