Review Unarraged marrige by Bali raiin english

Review

Unarraged marrige

by Bali rai

What’s the story?

Manjit or Manny, who he likes to be called, is no ordinary English’s boy. A matter of fact he is a Punjabi, meaning his parents are from India. Manny and his best friend Ady, a black boy, play in the streets of London, smoking and just having a laugh, while Manny’s old man, the dictator and hypocrite, is making plans for Manny’s future wedding. But Manny has no intention of marring an Indian girl he hasn’t ever met. Manny has to come up with a plan and that is fast because the clock’s ticking.

What is happening?

The book describes the big differences between the English’ culture and the Indian culture, for an example how mush trouble youngsters from other cultures then English must have living in the English society. Probably they feel torn between their parent’s valuations and the English culture’s valuations.

The view of sex and sex before marriage is a lot different than the view of the world. It’s hard, not just for immigrants from other cultures and religions but also for true Christians to live in a world where sex is more a need than an act of love.

Then there is Manny’s family. It must be really hard living with a bunch of people even though they are your family, if they have a totally different view of what is right and what is wrong. They aren’t the most likable bunch of family members. Manny’s father is a big hypocrite, who is more often drunk than sober. He’s also a kind of a dictator, he rules his own household like a God, and expects everyone to obey his commands and wishes. Something Manny isn’t willing to do.

Manny’s mother on the other hand, is the total opposite. I would describe her as a sad creature with no opinion of her own. All she seems to do is cooking or cursing Manny when his doesn’t obey his fathers wishes. Neither Manny’s father nor mother is mentioned by name.

Ranjit is Manny’s eldest brother. He is described as a weaker copy of his father but I would like to add the word gentle to his description. Ranjit get married with Jas, a woman with a lot more personality than both Manny’s mother and his other sister in-law Baljit.

Harry, whose real name is Bilhar, is more like a pig than a human, except pigs are an intelligent creature, Harry isn’t. Harry is the last man on Earth I could ever marry and I can’t believe Baljit could agree to marry him. He’s a fat bully with a smelly body and an intellect smaller than a rabbits.

Who is Manny?

The lead character in this book’s name is Manny. The book starts when Manny is only fourteen years old and his father starts planning for Manny’s future wedding. Manny hates the idea of an arranged marriage to a girl he hasn’t even met, and has no intention of meeting. He figures out that he should be worse than ever so no one, absolutely not some silly Indian girl, would want him for a husband. He starts so skip class, shoplift and doing other not so cleaver thinks.

What do I think of Manny?

I can hardly describe Manny. I haven’t made up my mind about him. I guess he is a rather normal boy in the English-Indian society. He is cleaver and knows what he wants in life. He wants to an author. He is loyal to his friends and doesn’t care about what colour your skin have.

On the surfaces Manny seems very shallow, he smokes, take weed and shoplift, doesn’t do his homework, but that not true. Manny is a strong, loyal and lovable boy. His relationship with Lisa shows how gentle and kind he really is. Manny never pushed Lisa into doing something she didn’t want to.

But Manny could not catch my attention. This is one of the most boring books I have ever read. It’s really hard for me to understand the English-Indian culture. Just by reading the names I couldn’t figure out if the persons are of female gender or male.

Manny is a lot different from me. We think totally different. That’s the reason I can’t understand him or his decisions. He does things I would never do.

What am I thinking?

Usually this kind of books, short ones, with big letters do not take long for me to read. When I got this book I had so high expectations and was pretty exited. But after reading only a few chapters I realized that this was not a book I liked or I story I liked. But I knew I had to read it. That’s why it took so long. Soon it wasn’t entertaining to reading just dull.

The author Bali Rai keeps on describing the streets of London and compares things with things I do not know what it is.

This is no book I would recommend.

Assignment: “Write a letter from Manny’s bride to be, explaining how she felt”

To Missing bridegroom!

This is a letter to the bridegroom whom left me at the altar. I am meaning the boy who disgraced me and my family two years ago. If you are out there, you should be ashamed of yourself. Do you have any idea what kind of damage you did to me?

Even tough my family will be mad at me for writing this in the News Paper column. I feel that I must write to you. Because I have no idea were you are, which your address is, I thought this would be the only way to get in touch with you. I am not sure if I want an answer to this letter. It is more about me saying what my heart desires for at least once.

You caused me a lot of pain and I do not even think that you cared about that, the day, two years ago? You are so selfish. I have been trying really hard to understand you, but I can only think about the consequences your decision of running away from our wedding – gave, the pain and disgrace.

That fact that you did not want me, even tough you did not know me, created a rumour around the area, no, farther than that, the rumour spread all the way to India. Everyone thought it was my entire fault. That there was something wrong with me. That there was a reason you left me, a matter of fact, that I was that reason… and for a wile, I thought so too. After this, no one wanted me. My family whom was sad, angry and felt betrayed by their friend, your own father, looked hard and long for another husband for me. They searched everywhere but of course, no one wanted a left bride.

I do not know if you can see the bitterness I am feeling in my words. But I can assure you the bitterness is there. I have spent almost two years hating you to the bones.

You lost you family and got your freedom. What about me?

I am to be married now. But not with a fine boy in my age, which I thought you were, but with a fifty-three year old man, with a big black moustache and a bare shiny scalp. I mustn’t forget his big round belly and stinking breath. That’s the only man whom could think of marring me after what you did. It doesn’t matter I am still a virgin, that I am still untouched and clean, no one wants me!

If you had made another decision thinks could have turned out so mush better, if you had called off the wedding sooner, for an example. Than my family and I would not have been so disrespected and betrayed. They could have found me a better future husband, one younger, nicer and better looking. But you just had to have you revenge, did you not? That is at least what I think it was all about, revenge. Just stupid, silly and destructive, revenge doesn’t ever help anyone, it just brings sadness. That is a least what I believe.

I have said what I wanted, so now, my letter is finished.

From Left Bride