The Illicit Happiness of Other People

The Illicit Happiness of Other People

Published:
2012-11-01
Categories:
ISBN:
9781443416399
Meeting:
2019-12-02 (meeting #35)
Chosen by:
Tom
Pages:
352
File size (e-book):
2.7 MB
Download URL:

Description:

Ousep Chacko, journalist and failed novelist, prides himself on being “the last of the real men.” His wife, Mariamma, finds ways to feed her family despite their lack of money, but in her spare time she fantasizes about Ousep’s early death. One day, their seventeen-year-old son, Unni—a boy obsessed with comics—does something terrible and inexplicable. Ousep and Mariamma separately try to solve the mystery of Unni’s action but find no answers. Three years later, Ousep receives a package that sends him back to the search. He starts to hound his son’s friends and a famous neurosurgeon. Meanwhile, younger son Thoma—a twelve-year-old with below-sea-level self-esteem—falls desperately in love with their haughty, beautiful teenage neighbour, who has her own secrets. The Illicit Happiness of Other People—a smart, wry and poignant novel—is part mystery, part philosophy and part unlikely love story.

Author Details:

Manu Joseph, whose latest novel is 'Miss Laila, Armed and Dangerous', is the author of the widely acclaimed and bestselling novels, 'Serious Men' and 'The Illicit Happiness of Other People', which have been translated into many languages, and have been nominated for several prizes. Among other honours, he is the winner of The Hindu Literature Prize, and The American Pen Open Book Award. One of India’s most popular and reviled commentators, he is a former columnist for The New York Times. Manu Joseph is also a screenwriter.