Ok-ok book with some take aways. Review on Holy Cow - Sarah Macdonald

The book left me with mixed feelings - some enlightenment, more than some bitterness and some indifference.

There were things I did not know about India before reading this. There were points of view that were new to me and the book prompted me to buy a copy of Ramayan.

The author, very truly points out bundles of contradiction in India and her people - cruelty and kindness, etc. I think, negative points in each set have been very harshly put. Half way thru the book, I was a little disgusted - it felt like I was reading the diary of a frustrated, lonely soul. By the end of the book, you begin to slightly empathize with the lady. Still, I think, she could have surely done with being less harsh.

The book is by an Australian journalist - her experience when visiting India - more of a travelogue. She described her tryst with different communities, people and places. Her thought and reactions to these things and her comparisons with things back home at Australia. She visits lots of places - Dharamshala, srinagar, Amritsar, Bombay, Kerla, Velankanni, Pondicherry, Kumbh mela, etc. and comes across ppl from different communities - Budhhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians, etc. I myself have not traveled so much within India, so - interesting to read.

Not a book I would die to read - it was just ok - partly 'coz I read this after reading The pavilion of Woman - an awesome work and may be partly 'coz I'm writing the review after a bad day at work. Sigh!

Read ''Holy Cow'', if you have nothing better than Sidney Sheldon to read.