The Marriage Bureau for Rich People

De: Farahad Zama

Narrado por: Tania Rodrigues

Farahad Zama's debut novel transports listeners to faraway India for a story brimming with endearing characters, homespun wisdom, and blossoming love.

After Mr. Ali retires, he launches a matchmaking service that helps an array of clients arrange marriages. But he's unaware of his able assistant's dire need for his marriage bureau.

©2008 Farahad Zama (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Simple and Sweet

I enjoyed this novel. It was a fun story including family dynamics, cultural interplay, marital friction, love, and all done in the context of modern day India. The characters were likeable and interesting. I loved the descriptions of Mr. and Mrs. Ali's home and of their marriage. As the reader, I could see the home, the garden and the streets surrounding the Ali's home thanks to the beautifully descriptive language of the author. Overall, well done, fun, if somewhat predictable sweet story.

Fantastic!

Any additional comments?

I have recommended this book to so many people after finishing. It is a charming snapshot of the middle classes of India - the caste system, the way people shop and work and live. I was thrilled to discover that the author spends more time with some of the secondary characters in other books and plan to read or listen to them as they become available. If you are a fan of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, this book will give you the same feeling of recognition with a place so different from our own.

Loved it!

What did you like best about this story?

The colorful description of the people and the culture. I did not want this book to end!

What about Tania Rodrigues’s performance did you like?

Outstanding narrative, loved her Indian accent. She made the story come alive.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The description of the weddings...the food preparation and the clothing. I loved her characters.

Any additional comments?

My only disappointment is there is no next book. I want more! Please!

a delightful, multicultural experience

This wonderful story is an immersion into Hindu and Moslem culture in India. I loved the intertwined stories from start to finish. The narrator is excellent. Each character was unique and the dialogue was absolutely inspired.
I'm a new fan of Narahad Zama!

excellent, charming, exotic

i loved this book, and have listened to it a few times. a charming story about arranged marriage and indian customs. excellently read as well.

Very enjoyable

This novel started out a little slowly, and I was not sure how it would all come together. It is a charming story of the people running a marriage bureau and their clients, somewhat along the lines of Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. After the first hour or so I was completely enthralled, and I was disappointed that the story had to end. The reader switched between an English accent for the narration, and Indian-accented English for the characters. I can't judge the accuracy of the Indian accent, but to an American listener, it sounded like what we are used to hearing. The characters were well delineated and it was easy to picture each one of them as they spoke. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Reviews are on target - a lovely stroll

This was such a captivating listen. It was not Shantaram or the Twentieth Wife, or Cutting for Stone. Not epic. But so satisfying, a story that will stay with you and please the mind for years to come.

Such a gentle book.

This book was such a joy to listen to! Mr. Ali, Mrs. Ali, and Aruna were such endearing characters and I wanted everything to go well for them. I enjoyed hearing about customs and cultures regarding modern-day India and arranged marriages. The narration was wonderful, with the accents transporting the listener to India. For those of you who are Alexander McCall Smith fans (#1 Ladies' Detecive Agency), this book might interest you.

Made me smile

What did you love best about The Marriage Bureau for Rich People?

The feeling of being in a story book land

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Marriage Bureau for Rich People?

The theft of a flower

Have you listened to any of Tania Rodrigues’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Rama came to get the girls

Any additional comments?

This was a sweet yet smart romance. Very enjoyable.

Be patient

The story takes time to find it's depth. As a listener, just about the time I started to wonder if I would ever feel like more than a detached observer I felt a subtle shift in my relationship to the characters. They have stayed with me, pleasant company, weeks after I finished the story.