"It’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there’s only a little, it behaves meekly; when it grows, it becomes brash and has its way with us."
Recommended for?
Those who want to get out of a reading slum and start their habit of reading again. It is a short read and is finished before you know it. If you don’t enjoy the mundane, observations of life sort of books - this read is not meant for you.
Theme of the book?
The theme seems to revolve around a man (also our narrator of the story) who seems to be in a dilemma - trying to find the right answers waiting in the cafe. Then he delves into the events which led to him being in the cafe and his said condition.
Plot of the book?
Each chapter of the book talks about a new character which makes up the family of the narrator. Each character has their own personality and hierarchy in the family according to their earning and social status. There is a subtle hint of how monetary gains have influenced the rank hierarchy in the family along with the attitudes of the members.
Who are the main characters?
Narrator - we do not get to know his name throughout the book. The story is told through his lenses to us and his observations on human conditions and their predicaments. He is observant and cannot help himself to be the man his wife wants him to be. He seemed to have lost the passion and jest to provide for his family since they came into wealth through family business. He lives off the income generated from his family business without doing any meaningful contribution into the business activities. His comfort zone has become his prison and reality he cannot escape out of. His only relief are his visits to the local cafe where he can observe other’s life instead of being a mute spectator in his own life.
Chikkappa is the narrator's Uncle. He owns half of the business and his social status is being single. His social status is not questioned because of his commitment towards the family business nor his love life is questioned even when an alleged lover shows up at the narrator's house - she is not acknowledged by Chikappa and is mistreated as someone after the riches of the family. This benefit of doubt and special treatment is given because of his value of being able to run the business solely on his own and getting them out of previous hard ships. He is shown in grey light in the novel.
Anita is the narrator's wife. She belongs to the segment where hard work and knowledge are given higher pedestal than solely monetary gains. Her value system is rooted in logic and fairness which constantly clashes with the traditional system of the narrator's family through her constant questioning and taunts. She is a character which is often portrayed as an outsider and in contrast to the narrator's family. She is disappointed and disillusioned when she learns that the narrator doesn’t earn his own income which becomes a constant source of tension between the narrator and his wife.
Amma is the narrator’s mother. She is protective of her newly acquired family wealth after living in miser income for her life. She is constantly shown as someone who care about riches and is protective of Chikappa as he is the generator of the family wealth. She is constantly worried about money and their future without money if something bad were to happen.
Malati is the narrator’s sister. She is portrayed as being the wild one in the traditional setup of the family. She is uncompromising, bold and outspoken since her family business started generating a lot of wealth. Her identity is defined by the monetary possessions and her social status of being wealthy in the society. She is often seen as reckless and whimsical (she broke up her marriage after minor inconveniences) and has no issues owning up to this identity.
Appa is the narrator’s father. He is portrayed as docile and hardworking man of the family. As the family business takes off, his presence in the family also starts to reduce. He is seen often making humourless jokes and disconnected from the family setting as a whole. His liveliness and sense of purpose reduces as the family business starts to take off. Despite having an equal share as Chikappa - his brother, his presence always seems to be in the background.
Overall? It was a good short read. Gave an instant boost of confidence and dopamine to recover from the reading slump.
