DNF
idk i just got bored

4/4.5 stars

If you like the pacing and storytelling of [b:The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency|7061|The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1)|Alexander McCall Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1459953654l/7061._SY75_.jpg|826298] then you should absolutely give this book a try. It is delightful light fiction.

Mr. Ali lives in Visakhapatnam (AKA Vizag), is recently retired, and is driving Mrs. Ali crazy. So, naturally, Mr. Ali decides to start a marriage bureau on their veranda to keep himself busy and out of Mrs. Ali's way. Such a fun premise and interesting insight into the local marriage traditions (as well as how they are changing...).

The book is highly episodic (one of the ways it reminded me of No. 1 L. D. A.), with, of course, some important plot elements woven throughout. This is not a heavy book. Even though caste, religious differences, and politics are touched on, it is done so gently. I would love to read more by this author!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am really happy to know that I will get more of Mr & Mrs Ali because this is the first in a series!
It is fun to 1)be on the arranging side of arranged marriages instead of hearing about it from someone in one and 2)see how this part of the Indian culture is changing to fit into modern times. I'm glad I stumbled on this little gem!

I would have liked him to develop the second storyline more.

I was in the mood for a happy-ending book and this fulfilled that. Not too much happens and there is a lot of repetition but it is a fun, sweet story. Especially interesting were Mrs. Ali's English lesson essays at the back of the book which explained Indian culture and the caste system. A glossary would also have been helpful.

Mr. Ali is retired and bored. His wife is frustrated with his continual presence disrupting her long-standing routine. So Mr. Ali sets up a small business as a marriage arranger to keep himself busy. He's soon busy and his wife finds him an assistant to help him. The story line is pleasant to read, but not slight. While the emphasis is on the light-hearted joys and tribulations of finding the right matches for his clients, Farahad Zama doesn't shy away from the more difficult aspects of Indian society. Mr. Ali's son is involved in protests around a planned industrial park and his assistant, Aruna, as well as his maid, have problems produced by poverty. Mr. Ali is a stubborn man, more so when he knows he is in the wrong.

The best thing about this book is the effortless way that it gives the reader a peak at daily life and marriage customs in India. Zama is Indian, but has lived for sixteen years in Britain. He understands what benefits from a brief description and writes well enough that those explanations flow naturally within the story. He writes vividly of the what, adding bits of why as needed. From a trip to shop for a new sari, to attending both a muslim and a hindi wedding, the reader is given a valuable and entertaining glimpse into another culture.

I liked it, but not as much as some other books I've read recently, such as The Lowland.