Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - For Matrimonial Purposes

For Matrimonial Purposes
For Matrimonial Purposes
Author: Kavita Daswani
In this sparkling debut, an unconventional heroine defies tradition by making a marriage between the strict customs of India and the wild freedoms of America to find her own happy ending. — Hilarious and heartwarming, For Matrimonial Purposes proves that while the search for love takes many forms, the heartbreak and exhilaration are univer...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780399150708
ISBN-10: 0399150706
Publication Date: 6/23/2003
Pages: 277
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 15

3.9 stars, based on 15 ratings
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on
Helpful Score: 3
I really liked this book. It made me laugh so hard as well as feel some pain for the heroine. It's an interesting book that gives some insight in to the Indian culture without making it seem like a cultural lessons. I really reccomend it for the beach this summer!!!
reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 124 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Hilarious. The audio version is really good. A lady with a Brittish accent reads, and just make's the characters come alive. Chick Lit, that is modern. I really loved it.
Minehava avatar reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 819 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Matchmaking Indian-style collides with love "Umrican"-style in Daswani's giddy debut featuring a privileged but rebellious young woman who moves to New York after her family fails to secure a marriage for her by the time she turns an elderly 26. While pursuing a graduate degree and career, Anju embraces the idea of "falling in love," a phrase that doesn't exist in the Indian language-("we say pyar hogaya-love has happened")-but the Prada-loving fashion publicist still finds herself "oddly drawn to the age-old system of arranged marriage" and stubbornly believes "observing the tradition" will elevate her "to the highest ranking on the scale of social conduct." She's also eager to please a mother who won't address her husband by his first name and tells her daughter, "I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be married," after Anju announces her desire for true love. Torn between the freedom of her American life and the responsibility of being a dutiful daughter, Anju travels to Bombay, "the matrimonial melting-pot," where she endures a ceaseless and often hilarious parade of potential suitors, flamboyant family weddings, consultations with assorted astrologers, professional matchmakers and family priests, all in the hopes of achieving marital nirvana. Daswani's effervescent handling of a classic plot is perfect for the hectic summer wedding season. The only flaw in this heady, cardamom-flavored confection is the rushed happy ending, which leaves readers hankering for more details.
Read All 17 Book Reviews of "For Matrimonial Purposes"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 12 more book reviews
A cute easily read chick-lit novel. While not particularly funny, it is heartwarming and adorable. The book leaves you hoping for the best for Anju, a young 33 year old Indian woman raised in Bombay and living in New York City, as she searches for a husband with the pressure of her family and community mounting. The book not only provides a cute story, but an interesting look at Indian society. Although some terms are used which could be unfamiliar, they're not important to the story and add some flavor to the book. Overall, its cute and not too corny.
reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 13 more book reviews
Very nicely written. I could relate to the fact of moving out for the first time. Life experiances, family obligations and expectaions all with a woman finding her place in the world and "the one".
reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 124 more book reviews
I loved this book. For her first book, it was funny, sad, and had a wonderful ending.
dbs avatar reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 329 more book reviews
Matchmaking Indian-style collides with love "Umrican"-style in Daswani's giddy debut featuring a privileged but rebellious young woman who moves to New York after her family fails to secure a marriage for her by the time she turns an elderly 26. While pursuing a graduate degree and career, Anju embraces the idea of "falling in love," a phrase that doesn't exist in the Indian language-("we say pyar hogaya-love has happened")-but the Prada-loving fashion publicist still finds herself "oddly drawn to the age-old system of arranged marriage" and stubbornly believes "observing the tradition" will elevate her "to the highest ranking on the scale of social conduct." She's also eager to please a mother who won't address her husband by his first name and tells her daughter, "I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be married," after Anju announces her desire for true love. Torn between the freedom of her American life and the responsibility of being a dutiful daughter, Anju travels to Bombay, "the matrimonial melting-pot," where she endures a ceaseless and often hilarious parade of potential suitors, flamboyant family weddings, consultations with assorted astrologers, professional matchmakers and family priests, all in the hopes of achieving marital nirvana. Daswani's effervescent handling of a classic plot is perfect for the hectic summer wedding season. The only flaw in this heady, cardamom-flavored confection is the rushed happy ending, which leaves readers hankering for more details.
reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 27 more book reviews
This was a cute book. It is about a modern day woman named Anju who struggles between the western world culture and her native Indian culture. Specifically, she is feeling pressured to get married. When her parents struggle to find a suitable husband for her, she comes to the US. Interesting, eye opening book for me showing some of the Indian cultural aspects of finding a mate.
reviewed For Matrimonial Purposes on + 26 more book reviews
Very, very enjoyable story - full of both cultural history and fun!


Genres: