Customer Reviews

One Amazing Thing

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Though I'm a long time fan of literature from authors born in India, One Amazing Thing is the first book from Chitra Divakaruni that I've had the pleasure of reading. It was a pleasure making the acquaintance!

The story of One Amazing Thing (no spoilers here, it's in the product description) revolves around a very promising plot device: a heterogeneous group of people that are in the Indian consulate of an American city are trapped in the basement of the building by a huge earthquake. Most of the trapped people have trips planned to India, two are consulate employees. While the building slowly crumbles, and the basement begins to flood, survival becomes an issue. To pass the time, each person is invited to tell a story, a story about "one amazing thing" that happened in their lives.

Divakauruni, with a Ph.D in English literature from the University of California at Berkeley, and currently teaching creative writing at the University of Houston, is a master of her craft. Her work has been recognized with significant awards, and has been published in Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker. Divakaruni's talent is easily visible in One Amazing Thing, both in the careful creation of the setting, and in the development of the characters.

Divakaruni did not have life handed to her on a silver platter, and the experiences she gained by having to work at a wide variety of jobs to support the cost of her education, as well as those absorbed from her multi-cultural upbringing, may well be the source of the depth she is able to achieve with each of her characters. Some authors have a message for the reader that the characters become slave to. In One Amazing Thing, the richness and authenticity of the characters drive the message, and the message gains its power in the process.

What is that message? That WOULD be a spoiler, wouldn't it? But some clues are fair. A room with an angry Muslim fundamentalist, a married couple whose relationship is shipwrecked, an African American veteran of war in Asia, a boss that has tried to take advantage of his assistant, an assistant with both scruples and longing, a grandmother and her Gothic granddaughter, a young Indian-American on her way to visit her parents in India: none will come out of the experience with their preconceptions about each other intact.

Americans live, in this age of Facebook, My Space, Twitter, texting, YouTube, and 125 channel TV, in a suffocating avalanche of superficial information about each other. We know (because our Facebook page says so) that one of our friends went to Starbucks and had an oh-so-yummy caramel macchiato, but we know nothing about the deeper issues that make that friend who he/she is. Divakaruni, who writes with great warmth about the human race, wonders what it would take to reestablish the deep narratives that power all that is good about belonging to a caring tribe. Read One Amazing Thing, for a both literal and metaphorical answer to Divakaruni's question.

Four stars instead of five? There is more competence in the telling of One Amazing Thing than brilliance. It is a worthy tale that is more edifying than awe-inspiring. A very good story with a solid takeaway theme, I enjoyed it very much.

It seems that the most amazing thing that happens to the characters in this book is the cataclysmic earthquake that imprisons them in a cellar while collecting visas for trips to India. Other reviews have made much of Divakaruni's storytelling ability and the compelling storylines these characters tell of their lives to pass the time, but I found the "revealing amazing things" to be disappointingly trite and predictable. What isn't predictable is the unexpected ending of the book. This has been alluded to by other reviewers, so I don't think I'm providing any spoilers by saying that the abruptness with which the book ends is unsettling, and issues that were raised during the ordeal are left so that there are too many dangling threads.

What would you do if you were suddenly trapped with nine other people?
In "One Amazing Thing" nine people who were waiting for Visas in the Indian Embassy are caught together in an earthquake. How they react, what they think, and what they feel makes the theater for this drama.

Early in the novel we get a quick introduction to the characters, and then experience with them the effects of a major earthquake. Divakaruni introduces each character and how they feel while they are testing their situation. Slowly they come to know their circumstance and a bit about each other. At first we get a superficial sketch of each character, then, while they are waiting for rescue, each character is asked to share one amazing thing that has happened in thier life. As each tells a tale about an event in their life we come to know them as people.

The nine stories are varied in style and attitude. The nine characters have little in common, and their tales are not related. However, the stories are absorbing and each has its attraction.

"One Amazing Thing" is a different book. Divakaruni's novel has many good qualities. The descriptions of the scenes are detailed and colorful. The characterization is clear, well developed, and the characters are three dimensional.

Normally people sitting in a waiting room together barely relate to each other. Each person participates in an individual activity. Some read, others knit, play games, work crossword puzzles, or simply meditate. But, put them in an emergency situation together and they interact, not always as they expect. While each character tells about events that amazed them, they reveal much about their inner self. This is an captivating book.

