Product Description
Rakesh Ahuja, a Government Minister in New Delhi, is beset by problems: thirteen children and another on the way; a wife who mourns the loss of her favorite TV star; and a teenaged son with some really strong opinions about family planning. To make matters worse, looming over this comical farrago are secrets—both personal and political—that threaten to push the Ahuja household into disastrous turmoil. Following father and son as they blunder their way across the troubled landscape of New Delhi, Karan Mahajan brilliantly captures the frenetic pace of India's capital city to create a searing portrait of modern family life.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 15 reviews)

like a seinfeld episode by Katherine (New York, NY United States)

3 Stars
September 05, 2009
This book is kind of funny -- has a few good gags, but it doesn't go anywhere. There is no real story; it's about nothing.

A Dilly in Delhi by Dick Johnson (Oklahoma USA)

5 Stars
July 22, 2009
Our hero is a politician and father of thirteen - all still at home. I don't know which is scarier: a politician raising his own voter base; or raising thirteen kids. Thankfully, the terror stops there. The fun, however, starts on page one and continues throughout the book. We have family follies and political pandemonium; coming-of-age and first-love; and lots of children. I felt as if Mahajan was sitting next to me telling me the story; the writing was that real and 'friendly'. I am amazed that this is a first book. This being the P.S. edition, we also get the additional material from him in the back of the book. Grab this one if you want to have fun and enjoy a satiric look at part of the life of India.

Fourteen kids! by Jessica Anderson (Provo, UT United States)

3 Stars
April 17, 2009
Rakesh Ahuja has thirteen children (with one on the way) and a wife whom he is attracted to only when she is pregnant. He is the Minister of Urban Development in the Indian government, but his personal and political clashes are taking their toll. In particular, he's dealing with his immature and moody oldest son, Arjun, and a political coup started by the (on-screen) death of the country's most famous soap star. I have to say that I just didn't "get" this book. Many of the other reviews characterize it as amusing or farcical. I failed to see the comedy in most of it. I didn't understand many of the cultural references, which was largely my lack, but it was still frustrating. The writing was fine, but I was often confused. I think, in large part, due to some of the bilingual references and misspellings. Still, there were some pretty good, memorable lines throughout. Here's my favorite: "He was squeezing his butt to hold in the piss. It appeared, strangely, to work." A little crude, but funny. Though I struggled with this book, I must caution that it may have just been me. I may have completely missed the boat or the point. I might have some mental block that is no fault of the author. Many critics really enjoyed this book. Even for me, towards the end, something kind of reminded me of Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut. Mr. Mahajan can take comfort in the fact that I don't really "get" Mr. Vonnegut either. If you "get" that kind of thing, this may be the book for you.

Family Planning by Carl E. Schoonover

5 Stars
April 02, 2009
There are many things to love in this immensely clever book. One that appeals to the scientist in me is Mahajan's virtuosic use of science-based metaphors and images to illustrate situations and feelings that are distinctly non-scientific. It is challenging enough for science writers to translate abstract descriptions of Nature into laymen's terms--a task that results more often than not in abusive metaphor-stretch and other such assaults on our language; but to successfully accomplish this work in the other direction (employing abstract scientific concepts to sketch the minutiae of human experience) is something of a coup. In less accomplished hands this sort of device is almost guaranteed to sound contrived and fall flat, but in "Family Planning" it blends seamlessly into Mahajan's cool, confident prose.

Really funny, clever touch by JA (Northeast)

5 Stars
March 06, 2009
Started reading, kept going, finished a couple hours later--one sitting. A very funny book that reads effortlessly but clearly took a deft touch and extraordinary control of tone and structure to write. Vivid characters, great dialogue, and an unusual story. Like a young, New Delhi-based Martin Amis, with a lighter and more humanist touch.

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