Serious Men - Manu Joseph

I can easily say this book is the one which made me to laugh a lot this year.  I really enjoyed reading it. Kudos to the author.

This is the story of overeducated Brahmins and undereducated Dalit. Ayyan, who lives with his wife Oja and son in a BDD chawl works under higher caste  Brahmin Arvind Acharya. He eavesdrops all of Acharya's conversation , makes others to wait and read all his letters. He is cunning.To take revenge on the higher caste who are responsible for his caste's degradation and to bring little cheer to his wife and son,he devise a plan and make his son a 'genius'. He creates all sorts of news around his son and make him popular. The eleven year old too interested in the 'game of secrets'. "An ordinary man wants his wife to feel the excitement of life" - this sums up the reason behind Ayyan's game.

'A man cannot be exactly the way he wants to be and also dream of keeping his wife'

 Arvind Acharya on the other hand fight his own office politics daily. Brahmins fighting against Brahmins (Ayyan shows so much interest in it!!!). He is arrogant but smart. He hates SETI and Giant Ear project team. In turn SETI team hates him and waiting for the opportunity to bring him down. Everything happened through a girl named Oparna who is in charge of Astrobiology department. Arvind and Oparna fell in love and had sexual relationship after Arvind's wife leave for her hometown. After his wife's arrival he dumps Oparna. In turn Oparna make false acquisitions against Arvind and with the help of Nambodri  wins it too. I think the office environment portrayed in this story is very common in many institutes and offices around India, more prevalent in government offices.

'Of all human deformities genius is the most useful'

'Just because there is a problem, it does not mean there is always a solution.' 

There are three main female characters in this story - Oja, Lavanya and Oparna. Oja and Lavanya are depicted as a typical housewife but in different stature of society. Oja , also an dalit hopes and prays for good life for her son and accept the life as it is and believes everything Ayyan says. Lavanya is grounded but she too accept her life after she came to know about Arvind's affair. Oparna was introduced as modern and independent fell in love with the old Aravind. But her behaviour towards Aravind to revenge him is not of modern girl. And this plot looks flimsy.

'Wives of an age are like evicted hawkers.They return in time.'

As I expected at the end  the low caste Ayyan helps good Brahmin Arvind against evil Brahmin Nambodri to get back his job as well as name.The author beautifully portrays the life of the slum with its unique customs and settings.Two things stood out in this story- the satire on caste system and the blind reverence to the science and the scientist who themselves do not understand it.

'The Vatican wanted a beginning and the Big Bang provided one.'

In this satire , the author targets many, sometimes it confused me, Brahmins and Dalits, marital relationship, family and love, and interesting scientific community and its inner workings. The authors observation and witty sarcasm made this book one hell of a book.I should specially mention about the 'Thought for the day' quotes, I laughed so much.Just brilliant. Some of it below:

"It's a myth that Sanskrit is the best language for writing computer code, Patriotic Indians have spread this lie for many years - Bill Gates"

"If ancient Indians were really the first to calculate the distance between the Earth and the Moon, why is it that they were not the first to land there? I look at the claims of old civilizations that they have done this and that with great suspicion - Neil Armstrong"

"Reservations for the low castes in colleges is a very unfair system. To compensate, let us offer the Brahmins the right to be treated as animals for 3000 years and at the end of it let's give them a 15 percent reservation- Vallumpuri John"

"If you want to understand India, don't talk to Indians who speak in English- Salman Rushdie"

"If souls are indeed reborn as the Brahmins say, then what accounts for population growth? Rebirth is the most foolish mathematical concept ever - Issac Newton"

A good  read!