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The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
 
 
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The Marriage Bureau for Rich People (Paperback)

by Farahad Zama (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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  • This item: The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

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Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Abacus (2 Oct 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0349121370
  • ISBN-13: 978-0349121376
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 7,422 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
'A writer of charming and breezy prose, Zama pays homage to Jane Austen in a contemporary love story firmly grounded in classic wrangles over family, property and class' --Emma Hagestadt, Independent

Review
'Charming, warm-hearted and funny, a delightful debut... a read treat'



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Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
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 (4)
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 (6)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A very light charming read , 2 Nov 2008
By emma who reads a lot (London) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
This book is very charming. Set in modern day India, the Muslim Mr Ali starts up a marriage bureau from home, matching appropriate couples for arranged marriages. Farahad Zama brings in lots of issues from modern day India, with a very light touch: people who cannot afford basic health care; problems with pensions; the ill-treatment of wives and widows - all these serious issues are touched on, without the novel being at all heavy. Zama also explains a lot about marriage tradition, including lots of interesting details about the jewellry the wife must have, the flowers and fruits, the ceremony itself.

The characters are also really charming - I LOVE Aruna in particular, Mr Ali's assistant: but Mr and Mrs Ali and their wayward son are also lovely. You look forward to picking the book up at the end of a hard day and finding out a little bit more about them.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that I felt the style was too simple, and all the characters seemed to have quite similar ways of talking. I think that probably it's because it's a first book and Farahad Zama hasn't quite developed a strong style yet(?). I couldn't help thinking all the way through that probably his next book would be much better written. So I would definitely be tempted to read another book by this author, despite that one reservation.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Slow and predictable, 30 Dec 2008
By Sandra A. Hardingham - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Marriage Bureau for Rich People (Paperback)
I am sure the publishers felt that they had another No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency on their hands. The cover has the same garish faux naif style of illustration as the Alexander McCall Smith series and the book is about amiable people in a colourful, hot country setting up their own business without any previous experience and, after a slow start, clients come in with a range of personal problems and dilemmas. There the comparison ends - because the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series has far more in the way of plot.

At first I kept thinking: "Oh, that person is going to end up with him or her." But we just seemed to get a series of people listing their personal preferences with regards to marriage and it soon became dull. The one pairing which is central to the book was very predictable and there is some tying up of plot loose ends at the wedding reception, which struck me as terribly contrived.

The writing style is very poor: "Mr. Ali looked at the picture of their son with a young couple and a three year old boy hanging by a wire off a nail." This upset me until I realised that it was the picture that was hanging from the wire, not the three year old boy.

I have been generous in awarding the book two stars.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read, 26 Oct 2008
By T. Laurin (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
A fun but at times heart-breaking character drama, this book provides an interesting perspective into how India's rich cultural fabric is adapting to a changing world. The book is written from the point of view of the people actually learning where they fit in the new world, and by the second half I found the book hard to put down as I was drawn into their lives, hopes and fears.

A very accessible look at the class structure of India, I definitely enjoyed reading The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, and am looking forward to any follow-up books from Farahad Zama.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars great food reading!! and a little romance as well...
I'm ordering the second book today, as I enjoyed this one so much. It's like an Indian Alexander Maccall Smith. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Ms. Lucinda S. Blue

5.0 out of 5 stars Serious subjects simply told
Mr Ali is getting under his wife's feet now he is retired and he decides to set up a marriage bureau for rich people to help with arranged marriages. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Damaskcat

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Written in a self-effacing yet singular style, full of subtle humour and a great deal of warmth - I really enjoyed this book and rooted for all of its characters, from start to... Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Minasyan

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, but sometimes the writer intrudes upon the story
I enjoyed this story about a marriage bureau in India, although what the bureau does doesn't seem very different from what I understand happens there anyway, with it being quite... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Allie Lo

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting idea, but...
I liked the idea of this book, but regretfully, reading it was not such a good idea!

I found it slow, uninvolving, too long setting up the premise and story of the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by freedomrulesok

1.0 out of 5 stars Full of Eastern promise but sadly lacking
Following a recent trip to India, this sounded like an ideal Christmas present. Regrettably, it wasn't one of my better reads. Read more
Published 6 months ago by G. M. Bevan

2.0 out of 5 stars Kay
I found this book full of promise but let down by unimaginative writing - lacking in wit or interesting characters -too boring to get beyond page 100................
Published 6 months ago by A. C. Bradford

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely, thoroughly charming read
This is a charming, wonderful read. Full of interesting characters with wisdom to share, I felt transported away from a cold English winter to a warm, colourful and fascinating... Read more
Published 6 months ago by V. Larsen

4.0 out of 5 stars Light and entertaining
This book is set in southern India and describes the efforts of a marriage bureau to find suitable partners for arranged marriages. Read more
Published 7 months ago by John M

2.0 out of 5 stars Could have been so much better
There are some lovely descriptive bits which show that the author knows his subject area, and these are fascinating to read. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Bookworm

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