Oracle Book Club

"The Inscrutable Americans"... and the Indians!

Long time back I had promised (or maybe I was sedated ;) ) to put up a review of the book English August . That never happened ... yeah one of the many things I promise to myself and the world, which never happen anyways. But yesterday, I read yet another book, The Inscrutable Americans . And boy, a book it sure is. I mean, soemthing which can prompt ME (yess, the lazy mammoth me - uh i made up the mammoth part, I am more like a Giraffe, tall and thin) to write a review of this book AND the english august, is sure something.

Okay no more silly talk, lo behold, here is the first review -
The Inscrutable Americans

This is a story about a guy Gopal , who hails from a rural town called Jajau (what a name, I started chuckling the moment I tried to pronounce it). The book starts with Gopal in a flight to the dream country of US of A (note that the book was published in 1991, so thats the peak of brain drain and immigration I guess). And the first chapter of the book actually starts with a letter he writes to his brother - in his characteristic English, which smells of Jajau and hair oil.

Hair Oil ? Oh I forgot to tell you. Gopal has actually been living in Jajau and running his parental business of selling Hair Oil (as his dad says once - the thing that runs in our veins is not blood, its Hair Oil) And this guy, backed with his immense knowledge of the chemicals used in his factory, applied for MS in Chemical Engineering, ofcourse he gets an admit, that too a special 1 year course for him (due to your immense and extra ordinary knowledge and understanding of chemicals, as the college dean said later)

Once he lands in the US of A, starts his ordeal .. er.. journey ;) Now before I go ahead, there are 2 things in the book which can make you laugh till you feel your stomach churns, and your ribs are almost unable to hold your lungs from inflating - (1) the english this buddy speaks (no offences meant ofcourse, cause he tries his natural best, and does convey the meaning anyway)
(2) the way he interprets things

Scene 1 : in his letter to his brother, he writes -

.. and according to the intructions of respected grandmother and parents, I am strictly away from girls and non-veg food. I am only drinking 16 bottles of Coke in the flight, as I not know if the food is veg cooked by brahmin cooks...

.. the hostess in the flight is giving me looks as I ask for more coke...

.. I am landing in the airport, and I am walking out. The hostess gives me another can of Coke as I am getting out of the plane, and laughing with her hostess friends. I think they like me, and are very nice ...

.. the immigration officer, against whom my friend warned, is very friendly. He is asking me if I like nuts, and I am telling him i like them lot. First he asked about "how is it going", he is so concerned. I told him about the falling prices of Hair Oil in Jajau, and the problems we are facing. He is nodding saying 'Totally nuts'..

.. at the security, big man checked my bag, and said "move your ass". These americans are so advanced, how they know that we buy a donkey, that too 2 days before I came here ? Must be that they know all for those who coming to the US. But brother, if CIA asks me to come to Jajau as spy, I am killing myself for the motherland ..




Scene 2 : He is greeted by a student of his college at the airport , who is designated to help his settle down - (incidently his name is Randy, and gopal thought otherwise)


Randy - 'Hi, I am Randy '
Gopal (a bit wary) - But why ?
get the drift here? he takes it by the hindi name !

Randy - what do u mean why ? aren't there 'Randys' in India ?
Gopal (mutters) - yeah there are a few ... but ..

Next day morning, Randy comes up and knocks at Gopal's door

Gopal - who is there ?
Randy - I am Randy
Gopal (cautiously opens the door) - still Randy ?
Randy - what? You Indians change your name every night, or what ?
Gopal (relieved like anything) - Ohhh ... your name is Randy
Randy - yeah I told you , right ?
Gopal (nodding as things are clear now) - yes yes , but ofcourse


This book, The Inscrutable Americans, start on this very note - Gopal and his english, and his interpretations. Randy comes around as a very pleasant character, who is constantly trying to make Gopal feel at home. He takes him around, introduces his to people, and even takes him to parties and bars.
Ofcourse the first party that Gopal went to, was an experience in itself. (wont spill the beans, but yes, he had quite some experience).

Pretty soon, Randy realises that Gopal has not been much with girls, and actually resolves to .. ahem .. get his laid, before he goes back to India a year later. And there starts a series of efforts (comedies?) from Randy to fix up Gopal, and from Gopal to resist them with a "I dont want to", which Randy always responds to with a "I am on my way, be ready"

And yes, his proximity with some of the girls soon starts to show up, with those sudden pangs of emotions Gopal gets, often making him believe that he is in love .. almost. His journey continues as a highly educative one, more of him as a person than chemical engineering ;)

The first half of the book is a laugh riot. Somewhere towards the middle he starts to develop a certain understanding of the American way - the way they think, the way they do things .. its so unlike us .. its after all : American


Overall, a very nice read. My Rating - 9/10

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English, August

I read this book a few months back, and the reason I am finally writing the review is cause of a connection i could see between this book, and The Inscrutable Americans. They are -
1) both the main characters are stuck in a world they cannot associate with
2) they found their environ inscrutinable, and react and understand in their own way to things around them


English August -
Revolves around the main character Agastya , who gets rechristened a "August", goes ahead and studies in Cambridge, and then crack the IAS. The son of the governer of Bengal, his ordeal starts when as part of the IAS training, he is posted in a remote town of Madna - a remote village in rural India, with its only claim to fame is the contention for the hottest place in India.

August finds himself in a place devoid of any signs of the city life he has been living all the way, no television to his horror, and all that he has for entertainment are his records in his room. To make matters worse, he does not know the local language!

Imagine a cambridge graduated pseudo american guy finally living at a place which gets electricity for a few hours, doesnt speak or understand the local language, has mosquitos for company and the searing heat to tolerate. The end result is that he spends long duration just staring lying prostate in his room, staring at the ceiling, recollecting old thoughts, imagining new ones, and , going for a jog well past midnight. The plight is palpable, although the author manages to write it with a sense of humour you just cant miss.


A nice book to read, has some intelligent humour thrown in, and its a revelation to see how August copes with his new life. The only hitch might be the language, which is replete with expletives, which does make you scorn once in a while. If you dont mind these words which are dispersed throughtout the narration, its a read worth it.


Overall, a very nice read (pardon me guys and (specially) girls if you read it on my recommendation and find it offending(. My Rating - 7/10

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posted by Anshuman @ 12:50 PM