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Nine strangers are in the Indian consulate's office of an American city to apply for visas for their trips to India when an earthquake strikes, leaving them all trapped together. The doorways are blocked, no escape is possible and amid rising water and increasing gas in the air, the sense of doom and panic among the survivors begins to increase. One of the strangers, Uma, an Indian-American woman, who coincidentally was reading The Canterbury Tales as the story opens, suggests that each of the nine tell the rest of the group one amazing thing from their lives. So begins One Amazing Thing.

This was an interesting premise but a very disappointing outcome. I found the stories the survivors share with each other to be stale, sometimes predictable and more often than not cliché ridden and, despite having such in-depth knowledge about each of these nine survivors, I felt like I really knew very little about them.

The author, Chitra Divakaruni, has a very large vocabulary and she isn't afraid to use it to excess which made reading some of the descriptive passages awkward at times. Also, the author writes the character's thoughts and rhetorical questions parenthetically which generally has the effect of taking me out of the story altogether. Done once or twice for effect I don't have a problem, but this technique is used repeatedly on nearly every page. Finally, the ambiguous ending left me feeling more than cheated.

I was attracted to this book by the blurb on the back and I really wanted to enjoy it, but I was very disappointed. The only thing I enjoyed about the book was the small amount of insight into Indian culture I received in the telling.

We learn in One Amazing Thing that we can't judge a book by its cover. After reading One Amazing Thing I learned that we probably shouldn't trust the advertising copy on the back of the cover.

This well-written and well-imagined book offers readers a diverse collection of stories that help explain exactly how nine different individuals found themselves in the visa office of the Indian Consulate during an earthquake. The characters were certainly a group of unique individuals, but each could have been further fleshed-out to create a more satisfying experience for the reader. I would have appreciate more interaction and evidence of charcter growth in the present-day circumstances, rather than just the backstories presented in the narrative. I also wasn't too thrilled with the rather abrupt ending (nothing more on that to avoid any spoliers). All in all, an enjoyable read that left me feeling vaguely dissatisified because I feel it could have been so much more. 3.5 stars.

In an unnamed city in the US, an earthquake traps a small diverse group of people in the basement of the Indian Consulate. Among the trapped are Consulate employees Mr. Mangolam and Malathi, Uma, an Indian/American grad student, Mr and Mrs Pritchett, an upper class Caucasian couple, Tariq, a radical young Muslim, Cameron, an African American war veteran, Jiang an elderly Chinese woman who grew up in India and her Goth grand daughter Lilly, most of whom are waiting for visa for travel to India.

While these nine individuals are waiting and hoping to be rescued, anxiety levels rise as water seeps into the basement, and oxygen levels have worsened. To try and calm the group, Uma suggests that they form a circle and take turns telling "one amazing thing" about themselves, so that they can get to know each other. Hesitant at first, the group, beginning with Jiang, begins to share very personal details about their lives.

MY THOUGHTS: I liked this book for several reasons, but it was not perfect. The writing is beautiful, and there were some passages that were really touching and made an impact on me:

* p. 90..."We think that that terrible events have made us into stone. But love slips in like a chisel---and suddenly it is an ax, breaking us into pieces from the inside."
* p. 108..."Uma wanted to say something about the treacherous nature of memory, how one painful event can overpower the many good experiences that came before."
* p. 179....."But after I saw the couple in the cafe, a great dissatisfaction washed over me. I remember the old man tilting his head attentively, listening to his wife make her menu choice. Her eyes had shone through her thick glasses as she watched him cut up their desserts for sharing. There was nothing like that tenderness in my life. And without it, what use were the things I'd built my life around ?"
* (PLEASE NOTE: These quotes come from a review copy and may differ in the actual book)

I addition to the beautiful writing, I loved the execution of this story, however, in real life under these circumstances, I doubt the stories would have flowed so beautifully. The other problem that I had with this short novel (just 220 pages) was the fact that it was just too short of a book for the individuals to tell their stories in enough depth for me. I wanted to know more about these individuals and the stories of their lives. I was a bit disappointed in the way the book ended as well, but still I found this novel to be a memorable and worthwhile read. (Rating - 4/5 stars)

Cliched ridden book that ends with many unresolved storylines. The amazing thing is that I restrained myself from throwing the book across the room when I read the last word. I realize the "story telling" was the primary focus of the book but, come on, why give so much background of the characters and then leave us hanging?

Nine strangers are all that remain in the passport and visa office when an earthquake rips through their unnamed American city. Lilly - a punky teenager with an unexpected gift. Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett - an upper-class Caucasian couple whose relationship is disintegrating. Tariq - a young Muslim-American man struggling with the fallout of 9/11. Uma - a graduate student haunted by a question about love. Cameron - an African-American ex-soldier searching for redemption. Jiang - a Chinese grandmother with a secret past. And Mr. Mangolam and Malathi - two visa office workers on the verge of an adulterous affair.

