PLOT: 4.5/5
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 4/5
CLIMAX: 3.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4.5/5
If you are really into Indian fiction and consider yourself a bookgeek, there is simply no way you couldn’t have heard of the name Anuja Chauhan as there is little chance of escaping the charms of this talented lady who has not one, not two but four bestselling books to her credit now. “The House That BJ Built” now joins the literary stardom which The Zoya Factor, Battle for Bittora and Those Pricey Thakur Girls enjoy.
This book, in a non-bothering sort of way, is an extension of the 2013-published “Those Pricey Thakur Girls” and takes the story forward into the next generation. The Thakurs are a huge family.
There are Thakur Laxmi Narayan, his wife Mamtaji, their five alphabetically named daughters – Anjini, Binodini, Chandralekha, Debjani and Eshwari and their own set of off-springs.
Mamtaji is no more and all five daughters have moved on with their lives making Thakur Laxmi Narayan and his granddaughter – Binodini’s orphan daughter Bonita Singh Rajawat aka Bonu Singh the only two living souls to inhabit 16, Hailey Court which stands decadently in the posh Lutyens Delhi neighbourhood.
Her mother’s chachaji Ashok Narayan Thakur, chachiji Bhudevi and cousin Gulab aka Gulgul living just next door doesn’t make life much easier for Bonu Singh.
As is expected of old age, her grandfather soon passes away leaving the mammoth task of selling the ancient house on the shoulders of Samar Vir Singh, the young Bollywood director stepson of Anjini Singh.
The young director gladly accepts the challenge put up by a number of forces all of which have hidden their own agendas behind the hindrances which they are putting up against the sale of the house.
Last but least of these anti agents is Bonu Singh, who for grounds known only to her does not wish to sell her share thus making the plan for sale a non-executable one.
So what is the reason behind Bonu’s refusal to sell? What are the other forces at play? What about the sparks that fly high each time Bonu and Samar meet? What about the deep dark secret which everybody is hiding away from Bonu? Is money more important than family? How will the people change when money is rubbed in their faces?
To know this and much about the tantalising tale of the Thakur off-springs buy this enormously funny and entertaining read today!
The best part of “The House That BJ Built” is almost everything!
Yes, the plot, the writing style, the characters, the humour quotient, the subtle romance – everything is just perfect.
The story is indeed very interesting with the main plot and subplots managed very well. The Bollywood angle adds the much-desired glamour quotient and makes the book all the more alluring.
The characters are all marvellous – funny, charming, deep and infinitely entertaining. Even the evil Chachaji and the watchmen Trings will leave you entertained.
Next is the writing style and I must say that it is awesome. The wittiness, the glamour, the adventure, the quest to sell the house amidst the odd family setting – are all simply brilliant.
Even the romance is top of the class with Samar’s Bollywood flame Susan adding just the right amount of bitchiness.
Needless to state, “The House That BJ Built” comes highly recommended and in fact, a must-read from me and I rate it four and a half out of five stars.