Imaginary Men

In fact, her imaginary fiancé has begun to resemble him! Imaginary Men earned a /2 Star, Top Pick Rating from Romantic Times Book Club Magazine and.
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Imaginary Man

While romance is the main story line, a sub-theme shows how hard it is for those pulled between two cultures to find a middle ground. T he book opens with Lina Ray in her hometown of Kolkata, India, attending her sister Durga's wedding. Lina Ray fears her Aunt Kiki's overbearing personality - because Lina Ray is still single, despite being the eldest sister, Aunt Kiki will be playing matchmaker again.

To avoid being tied down, she lies to everyone, saying that she is already engaged to a man named Raja. J ust moments before, Lina Ray was outside avoiding the crowd , and bumped into a very good-looking man named Raja Prasad. He told her that he was single but looking for prospects - the more they chatted, the more she realized that Raja was a chauvinist pig looking for a wife to take care of his house and his children.

Yet, Lina Ray was attracted to this man, who looks like a Hindu god, and told him of her life in San Francisco, working at Lakshmi Matchmakers. Let's start out with the positive-I could relate to the character as a single Desi woman raised in the U. I also call my parents ma and baba, feel a close connection to India although as an Indian-American at times feel lost and strange in a country I was born in, and love living in my own apart There were some things I appreciated about this book, and some things I didn't. I also call my parents ma and baba, feel a close connection to India although as an Indian-American at times feel lost and strange in a country I was born in, and love living in my own apartment with hard wood floors, in a west coast city.

I am glad that Banerjee also created a female, Desi character who was open about her sexuality and did not shy away from being explicit about Lina's fantasies and desires, especially when the book got a little saucy when Lina took a shower in Raja's hotel room shower. Okay, the not so good things- The book isn't written very well, which makes it a quick read. It does have its moments, when the words form vivid sentences that you can easily imagine. Overall though at times when I was reading the book I felt like Banerjee was trying too hard to create analogies or descriptions, it seemed force, and didn't come out organically.

Also, the whole imaginary man idea got old. Although I appreciate that the author was trying to establish Lina as unable to get over a fiance who in her mind was still the ideal to which she measured every man against, there were moments in the storyline when the imaginary man could have been left out. The story is a little over-the-top for me.

Creating fiances, meeting a prince who pursues and chases, holding the prince on a pedestal, hanging off every word he says, it's all so Disney.

There were times when I was irritated that Lina didn't have a spine and went along with whatever Raja said and did. It seemed to be all about him, getting to know him, trying to figure him out, scanning his hotel room for clues into his personality, talking to his mom about his childhood. What about her past, her childhood? It was too much. I can see this book being turned into a chick flick, easily. Maybe that was what Banerjee was attempting. Mar 27, Lisa rated it liked it Shelves: I read this last night in 3 hours, not sure why I put it on reserve at the library; it must have been in a Jane Austen tribute list or something.

It was predictable, but lovable. The main character is a matchmaker in San Franscico, orginally from India. After the wedding of her sister, she dreams up the perfect fiance Of course she ends up with a prince, really I'm not sure why I liked this book as much as I did. Oh well, at least I wasn't angry staying up late until midnight reading it! Jan 02, Vicki rated it really liked it. Lina makes a living by pairing up the perfect couples to be married.

After losing her fiance in an accident, Lina prefers to continue being the Matchmaker instead of looking for love again. While in India for her sister's wedding she creates a little "white lie" that she is engaged to avoid marital pressures from her family. Little did she know how the lie could spiral into a big misunderstanding. Along the way, she meets Raja. Could he be the perfect man for Lina? A quick re Lina makes a living by pairing up the perfect couples to be married. A quick read to start off the new year! Mar 30, shruti rated it did not like it Shelves: Most people think chick lit is bad writing but this is just badly-written chick lit.

Plot points are introduced randomly, characters are never fully fleshed out I can handle strange chick lit premises but they need to be well-written. I hate to pan someone's writing because I don't know if I could do better, but this was really hard to read. Aug 09, Manisha rated it did not like it.