With no power, barely any food, the building's eminent collapse, no cell phone reception, water that keeps flooding in and the door being stuck shut, they are trapped. Emotions are high and fear and restlessness begins to set in while they wait in the hopes of being rescued. To distract them from their fears, hunger and discomforts, Uma suggests that they all tell a story, a story of "One Amazing Thing" that has happened to them. A story that they have never told anyone before. And thus begins our journey with these nine diverse individuals as they wait together for whatever is to come next.

Although this book is rather short - it definitely carries big heart. Ms. Divakaruni has a way with words. She brings these nine people together in a very tense situation and brings each character into focus, fleshing them out, giving them real life struggles and lessons. I will confess to being a little confused (at first) as to who was who - and I did have to do some flipping back and forth to make sure I had the correct person. But once I got passed that, these characters shone brightly. You will find it hard to not to relate to at lease one of these people, if not more than one. The pacing is rather fast. You jump from one story to the next with only a short chapter in between giving you an update as to what is happening in the current post-earthquake situation.

As you read these stories, you can't help but wonder what story you would tell - what is you're one amazing thing?

This is a modern adaptation of The Canterbury Tales that is well-crafted and quite frankly, a fascinating read.

In an Indian visa and passport office in an unnamed American city, which several clues lead the reader to believe is probably San Francisco an unusual cast of characters consisting of office employees and clients are trapped together when an intense earthquake occurs leading them in rubble with no way out.

Among the clients are a Chinese woman (raised in India) and her pierced and tattooed granddaughter, an American couple whose marriage is on the rocks, an African-American ex-soldier, a surly Muslim-American man, a young graduate student (studying Chaucer), and two employees of the office.

Water slowly seeps into the building and their air supply becomes depleted but the group bands together finding supplies to hopefully survive until they're found. They gather together all their food to be distributed among one another, find water, alcohol and even flashlights to illuminate the dark office and waiting area. Hours become days and to help calm the group, Uma, the graduate student, suggests they focus their minds on something compelling, each sharing ONE AMAZING THING that has happened in their lives.

The last 2/3 of the novel consists of their stories -- shocking, poignant, and surprising. This is an original take on the "connected short story" books that have become popular such as OLIVE KITTREDGE.

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, perhaps best known for SISTER OF MY HEART uses this storytelling device adeptly in a book that while short (220 pages) and difficult to put down, readers will want to savor and won't want it to end. Highly recommended and well-worth the hardcover price.

Nine men and women are trapped in a visa office of an Indian consulate after an earthquake cripples an unnamed U.S. city. There are three Indians, two Caucasians, one Chinese (but born in Calcutta), one Chinese-American, one African American, and one angry Muslim. Low on food and water and high on fear, it is decided that each will tell a story while waiting to either die or be rescued--one amazing thing that happened to them that altered or forever influenced their lives.

When you read a book that alternates between nine different characters, you expect a distinction of voices. These were men and women of all ages and backgrounds. However, this entire novel was written in one note, one cloying voice. If the author hadn't pointed out the name of the character that was speaking, I would not have known. The voice of the middle-aged black man was identical to the young teenage Chinese-American girl. Shrink-wrapped and indistinguishable. Neither the gravity of their situation or their personal torments came through with pivotal urgency or genuine force. The emotions were saccharine and their stories were manufactured and bromidic. It wasn't seamlessly stitched and powerful; it was synthetic and obtuse. The pat narrative was hurried and grossly sing-song, dissolving anger, bitterness and sorrow into formulary warmth. The tone was so confectionary that it cooed falsetto. The fabric of this intended quilt of stories felt like polyester. Moreover, the author ended a lot of the reflective/interior dialogue with exclamation marks. !!!!!!!! Trite outpourings!!!! It was obnoxious. The plaster that poured from the ceiling onto the characters was made from the same paste and powder that defined them.

Perhaps as a novel for young readers (middle school), I could have excused some of the obvious and shameless artifice. It appears that the author was straining to be topically PC, and contrived to create a multicultural (sigh) saga to appeal to publishers and readers looking for a feel-good story that combines disparate and exotic characters. (sigh) It is the new niche in factory literature. The ending, which aches to be unconventional, was too little and too late. It was already a color-by-numbers construction. The canvas displayed blatant and colorless ooze from the literature farm of Wal Mart. Expect to see an entire acre of ONE AMAZING THING for sale at Sam's.

For a well-written story that encompasses a similar theme and architecture, consider Bel Canto.