A quick lark. This could have been a charming Indian version of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but it fell a bit short. Still, it was a pleasant read.

I really enjoyed this - it was a sweet book and a quick read. The pace and characters reminded me a little bit of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, only set in India. It was also interesting to read about all of the requirements for brides and grooms in India - right caste, right status, not too tall, not too short, not too dark, etc. How complicated!!

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People is a sweet novel about a retired government official in India who decides to set up a Marriage Bureau. He helps families find appropriate brides and grooms for their family members' arranged marriages. There are some side stories that help show other sides of modern day India, such as one about how his son has become an activist fighting for the rights of farmers against encroachment from industry and another about his assistant's troubles that stem from financial hardships suffered by her father. It was a light novel that taught me a lot about modern day Indian culture, both how it is changing and how it has remained the same. Each couple helped by the agency showed the reader something about a different segment of Indian culture. It wasn't a deep novel, the story remained light and the characters were not complicated, but I really enjoyed it as a fun and easy read. It showed me aspects of Indian culture that I was unaware of and I am glad I picked it up.

A very fun book, predictable but still satisfying. Some nice insights to modern India, in a corner not usually mentioned in western media. As far as the writing goes, Jane Austen it isn't - however, the characters are lovable and the cultural differences provide a surprise or two.

This is a bit like a Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency book, only with an Indian marriage bureau. Absolutely delightful. Also, made me hungry for Indian food.

So good. A light and fast read. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency will enjoy the similar style and casual tone of Zama's writing.

What a delightful little gem of a book! It reminded me a lot of the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" books. Well written and charming, I can't wait to get my hands on number two of the series!

I knew nothing about this book prior to picking it up, but I gather that it was marketed as being in the vein of The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency series (which I love). If that's the case, then for once the publisher's comparison is fairly apt. This gentle book is about a retired Indian civil servant who establishes a marriage matchmaking service on the veranda of his house in order to pass the days, and it's very similar to the Ladies No. 1 series -- albeit without any crime. The story features a fairly lovable trio of protagonists: Mr. Ali and his wife, who run the bureau, and Aruna, a local Hindu girl he hires as an assistant. The supporting cast includes a number of their relations, as well as a steady stream of clients seeking suitable marriage partners.

There's not much of a plot per se -- more a series of vignettes about people who need the marriage bureau's help, along with running storylines involving Aruna's families money woes and the distress brought about by the Ali's son, who is working as an activist for social justice. There's a slightly repetitive aspect to the book, as each matchmaking challenge seems designed to reveal some aspect of caste/class/religion/wealth/family in contemporary Indian society. The fact that these criteria are still so dominant will likely not come as a surprise to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Indian culture, but the criteria of height was one I was unaware of! Still, the flow of customers allows the author to comment on marriage as an institution, through the lips of the Ali family. The storylines involving their son and Aruna's woes follow a predictable but pleasing arc, and there's plenty of descriptions of food that will make the reader's mouth water. Some of the descriptions of customs and traditions can feel a little bit too much like teaching, but on the whole, it's a fairly winning and heartwarming debut novel (it's sequel is The Many Conditions of Love).

Stories about everyday life are the most enjoyable.

I'd like to see a complete review of this book. Snippets of a review? That doesn't cut it. There's no doubt in my mind that I have positive things to say about it. I loved the way the author put me inside life in India today. Little conversations between people in India. Little trips to weddings. Little visits with people seeking a husband or a wife. I loved that.

But there are, also, for me, the negative things I must say about it. Most of the negative things can be summed up in one sentence: I think this book needed an editor. Here's the last paragraph of the first chapter, for example: "The business took off slowly, as expected. A few people became members and Mr. Ali advertised on their behalf. He forwarded the replies to his members but also kept their details, and as the weeks passed, his files steadily grew."

Do we need any of this? Whatever happened to show, not tell? Did Zama get an involved editor? Or were the publishers satisfied to throw together a pretty cover, a few comparisons to No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency on the back, and the rough text?

I liked this book. Parts of it were exceptional. I just wish it had been edited into a much stronger book.

Here's a bit from parts I liked:

'"I don't need a full fruit. How much for half?" asked Mr. Ali.
The man replied, "Eight rupees. Fresh, sir."
Mr. Ali said, "Five rupees."
"You are joking, sir. Just cut today on the slopes of Simhachalam. Came straight from the sacred town," said the vendor....
The temple town of Simhachalam is home to a famous Hindu temple and Mr. Ali wondered if the man would have tried quite the same sales pitch if he had known that his customer was a Muslim.'