Book: The Enclave
Author: Rohit Manchanda
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 4/5
Book review:
"The Enclave" is exquisitely transparent prose full of wonders, profoundly wise and hilarious for most of its part. Set in Mumbai, the story traces the run of Maya in her early forties. She is lately divorced but at a crossroads, mostly created of her own but finding it hard to confront.
Maya likes to stay in her cosy home, reminding her of how she fell for her husband. Despite being the earning hand, she was desperately reminded of not being proper Punjabi or knowing very little of the Punjabi language and culture. Her daily disputes made her way out of her marriage. For little peace, she is staying far away from him and her son. She tries hard to cope with her situation working as a liaison officer.
Maya is respected by her subordinates and gifted varied items on occasions. But few characters like Reeta G or Mrs. Gundecha, ever skip any chance of reminding her of her marital status. But soon Maya learns to grapple with all the tactics. She knows that she needs to make a difficult decision and stop everyone from taking her for granted.
Quotes from the book that piqued me:
🌸"Innocent youngsters eye expectantly my face
With profound respect their admiration they do lace
I, seasoned mentor, stand humbled by their gaze
So unsure if I am......."
🌸"She scotches the thought. Too paltry a thing, this little scrap, for her to climb down on.
🌸"You build for yourself an enclave, she tells herself, populated with things, notions and people you care for, wherever you happen to be. You, to a degree, become the enclave you build."
The author has well portrayed every line authentically. His efforts to put the story of womanhood after marriage or a woman's efforts to cope after loving a person too much to forget herself are outstanding. He has tried to portray different scenarios where a woman is challenged by her identity or relationships. The inclusion of poetic verses makes the reading more interesting.
The composing, however expressive, ruins the progression of the story, and I wound up skirting a few pieces of it, which is uncommon for somebody like me who reads word by word. Eventually, everything that was left for me was topics and portrayals of the spots and things, yet not the story or the characters.
Overall, the book is full of rich vocabulary if someone wants to learn new words or learn how to express even the simplest things authentically. It is mind-boggling and makes you wonder how the prose changed from one set to another. The thought-provoking prose inspires the readers to ponder both sides of a coin before evaluating the circumstances.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Purchase: The Enclave
I have also read a few books in the last few weeks where I felt there were unnecessary details which didn't add much to the story. Great review Shifali. I might probably give this one a skip but the +ves you mentioned in your review have inclined me to give it a try so let's see.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of picking it up for the rich language and vocabulary. The name is also different and it's based in Mumbai, so perhaps a cool read.
ReplyDeleteSeems like you enjoyed the book and I like that the author uses humour to touch upon critical aspects of womanhood. Using humour is one of the best ways to show upsetting societal trends that needs to be changed. My TBR is overflowing already, and so I'm not going to put this on my list. But I still enjoyed reading your review.
ReplyDeleteWhen an element of humour is added in a plot it itself turns out to be an entertaining read for many like me. After reading the review of this book all I can say is that this is something I will love to read. Thank you for the recomemndation
ReplyDeleteI am always fascinating by vocabulary and the imagery it creates. Your review is is interesting with the quotes and zi may just get my hands on The Enclave.
ReplyDeleteNice review Shifali. More than anything, I like what the book is about... womanhood that too authored by a man.
ReplyDeleteI guess we all feel lost in life after our 40s, so in that regard it may be relatable. Also the rich vocabulary like u mentioned, something I would be interested in.
I like books that is not linear. Your statement that the author makes us ponder both sides sold this for me. My TBR is only piling up
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing the review. A man writing about a woman and doing it well as you said is not every common.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a light, fast paced read. I love contemporary fiction like this one. Will pick this book up.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that I can't wait to read this book after reading the review. First, it's about womanhood and written by a man. Second Because of rich vocabulary. Thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDelete- Anjali
Honest Review Shaifali. I would like to check it out specially for vocabulary. You also mentioned that humor is added to make it entertaining. So definitely going to give a try. I like the quotes too.
ReplyDeleteThere's something just lovely and warm about a well written book with a good dose of humour - ill check this book out too.
ReplyDeleteI found the premise quite interesting. Could relate to it a bit too although I am kind of at the fag end of it. Definitely checking out the book. Thanks for sharing the review.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a book's prose can greatly impact how the story unfolds, and it’s interesting how poetic elements can both enhance and disrupt the narrative flow. Maya’s journey of grappling with her identity and relationships reflects the universal struggle of finding balance and self-acceptance, something I’ve experienced in my own way.
ReplyDeleteVery nice review dear. Being an avid reader it is always the review which attracts me more to decide for the book. I loved the plot and and your careful word selection. Going to read it.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm all for strong woman protagonists, stories that have them battling a hundred things or feeling victimised make them a bit cliche. This book sounds fun but I might pass this one.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see a book focussing on womanhood being written by a man! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteNoor