September Book Club

After a long wait, I received the book.
I did enjoy reading it because it was something so far from what I would have chosen for myself. I learned a few things ..NO, not THOSE things you naughty Gransnetters, but it's always good to read about a different culture and actually I think the author was quite brave to write in such a way when she probably risked scorn from her own community as such, or maybe even her family.
I think the author showed that women are much the same the world over and I tell you what WAS nice, that these aging women shocked the younger ones of their community, proving that once you get past fifty, you do still have a beating heart and a past just like anyone else, I'd like to ask the author if this is what she set out to prove?
An unusual book, and I enjoyed it. ..Not sure it's one for reading on public transport though !!

Grannyjacq1 - you are correct in your assumption that a few of us received 'She's Not There' along with the September book club book as our copies were sent so late!
The title 'erotic stories etc' is an appropriate title for the contents within. I found they took up too much of the story. The claustrophobia of the community the women lived in and their culture was of more interest, as was the underlining mystery of Maya and the fear her mother experienced. The main characters were well developed but their stories too weak and over lengthy. Also a short glossary would have been useful instead of needing to resort to the internet. Mine was a copy for further editing so hopefully the story will be greatly reduced in length including the overuse of the erotic stories.

Finished reading the novel today - a week after receiving it, 2 months late! Whilst I found the insight into the Punjabi culture interesting, especially the patriarchal views on women, arranged marriages, careers for women, widowhood etc, but found the 'stories' a little distasteful - 50 shades of grey meets Bollywood type of thing. Some of the characters were convincingly created, but there were too many characters who were similar (perhaps this was the intention with the widows resembling an amorphous group at times). Similarly, the plot needed to be worked on a little more to make it convincing. On the whole I thought it was quite well written, but a few drafts short of what I would consider to be a 'good' novel.

Not really my thing at the end of the day. I did think that perhaps the title was just a hook, but I didn't find the stories particularly enthralling. Interesting glimpse into other cultures though.

There was an additional novel in my parcel this morning - 'She's Not There' by Tamsin Grey. Anyone else get this? Is it another bookclub novel, or just a freebie as compensation for the Sept book being 2 months late?

Just received my book (September bookclub) this morning - the last day of October! So I apologise, but my comments may be rather late! Thanks for sending it anyway.

I struggled to finish this book. I made the comment earlier that it lacked subtlety. Many women have sexual fantasies, but without a degree of subtlety, they quickly lose their eroticism. The theme of the repressive world of widowhood and arranged marriages was really interesting and the idea of exploring it through the widows’ erotic reminiscences could have worked better if it had been approached in a less juvenile fashion. They very soon became irrelevances and I found myself skipping over them to try and find the meat of what was, for the most part, a decent story.
There is a better book in there somewhere. I would like to ask the author whether, if she wrote it again, she would approach it any differently.

Thank you for my copy. I enjoyed the book on the whole but disliked both the title and the erotic stories, which just aren't my thing and aren't really what I imagine most Punjabi widows would be so fixated on. The insights into the Sikh way of life in London were interesting, and there was both humour and pathos in the storytelling. If the author is taking questions, I'd like to ask why she chose Southall as the setting for the book.

Thank you very much for my copy. I have enjoyed reading it and it is different subject matter from the usual books I read. I was interested to read about the Sikh culture and the different sort of problems Punjabi women face. Overall I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.

I enjoyed this book and see the 'erotic stories' as an integral part of the plot. I don't think the characters are meant to be 'real' but a representation of several truths about the Punjabi community in London beginning with a misunderstanding of translation and digging up more along the way.
I'd recommend it for anyone with an open mind who is willing to compare male appendages to aubergines - can't see the similarity myself. .......

I enjoyed this book too and would like to ask the author about her inspiration for the very different parts of the story that made up the book as a whole.

Thank you for my copy - I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it touching in parts, amusing in others and liked the fact it was different to anything else I have read. I am looking forward to reading more from the author and would like to ask whether you know Punjabi widows who have engaged in anything remotely like this and also what the reaction has been like from your Punjabi readers. Thank you again for a thoroughly enjoyable read

The Hiding Places by Katherine Webb.
I was one of the lucky 15 winners and have just finished reading it. Thank you. Very enjoyable with excellent descriptions of poverty-stricken life and also well-off life. A murder investigated by two of the main protagonists, well thought out.

Um ...different is all I can say! Not really what I was expecting but I suppose the book title says what you'll get in the tin. Quite light hearted in places but it was as if the author had to make it a bit meaty and pad it out by including the 'sexy' stories from the widows. Struggling with the last few chapters I'm afraid!

When I started this book I though great this is going to be enjoyable but sadly I was disappointed. I am now three quarter through and struggling to carry on as finding it boring and the characters not real.

I felt this book taught me quite a lot about Sikh culture. I had to keep dipping into the internet whilst reading it. There were so many names of things that I hadn't ever heard of before and needed to look up in order to make any real sense of the scenarios. Not a bad thing. I too am curious about Balli Kaur Jaswal's target audience. I didn't actually like the book and found it quite difficult to get to the end. The book cover is beautiful but attracted the attention of my ten year old granddaughter. I knew I should have hidden it! To quote from the book's Page 90......'Whoa.....I was not expecting that. I thought these were all going to be granny romance stories. These are all-out naughty.' It was there in the title really.

Very mixed feelings about this book. As some others have said I would have liked less focus on the erotic tales and more space for the important underlying issues. I have some awareness from personal experiences and would have liked to feel this awareness had been deepened. I found parts absorbing, but much frustrating. It would be interesting to hear how the author researched her subject and how her book has been received by the community she writes about. I wonder too who was intended to be the target audience. I've an open mind about the author's writing and would be interested to try more of her work.

Whilst highlighting social issues within Sikh communities, the story gives an insight into the traditions and principles the Punjabi women are expected to adhere to on a daily basis. A humorous and well composed novel.

Like many readers, I don't really like "Mummy porn". I feel it is unnecessary and a bit fruity and predictable - although the discussion held about what the English comparison for... penis, was very funny!
The rest was a bit pedestrian - nicely woven story lines, but not very exciting. Then end came a bit too suddenly, it felt like all the ends needed to be neatly tied too.
Not my favourite bookclub book to date.

The title was intriguing and really out of my normal comfort zone although I am very broad minded. I found it a very quick and easy read and enjoyed it although I do not feel I can recommend it to all my friends. I can't help wondering if Punjabi widows really think like that when they are all together. It would be interesting to know how that community reacted to the book. Also I would like to ask the author how she came up with the idea of the subject matter. I would like to read another of her books.

Well written and caught the imagination. However quite hard going at times and probably an author I wouldn't seek out again

I finished the book a few days ago as I found there was always a reason to keep reading but decided to reflect a little before posting. From the title I had imagined this might be outside my usual choice of reading but I like to vary what I read and this book was unexpected and often humorous.
I thought the many threads were interwoven well and several themes were explored through them. I found the stories themselves surprising and perhaps a little uncomfortable at first but soon realised they would be the key to unlocking all the other mysteries and so it proved. There was plenty of action and reaction to keep the story moving and everything comes together at the end.
I see from the author bio on the flap that she worked as a writer in residence in Southall and wondered how much of the setting if not the stories comes from this experience. Also, as someone who has lived and worked in many countries and with many cultures how does she think the stories would be received elsewhere? Is the feeling of discomfort about them more to do with the reader than the culture portrayed?

I agree with other reviewers that the really challenging themes of honour killing and the gender discrimination in some communities is marred by the inclusion of the erotic tales. Some editing of these so they were just alluded to or just shorter extracts would have allowed these themes to be more prominent.