The Inscrutable Americans

I have one friend who is going to USA for higher studies. His dad suggested him to read The Inscrutable Americans by Anurag Mathur. Though my friend has not read it yet, but I finished the book few days back.

Let me give you some idea about the book.

The book narrates a story about Gopal, from small village from MP, who is going for higher studies to USA. This guy is from a well to do family, but has never been to a big city. He has his own ideas about America and American way of living, which of course he made after watching lots of English movies (mostly those cheap semi-porno movies) and reading English magazines.

What Gopal thinks about the life their, he write as a letter to his young brother in India. The narration starts with our hero writing a letter to his brother. Gopal tries to narrate each and every incident to his brother. Whatever he sees there, is totally new to him. There is a cultural shock for anyone who goes from India, especially someone like Gopal. The whole narration revolves around his experience in college and outside college.

What is so special about the book which makes it so popular?

Simplicity
The book is written in a very simple language. Unlike many of the Indian authors, who give more importance to playing with words rather than playing with emotions, Aunrag Mathur has tried to keep it as simple as possible. Nothing looks dramatic and everyone can relate to the narration.

A humorous account of the life
Humor and satire can explain almost each of the human emotion. Gopal’s letters to his brother will bring smile to your face. How one small town guy will react to such a cultural shock is shown very beautifully and is very humorous. Randy, with his one liner is an amazing character.

360 degree life
It touches many aspects of life as such. It’s not a story of just love or sex. It tells us how it feels to stay in one country among people who are really indifferent to you, thousands of km away from your home. It touches the American problems also. Problems of black, problems of insecurities of American, problems of Americans hating outsiders. The narration makes you live like Gopal.

Overall a good book. I found just one minor hitch in the book. It could have dealt more with Gopal’s surroundings. Many characters came and went; they should have been given more time to stay in the narrations. Anurag could have given of less of Gopal’s sex ventures and more of his experience about life. After all sex is not just the only thing which Indians do there when they go for higher studies J

If you are going to USA for studies, read this book once. You will not regret it.