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CompleteMartialArts.com - Salaam, Paris


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Manufacturer: Plume
Average Customer Rating: Average rating of 3.0/5Average rating of 3.0/5Average rating of 3.0/5Average rating of 3.0/5Average rating of 3.0/5

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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780452287464
ISBN: 0452287464
Label: Plume
Manufacturer: Plume
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 272
Publication Date: 2006-06-27
Publisher: Plume
Studio: Plume

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Editorial Reviews:

Tanaya Shah longs for the wonderful world of Paris, the world that she fell in love with while watching Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina—so when a proposal comes along for an arranged marriage with a man who is living in Paris, Tanaya seizes the chance. But once she lands in the city, she shuns the match. A stroke of luck turns Tanaya into a supermodel, and soon the traditional girl is cavorting with rock stars and is disowned by her family.

In her new whirlwind life, she is reintroduced to the man she was supposed to marry, the man she now realizes she should have never walked away from, the man who is her only connection to the family she longs to reconcile with, if only it’s not too late.


Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: Not as great as expected
Comment: Maybe it's because I myself am an Indian and absolutely sick and tired of stereotypical bollywood themed stories but I thought this might be different. The title didn't clue me in but it's not as great as I thought. Just another mediocre Eastern Indian book about walking out of traditional bondage to experience the western lifestyle and realizing it's not all it's hyped up to be.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5
Summary: Don't waste your time!
Comment: Salaam Paris is about a 19 year old Indian Muslim girl, Tanaya Shah, from a conservative family. She leaves Mumbai to go to Paris under the guise of meeting the man she has been promised to. Once in Paris, she breaks away from her family. Ignoring the gnawing guilt of behaving unlike a good Muslim and to find the her individual freedom that she romantically links with Paris, having dreamed of achieving Zen-like satisfaction a la Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina.

She goes on to become one of the most sought after models in the Paris fashion industry. The book follows her rise and super stardom and her time amongst the rich, beautiful and famous in Paris and New York. Sounds promising for a quick fun read, doesn't it. I thought so. I was wrong. Its an absolute bore.

For a book with so much to play around with, there is no flavor or pizazz to it. It gives no more insight into the orthodox Muslim world than the 2 words themselves "orthodox Muslim". The same goes for the "fashion industry".

For a story that revolves around exciting and beautiful cities, Mumbai, Paris, New York, the book is a real drab. I was hoping it would be full of insights into the fashion world, or maybe some tender thoughts of a young Muslim girl abandoned by her family for wanting to be an individual. Instead it reads more like a Women's Era story. It may sound harsh but there was not a single line which made me laugh, enjoy the moments or cheer for her in her quest for freedom.

Do I even have to say what happens in the end. Like every unimaginative Hindi movie, this too ends with Tanaya leaving her (pretty cool, I think) job for a husband. All that rebellion for nothing! Don't get me wrong, I am not against her choice, just that somehow a lot of books/movies tend to focus and preach on the struggle of a woman to prove herself and then show her ending up with the very life she was rebelling against. As if a woman is only truly satisfied with a husband and kids. The only thing I agreed with was when she slightly redeems herself in the end by trying to live her own life finally and not be bogged down by guilt passed on by her family.

Kavita Daswani tries to pull off a compelling let-me-live-my-life book but it's very weak. I think I had high expectations seeing that she had been a fashion editor.

I would have been better off reading one of the raunchy Shoba De books.

http://ireadokay.blogspot.com

Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: A Great Book for Teens....
Comment: I gave this book three stars simply because it was an easy read and I found the premise interesting. The author was able to capture the innocence of the character perfectly... this however made the story a bit stale and unbelievable. I was able to finish the book however because Daswani is a great writer!

Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: Not bad, but not great either
Comment: I'm a fan of Kavita Daswani's work...She manages to write light-hearted chick lit that's also heartwarming. With that said, I did not find Salaam, Paris to be as engrossing and readable as her other two books. I found it implausible that a character as meek, sheltered, and traditional as Tanaya would all of a sudden become an international supermodel. It was entertaining...but ultimately, rather forgettable. I also found that she did not quite resolve the issues with her disapproving grandfather, her angry mother, and her would-be fiance, Tariq, at the end. To me, the book had an interesting storyline...but ultimately wasn't quite as satisfying as Daswani's other 2 novels. It's readable...but not great.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
Summary: One-woman show
Comment: Though the book is readable, it's ultimately unsatisfying. The only remotely rounded character is the narrator; other players merely move the plot along with their single characteristics. The end is completely unconvincing. It's culture-clash lite.


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