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Rubbish, I felt nothing for the main characters and the story is so out dated: This is chick lit with no soul what so ever. This was an awesome tomance novel in Bollywood style!


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I loved the funny and so realistic characters and the fact that this wasn't a love story with kitsch. It was cute, a fast read and touching. It was a book which made me sigh in the end. Oct 02, Dorothy rated it it was amazing. An excellent combination of cross cultural travels and comedy.

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I was touched by the innocent and loving side of the lead. She tries to find Mr Right for herself and for her family while keeping one food in America and one in India. Dec 08, aarthi rated it did not like it Shelves: This book is terrible. Don't waste a moment of your life reading it. I got the idea from others that it would be amusing to see what desi chick lit is, but having dipped a millimeter of my toe into it, I ran away screaming.

It's the brown equivalent of shuffling. Feb 22, Karina rated it really liked it Shelves: Cute multi-cultural chick lit that any forward-thinking woman can relate to. Jul 14, Carol rated it it was ok. This book gets 2. Superficial characters and a predictable plot; the writing was a bit elementary for my taste.

Imaginary Men - Anjali Banerjee

Lina is a matchmaker who lives in San Francisco, but who is Indian by birth and whose traditional parents still live in India. I have no patience for this type of story. I recommend it for your easy beach reading.

Imaginary Men

Feb 16, Marisa Gonzalez rated it it was ok Shelves: A young woman goes to her sister's wedding in India. Feeling pressure from the family to marry she lies by stating that she is engaged to a handsome rich man only to meet a handsome rich man that evening who she is interested in. Her dilemma, finding a rich man to get engaged to before the family discovers her lie and whether or not she should pursue a long distance relationship with the man she met that evening. This book follows a basic formula for chick lit. It was very silly with little conf A young woman goes to her sister's wedding in India.

It was very silly with little conflict and barely any plot. Sep 21, Denise Tarasuk rated it it was amazing Shelves: Anjali Banerjee let you in with the main character who gets herself into a big mess with an Imaginary Man! As reader I felt like I was part of the family, grasping for air, trying to solve the problem and find Mr. Fun to the very last page. I could not put Imaginary Men down! May 25, Amy rated it really liked it Shelves: The problem with putting books aside to journal later, is that you often forget what you wanted to say about them.

I'm at a point in my life, when do to circumstances and responsibilities, I only seem to be able to tolerate light, semi-frivolous reads; ones that entertain and amuse and don't demand much thought or concentration. This book, which was left on a take a book, leave a book shelf that is a BookCrossing zone, seemed like it might fit the bill -- and it did. Having spent time living in The problem with putting books aside to journal later, is that you often forget what you wanted to say about them.

Having spent time living in India, I could appreciate Indian born, but American raised Lina's reactions to returning to India for the full scale Brahman wedding of her younger sister. And, having once made up an imaginary beau who I told my friends I was out on dates with rather than go to parties I didn't want to, I can understand the impulse that caused Lina to make up a fiance to get her family off her back. Her journey from imaginary men to real relationships was amusing though once again, I have to ask the age old question: I also appreciated Lina's growing awareness of the two cultures that made up her life; the discovery of beauty where she once only saw a cacophony of colors, smells, opulence and squalor; the recognition that the things she took for granted, such as not water when you turn a faucet are a privilege, not an inalienable right.

All in all, it was a good way to escape between the pages of a book. Light entertaining, thought provoking, but not all-consuming. Aug 04, Anna rated it liked it Shelves: Visit her website at www.

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Get your free lesson today! Explore the entire Star Trek book collection, apps and more. Get relationship help, parenting advice, healthy recipes, and tips for living a happy life from our author experts. Get access to the best in romance: See More New Releases. Imaginary Men By Anjali Banerjee. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Lina Ray has a knack for pairing up perfect couples as a professional matchmaker in San Francisco, but her well-meaning, highly traditional Indian family wants her to get married.

When her Auntie Kiki introduces Lina to the bachelor from hell at her sister's wedding in India, Lina panics and blurts out, "I'm engaged! But date after disastrous date gets her no closer to her prince -- until an actual prince arrives on her doorstep.